Register 35 Seats Remaining
Come & share memories of Massillon's past. Bring stories and memorabilia to share or just come to hear what others have to say!
Both online and in person, the focus of this group is to keep the history & memories of Massillon alive. We'll kick things off by sharing stories about the past and what it was like to grow up here. Following the group discussion, there will be time for socializing and taking a closer look at the treasures brought in by others. For current members of "Reminiscing in Massillon," this is the opportunity to come & talk in person. For others, it is a chance to get to know this group & share stories.
Watch for more info on the upcoming "Reminiscing in Massillon Collector's Bazaar!"
Registration is preferred (so we know how many chairs to put out).
In 1897, local public servant and storekeeper George Harsh willed $10,000 for “public library purposes.” The funds purchased nearly 10,000 volumes for Massillon’s first public library. Also in 1897, J.W. McClymonds announced his gift of an endowment of $20,000 for a library. The Russell sisters, Flora and Annie, who married the McClymonds brothers, donated the Nahum S. Russell home, located on Prospect Street (now Fourth Street NE), in memory of their parents. The McClymonds Public Library opened on January 1, 1899, and was funded by private subscriptions and an annual disbursement of city funds. In 1922, the McClymonds Public Library became the Massillon City School District Library and was now funded by tax revenue.
In 1930, Annie Steese Baldwin willed her home “as the site for a new public library.” Built around 1835, the brick home overlooking downtown Massillon from Hill Street (now Second Street NE) was first the residence of the city’s founder, James Duncan.
The current Massillon Public Library (Main Location), located at the corner of Lincoln Way East and Second Street NE, opened in 1937. Designed by Albrecht & Wilhelm and funded in part by a Works Progress Administration grant, the Duncan/Baldwin home was connected by a Jeffersonian portico and rotunda to a west wing Reading Room and Children’s Room. The Massillon Museum was also housed at this location until 1996 when it moved to its present location at 121 Lincoln Way East.
