Canton Township Historical Society

10/15/2026

Mark your calendars!

10/10/2026

ELLIOTT FAMILY HISTORY

Since the inception of the Historical Society, we've requested stories of families who settled in our township in the early years. One of the families we heard from was the Elliott Family. Although her history began in neighboring Pike Twp, Edna Alborn Elliott spent most of her 100 years in Canton Township raising her family. Edna was born into a large family which included 9 children. Edna has vivid memories of her childhood on the family farm on Battlesburg Road. She was the 2nd oldest child so as more children joined the family, she took on more responsibility of helping in the barn, the 3 additional sheds and filling the granaries on the property. She also remembers swimming in and skating on the Malavite Family farm pond.

In 1946, she married Gerald who served during WWII in the Navy. He spent time in England where he was assigned to repair Navy warships' motors; as well as seeing battle action at Normandy. Edna shared that Gerald was extremely proud of building a car using nothing but junkyard scraps.

Edna was a cosmetologist by training and worked at the salon in the old Bon Marche' department store in downtown Canton. She then opened a salon in her home when the store closed. She later worked for GARCO and then worked for a company that took aerial photographs of family farmsteads. Edna also worked as an in-home health care worker. Gerald kept himself busy through his employment with Spun Steel, Aspro (for 30 years) and retired from Dyneer Steel when it closed in 1980.

In 1957, Gerald and Edna purchased 3 acres on 53rd Street SW in Canton Township and built the family home. Edna remembers the total cost for the acreage as $1,500 and the seller 'held' the property for them for $100! Edna reported it was a 'spec' house, but not a Sears home. At the time they purchased the land and started building, 53rd Street was a dirt road and Edna remembers a 1-room school house sitting nearby, east of their home. (The Historical Society is working on documenting/confirming which school this might have been)

Edna was very involved in the local community through her children's school activities at North Industry Elementary School. She was president of the Canton Women's Club and traveled extensively to Isreal, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, England, France and Austria.

Edna celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday and we congratulate her for living an exciting, full, long life and thank her for her contributions to Canton Twp.

**We would love to share your family's history in Canton Township! Please submit your story with pictures or contact us to interview you.

10/09/2026

Here's another interesting story written by a student in 1986 for the publication 'Reflections...Glimpses of Yesterday'.

10/04/2026

The October theme for the America 250 Project is Food & Farms. Several months ago we put out a plea for local family farm stories. We received a few but would love to receive more! The story today is taken from a book entitled 'Reflections...Glimpses of Yesterday' written by a group of 10th grade students in the Canton South Honors English II HORIZON Program in 1986 (forty years ago!). We'll be sharing several stories written by the students during the month.

10/03/2026

Canton Township Ladies have been at it for some time.

This is from February 16, 1930

09/29/2026

Stark County Democrat, Canton, Ohio
September 29, 1887 – Thursday – page 5
Digital Archives of the Stark County District Library

John Kerch and wife, of North Industry, were on trial before Justice Braden this morning for keeping open their saloon on Sunday, several witnesses were examined on both sides of the controversy and the defendants were discharged.

09/28/2026

Here is the full version of another Stark County Story

09/25/2026

We receive such wonderful support from our business community!

09/19/2026

Canton Daily News, Canton, Ohio
September 19, 1919 – Friday – page 18
Digital Archives of the Stark County District Library

RURAL TEACHERS
VISIT SCHOOLS
- - -
Fifteen Stark County rural teachers of Supervision District No. 3 accompanied by Superintendent C. W. Weeks spent Friday visiting the schools at Waco and North Industry.
They were the new teachers of the district and were taken through the Waco and North Industry schools for ideas and pointers which will be of assistance to them in their year's work.
One day each year is set aside by the school laws for teachers to visit, and this is the first section of teachers from Supervision District No. 3 to take advantage of the visiting day. Other groups will visit the various schools in the county later, according to Superintendent Weeks.
Friday morning was spent at the Waco schools, while Friday afternoon was spent at the North Industry schools.

*** IMAGE SHOWN: The first school at Waco

09/18/2026

Enjoy this from the Canton Daily News February 24, 1914

Shivers! North Industry Held Sleigh Ride Just The Same
Undaunted by the below zero weather North Industry held its sleigh ride Monday night.
The grizzled monarch who dispenses the icy blasts did his best to circumvent North Industry, but North Industry refused to be circumvented. Clarence Boord and Harlin Holm, commander-in-chief and field marshal, respectively, of the expedition, had promised that nothing could interfere with the hilarity of the night.
Hence when the temperature began to shoot downward Monday North Industry just gritted its teeth and went about getting the sleighs ready
A raw wind was blowing at 7 o'clock when the ride was scheduled to start but Winfield Snyder remarked it wasn't anything like as rigorous as the weather on the famous occasion when Nap Bonaparte began his retreat from Moscow.
LOT MIGHT HAVE BEEN HARDER.
He also recalled that there weren't any pretty girls with Nap's army, whereas everyone of the young men in the sleigh riding party was supplied with a comely lass. He also recalled that Nap and his Old Guard didn't have any swell dinner waiting for them over the French border, whereas Mrs H Daubermann had prepared such a dinner at Waco Taking it by and large he allowed that their lot might be a deal harder than it was and proposed that the pilgrimage get under way at once.
It did At Waco there was a four hour hiatus in the ride. The merry makers went to the home of Mr. and Mrs. H. Daubermann and played ante-sleigh-ride games such as haven't been played since the last North Industry Night of the Big Sleigh Ride which is away back in ancient history.
QUARTETTE THAWED ITS VOCAL CORDS.
The North Industry quartette thawed out its vocal cords and sang several songs. Miss Hannah Lewis and Miss Laura James didn't play the piano like their fingers had been benumbed. The supper came at 11 o'clock. The journey back to North Industry was finished at 3 a. m. and every bound pronounced it so distinct a success that another will be held next week. That one will be to Canton.
Here are some of the names of the participants which a reporter took before he got the writer's cramp: Misses Jennie Lewis, Flora Myers, Cora Fetters, Lucile Brechbuhler, Hannah Lewis, Laura James, Nina Baer, Viola Baer, Estelle Bebstock, Ida Deckard, Ruth Daubermann and Myrtle Daubermann, David Lewis, Clarence Boord, Harlin Holm, Frank James, Paul Gonzora, Willard Holm, Scott Henry, Irvin Baer, Ray Bletch, Clyde Brechbuhler, Samuel Stokes, Winfeld Snyder, Stanley Stimmll, Russell and Charles Daubermann, Clyde and Joseph Sparks, Robert Strong and Murel Tressel Mr and Mrs. H Aderholt and Mr. and Mrs. H. Daubermann.

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