J6 Sunday, March 27, 2016 | The Repository | CantonRep.

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NORTH CANTON
Manufacturing at
heart of community
HELD EXTOLLS PATIENCE,
since inception COOPERATION AS MAYOR
North Canton grew in By Jessica Holbrook
Repository staff writer

Boss Hoovers shadow

O
n a Monday night
in January, an hour
By Gary Brown Village born before back-to-
Repository staff writer
The latter village, back city council

I
New Berlin, was laid out meetings, Mayor David
n a sense, North Feb. 31, 1831, the history
Canton originally Held greets a group of Boy
shows. Samuel Bechtel Scouts in city hall.
New Berlin was a surveyed the land, making
seed as a settlement, a the hub of the settlement He walks around the room
spark of life in the wilder- the angled intersection of and shakes their hands, asks
ness from which much of their ages and where they
Portage and present-day go to school. He leads them
what surrounds it could Main streets. At that time,
sprout. in singing Happy Birthday
Main Street was called after one scout excitedly
North Canton has a rich Market.
history, notes a chronicle announces his special day,
Most of the set- and coordinates a group
of the citys early years tlers were Pennsylvania
published at the website photo. Then he herds the
Dutch of the Lutheran noisy, keyed-up group into
for North Canton Area and German Reformed
Chamber of Commerce, his office and talks to them
religious faith, Beaber about city government. He
one that has encouraged continued. Water power
growth both in the city and was abundant and numer- takes a picture with each
surrounding areas. one at his desk, and, as they
ous saw and grist mills leave, introduces himself
A history of North were established. Tanner-
Canton, published in The to every parent and thanks
ies became prominent in them for coming.
Repository late in 1955, Plain Township in 1829.
notes that New Berlin The whirlwind tour and
Many homecraft REPOSITORY FILE
was the first village laid distracted kids dont phase
businesses sprang up in n North Canton Mayor David J. Held talks about the equipment that will be used to fight snow and ice on
out in Plain Township, him. After 10 years as
New Berlin. Some of the roadways in North Canton.
itself named for the barren early shops made carpets, mayor, Held has developed
terrain north of Canton. plenty of patience.
cabinets, wagons, tin couldnt do it, DeOrio said. from 116 full-time employ-
Being a dad has taught
The writer of the history, products, shops, cider, Cooperation I thought it was very mag- him the importance ofees in 2005 to about 92 now,
John Beaber, noted that clothes, guns and leather Held, a Republican, first nanimous of him to consider humility. he said.
before 1810 Plain Town- goods. came to city hall in 2001. He that. I believe it was very You never know what The city aggressively
ship also included areas Many such shops was appointed city admin- genuine. applied for grants. It won
challenges youre going
of Lake, Lawrence and already were established istrator by former mayor In time, the two came to more than $25 million in
to face in life, Held said.
Jackson townships in Stark in New Berlin in the mid-
Tom Rice, who fired him a understand one another. grant funds since 2005,
We simply do not have
County. 1870s, Beaber noted. year later. As time went on, I came which have been used to
control over what happens
As early as 1805 the At this time, the Held went to work as to understand more his replace waterlines and pave
to (us). And that humbles
first families began settlement contained 300 executive director of the point of view and he mine, you. major roadways, Held said.
arriving in Plain Town- people and 90 dwellings Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne and we actually became And Held set a rule.
Held is driven and goal-
ship, where they found and shops which lined the Joint Solid Waste Manage- close friends, DeOrio said. Every decision the city
oriented, hes always had
fertile and rolling land, streets of the five-point ment District, where he I think he brings a tremen- made had to be run through
an intense work ethic.
clear streams and abun- intersection at the village remains today. dous value to the city. a filter of two questions:
A native of North Olm-
dant animal life among square. He returned to North When DeOrio, chief Does it bring new jobs to
sted, Held wrestled at St.
thick patches of forests, Then W.H. Hoover, only Canton politics in 2005, financial officer at Canton Edward High School incity? Does it lead to more
expands a history posted 24 years old and operating when he soundly beat his Municipal Court, left cost-efficient city services?
Lakewood. He was twice
at the website for North a tannery at his fathers former boss in the race for office in 2011, Held issued an NCAA All-American If the answer to one of those
Canton Heritage Society. farm east of New Berlin, mayor. a proclamation praising his wrestler at Edinboro is yes, it gets his support.
They established their moved his business into Held came into office service. University, and skipped The city held steady with
homesteads and while the village. It was a shift in after a heated race filled That relationship was a its income-tax rate, which
his college graduation to
clearing the lands for location that would influ- with negative ads and turning point for the city, remains at 1.5 percent.
attend the 1988 Olympic
their first crops they built ence the future of far more inherited a council with a Held said. North Canton is different
Trials, where he made it to
churches and schools, than his company. The reputation for conflict. The key was learning to the final 15. than other cities, Held said.
some as early as 1814. move would bring to the Those early years were cooperate and respecting Theres been a tradition of
Hes had to learn to
Year after year new center of the community, difficult, Held said. others points of view, he excellence, with high expec-
temper that drive with
families of various back- the Heritage Societys his- The city was under said. tations from the people of
patience and humility,
grounds arrived, much like tory notes, a company that
tremendous financial pres- I really want to under- our city. The standard has
both as a mayor and as a
today, the Heritage Soci- would dominate the lives
sure the Hoover Co. stand the perspective of our father, he said. always been set very high.
etys history continues. of everyone who ever lived would soon leave the city council members. I seek to Its not what happensHeld wants to continue
Taverns, inns, wagon- here. and Held struggled in his understand their perspec- that tradition. The city
to you in life, but how you
makers, blacksmiths and
relationship with council tive first, and then to be continues to work to attract
respond to it. Attitude is
general stores sprung up Hoover influence members. understood, he said. jobs, by keeping taxes low
everything, Held said.
where the rutted wagon Even during the years Everyone had the same Held said he seeks to and parking free, and ensur-
paths crossed; paths that surrounding the turn Growth
goal in mind serving the eliminate his enemies and ing the city is safe and clean,
led to mills by the streams of the century, when
city of North Canton but make them friends, a strat- Three years after Held he said.
eastward and west, and Hoovers company still had different perspectives egy he has carried over fromtook office, the Hoover The community seem
north to Akron, and south made leather goods
and approaches to doing his days as a wrestler. Co. left North Canton. It to support that goal. Held
to the village of Canton. horse collars, bridles and that, Held said. My dad always taught was a turning point for the has been re-elected to six
Amid this flurry of saddles, among many One of his biggest con- me to shake hands and con- city, and early on, a defin- two-year terms, includ-
settlement activity, vil- products the company flicts was with former gratulate your opponent, ing moment for Helds ing running unopposed in
lages formed. influenced the economy of councilman Patrick DeOrio, win or lose, Held said. Toleadership. November.
The land on which the community. who was a friend of Rice and show respect to the person The plant had dwindled I think Daves been
New Berlin was laid out Hoover would become politically opposed to Held. youre working with. from thousands of jobs to a great mayor for North
originally was bought synonymous with North We were combative, just 800 when it closed. Canton. He personifies
from the government in Canton. But, the com- Family
probably, when we first It was a devastating blow what a mayor should be in
1806 by Peter Willaman, munity, which was
stepped into it, DeOrio Those traits of patience to the city, Held said. the community, said Doug
Beaber wrote. A settler, incorporated as a village said. Each of us was and cooperation have also Hoover had been respon- Foltz, Ward 1 councilman,
John Henry Everhard, in 1905 with W.H. Hoover coming from different been honed at home. sible for 23 percent of the whos been on council for
settled on the west branch as its first mayor, first
camps. Held and his wife, citys revenue. That loss, more than 20 years.
of Nimishillen Creek, would have to assume
built a grist mill, and, in Held tried to mend Sharon (a nurse anesthetist coupled with a downturn in Held is more than happy
its current name. That bridges early. He even at Aultman Hospital), have the economy, created a sig- to keep going. Theres a lot
1807, petitioned for a road significant event would
which was called Cleve- offered DeOrio a position in six kids one son and five nificant financial challenge left he wants to accomplish,
grow out of patriotic feel- the administration, which daughters ranging in age for the city. he said.
land Road. Uniontown, ings caused by World War DeOrio turned down. from 21 to 10. His youngest It forced the city to Ill continue to serve as
Greentown and New I, the Heritage Society
Berlin later were laid out There was just so much daughter, Carly, has Down become more precise and long as the people will have
explained. pitted against us, that I just syndrome. efficient staff was cut me.
along the road.

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