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Canton Information
Canton is a city in Stark County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census,
the city had a total population of 80,806, but according to a July 1, 2004
Census estimate, the population has declined to 79,905. Despite this decline,
the 2004 figure actually moved Canton up from 9th to 8th place among Ohio
cities, as Youngstown, once considerably more populous than Canton, suffered a
larger decline. Canton is the county seat of Stark CountyGR6. The
Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area has a total population of 406,934
as of the census of 2000.
Canton is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the McKinley National Memorial,
the William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, and the First Ladies
National Historic Site.
Canton was founded in 1805. Cantonrep.com quotes Kim Kenney, the curator of
the William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, whose information came from
E.T. Heald's series The Stark County Story, as saying that Canton was
incorporated as a village in 1822, and then as a city in 1838. However, the
history page of the City of Canton's web page gives the date for incorporation
as a village as being in 1815, as a town in 1834, and as a city in 1854.
Bezaleel Wells, the surveyor who divided the land of the town, named it after
Canton (now Guangzhou), China. The name was a memorial to a trader named John
O'Donnell, whom Wells admired. O'Donnell had named his Maryland plantation after
the Chinese city, as he had been the first person to transport goods from there
to Baltimore.
Canton works under a Mayor–Council government. It is the largest city in Ohio to
operate without a charter. The current mayor is Janet Weir Creighton (R),
elected in 2003 and sworn in January 2004. City council is divided among 9 wards
with 3 at-large seats and the council president.
The Canton area's economy is primarily industrial, with a significant
agricultural segment. The city is home to the Timken Company, a major
manufacturer of tapered roller bearings and specialty steel. Other companies
that have significant operations are the Hoover Company (vacuums and floor
cleaners), the Belden Brick Company (brick and masonry producer), and Diebold
(ATMs, electronic voting devices, and bank vaults). LTV Steel (formerly Republic
Steel) had historically been large employer, until its bankruptcy in 2000.
Poultry production and dairy farming are also important segments of its economy.
However, like many industrial areas of the United States, employment in the
manufacturing sector is in a state of long-term decline. The area is undergoing
a transition to a retail- and service-based economy. In 2004 Timken Company
proposed closing some of their factories in the Canton area, striking a blow to
the economy and a bigger blow to city image and pride.
Canton, like many mid-size urban cities, has lost most of its downtown retail
business to the suburbs, such as the extensive retail market in nearby Jackson
Township. A number of downtown cafes and restaurants have, however, sprung up in
recent years. Most retail shopping can be found at the extremes of the city
limits, at Canton Centre Mall and a WalMart to the west or a WalMart and Kmart
to the east. There are also veins of retail along Tuscarawas Street, a leg of
the Lincoln Highway that runs east-west through several states, and in a
shopping district on 30th St. N.W.
Canton's K-12 students are primarily served by the Canton City Schools, although
students north of 17th St. NW have an overlap with Plain Local Schools. Malone
College, a private, four-year liberal arts college, is located on 25th St. N.W.
The city is also served by two Catholic high schools St. Thomas Aquinas High
School (Louisville) serves the eastern portion of Canton (and eastern Stark
County as a whole); while Central Catholic High School (located in Perry
Township) serves the western part of Canton (and western Stark County as a
whole). Catholic grade schools within the city limits of Canton are St. Peter,
St. Joseph, and Our Lady of Peace. There is also Canton Heritage Christian
School (K-12), a Christian grade school and high school. Canton Country Day is
another private elementary school in the city of Canton.