The McKinley Memorial Monument, where the President and Mrs. McKinley and their two daughters are buried.
It’s always easy to visualize a place one researches or reads about during a particular period of time. However illogical, it is still a bit jarring to realize how radically changed any one place will usually be from the period of its golden age.
After several years of researching and writing the new biography of Ida McKinley just published, I’ve been to her birthplace and home town of Canton, in northeastern Ohio just southeast of Cleveland, on countless occasions. Not until I had a free day which also happened to be clear and sunny, however, had I a chance to relax enough and look around.
And doing so this morning, I was surprised to see there is still a trace of evidence of how the town appeared during its boom period of industry, from when Canton also sent its favorite son William McKinley to the White House in 1896 well through the immediate years after World War II.
Victorian house.
Respectable house.
Red barn and red house.
The Canton Women’s Club.
Manicured lawn.
Wrong-side-of-the-tracks house.
Downtown storefronts.
Storefront along Market Avenue.
City Hall.
The Lutheran Church.
The Methodist Church.
The Palace Theater.
The Baptist Church.
The Masonic Lodge.
The Waffle House breakfast of country ham, cheese grits, and biscuits with gravy.
The sweeping greensward.
The forest glen.
The Saxton-McKinley House.
The long-closed factory.
Related articles
- The White House “Lost Girls” Ghosts & Their Presidential Policy Influence (carlanthonyonline.com)
- The Never-Was McKinley Kittens (Part 4) (carlanthonyonline.com)
- High school football/Massillon 34, Canton McKinley 7: Tigers pounce on Bulldogs, earn playoff berth (ohio.com)
- Canton, Ohio: National First Ladies’ Library (divertingjourneys.wordpress.com)
- ‘Haunted’ Canton hospital poses risks (newsnet5.com)
Categories: First Ladies, History, Ohio, Presidents, The McKinleys
Hi Mr. Anthony,
Thanks for the photo tour of Canton, Ohio – yet another interesting First Lady from Ohio – seven in all if I am correct – I am looking forward to reading your book on Mrs. McKinley – by the way, how do I get you to sign my copy?
Congratulation on your latest book.
David/Chicago
Thank you David. If you order the book from the First Ladies Library by Wednesday of this week tell them we were in touch and you want your book personally inscribed. I can do that for you while I am here in Canton.
Being a kid from Cleveland originally I remember the weekend drives our family took to Zanesville,Canton and Twinsburg especially during the spring and fall just to see our beautiful Ohio countryside burst open with such great colors and gentle sights. Love your shots as you cetainly captured some of the charm and beauty to the homes and just the natural settings. Even tho I have lived in S. California for all these years I still feel my roots in Ohio when I go back. Glad you are taking in “the time lapse” as my Dad used to call it.
Thanks for writing Phil. Well it was sure the perfect autumn day to be looking around Canton – finally. A beautiful day.
Great photo tour. For some reason your Victorian house reminds me of a house located in the South in one of my postings:http://marygilmartin.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/the-wrens-nest-atlanta-georgia/
Thanks Mary and I took a look at your post – wow, I sure like the Wren’s Nest a hell of a lot more than the one I snapped in Canton!
It was great to see you and hear you great lecture on Ida McKinley at the Garfield Presidential Home in Mentor Ohio on Saturday the 9th! Your writing and knowledge make your books and lectures very enjoyable. Thank you again, Jeff
Thank you for givibg up a Saturday for the lecture. Don’t hesitate either to give me an honest critique of the McKinley bio. Thanks again Jeff. Greatly appreciate it