Stow Corners Walking Tour

Stow Corners consists of the area around the intersection of Darrow and Kent Roads in Stow, Ohio. The first European settlement in Stow Township was formed in 1804, and this intersection was the center of town activity. This tour will show where the most important and influential buildings were, including a library, church, tavern, gas station, police department, schoolhouse, restaurant, and more. Our tour will begin at the Stow Public Library.

Prior to the city's founding, the Seneca Native American tribe had a small settlement in this area around what is now Silver Lake. Joshua Stow, the city's founder, was a member of a surveying party led by Moses Cleaveland to survey the lands of the Connecticut Western Reserve and the mouth of the Cuyahoga River at Lake Erie in 1796. Although he never lived here, Joshua Stow is quoted as saying that the land was "one of the prettiest and most romantic spots in the Western Reserve." Stow purchased the land for $14,154; although he purchased this land, he never actually lived in Stow.

The first settler to Stow was William Walker in 1802. Other early settlers include the Wetmores, Darrows, Grahams, and Gaylords. Stow Township was incorporated as a village in 1957 and officially became a city after the 1960 United States census.

Long, Fred. Stories from a Stow Native, Accessed August 1st, 2022.