History of Kent, Ohio

The area now occupied by the city of Kent, Ohio, was previously inhabited by various Native American tribes until the 19th century. Though no record of any settlement exists, the area was located along several known trails. In 1798 it was sold to Aaron Olmstead as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve. He initially named the area "Franklin" after his son, Aaron Franklin Olmsted. The first settlers, the Haymaker family, arrived in late 1805, having been attracted to the area by the Cuyahoga River and its potential for powering gristmills.

Twin settlements developed along the river, known locally as the "upper" and "lower" villages and collectively as Franklin Mills, though the upper village was also known for a time as Carthage. In the late 1830s and early 1840s, construction of the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal helped fuel construction of a central business area opposite the twin villages though most of the anticipated growth from the canal was never realized. Later, the village would develop as a railroad center mostly through the efforts of Marvin Kent who not only was able to get his railroad routed through the village, but was also successful in having Franklin Mills named the home of the railroads maintenance shops and yards. This ultimately led to the village being renamed Kent in 1864, an act made official in 1867 the same year Kent was formally incorporated. Other industries would follow into the 20th century.

In 1910 Kent was selected as the site of one of two normal schools in northern Ohio, which would become Kent State University. The school grew quickly, becoming a full-fledged university by 1935. Following World War II even more growth coupled with suburbanization led to growth in Kent, ultimately transforming the city into the College town it is today.

The region was previously inhabited by various tribes of American Indians including the Mound Builders for an unknown period of time. There is no record of any type of settlement in the area, but it was located near Native settlements in what is now Silver Lake and Cuyahoga Falls. It is believed a large rock in the Cuyahoga River, known today as Standing Rock, served as a place of council for these early tribes. Several trails crossed the area well before the arrival of European settlers. Around 1780 the Indian fighter Captain Samuel Brady achieved notoriety for his activities in the area, including his famous 21-foot (6.4 m) leap over the Cuyahoga River to avoid capture, known as Brady's Leap. After leaping the river, he hid in a nearby lake which was later named for him, Brady Lake.

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