History enthusiasts roll out more panels along North Canton Heritage Trail

NORTH CANTON − The North Canton Heritage Trail's latest phase tells more of the backstory behind the origins of the Hoover Co. in the city that was then known as New Berlin.

More than two years ago, Doug Wechter, a local history enthusiast, and the North Canton Heritage Society debuted the trail's initial seven panels. Located on along Main Street at points of interest like City Hall, the library, historic churches and the YMCA, the panels use historic photographs, maps and engaging text to tell important aspects of city history.

Walkers have had the opportunity since Memorial Day to see five new panels that make up the project's second phase.

"We weren't able to tell the whole story during Phase 1," Wechter said. " And to get to the Hoover family and the Hoover Co. and that story told in large part is really helpful to people to understand the bigger picture."

The new panels are:

• The Hoover Co. in Bitzer Park with a view of the Hoover factory across East Maple Street. It shows how the family business at the center of town went from being a leather tanning company in 1870 to an iconic worldwide manufacturer of vacuum cleaners by 1919.

• Michael and Elizabeth Bitzer and William McKinley's first political speech in Bitzer Park by Maple and Main Street. It tells the story behind the couple who bought the hotel on the southeast corner of the village square in 1854 that often housed traveling Union soldiers during the Civil War. And it shares the account of how William McKinley made his first speech at a political rally in front of the Bitzer Hotel in 1867, nearly three decades before he was elected president.

• Two other panels are two miles to the east on Maple Street. One by the Hoover Historical Center by Washington Square has the account of the Hoover Homestead owned by "Boss" Hoover. The other on the southwest corner of Market Avenue N and East Maple Street details the founding of Walsh University.

• The fifth is the southernmost panel of the trail at South Main Street and Summit Street. It shares the account of how Herbert W. Hoover Sr. helped provide refuge in the North Canton area to 84 British children threatened by German bombings during World War II.

North Canton Heritage Trail panels

Wechter spent years finding the photos and maps and designing the panels.

The first seven cost about $8,500, which came from contributions by the Herbert W. Hoover Foundation and other private donors, including and Council President Matthew Stroia, At-Large and his wife, Jessica.

The second five panels cost about $7,600.

The third phase, set to debut next year, has an estimated cost of about $7,000. The panel topics will be the Portage Street schools, the Charlotte Street school, Historic Portage street in front of Wechter's childhood home and Jacob Gaskins and the Underground Railroad on Main Street. Wechter said he's raised about $1,000 so far.

Each of the panels, which are owned, maintained and overseen by the North Canton Heritage Society, have a QR code linked to more information.

North Canton's origin and history

Wechter said he decided to organize a heritage trail after seeing similar projects in other towns.

"I said, 'We have a lot of history in our town. Why not us?," he recalled.

So in 2017, Wechter met with the then-operations coordinator Ann Haines at the Hoover Historical Center; Megan Pellegrino, who's now the center's director; Doug Lane, then the president of the North Canton Chamber of Commerce, and Dave McDaniel, who was the president of the North Canton Heritage Society. They supported the concept.

Wechter said sharing the story of his city's history deepens the emotional connection its residents have to their community.

"I think a lot of our history is hidden in this town," he said. "We've lost a lot of our historical buildings and houses. And so part of what the Heritage Trail does is helps to tell the story that a lot of it's lost."

He had to get property owners' permission to place the panels by their buildings. Wechter obtained insurance on the panels. After designing them, he submitted them for review by an ad hoc committee made up of Kelly Odegard, executive director of the North Canton Heritage Society; Pellegrino; Council President Matthew Stroia, At-Large, and about four others who suggested corrections and additions. Committee members and North Canton Middle School English teacher Dan Martin spent hours proofreading the text and photo captions.

Wechter then sent the files to CEI, also known as Communication Exhibits, in Canal Fulton to make and install the panels with a hole digger. CEI digs three feet deep, inserts the panel with an anti-graffiti coating and seals them with cement.

"We wanted it to be high quality," Wechter said. "So, it takes time to do the research. Get the right photographs. The wording. The placement of all the pictures. It took a lot of hours to try to figure out what size. What to put where."

Wechter, an occupational therapist, has been a board member of the North Canton Heritage Society for a decade. He's the son of the late Gary Wechter, a longtime North Canton councilman, who died in May at the age of 86.

Wechter won't not rule out additional phases.

"I think Doug will want to continue is my guess," said Pellegrino.

Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Phase 2 of North Canton Heritage Trail tells more of city's backstory