If you are a native of Massillon, you have probably heard bits and pieces of information about the area’s earliest settlement, Kendal, (now the northeast part of Massillon.) However, it is likely that you have not had the chance to take an in-depth look at the people and the landmarks that defined this early town. As an archives intern here at the Massillon Museum, I am attempting to contribute to the full story of Kendal. By compiling bits of information from maps, biographies, letters, and a variety of other original documents, I hope to create a more tangible understanding of the settlement, just in time for its bicentennial in 2012.

A brief history of Kendal:

In 1812, Thomas and Charity Rotch, prominent New Englanders, ventured west to find a more suitable climate for themselves, and vast pastures for their Merino sheep. The Tuscarawas River valley proved to be a sufficient site to begin their Quaker settlement. Sippo Creek would power a woolen mill, used to produce fine Merino wool.

The Rotches brought New England style to Ohio, ordering that homes must be of brick or clapboard. No primitive, log cabins were allowed. Two “greens” were established in the center of town to complete the look.

They also brought progressive Quaker ideals of equality to the new settlement. Thomas and Charity immediately made sure that African American children in the area had access to education. Spring Hill, the Rotch homestead, became a stop on the Underground Railroad. In Kendal’s later days, every citizen was given a plot of land and the opportunity to work, (in essence, an experiment in socialism.) Even women and children were able to earn wages.

The thriving settlement attracted additional prominent New Englanders such as Mayhew Folger of Nantucket, who established the Kendal Tavern.

If you have ever wondered about the original locations of these Kendal homes and business, (including Spring Hill, Charity Rotch’s school house, Mayhew Folger’s Tavern, and many others) an interactive map project is in the works. Maps of Kendal and modern-day Massillon will be combined to reveal historical locations. Viewers will be able to access the map online, clicking on photographs of people and places to learn more about the settlers and their everyday lives in Kendal.

If the interactive map inspires you to explore further, an audio walking tour of the town is also in the plans. You can hit the streets of Massillon, and be guided on a personal history walk.

You can find more information on this developing research at the Massillon Museum website: www.massillonmuseum.org. The web project and audio tour will be unveiled in their entirety for Kendal’s bicentennial in 2012.

For the full history of Spring Hill, please visit Spring Hill Historic Home's website.

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