Remarkable Ohio

Results for: stark
1075 The O’Jays Parkway NE
Canton

, OH

Nimisilla Park was established in 1894. Prior to its founding, the site was the location of the county fair from 1859 to 1893. Throughout its history, Nimisilla Park hosted horse races, live music, soldier reunions, and a zoo, among other events. Prominent political figures, such as Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and Eugene V. Debs, made speeches at the park. In 1918, Debs delivered a famous anti-war speech for which he was arrested and jailed. As of 2016, the park continues to serve as a gathering place for the community.

S Webb Avenue
Alliance

, OH

The coming of the railroads to Alliance is an important event in Stark County’s history. In 1851, the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad (running SE to NW) and the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad (E to W) intersected at this location. It was known as “the crossing” and became the Village of Alliance. William Robinson, Jr., the president of the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad, is credited with applying the name “Alliance” to the crossing, dating to when the railroads bought rights-of-way in 1849 and anticipated the intersection of the lines. A plat named “Alliance” was recorded September 26, 1850. The Village of Alliance was established in 1854, when 100 citizens of the communities of Williamsport, Freedom, and Alliance (also known as Liberty), signed a petition to incorporate on March 15. The petition was accepted and recorded in June.

1815 Harrison Ave NW
Canton

, OH

“All life is interrelated in today’s world. I can’t be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be; and you can’t be what you ought to be ’till I am what I ought to be.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke these words before 3,500 people while addressing a Freedom Rally here on March 20, 1964. His speech addressed issues of racial equality and unity, and urged passage of the Civil Rights Act. On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the act into law, prohibiting discrimination based on a person’s race, color, religion, sex, or nationality.

1749 10th Street Northeast
Canton

, OH

Greek Christian refugees from Asia Minor migrated to Canton in the early 1900s settling in the industrial area known as “Carnahan.” Erected in 1917, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church was chartered by Elies Korosedes, Nick Kessenides, Alex Heropoulos, Harry Achilles, and Paul Paulidis. It cost $50,000 to build and was repaid within 3 years by parishioners, mostly laborers earning 30 cents an hour. In 1927, a separate building Koraes Hall was added as a social and cultural center. It was later connected to the church in 1934. The property was sold in 1976 and subsequently changed ownership many times. On September 2, 2020, a devastating fire destroyed the former Koraes Hall, rendering the remaining structure unsafe. City officials condemned the buildings for demolition and buried the remnants beneath the ground.