Reflections of Technology in the Past , Present , and Future

Kent State had its beginning nearly a century ago. William S. Kent, a person of vision, donated 53 acres of farmland located on a hill overlooking a small town on the Cuyahoga River. He did so to establish a teacher education school in his community. When I visit various communities in my travels, I always ask, Why does this community or city exist? What is its reason for being? Kent exists because of the Cuyahoga River. The Haymaker Gristmill, established in 1805, was the beginning of Kent. The gristmill used power provided by a waterfall on the Cuyahoga River. Soon after, a village known as Franklin Mills evolved with numerous mills and factories located along the river. These mills formed the industrial center, the economic base, of Franklin Mills. Business was attracted to Franklin Mills from surrounding areas. By 1863 Marvin Kent was instrumental in bringing the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad to Franklin Mills. And the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal, served by Pippen Lake and Brady Lake, provided an inexpensive means of transportation for the commerce of the area. Thus, two major areas of technology were the basis for the forming of Kent, manufacturing and transportation. Today, Kent State University, including the faculty and students of the School of Technology, is at the heart of a changing Ohio industrial area. This area is bounded by the cities of Canton, Massillon, Akron, Cleveland, Warren, and Youngstown.