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This marks the site of the first Sikh Gurdwara in the state of Ohio. Sikhs began to arrive in Ohio after India’s freedom from British rule in 1947. They came for advanced education at universities in the state. With liberalization of immigration laws in the 1960s, many Sikhs settled in metropolitan areas and set up organizations to hold congregational prayer. The Guru Nanak Foundation of Greater Cleveland Area was named after Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh Faith. The Foundation, which at first used rental facilities for religious activities, was incorporated in 1976. However, by 1980 it was able to purchase a building at 3305 West 25th Street in Cleveland. Membership swelled during the 1980s, and in 1991 the congregation decided to move the Gurdwara to its present location in Richfield.
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An annual summer tradition for American youth since the 1930s, the All-American Soap Box Derby was the concept of journalist Myron E. (“Scottie”) Scott, who covered an impromptu homebuilt gravity-car race in Dayton in 1933. Scott conceived and promoted a prize-awarding event later that year, and to his surprise 362 boys entered the race. Restrictions on material cost and participants’ ages widened the sport’s appeal; the Soap Box Derby held its first national championship in Akron in 1935, sponsored by the auto and rubber industries. Derby Downs, built as a public works project by the New Deal-era Works Progress Administration (WPA), has been the event’s home since 1936. The Soap Box Derby continues to promote the values of craftsmanship, sportsmanship, and perseverance for generations of American youth.
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In 1833, John Randolph from Roanoke, Virginia, died leaving three wills that requested that all of his slaves be set free and that land be purchased for them. Although contested for thirteen years by his family, the slaves were freed and the executor of the wills, Randolph’s cousin Judge William Leigh purchased about 2,000 acres of farm land in Mercer County, Ohio. Traveling by wagon train, the freed slaves, 383 in all, reached their destination in 1846, but were forced to turn back by earlier established white settlers. They turned around and ended up north of Piqua where they purchased land and developed the Village of Rossville. Later some moved on to other places in Miami County and well as Shelby County. In Rossville, they established an African Baptist Church in 1869, cemetery in 1866, and public black school in 1872.
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In 1846, the same year that Mahoning County was created, Ohio’s General Assembly passed an act “for the encouragement of agriculture.” An outgrowth of this legislation led to the founding of the Mahoning County Agricultural Society in April 1847. Boasting a membership of 170, the Society agreed to sponsor competitions for premiums to be distributed at an “annual fair and cattle show the next fall.” Canfield was the geographic center of the county and selected as the site for the first fair. In October, from the lawn of the First Congregational Church, Comptroller of the United State Treasury Elisha Whittlesey welcomed participants. Admission was one shilling (twelve and one half cents). The Village Green overflowed with exhibitions of prized livestock, harvests, plowing contests, and horse racing. Early fairs were one-day events attended primarily by gentlemen. However, the church provided a venue for ladies to display their handiwork. (continued on other side)
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Southington native Newton Chalker built, furnished, and donated Chalker High School to his community in 1907. Chalker was born in 1842 in Southington Township and lived there until adulthood. He later built a prosperous law and real estate practice in Akron. Chalker’s dedication to improve educational opportunities in the township likely originated with his personal struggle to complete high school, which was repeatedly interrupted by financial concerns and family obligations. The Chalker High School building was designed in the Neo-Classical Revival architectural style which was favored for public buildings, churches and schools early in the twentieth century. The building exhibits Classical influences through the use of fluted columns that support a pedimented gable, resembling a Greek temple. Chalker High School and the Civil War Monument were listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. (Continued on other side)
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Licking County was established in 1808. Contruction of the current Licking County Courthouse began in 1876. In 1879, a fire destroyed upper portions of this building, which was replaced in 1880. Architect Henry E. Myer of Cleveland designed the building in the Second Empire Style, which originated in France. The building contains significant works of art, including paintings, sculptures, and stained glass in the west courtroom on the second floor. The statues over the original entrances to the courthouse represent the ideal of impartial justice. (Continued on/from other side)
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The Stearns and Foster Company was co-founded by George S. Stearns, one of the founding fathers of the City of Wyoming, and Seth Foster. Family-owned for 139 years, the company saw the nation through three wars and the Great Depression. A few of its contributions to public service include-donating mattresses and drinking water to area residents during the great flood of 1937 and devoting nearly 80% of its resources to the war effort during World War II. In 1911, the company was one of the first to volunteer under what is now known as the Workman’s Compensation Act and offered life insurance to employees free of cost in 1914. The Stearns family contributed greatly to the City of Wyoming, serving on boards and commissions and helping make possible its first church, library, and high school.
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About 60 leaders of Ohio hospitals gathered at the Hotel Breakers on August 25, 1915 to form the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA), the nation’s first state hospital association. Established 15 years after the American Hospital Association, the OHA formed, in part, to address state legislation regarding hospitals and public health. Issues addressed in OHA’s first years included Ohio’s 1915 Nurse Practice Act, workers’ compensation rates, and the federal Harrison Narcotics Tax Act. A century later, OHA represents 220 hospitals and 13 health systems guided by a mission “to collaborate with member hospitals and health systems to ensure a healthy Ohio.”