Margaret’s Gift…

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Welcome back to 70 Artifacts for 70 years! Look for our logo in platinum for the 70 years of the Stark County Historical Society!

On the birthday of President William McKinley, January 29, 2016, we celebrated with a little more background on a biography by Margaret Leech.

Margaret Leech (1893-1974) McKinley biographer, was born in Newburgh, NY. She graduated from Vassar College in 1915.  She was a prolific writer–writing both novels and historical non-fiction.  Two of her history books, Reveille in Washington which dealt with the Civil War and In the Days of McKinley a biography of the life of President William McKinley won Pulitzer Prizes in 1942 and 1960, respectively.

Margaret had the good fortune to live during the time that immediate members of the McKinley and Saxton families were still living.  She was able to speak personally with Margaret (Disoway) McKinley, the widow of James F. McKinley, the President’s nephew and Helen McKinley Heidt Magee, daughter of the President’s niece, Grace McKinley Heidt.  She was also able to interview Mary Barber Hartzell, Ida’s niece, and Ida Day Gunn, daughter of Ida’s namesake, Ida Barber Day.  These women were able to furnish unique perspectives and memorabilia from William and Ida’s lives.

In the Days of McKinley is carefully researched and presents McKinley’s life from his early life to his assassination in 1901.  

Ralph Pulitzer, Margaret’s husband, died in 1939.  They had one daughter, Susan Pulitzer Freedburg.  The Pulitzers are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, NY

• Judy Cloud Pocock, Volunteer

 

 

More Later…

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What Ever Happened To…

Welcome back to 70 Artifacts for 70 years! Look for our logo in platinum for the 70 years of the Stark County Historical Society!

Periodically the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum would like to know “what ever happened to…”. This could be a known historical object such as a chair belonging to President McKinley that was known to be in his home in 1900.  Or it could be  important sculpted marble figures atop a large fountain in front of the Stark County Courthouse. Which brings us to

“what ever happened to”…..

The beautiful fountain that stood in front of the Stark County Courthouse?

Take a look at this photograph of this 2nd version of the Stark County Courthouse built between 1868 and 1870.

This beautiful Italianate styled courthouse and annex were dominated by rounded topped windows, classical-styled gables and hand-carved stonework. Notice the large fountain that graced the east side of the courthouse lot facing Market Avenue (and wrought-iron fencing surrounding the property).

According to a September 28, 1871 issue of the Stark County Democrat newspaper they called this fountain a “Neptunian Fountain”depicted by the elevated figure of Neptune at the top of the fountain and surrounded by nymphs.

The fountain cost the taxpayers $3000 to install and there was a controversy regarding the need for erecting a non-patriotic (and pagan) sculpture on public land.

This fountain stood in front of the Courthouse until 1893 when the 2nd version of the two- towered Courthouse was replaced with a larger, one-towered courthouse. The fountain was removed and re-installed in Canton Waterworks Park at this time. Here’s a postcard from 1895 showing the fountain in Waterworks Park.

So, “WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO IT”?

The McKinley Museum has not determined as of yet who sculpted this fountain nor what became of it? Is it in a landfill now? It is in somebody’s back yard?

Any help would be greatly appreciated by the public.

Contact:

Tom Haas

Volunteer Researcher

Straight Lines, Dug Deep…

Stark County was founded on good tilling land that stretched far and wide. This land became fertile after the pioneer chopped down many many trees, put on his farmer hat, and began to “work” the land.

Welcome back to 70 Artifacts for 70 years! Look for our logo in platinum for the 70 years of the Stark County Historical Society!

Photograph
Today we feature a photograph from our first year being the Stark County Historical Society.

1946.4.1

Canton became the first center of plow manufacturing west of the Alleghenies. Joshua Gibbs born in Trenton, New Jersey in 1803 settled first in Cleveland, and finally in Canton. He was an established mechanic, and built a black smith shop in Canton, where the Wheeling & Lake Erie railroad tracks meet 4th street N.E. He married Barbara Schaefer in 1829 and together they had ten children. Joshua Gibbs’ farm land became one of the first additions to the city in the northeast.

Lewis Gibbs, one of the ten from Joshua and Barbara inherited his father’s love for invention. The original plow company Joshua began, and his sons Lewis, William and Martin continued seesed to exist in 1863.

John Rex Bucher with Lewis Gibbs founded Bucher, Gibbs & Company after Lewis sold his interest to John R. Poyser.