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EIGHTFRIDAY, AUGUST 14, !953_THE I'DISCOVERY OF PAINTING OF JAMES DUNCAN DEVELOPS INTERESTINGjTOgYMuseum To Unveil Portrait Of City’s Founderho Mail Who Founded MassillonBy RUTH WIRTZ.Tames Duncan has come home again.The portrait ol the man who founded Massillon, nourished it with business enterprises he established and coddled it through its early years to its first fame—as the “Wheat City”—is now hanging above the mantle in his former residence—now the Massillon Museum.Through a coincidence, the museum has secured a large portrait of Duncan painted about a year before his death in 1863.The portrait, which is the only likeness of Duncan which shows him as he appeared just before his death, will be unveiled Sunday, when local residents are invited to visit the museum from 2 to 5 p.m. The only other picture of Duncan which the museum has ever been able to secure is a copy of one taken when he was a young man.wheat were shipped from here to various points, giving Massillon the title of the “Wheat City.”After choosing this locality in which to invest his money, Duncan tost no time in purchasing property and establishing businesses. Before Massillon was even founded, he had established a, flour mill, whiclt' used the water power of Sippo creek. He also started a distillery.Later his other business enterprises included a saw mill, the Massillon Rolling Mill Co., real estate ventures, the Massillon Iron Co., a general store and a grist mill. He was also collector of the canal port of Massillon at one time. He had a hand in the establishment of the first school in Massillon which was located in what was formerly his distillery situated on the present site of City Hal! park ... and he built three residences here.* * *THE STORY OF HOW the portrait was found is alrfiost as good a tale as Duncan’s adventures in founding Massillon 127 years ago.Last summer, a Long Island,N. Y. resident, while traveling on his vacation, noticed an item in his tour book which stated (hat the Massillon Museum is located in the home of James Duncan, founder of Massillon.Edward Blagdon of Huntington,Long Island, determined to come to Massillon to see the museum, which was the former home of his daughter’s great-great-grandfather —Duncan.Blagdon told Albert Rise, curator of the museum, that his daugh*j ■ter, Mrs. Frederick B. Kellogg of THIS PORTRAIT OF JAMES DUNCAN, founder of Massillon, which Cambridge, Mass. had a large por- has just been secured by the Massillon Museum, will be put on - *■ . 0f exhibition at the museum for the first time Sunday. It is the nrsi^abridge, Mass. had a large por- has just been secured ny me -trait of Duncan in the garage of exhibition at the museum for the first time Sunday. It is the iirsiher residence, but that the picture original picture of Duncan tne museum has-ever been able to secuie...amt -nnn* pnndiHon Mrs. The portrait is being loaned by a relative of Duncan in Cambridge,Mass.was in very poor condition. Mrs Kellogg’s mother was a great-granddaughter of Duncan.This was the museum’s first “lead” on a portrait of the founder of Massillon, which had long been sought. Museum officials wrote immediately to Mrs. Kellogg, who graciously .agreed to loan the portrait to the museum and to have it restored, if the museum would pay part of the restoration costs.THE MUSEUM COMMITTEE gladly agreed and from a $250 a year fund provided the museum by the Stark County Historical Society for historical purposes, $125 was paid by the museum towards the restoration. Blagdon also contributed $25 toward the restoration and Mrs. Kellogg had the portrait restored by a reputab|e firm in CambridgeThe portrait was painted in 1862 in Chicago, 111. by_G. P. A. Healy, a noted portrait painter of that era. Duncan died in March, 1863 in Chicago, where he had moved from Massillon in 1846, shortly after he lost heavily in. the depression of that period. While in Chicago, Duncan invested his remaining money in eopper mines^ and in the lumber business in Michigan, regaining his fortune. _ .It was while he was hiking mbeen “exposed to the elements,” catching a cold, which lad to his death.He was a lover of physical exercise, particularly hiking, and he is known . to. have hiked once from Cincinnati to his home, then in Kendal, That colorful episode , in Duncan’s life-invplved a keel boat,which he had built here in 1822, four years before he founded‘Massillon. . ■ ■■ .Duncan had loaded the boat, christened “Walk in the Water,” with flour, whisky and potatoes which he intended to take to the New Orleans market. .The boat was launched in the Tuscarawas river, where the Lincoln Way viaduct is now located. ’ After an eventful trip, Duncan got as far as Cmdn-nati where he was able to sell his entire cargo and his boat at a big profit. Divorced from his means of transportation, Duncan set out on foot for his home here, walking the entire distance.The founder of Massillon was a strong-willed man with a charac-' ter of steel which enabled him to make a success of the many diversified projects he tackled during his 74 years of life.Born in 1789 in Concord, N. H.of 1812 because of difficulties resulting from England’s blockading of American ships.In 1811, with two male companions, Duncan set out On horseback to look for a place to invest his money. He fell in love with- the beautiful rolling countryside which was to become Massillon, and remained here. In 1816, shortly after his marriage, Duncan, brought his bride and his sister, Mrs. Mahite-able Duncan McClary,. to this locality.it was wrote ne wa:, mrmiK, ---- - ,, . •iehigan looking after his inter- Duncan was a sea captain early in ts, that Duncan is said to have life, but retired pnor to the WarHE PURCHASED the Estrema-dura farm on what is now the Massillon state' hospital grounds .and built the frame residence which still stands there; The house is located north' of the state, hospital driveway.' More than any-other single person, James Duncan was responsible for the Ohio. canal being built through this community-. In 1826, when contracts were drawn iip for the canal, Duncan ' laid _ out the :feity of Massillon. .His. .wife-: ^christened- the newcommunity,' “Massillon,’.' after .the. French missionary, Jean Baptiste Massillon.-Building of the canal was begun the same year .and Duncan’s new community soon proved 'to he a “boom town”, as* large amounts ofccstKdfDUNCAN’S SECOND residence here was located on the present site of the Lincoln theater. He built a residence there shortly after 1823, using part of it as a general store,- and resided there until 1835, when he built the structure now housing the Massillon museum.Duncan is said to have forbidden the construction of any.other buildings which would hamper his view down the main street of his growing community. He. is said to have t enjoyed “watching Massillon grow” ± from the front porch of what is now the museum.Aft.er Duncan left Massillon, his residence had two successive owners before it was purchased by the mother of the late Frank L. Baldwin, local attorney. The Baldwins lived in the house until 1930 and the house was turned over to the Massillon Public Library by the family in 1933, for a museum, library or both.The library addition was built in 1936 on grounds donated by the Baldwins and formerly the site of Dunca n’s garden, tura-aroUnd driveway and garage.The -museum is now on the trail of a model of the first ship Duncan captained and a portrait of him as a young man. The portrait is said to ;be in the possession of relatives, of Mrs. Mary Duncan Upham. Duncan’s sister, who by the way also was the great-grandmother of Mrs. Walter T. Sorg of 414 4th st NE.Mrs. Sorg, in fact, is the only relative of Duncan residing in Massillon. The founder of thiscity her great-granduncle. ^if Duncan’s “homecoming” involved the man, instead of the portrait, he would undoubtedly be happy. , to preside again over his former residence and to look out again over his city which has grown, probably far beyond his fondest dreams. the city which prospered from the “Wheat City” in the canal daySi 'through the- railroad era to an’ industrial center known for its steel production and last but. not least, its- fame as ‘Tiger Town,” the' “City of Champions.”♦ ■ *First Map Of Massillon Shows How City Looked Back In 1826 ...v[gap $re owned by Mrs. Horatio Wales of Spring Hill Farm. __ .. — •—
Newspaper Details
Evening Independent
Massillon, Ohio, US
Fri, Aug 14, 1953
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Christine B.
OH, USA 26 Aug 2024
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