RECENT NEWS
Hoover Centennial Exhibit at Hoover Historical Center
Walsh University’s Hoover Historical Center is announcing a new anniversary display on the Hoover family homestead titled 100 YEARS OF HOOVER LEGACY. This new display is available for viewing on the Hoover family homestead with tours hourly, from 1-4 p.m., during the week from Wednesday through Saturday.
Displays include early model Hoover vacuums, including a working 1908 Model O, the first commercial cleaner. The anniversary model products and accompanying advertisements are also featured.
The Hoover Historical Center is at 1875 East Maple St. Admission is $3. For more information on the centennial exhibit and other activities planned for the anniversary, call the Center at 330-499-0287.
Membership Quilt
Work has begun on the 2008 Membership Quilt by the members of the Heartfelt Quilters of the North Canton Public Library. Fabric has been selected, including a print with stylized dogwood blossoms, symbolizing the “Dogwood City.” A “rail fence” pattern will be used, with members’ named written on the “rails,” or thin strips of fabric. The quilt will be lap-sized and, when finished, will be placed in the hall display case at the museum. Over 150 members have signed up to be part of the quilt.
A special thank-you to the Heartfelt Quilters and Sarah Olson for their invaluable help with this project.
The Sun Project Update
The Sun Newspaper Project is continuing. The North Canton Public Library, our partner in this project, has entered into an agreement with the Northeastern Ohio Regional Library System to use their CONTENTdm software to put the scanned newspapers online. Although the 1922-1994 scanned issues are not yet available to the public on the web, we hope they will be soon. We also are working on getting the remaining years of the Sun (1995-2001) microfilmed and scanned so that they too will be available for users.
Because we did not have to purchase the software, we may be able to use funds left over from the project to scan the Hoover Newsy News/Hoover News, a publication (1917-2007) that not only details the goings-on within the Hoover Company, but also covers many activities around North Canton. We hope to work with the Hoover Historical Center and Walsh University as well as the Library on this additional project.
Photo Reorganization Project
Thanks to the hard work of intern Zach Dunne, a student at Kent State University Stark Campus, the Society’s photo reorganization project is almost halfway complete. The collection of more than 2,500 photographs is being scanned and entered into a computer database. Each photo is then placed in a mylar sleeve and acid-free folder. Names, places or dates can be entered into the search function of the database, and the resulting photo can be seen on the computer screen, and doesn’t involve the use of sometimes-inaccurate card files or the handling of often-fragile photos. The computer and filing materials were acquired through a grant from the Ada and Helen Rank Foundation. Zach’s internship ended on February 1, but intern Ashley Johnson, a freshman at KSU Stark, is continuing his work.
Last Minute Gift
This intricate scale-model of the Hoover Company as it looked circa 1960 (before construction of the International Building removed the gate area on E. Maple St.) was a last-minute gift from the Hoover Company before they vacated their buildings for good in December 2007.