Stark County was created in 1808 and named for General John Stark, a hero of the American Revolution from New Hampshire. Its county seat, Canton, was laid out in 1805 by Bezaleel Wells.
Canton was the hometown of William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, who famously ran his 1896 campaign from his front porch. He is honored at the McKinley National Memorial, where he is buried.
In 1920 the American Professional Football Association, the forerunner of the National Football League, was organized in Canton. The Pro Football Hall of Fame opened there in 1963. North Canton was long home to the Hoover Company, and nearby Massillon is famous for its high school football tradition.
Places to Explore
The Pro Football Hall of Fame, the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum, the Massillon Museum, and Quail Hollow Park.
Did You Know?
General John Stark is credited with the toast that became New Hampshire’s state motto: Live free or die.
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