Massillon | An American Songline

I have to admit, while it’s fun to explore these places by myself it’s good to have company with you from time to time. And that’s where Jamie from My Lincoln Highway comes in. She walks and photographs sections of the highway in detail, and I’m happy to say I parked the car and walked with her through some beautiful sections of the highway in Eastern Ohio.

Jamie and I spent a Saturday following the Lincoln from Hanoverton to Massillon Ohio, and then also the following Tuesday going from Massillon to Wooster. Again, I won’t duplicate what Jamie wrote in this post, this other post, as well as anything I wrote about when I visited Canton last year for the 2012 LHA conference (to read that post click here).

Here’s my top 5 highlights of the area in words (you can read more in detail in the photo gallery below):

1) First off, I loved walking around Hanoverton. I’ve never been to colonial Williamsburg, but I can imagine Hanoverton being very similar. The Spread Eagle Tavern is definitely a neat place to walk around itself, every room has its own history. If you are watching your budget while traveling, I recommend going for lunch in lieu of dinner. The food is just as good, and you’ll save a few pennies.

2) The McKinley Memorial is a lovely tribute to our 25th president. He wasn’t discussed much during my history classes growing up, so I learned a lot about his life and presidency. Plus, you can get your exercise in running up and down all those stairs!

3) The Massillon Museum has some great collections in it, plus there’s another Lincoln Highway marker right out of front of it. There will be a Lincoln Highway exhibit coming soon, plus you should go try to find both “Oscar” and “Harvey”. Free admission.

4) Downtown Wooster is slowly being revitalized, and there’s some great shops and antique stores that are fun to browse in. The Wayne County Courthouse is neat architectural find along the route; I’ve not seen a building of its type and condition yet.

5) Last but not least, any roads made out of brick. I know it may seem funny to you, but sometimes we have to look at what’s underneath our feet to appreciate our history. There’s some beautiful old red brick stretches of the highway along the route, and nothing transport you back in time faster than hearing your tires rumble as you drive slowly along the road. There are a few stretches of brick road along this route, and you can find where they are on Lincoln Highway Association’s Map: http://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/map/ (make sure the “Points of Interest” box is clicked on the right hand side, and zoom in).

FYI – I’m finding it easier as time goes on to upload photo galleries with all of my images below; it not only means those photos will be easier for you to see, but it’s a quicker turnaround (internet access/time permitting) for me to get updates to you as well. Comment away if you think this format is not working for you all, and I’ll adjust.

Beautiful stretch of red brick road just outside of Minvera, Ohio.

This the sign that hangs outside of the Spread Eagle Tavern, waiting to greet you.

When we were in town for lunch, there were also dozens of Mennonites there eating lunch and touring the city on a separate tour.

View of the Chandelier in the Rathskellar of the tavern

Several rooms that we toured all had fireplaces, and each fireplace had its own mosaic of tiles around it. I think this one is my favorite.

Brick sidewalk in Hanoverton, which has warped and changed over the years due to the tree roots growing under it.

An old building in downtown Canton on the highway.

I was not able to go to the McKinley Memorial when I was in Canton last year, so I had to go this year. It was absolutely stunning. Definitely worth a stop – it’s not that far from the Lincoln Highway at all.

View from the top of the stairs of the Memorial.

Jamie from My Lincoln Highway says “Hi”!

This memorial done by the Lincoln Highway Association in 1949 can be found at the base of the McKinley Memorial.

This 1907-1908 Jewel Automobile in its day would have cost you around $800. This is on display at the Massillon museum which is located right on the highway.

This mural can be found in Massillon right off the highway as well. It depicts the Ohio and Erie Canals.

This stretch of Red Brick is right outside of Wooster, and was originally part of the highway.

I’ve never seen edging of brick like this before, plus it’s interesting to note the two brick patterns.

The beautiful Faber building, which is in downtown Wooster.

The Wayne County Courthouse is also another great example of what you’ll see when you walk in downtown Wooster.

Up next, I’ll be dedicating a post to my performance in the Hayesville Opera house. Have a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend everyone!