We took in the sites at the William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum in Canton. McKinley was the 25th President, serving from March 4, 1897 until his death on Sept. 14, 1901.
The building that houses the McKinley Library and Museum contains a number of other permanent exhibits of interest, like the “Street of Shops,” which presents a look at life in Stark County during the late 1800’s.
It includes an impressive model railroad layout depicting sites of the Pennsylvania Railroad through that part of Ohio. Two galleries contain exhibits that chronicle life in Stark County during the 19th and 20th centuries as well. There is also a planetarium and “Discover World” — an interactive science center — and a gift shop in the building. And while we were there, a temporary exhibit of the comic strip “Peanuts” was on display.
On the same property is the McKinley Memorial, which was completed in 1907. There are 108 steps from the parking lot up to the memorial’s plaza area, making for quite the workout just to walk up all of them. The more athletic — and adventurous — run up the steps.
Today, an impressive, 12-foot diameter skylight sits atop the memorial, but that wasn’t always the case. Although it was part of the original design, for some reason it was not installed until a restoration project in 1976.
The monument is surrounded by a beautiful 26-acre park. Nine states contributed material for the memorial. Ohio supplied the concrete, all of the brick and much of the labor. McKinley, his wife — Ida Sexton McKinley — and their two daughters are buried in the mausoleum. For most of their marriage, McKinley and his wife lived in the Sexton family home, which now houses the National First Ladies Library in Canton.
The next day, we traveled to Mentor, Ohio, to see the James Garfield National Historic Site, which is located on what was once the family’s farm. The home, named “Lawnfield” by reporters, was the site of the first successful front porch campaign, in 1880. Garfield had 11 more rooms added that year to accommodate his large family.
Garfield was the 20th U.S. President, serving from March 4, 1881, until his death on Sept.19, 1881.
Four years after his assassination, Garfield’s wife, Lucretia, added the Memorial Library wing — so that her husband would be remembered, we were told by the national park service ranger who led our tour, setting the precedent for presidential libraries.
We are fortunate to have so much history right here in our own backyard. I spent much of this past Monday afternoon reacquainting myself with the wonders of George Rogers Clark Park. It’s one of my favorite destinations because it combines two of my favorite hobbies — learning about history and hiking.
The park is located very near to the site of the largest Revolutionary War battle west of the Allegheny Mountains. Since it is also the site of the annual Fair at New Boston, one can also visit a re-created period fort and village of the Shawnee Indians and their British allies. And there is also the Hertzler House, an 1854 Bank-style home, plus a display of a recent archaeological exploration that found remnants of the nearby Keifer Cabin that predated it.
There are also multiple memorials located throughout the park that honor people who impacted local and regional history.
As the park’s website indicates, there are five miles of trails for hiking through the 300-year-old forest and 250 acres of green meadows with abundant wildflowers, scenic waterways, bird, deer and turtle habitats. Fishing without a license and non-motorized boating can also be enjoyed at Hosterman Lake.
It was certainly a relaxing way to spend an afternoon, relieve some stress and get some exercise — all without having to travel very far from home.
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