William McKinley, 25th President of the United States, was was assassinated on September 14, 1901 by Leon Czolgosz in Buffalo, NY. This tomb, first constructed in 1893 with funds donated by Mrs. Frank Werts, was built to house the recently deceased in the winter months when the ground was frozen and unable to be broken for burials. President McKinley was placed here until plans for a memorial could be completed.
Cornelius Aultman, Canton's first millionaire, lies here since December 29, 1884. Once said to have "extraordinary physical gifts" and incredible athletic ability, Aultman made his fortune producing and selling farm machinery and equipment in an era when the agricultural business was at its peak. A close friend to President William McKinley, he spoke kindly of Aultman at his funeral, saying:"Cornelius Aultman was a self-made man, famous by actual and useful achievements..."[1]
George Harter, son-in-law of Cornelius Aultman, lies in the Aultman family plot along with his father-in-law and wife. Harter and his brother Michael created the George D. Harter and Brother Bank in Canton in 1866, at a time when banking in Canton needed to find stability. Historian E.T. Heald credits the Harter family with doing just that. The bank advertised its services in The Ohio Repository (the publication known now as The Canton Repository) and offered 5 and 6% interest on deposits, while also offering to buy various valuables, such as gold and silver. The Harter name still remains at the top of the building that once housed downtown's Key Bank on Market Avenue north.
George Belden, prominent Canton, Ohio democrat and judge, lies here since 1868. Gone at the age of 59, Judge Belden was a beloved citizen of Canton, as evidenced in his obituary, published August 19, 1868, which read:"Long will the memory of Judge Belden be cherished by the citizens of Canton, for, as Judge, lawyer, and citizen, for over thirty years, he had filled the measure of a noble fame. Peace to his ashes."[1]
George Belden Frease lies in the Belden, Frease, Kuhn plot in the cemetery. Born in 1861 in Canton, Frease attended college at Cincinnati Law School, and went on to become a printer/reporter at the Canton Repository in 1880. Within only six short years at The Repository, Frease, approximately aged 25, purchased the publication with partner John C. Dueber from William McKinley's in-laws, the Saxton family. Frease became close with President McKinley, so much so that he acted as the President's adviser and campaign newspaper publisher.
"Boss" Hoover rests here since 1932 when he left behind his lucrative Hoover vacuum company to explore the great beyond. You will notice the Hoover name as you move around Stark County, but never more than when you are in North Canton, where the Hoover Company building stands newly renovated just opposite the town square. William Henry Hoover was so influential in North Canton, in fact, that the local high school bears his name.
H.H. Timken, son of Henry Timken, founder of the internationally lauded Timken Company, lies here since 1940. After years of battling asthma, the 72-year-old Timken passed away of pneumonia. Having lived in Canton for about 40 years, Timken's mark on Stark County can be seen just about everywhere you turn. Just south of this grave you will find several Timken Company locations and a high school that bears the Timken family name.
A Civil War veteran, an Ohioan, and an inventor, John McTammany fought a long and hard battle to secure the rights to his most important creation - the player piano. While recovering from a serious injury sustained in the war in Tennessee, McTammany discovered the mechanics of the player piano, an instrument popular in the late nineteenth century that appeared to play itself. The Scottish immigrant took his battle for the patent all the way, fighting for years for the right to claim his creative dues. He was ultimately successful and is known today in Canton, Ohio and the world over as the original inventor of the player piano.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This walk through West Lawn, a historic cemetery in Northwest Canton, Ohio, includes stops at the final resting places of presidents, millionaires, inventors, soldiers, and local leaders.
