| Abstract |
The Bicentennial of Stark County sparked interest in doing a public history project. Paul Bradley, Michael Archer, Chris Martau, Heather White, and Dani Sprout came together to create an exhibit that covered aspects of Stark County history. The exhibit covers these topics: Robert Pinn of the civil war, Hoover, War children of WWII, Meyers Lake Amusement Park and Moonlight Ballroom, and The Canton Bulldogs and Football Hall of Fame. Each researcher took their topic and broke down the history to be able to put the exhibit together with artifacts from museums and personal collections, photos, and timelines. Through research, the group explored the various aspects of Stark County history, focusing on the events and individuals that shaped the area. Though the topics are vastly different, one common thread brought them together: their importance to Stark County as a whole. The reason why each topic was chosen was for their importance to the area. Meyers Lake brought economy and activity to Stark, Hoover brought industry and had a hand in bringing the children to North Canton to protect them from the horrors of war, the Canton Bulldogs brought sport and leisure and the hall of fame brought travelers and history, and Medal of Honor recipient Robert Pinn shows a patriotic nature. It is the hope of the presenters that this exhibit will inspire citizens of Stark County to explore the history that is around them.
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Michael Archer is a senior at Kent State Stark. He is completing his major in history and intends to graduate this spring. When he graduates he intends to go to graduate school where he will begin work on his master’s degree in public history. He hopes to eventually teach history and/or work in a living museum.
William (Paul) Bradley is a senior majoring in history and graduates this spring from Kent State Stark. He has earned an associate degree in geography in 2015, and after graduation intends to use both degrees in public history.
Chris Martau is a senior at Kent State Stark, majoring in history. He is interested in various subjects of history, including the Renaissance era, the American Revolutionary era, and film and comic book histories.
Dani Sprout is a junior history major at Kent State Stark. Her work on the Stark County exhibit was part of her first internship in her major.
Heather White is a senior at Kent State Stark. While at Kent State she has completed research on social and economic history during the Colonial era, World War II British war children, rural America in the early 1900s, the impact of FDR’s New Deal legislation on tenant farmers, and a variety of topics focused on Southern history. She will be graduating in May with a bachelor’s degree in history and plans on furthering her career in a museum setting.