What Happened to Canton Ohio?

[@jefff6167]

Consumers want inexpensive products. The Chinese labor force will work for very low pay. US Federal and State elected “leaders” don’t put America first, they put themselves first. That’s what happened to industry across the USA.

[@edcew8236]

That's a big part of it. Another part is that union labor priced themselves out of the market. Also, environmental concerns drive up the price of US manufacture whereas in third world countries, they don't care.

[@charleshautz]

The average Chinese manufacturing wage is about $6 @ hour. The Ohio minimum wage is $10.45. The government doesn't want unions anymore than big business, but unions aren't responsible for the economic apocalypse inflicted on America, your elected leaders are. @@edcew8236

[@AG-un7dz]

Blamed everybody but greedy corporations.

[@stickynorth]

EXACTLY! WTF? THAT'S WHERE THE BLAME LIES... GREED!!!! @@AG-un7dz

[@stickynorth]

When employers are driving down your wages and any good paying union jobs are seen as socialist? What would one expect. You trolls really need to pick a lane when assigning blame... ESPECIALLY when it's misplaced. NEO-LIBERALIST CORPORATISM is the blame... Companies that see employees as liabilities rather than assets and almost everything made is just a brand/badge engineered product from somewhere else? What would one expect... Cut R&D and your employees can't buy what you make? UH OH! That's the magic formula for economic and societal collapse! If you must assign blame, look to the NIke's of the world who were the first to outsource manufacturing to wage-slave nations like China and Vietnam, Bangladesh, etc. And of course their electronic counterparts...

[@johnsyler8580]

Born in Canton in 1957. There were three generations in my family at Timken. An uncle worked at Hercules Motors.

[@MyNameIsUnavailable]

Hercules! Hercules!

[@matt2.052]

Timkin is still here and charter

[@naterussell6025]

timken had the best bearings in the world. too bad they got bought out. i hope the quality remains the same. a lot of the best things in the world have come from ohio. everyone rags on ohio but it's home to a LOT of greats, and me too. lol

[@primesspct2]

my husband worked briefly for Timken, he did his machinist apprenticeship there.

[@RealSimpleTheTruth]

Yeah and in 1999 they closed down and stole from all their pensions from all their employees, what a travesty.

[@brianarbenz1329]

Northeast Ohio was a tremendous megalopolis, with Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown and Canton all blending in to form one metroplex, each with its own industrial base, but shared regional identity. All have suffered from the changeover from the old production-based economics to finance based.

[@stickynorth]

Build a higher speed line between them and that should help stimulate population growth! Doesn't need to be 200 MPH like California, a 125 mph/200 kmh line would do just fine! Especially coupled with dirt-cheap housing prices compared to the rest of the nation!

[@brianarbenz1329]

@@stickynorth Sounds like a good idea.

[@Tubes12AX7k]

@@stickynorth It has to be fueled by new companies, higher paying and higher value jobs and growth. If there is no sustainable sources of growth there will be no investment in things like high speed trains. It's all based on attracting new companies to come to the area, and that, in turn, is based on having favorable taxes and a skilled population base in the immediate area who would presumably staff these new jobs. It might be harder to get manufacturing to come back because it's a lot higher tech now, but maybe a distribution hub is a possibility (?). Or maybe a new industry of some sort that might need some supports or tax credits in the short term until both the population base and the company find their feet. It's hard to say.

[@pauldavid601]

​@@stickynorth- there's zero reason for train travel between these NEO cities.

[@pawelpap9]

@@stickynorthNonsense. Look at Austin, TX. From a relative backwater place it grew within last few decades into 10th larger city in the US increasing population multiple times. Yet, there is no train and barely any public transportation whatever. What made it possible was climate. Actually two of them: business friendly policies and good weather.

[@richardmercer2337]

As an older (70+) Ohioan, Canton was seldom referred to as an independent city. It was generally referred to as the "Akron-Canton" area if mentioned at all.

[@grandamishwizard1584]

Canton is ghetto

[@coldspring624]

Even the airport in Green was called the Akron, Canton airport

[@gregrobbins4251]

Worth mentioning that Canton does have a great arts scene. The First Friday of every month, all the galleries are open and they usually have different exhibits and themes each month. January they always have outdoor ice sculptures. They also now allow alcohol outside in the downtown area to promote the bars and restaurants and taking one with you when you go check out the local artists

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Lol, a great arts scene😂😂😂

[@davidkean1487]

Had a great Blues festival downtown! Saw Johnny Winter. John Mayall, Elvin Bishop and others. And it eas free!

[@phann860]

Instead of making things it turns to fluffy touristy stuff.

[@VictorianMaid99]

Arts does not feed a family of four​@@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb

[@VictorianMaid99]

​@@phann860and booze , planned destruction

[@user-by6sh6wr4k]

I graduated from Glenwood High school in 1971 I remember hitchhiking home after the midnight movie at the Palace theater downtown with no worries Canton use to be great in the late 60's mid 70's. You could get a good job at any of the major factories. & All the people cruising Cleveland Ave. All the groups of people hanging out on the corners.To bad it's all gone..

[@coldspring624]

Hey I was there

[@johnjosephmatthews4159]

Born in Canton in 2003. While I don't live downtown I still live in the area, still go to college in the area, and will always have a special place in my heart for Canton!

[@LeadMe2TheBliss]

North Canton here

[@philhoward4466]

Which school? What major? Do you intend to stay in the area?

[@KANDL95]

​@@philhoward4466Hell no! I hope they don't! Canton isn't good for progressing

[@DugrozReports]

Seems like 100 cities could tell the same story. 😢

[@wrotenwasp]

Like Detroit and Flint , Mich.

[@brandonbell5357]

Yup

[@vict0ree]

Yep. Thanks to Democrats.

[@josephhuston7590]

Way more than that during the ending of the Industrial Age.

[@samthekashman]

Thousands

[@mikelouis9389]

Pittsburgh Pennsylvania barely escaped this fate. Only it's colleges and rivers saved it.

[@Dudj3]

and the Steelers

[@mayavenuemisfit814]

Youngstown and Gary did not escape that fate.

[@johnhull6363]

​@@tinetannies4637in Pittsburgh, electrician at USS, girlfriend is a chemical engineer at PPG, we ok. Timken is still around

[@feyfey6874]

Finna look at the murder count pa might have more than ohio but ohio accepts the street lifestyle other states don't

[@Scalamucci]

Everyone stayed because of the new stadium 😂

[@ProtoMario]

I live in these areas, personally. All the factorys leaving destroyed these towns. How do you pay for all the houses with no jobs?

[@BenG123]

Nice accurate concise video from a former resident. Definitely underscore that when Hoover went to Mexico it hurt the city alot. Also North Canton took a hit as well. One problem is the leaders were slow and clueless. They spent alot of time trying to court big business instead of facing reality. I tried several times to get them to repurpose the Hoover building but they delayed for a long time and only leased a small percentage of it. Took too long and wasn't enough. They finally got the message over a decade later but the damage was already done, and we had moved to another city.

[@Wall2000x]

I sell vacuum cleaners 40 years in the business. The people that ran Hoover along with Eureka & Dirt Devil destroyed the domestic US vacuum industry. Single handed and intentionally.

[@RealSimpleTheTruth]

They were paid off.

[@A_Aron1]

No look up thermtrol they corned the vacuum market funded by Texas instruments. Owns the property on 55th the Hoovers sold to them.

[@melanieshaw3210]

I can see the Hoover stack from my house. Sure wish the owners would get their shit together and complete the renovations to the original front section of the building.

[@willpeterson3943]

Hello Mr. Forgotten Places, I think showing the city's location on a map at the beginning of these videos would be a great addition for those of us unfamiliar with the subject city

[@chrisjudd6]

Anyone with a brain knows where Canton shows on a map.

[@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm]

@@chrisjudd6 So much for community guidelines.

[@markwilliams2620]

​@@chrisjudd6Not everyone online is from 'Murica. Not everyone is from the Midwest. Not everyone wants to be obnoxious.

[@chrisjudd6]

@markwilliams2620 I'm not from Midwest either. Before going to Detroit back in Nov I had only been in Ohio one other time before.

[@xr6lad]

@@chrisjudd6 Ahhh another Mo. Ron that thinks the USA is the entirely world.

[@coop5329]

The bottom line throughout this entire country is that all the rich corporate owners figured out they could greatly increase profits by moving operations to other countries where the wages are dirt cheap and workers are disposable, and they don't have to meet safety and environmental regulations.

[@Sil3ntB87]

All of these businesses left the United States for cheaper labor. This is a massive issue with this nation.

[@BNJ_VODS]

Late stage deregulated capitalism. Board rooms have no care for the nation, only next quarter's profits.

[@philhoward4466]

Where do you think the money goes with all those laborers willing to work dirt-cheap?

[@KoRntech]

Diebold didnt move closer the HQ is in Green, I should know I was one of the lucky 1200 to get the downshized in 2012. I was a contractor for Diebold in Canton and they relocated that division out of Canton. Of course they also send all manufacturing out to China, India, Hungry, and Medico shocking I know.

[@forgottenplaces9780]

Just moved from hudson to north canton

[@tony6666]

I live in North Canton. The HQ is definitely there today.

[@LethalAim5]

The HQ is now in north canton. GSL, DNO, and HQ are now all in the same building.

[@melanieshaw3210]

Yeah it's definitely in North Canton because I live right behind it

[@melanieshaw3210]

Thankfully though a new business moved in to where the old diebold was on the corner of Mayfair and Mount Pleasant

[@marieboyle6183]

I grew up in Youngstown ohio..I remember all this stuff.I remember the brands..the stores.. lordstown. G.E..then the steel mills went away..we died. Sadly these little towns are dying. Its such a shame..the architecture is these places is phenomenal..These places are not forgotten for us who lived there once..they stay in our memories forever.

[@mariekatherine5238]

Good question! It used to be fairly nice in the 1970’s when I used to visit. Last time I drove through, 2016, parts of it looked like a mini Detroit. Akron and Youngstown, too. Just horrible. Poor dying Rust Belt!

[@user-mh7db7ei1s]

Oh, hey, you listed every city I've ever lived in, and I'm not even 30 yet. Ohio as a whole seems to have been hurt by shipping jobs over seas. We used to be a hub of steel manufacturing, now, we're just falling apart. Our state deserved better than this.

[@2990rick]

I would blame Bidenomics. But it Was both parties that sent our Jobs overseas. And in the end the Unions became to corrupt also

[@user-ZfarmpondPatrolZ]

Great video.. accurate. I grew up in Canton born in 1971. You did not mention Sugardale Foods.. now Fresh Mark.. meat processing giant in town.

[@GardcoreLegend]

Just another Rust Belt city going down once the manufacturing jobs left with no other industry replacing it.

[@KoRntech]

You mean puting all your eggs in one basket? Ya it's called Youngstown, they are nearly the same timeline as Canton with semi similar results.

[@Joe-jn5li]

u mean capitalism uses up communities then throws them in the trash. im dying of laughter.

[@lance8080]

Usual Suspects destroyed it.

[@chriswendschlag1856]

Stealing from Peter to pay Paul.

[@mikecrabtree1692]

Canton has looked like this since the late 70s with all the ghettos taking over .I'm from Massillon and Canton has always been dirty

[@jamesdumas6602]

I graduated from Hoover High in North Canton in 1971 andI actually worked on the Hoover Company's assembly line building washing machines in 1971, it paid about $12 an hour back then. I also worked at Willis Pontiac in downtown N. Canton, and at the Texaco gas station over on Whipple road and I77.

[@smokingjoe9864]

12 an hour was pretty good in 1970. You sure it wasn't $1.20 Old Timer? Factories were demanding 10 bucks an hour, striking in the 80s.

[@jamesdumas6602]

When I started work at 16 in 1968 I was paid $1.50 an hour at Nick's Texico, I also worked at Willis Pontiac while I was in high school, after I graduated my dad who worked as a Sales Manager executive at the Hoover company got me a union job there, they had just started running a second shift on their small portable washing machine line, again I believe they paid around $12 an hour, I resigned about 6 months and joined the Navy.@@smokingjoe9864

[@Charles-d4e3b]

12$ in 1971 prolly like 109$ an hour now. Yup that finished them

[@mikeoveli1028]

​@@Charles-d4e3b What? Nothing finished them. They moved the plant to Mexico and when they got a cheaper wage they moved to China. Now the owner goes on Fox and agrees with Hannity that China is evil. If Hannity would have listened to union members, we have been saying that for years.

[@victorhopper6774]

@@smokingjoe9864 1979 the uaw went on strike against what is now navistar. the lowest pay was 14.50 an hour with great benefits. the company almost went under. they went from over 200,000 employees to 25,000 employees. i did contract work for them and at the time some uaw 402 members thought they should have been making 25 bucks an hour. the idiots ruined the company and pretty much springfield.

[@BufordDuckworth]

The capitalists shipped all the good paying manufacturing jobs overseas and replaced those with minimum wage service jobs. They also destroyed the trolley lines that connected Akron, Canton, and Cleveland so that you HAVE to own a car to live in NE Ohio.

[@isaacshaver6218]

Yep. Mansfield here

[@GH-oi2jf]

The same thing that has happened throughout the United States. Manufacturing was sent overseas.

[@fredgardner2870]

100% correct

[@kos37ter96]

Love these videos. Thank you so much for making them. They are bittersweet. We lived in a very rural western PA town (and have since moved back), but spent 1 year near Wooster and 4 years near Akron/Canton. We felt like the area was starting to revive between the great NE Ohio craft brew scene, local coffee shops, art spaces in both, including the first fridays. Canton/Akron is kind of our second home and it’s so sad to see how it’s declined (even if it was all before we were there.) The rust belt towns/cities deserve a revival. There is something to be said about not being in a big city and enjoying life in a quiet area.

[@jstidd77]

I’ve worked in Canton for the last 12 years, and can vouch for a lot of this. There are still many good jobs and many desirable places to live around Canton, but the city itself isn’t what it used to be even 20 years ago. That being said, your dollar does stretch pretty far around here.

[@hofsportscards]

In addition to all your points I would say Ford motor company shutting down along with Republic Steel letting go of employees and eventually getting bought out numerous times was the final straw. I live in Canton and its in a sad state. People would rather move out to the suburbs and smaller rural towns then put up with the crime.

[@RealSimpleTheTruth]

I worked at Ford Motor Company, I was hired in 1977, I remember discussing the closing with Congressman Ralph Regula as he picked his nose repeatedly and then looked at it, I was appalled. He got his orders from Timken.

[@raylopez99]

What happened to Canton? China and the EPA. Cheap labor and lack of pollution control standards meant manufacturing moved out of the USA...

[@larrywest8046]

Happened way before China. Northern manufacturing jobs moved to cheaper labor in southern states. Then came the pre-hedge fund corporate raiders who bought up struggling companies, sold off the profitable units to the highest bidders wherever they were from, then shut down what was left. Other things like changing technology hurt too. Then global competition with even lower labor costs (and impoverished Americans searching for cheaper goods) sealed the deal.

[@whereswaldo5740]

Greed. And globalism.

[@Fetherko]

Toxic sludge is good for you 😢

[@Tubes12AX7k]

@@larrywest8046 Completely correct. The decline in Ohio manufacturing towns was palpable by the late 1980s.

[@Fetherko]

@@larrywest8046 Carl Icahn raided Goodyear to take their cash reserves. Goodyear was a strong company.

[@ericbivins8014]

Ross Perot was right.

[@buckbenelli8]

Do you want to pluck chickens? That’s a direct quote of Perot.

[@SamOlds2999]

25th like

[@MrLurch133]

Well if he was right ....then you want to pluck chickens I guess.

[@coldspring624]

Yep

[@timothykeith1367]

The Canton Bulldogs once were an original NFL team

[@yusefendure]

Did not know that!!

[@JohnClarke808]

So was Massillon not long after

[@EdBradyPastorEd]

The Canton Bulldogs, with Jim Thorpe, was the first Professional Football team in 1920. That's why the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, Ohio. 🏈

[@EdBradyPastorEd]

​@@yusefendure - The Canton Bulldogs, with Jim Thorpe, was the first Professional Football team in 1920. That's why the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, Ohio. 🏈

[@yusefendure]

@@EdBradyPastorEd I just learned something new. Thank you. If the Browns ever changed their name, the Bulldogs would be a fitting replacement.

[@buckbenelli8]

Bring back unfettered pollution. I remember, you couldn’t breathe, couldn’t fish, couldn’t see. Stop blaming the gubment or the epa, it was corporate greed. We need campaign finance reform, term limits, and age limits for senate, house , potus and scotus.

[@theterminator3907]

Corporate greed only works when you give Corporate a reason to move, removal of gold standard killed the reason why they should stay in the US, as it easily let our economy sink into other countries economy

[@annenelson5656]

I lived in Stow, Ohio which is near Canton. I was there in 1979 just as the whole area was sliding into major decline. So many manufacturers were leaving and closing. Kent State is the closest university to Canton. The whole Ohio Valley fell to the same fate. It made me so sad to see the rusted hulks of steel and coke plants.

[@heatherprincipe8537]

Malone University is in Canton and Walsh University North Canton. Also, University of Mount Union in Alliance.

[@johnl2727]

I have lived in Canton (actually Plain Twp) since 1995. Jackson Twp and Plain Twp are quite nice. All the action and commerce has moved to the Belden Mall area. The only place I would stay away from is the southeast metro area. Aultman Hospital is huge. The problem with it is that, having grown up in Chicago, it's boring. It has every chain and fast food restaurant known to man but only a few nice independents and other attractions. The grocery store food and gas prices are among the lowest I've seen anywhere. I am not a football fan and only been to the HOF once. They are dramatically expanding the place but I can't see out of towners coming for that alone. Maybe they make side trips from Cedar Point.

[@NorthSouth88]

I have very fond memories of Canton. In the 1950’s my family would drive from Canada to Canton to visit my grandmother’s many, much older, Welsh relatives who had immigrated to Canton. My aunt and uncle lived in a bungalow on Roosevelt Avenue. I remember a hamburger drive in called PDQ…lol

[@hampdentime]

Great history and information. I have been working for a large part of my work life in an around Canton. You are so correct about other near cities. You may want to look at Massillon another industrial town that is just like Canton and Akron today. In the 70's there was so much work / employment you could quit a job in the morning and get a job in the afternoon. Massillon Steel Castings, Ecko, Eaton, and Republic Steel just to name a few. To the south the coal and clay companies are now gone. Scio had a large pottery as did other communities toward Zanesville. All around the story is the same, lost jobs lost communities. I don't think it will ever come back.

[@davidhickenbottom6574]

Have you been to Scio lately, it's pretty crazy to see where the pottery was. I lived in Bowerston

[@hampdentime]

@@davidhickenbottom6574 We took a motorcycle ride there two years ago. I agree with you 100% looks like something that should be "back to the future". Still sadly not many jobs today. Big bom building those plants and most are from out of town that get employed. After it is up and running well, a few have good jobs but the percentage is very low. NAFTA was a terrible concept that we may never dig our way out of. The memories of back then are good ones!

[@Ryan-yw8iz]

I grew up in Massillon! Go Tigers! Can’t wait to go back and see what’s changed in the last 15 years

[@user-mh7db7ei1s]

Massillon is trying its best, using its unique history and small businesses to draw people in. The people here really love it and believe that Massillon is a great place. Since I've moved here, everyone has been so friendly, so welcoming. We don't have much, but the restaurant scene is really beginning to grow with a lot of unique places to eat. Imo, it's starting to become a destination for foodies, albeit an underrated one. In truth, I like Massillon the way it is and wouldn't change it for the world. ❤

[@johnmaier275]

It's a shame, but the problem isn't just Canton. Many medium sized Ohio cities have similar stories . Cincinnati , Dayton , Middletown , Akron , Youngstown, ect. Auto industries and factories for military moved out , and the drug dealers moved in . Hard to believe Cincinnati was one of the best places to live on top 20 list in the 80's .

[@ShamileII]

It's just so sad to see all these great companies close their doors or move. As an owner of an aluminum manufacturing company in Florida, I really see this national security and national wellbeing issue for the country.

[@jackalenterprisesofohio]

Hey, quick question, but where does most of the Aluminum come from? Like Europe? Asia?

[@jackieeastom8758]

Yeah,shipping our manufacturing overseas was a great idea! Politicians!🤮

[@chriswendschlag1856]

Hows that trickle down effect?

[@fredgardner2870]

100% correct

[@victorhopper6774]

@@chriswendschlag1856 great if you are chinese. their wages have went up 500% since 1990. china just loves american unions. economics 101- money goes where it can make more money.

[@nickf2121]

Class of 2008 here.... Our class an the classes that have fallowed us where not dealt a good hand. We all hoped for good paying jobs as our Grandparents, Parents had . Raise a Family, Own Property, The American Dream. However by the time our class graduated from High School. There was NO industry, No Job openings. Everything was gone. Even the surrounding areas. They all moved out of the area overseas or to Mexico. This is why most people moved away. You can't support a family at a dead end job living paycheck to paycheck. I thank everyone who works in retail, or restaurants, however cost of Living is High . Canton died years ago an will probably never return to its former glory.

[@DGTelevsionNetwork]

I mean, you could always go to Columbus? Thats what most northern Ohioans seem to be doing at least.

[@UserName-ts3sp]

@@DGTelevsionNetworkthat’s what many, many people do. i live in columbus, many people moved here from NEO. appalachia as well… that’s where my parents moved here from. by surrounding areas im pretty sure he means the rest of NEO

[@KoRntech]

Whaat happened to Canton is what happens to all areas that rely in manufacturing as their tax base, capitalism the CEOs, not us we're just consumsrs and laborers. The CEOs will look to maximize their shareholders profits so they look for the cheapest labor and that generally is not in the US because we have that pesky minimum wage law.

[@DGTelevsionNetwork]

A lot of manufacturing companies like Dieblold and especially NCR in Dayton actually left more so because of drug epidemics. In the 70s and 80s it was crack and nowadays it's meth and heroin. How else are you going to get anything done when half the working city is high or jonesing?

[@KJJ782]

I thought canton was just known for the football 🏈 hall of fame I had no idea 🤷‍♂️ they had more industrial factories. Very interesting 🤨 Canton seemed like the smaller sister of Cleveland

[@schwenda3727]

Akron: “HEY!!!”

[@LeadMe2TheBliss]

No, Akron is the smaller sister of Cleveland.

[@CapnCrnch330]

Canton Has a really wild history if you dig

[@llewellinfelon]

I grew up near the Akron/Canton airport in the 70’s. Timken and Hoover were major employers and the area was economically vibrant. Your politicians who came up with the NAFTA fiasco sending manufacturing jobs out of the country ruined great communities like Canton. Thanks for a good video.

[@coldspring624]

Hey I was there

[@RealSimpleTheTruth]

Yes, Bill Clinton was the architect of NAFATA, don't ever forget it.

[@ElectronicsGuy666]

It’s time we start placing more blame on the corporations who moved their manufacturing to other countries to make more money.

[@equine2020]

Yes. Remember Trump brought jobs back to the states. He accomplished a lot. But dem propaganda sway the naive, gullible, & uninformed. They buy into the hate dem leaders feel for their opponent.

[@brianarbenz1329]

It was merger mania of the '80s that turned us into subjects of corporations, rather than citizens of a democracy. The idea of free trade could be fine, but it was all for a tiny few vastly bigger and more powerful corporations.

[@victorhopper6774]

more like you refusing to compete with other countries labor. and often other states labor. toss in a government that hasn't cared for 50 years and here we are. the average american is like a 3 year old when it comes to economics.

[@grayrabbit2211]

Point the finger at yourself (and your fellow Americans) who would rather pay $80 for a vacuum cleaner than $250 for the same product made with US materials and US labor. Also point the finger at labor who wants high pay for unskilled or limited-skill work. Every time the minimum wage is raised, the poor suffer. You've increased the cost of production, so the cost of goods and services will be raised for everyone.

[@edbrake2723]

What's wrong with making more money for stockholders and increasing Investors 401K's? What was the actual reason the corporations either closed or sent their manufacturing to other countries?

[@greenmangreg6915]

My great great grandpa was a watch maker at the Deuber-Hampton watch company in Canton 😢

[@juliehoffman6292]

My fondest memories are when my mother and I would go to Stern & Mann’s to shop then go up the street and eat lunch. Another memory is going with my father to Office Supply Co? then go to a tobacconists where he had his tobacco blended,I loved the smell and usually got Dad some for Christmas! I think it was on Tuscarawas Ave heading east? Not far from the stern and Mann’s building.

[@debrahenze5734]

You forgot Republic Steel.

[@davidhickenbottom6574]

I grew up 30 miles south, same story the EPA killed the manufacturing. We had 3 small steel mills, all the jobs gone. The late 70s and most of the 80s where horrible. I baled out in 88 and never looked back. Should have left in 1980. My Daughter lives in Canton.

[@edbrake2723]

While your comment hits the bulls-eye you will notice mine is the only thumbs-up, for you have ventured into protected political territory.

[@martygould5114]

Note: The first NFL game was played in Dayton Ohio.

[@VintageCarHistory]

I've lived in Canton for about 7 years now. Bob Liebensperger, former (now retired) president of Timken at the turn of the this century is a friend of mine and has some interesting insight about the history of the city. Presently, Timken provides about 50% of the city's tax revenue and also had (and still have) a large hand in the city development. Today, service and distribution have become growing industries for Canton, and the Football Hall of Fame is expanding rapidly, building both a waterpark and a casino in the new, 'HOF Village'. I live a stone's throw from the FHOF, and it's active and quite noisy.

[@melanieshaw3210]

Methinks that that water park is dead in the water, no pun intended. What an eyesore that is right now. I sure hope that financing gets reinstated or it gets sold or something happens so it gets completed.

[@bapojean5981]

When our lawmakers decided that they were more concerned with bringing up the standard of living in other countries than maintaining the standard of living of the American middle class, it spelled doom for cities like Canton. If it weren't for the Football Hall of Fame, it would be even worse off than it currently is.

[@RealSimpleTheTruth]

How right you are, and by the way how much do you think they got for their ill fated decisions, no one was watching the piggy bank and they robbed us blind, Clinton included whom I voted for but I regret it.

[@jdschrock945]

I was born and raised 15 minutes from Canton. It is so sad everytime we drive through downtown and think about what once was. However, it has given me a love for rust-belt cities across the Midwest. That hard-nosed, blue collar, gritty work ethic and the ability to find beauty and create great experiences among urban decay - you just don't find it anywhere else. Because of living here, I never write-off a city at first glance, but can always find great food & cool things to do underneath the outer appearance.

[@RealSimpleTheTruth]

How right you are.

[@williamford9564]

5:30: The mention of "no universities" leads me to a thought of what videos like this may be talking of in 30 or 40 years from now. The decline of college towns. If parents and students reach the point, which may be fast approaching, that they are no longer willing to pay and/or go into debt for the $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 or more for annual college tuitions, that gravy train of the last two decades will come to an end. We are already seeing small private colleges shut down and this will soon spread to larger private schools who do not have the source of state government funding. Many large schools, public and private, have built large physical infrastructures and large payrolls. When applications drops accelerate, does tuition then need to be cut? What do they do with their tenured faculties and bloated administrations? And with fewer students and college employees, the bleeding then spreads to all of the businesses in those town., Businesses close and then what do people do for employment? People begin leaving the city or town. Now we have the successor to the Rust Belt America episodes of the 1960s-2000s. The Education Complex Implosion.

[@UserName-ts3sp]

i think it depends on the schools. there are some schools that will be fine, others will struggle quite a bit. a lot of smaller, less prestigious schools will suffer tho. including some state schools… like u of akron not too far up the road from canton. akron is not a college town but the school has financial troubles, along with the city.

[@thegreypath1777]

@@UserName-ts3sp : Akron, Ohio certainly IS a college town!

[@UserName-ts3sp]

@@thegreypath1777 akron isn’t a college town. its a town with a college in it. kent is a college town.

[@alexkeller8980]

There’s a university called Malone in Canton and it’s been there for over 70 years.

[@UserName-ts3sp]

it’s not enough of a draw to really boost the economy though. unlike akron, toledo, cleveland state and even youngstown (state)

[@vct454]

It's also a religion based college, people with functioning brain cells aren't going to colleges that emphasize religion.

[@BrannanVR]

Walsh too so small no football team in a city known for football

[@melanieshaw3210]

Walsh absolutely has a football team. I drive past their Stadium every single day and watch them practice early morning

[@Gamer23-s6n]

Lived there through high school, a very gray and depressing place to live. It was already showing signs of hard decay even back in the 90's. I don't miss living there at all. All there was to do in the winters was hang out in the mall, but even those are gone now.

[@melanieshaw3210]

That's interesting because I drive past Belden Village Mall every single day. And The Strip. They are definitely not gone.

[@starksweetheart]

Proud to call Canton, Ohio HOME... Truly, we have a lot of heart for our state & home teams! More than just being showcased world wide during HOF season, our city serves as a welcome stop for travelers from Cleveland to Cincinnati and Pitts to Indy! I love introducing people to the upcoming events in all of NE Ohio, we have so many wonderful places in our state! 💓

[@richardfroiland5703]

The reduction of tariffs instituted by JFK is in large part responsible for the decline in industrial production. The Tariff act of 1930 wasn't perfect but it kept production on these shores.

[@csukosd]

Downtown is still a blast. I love going downtown to this day.

[@melanieshaw3210]

Me too! I went to high school ('84) downtown, my mom worked next door, and we loved to walk around. Unfortunately all of the stores that we used to go to are gone, but so many new places have taken their place. And I love going to Centennial Plaza for concerts and to First Friday.

[@davediamond9436]

you didn't mention republic steel...half of my family worked there

[@Hermetic_]

Reminds me of Dayton, Ohio and much of New England. Good times

[@daviddurango9562]

I'm 67 and spent the first 8 years of my life in Canton/Massillon.

[@user-mh7db7ei1s]

I moved to one of the towns near Canton and I've grown to have a special appreciation for it. It still has a rich music scene, if you know where to look, and plenty of people who still believe in this city. There are so many hidden gems around here. It's much more than being the sit of the Football Hall of Fame. It's a place for food, for people, for connection. As unsafe as it can be, I'd take Canton over my hometown (some sithole I won't disclose in Mahoning) any day.

[@Ldysith84]

Hey I live here lol and this randomly showed up on my referrals. My first big girl job was at Diebold too!

[@dogmom2023]

My father RIP used to haul steel back and forth from Warren to Sharron to Canton to Michigan. Back then I could ride with him in the truck. I still am an Ohio girl. The football Hall of Fame is worth seeing.

[@nathanward9972]

Always enjoy your videos. Would love to see one on McKeesport Pennsylvania

[@JK_Rosser_LV]

Or Clairton

[@KJJ782]

How about a video on the Pittsburgh Squealers? 😂

[@Roadtripmik]

Lots of videos on mckeesport on youtube and one on clairton

[@ronz101]

Your right. I picked up on one several months ago. I worked for Greyhound for a bit and saw McKeesport begin it's rust belt decline. 😢

[@coldspring624]

I remember pitching pennies in the lower level of the Akron/ Canton airport when Kennedy came in to campaign. It was really laid back then and we left with pockets full of campaign buttons. As kids we loved to hang out at the end runways at night. People had good jobs with all the rubber companies, steel and bearings , meat packing, Heavy equipment and auto plants and good times. No big box stores of online shopping you had great specialty shops with hands on inspection with no guessing what you were buying. Shops for everything and people who knew the products to give you advice while they earned a living too

[@neanderthalsnavel7411]

The USA loves $0/hr labor. Always has. When the corporations found that price point outside of the USA, they took it. Simple as that.

[@vanguard9067]

Automation, offshoring, lower costs of production overseas (cheap labor lax worker safety and environmental protection), and investor greed for immediate profit at the expense of workers.

[@davidlane1169]

It's funny how the local semi-major airport is named Akron/Canton while folks living in Canton frequently get caught looking down their noses at their northern neighbor who suffered the exact same urban blight & infrastructure failure as Canton suffers 40 years hence. Folks blame urban blight on industry moving out of town. It's the average age of normal old housing that encourges folks to iive elsewhere like the suburbs.(duh) The tax base fails, cities crack the whip on industry to pick up the tab which forces industries to locate elsewhere. We've lived in in Akron a long time & used to be considered as nearly twin cities. We see it all around us in the entire northern industrial base inside every older city. The city rots from within first. Thanx

[@harrybaulz666]

Corporations moving manufacturing overseas

[@blainenodes8182]

started w/ r. Reagan in 1983,then Clinton in 1990s,shipped to Mexico, then China, now Vietnam, cheapest labor available, 😢

[@smokingjoe9864]

And that is why we have a border crisis. Wallstreet pays 3 bucks an hour at those factories south of the border. No one wants to work for 3 bucks an hour.

[@EsteOeste-vw7ps]

@@blainenodes8182what Ive noticed though is that in order to keep profits high, these companies make products that dont last as much. I hope some company figures out how to be profitable, making quality products in the US.

[@victorhopper6774]

@@blainenodes8182 nope, actually started in the sixties with toys, then the 70's with garments. when the mid atlantic states complained no other states cared so when other industries left no body cared until it hit the car industry. and so it went with about anything that can be put on a boat.

[@matt2.052]

Naw mostly places that went out of business here

[@jokesonyou1373]

How can this place have high crime if nobody is there??

[@blessredy]

high crime rate per capita

[@recordguy4321]

crack heads never leave

[@edbrake2723]

On this thread logic is highly discouraged. Sorry

[@UserName-ts3sp]

there’s still like 75k population

[@jokesonyou1373]

@@UserName-ts3sp A ghost town with a population of 75,000..... are you fuckin nuts bro?!?

[@rorybellamy2533]

Some very nice residential areas still today 2024 near Cable lake , Canton still a nice place to live

[@LethalAim5]

I currently work for Diebold. They are currently in the old Hoover building. Company is doing well now.

[@neilsmith9066]

As a Person who lives in between Canton and Akron I am so thankful these companies moved away from here. They polluted everything we had for decades now are water is clean the air smells great and smog is few and far between. Our water is finally some of the cleanest in the nation and wildlife is thriving. The people working at these jobs would have been replaced with technology anyway. Good Riddance!

[@alonzoperrin9301]

Canton Ohio is on the Rebuild....It's looking alot better and doing better!!!

[@Mike44460]

When the Made in Mexico line was the thing, it doesn’t matter where it's made, ah, I think we all found out it does if you're a blue-collar worker.

[@Diogenes425]

Do you think union pressure for higher wages & concessions might have had a little to do with it. It is what killed the Westinghouse plant in Sharon Pa.

[@Diogenes425]

Westing house then built a plant in Mexico. Wonder why?

[@GH-oi2jf]

How about demands of executives for multimillion dollar salaries and bonuses?

[@edbrake2723]

@@GH-oi2jf OK, blame it on the Jewish executives.

[@recordguy4321]

the beginning of the end for Canton, was Central Plaza on the square followed by Mellet Mall in the mid 60's and the nail in the coffin Was Belden Village north of the city limits. Life in canton was great growing up in the 50's and early 60's and KA-POW everything started slowly going downhill.

[@Briandswinford]

Canton is a giant ghetto now.

[@philhoward4466]

There is Malone University in Canton, Ohio. There is also Stark State College, a community college, nearby in Jackson Township, Stark County.

[@melanieshaw3210]

And Kent State Stark, Walsh

[@primesspct2]

So why have all our factories, ie towns died ?? This is all our towns in Ohio. I love Ohio, but anyone can see this is a problem effecting much more than our state.

[@Looneybin]

I live here .. so sad.

[@uzumate9976]

Why so sad? I used to live in Canton about 55 years ago I miss Canton so much.

[@Looneybin]

@@uzumate9976 everything is closed.

[@bulletscreenprinting]

Union wages tanked the manufacturing. Can pay someone more then they are worth and still sell your product competitively.

[@JohnClarke808]

It was NAFT

[@TheOsfania]

The US has been a service-based economy since 1900. Manufacturing has been in second place in the economy for 125 years.

[@TheNobleFive]

Wow

[@rudert56]

Obama said he would make us a service based economy. Would you like fries with that, sir?

[@bunk95]

It is a[ ]system. No one wants what it produces. Lazier, the laziest of, [citizens]? Mexican is something to be used to bring and keep humans to/at market. NAFTA lazy? (Mexicos already [attached]): [ ] Y [ ] N?

[@1320pass]

No mention of Marathon ORD? Some good hard working men there on the racks.

[@Squid_gardens]

Well, you see what happened was corruption in politics, piss poor city planners, leaders, etc. People who convinced themselves that the education system was superior, oh and Timken hasn't been doing anyone any favors they sold out long ago.

[@roberthumphrey1304]

What is being produced in small town America these days. Almost nothing since big industries moved off shore after devastated countries were rebuilt after WWII. Just look at the train loads of containers that crisscross our country every day filled with foerign made products. Each container represents many man hours of labor and several industries.

[@millardthomas9059]

Lived there 2012-2018. Maybe something wrong with me but I loved it. I had a beautiful home, people were cool and tbh the women not as superficial as some " big city" women. I'll definitely look to add to my real estate portfolio there.

[@jbg2bfree]

Did you mention Republic Steel? And Massillon, OH? Those were disasters too.

[@elizabethmcglothlin5406]

They also drove a stake through its heart. A highway right through the middle, with damned few ways to get from one part and the other. I lived there briefly and getting around--especially during their damned football hokum--was a nightmare.

[@vincentlussier8264]

Why won't the U.S. government spend on these cities and save them instead of space programs and Mars probes?

[@GixxerRider1991]

That'd make too much sense. This is the government we're talking about.

[@Bigmojojo]

Because Ohio is a red state now and all conservatives don't want a government hand out especially from the federal government. I bid them good luck in rebuilding their city.

[@gregobern6084]

The hall of fame industry is dealing with an outbreak of infamy, Akron produced Devo, Cuyuhoga Falls is not gone, it's a shopping mall with a parking lot

[@jonhoward6304]

I was one of the 37k that left Canton in 1984 when I Joined the Marine Corps went back in 86 for a few days and haven't been back to Canton not even to visit since then. Met my wife in Hawaii on Pearl Harbor in 87 as we were both stationed there got married in 87 got out in 93 moved to Tennessee where we live now. Have thought about going back but most likely won't.

[@melanieshaw3210]

Timken class of '84 here

[@eottoe2001]

It has to be remembered that a lot of this is the result of the changes in the economic architecture starting in the 1980s that saw a hands-off view of the for-profit sector of the economy starting with Reagan and carried forward under Bill Clinton. Globalism didn't help with NAFTA and the WTO, either, nor the rapid acceleration of depreciation under Bush and Chaney that really caused rapid de-industrialization in the US. On the other hand, the "Rust Belt" towns are still amazing places for all kinds of other reasons.

[@Comm0ut]

Cities which succeeded chose to have wide economic cultures but are also strategically located, usually near water transport. Efficient manufacturing and UTTERLY incompetent management wrecked US manufacturing which lest we forget had a decades-long lead over the rest of the world.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

After the Gibbs Manufacturing Co. stopped making "Lit'l Toy" HO scale diecast construction vehicles it the late 1960s, Canton started to "go to hell in a hand basket."

[@JRZEKE99]

Really great info!!! Damn shame that companies have outsourced to China and other Asian countries. Very sad. I do hope to visit the Hall of Fame someday. Thank you for this video!!! Appreciate it!

[@MichaelKimerline]

Democratic policies!

[@AtheistGunGamer]

Living in Canton, born in Magnolia 97!

[@richardchittum7703]

As a part of canton history union metal corporation was a big part of canton as the manufacturer of light poles established in 1906

[@rj6404]

Its the same old , Detroit , Flint , Canton Akron , Cleveland Pontiac , the rust belt , this has been happening since 1970's , Dearborn Mi is a muslim majority city , things change , sometime for good and sometimes not that good .

[@johnbennett757]

All businesses seem to have a finite lifespan. Bankruptcy, off shoring, mergers, spin offs are all common events in corporate America. Canton like all cities need to reinvent themselves. Since Canton had pretty good thing going for many years, leaders were unable to imagine a different approach. Localities need to diversify and support small businesses. Cities like Canton also need public investment. Every government jurisdiction need to spend 25% of its budget on infrastructure.

[@marietta1335]

I pray and wish I could visit Canton at least once in my life. (I'm from the Philippines, so it's a long way from here.) I'd like to see where Mother Angelica was raised, and the house where the mystic Servant of God Rhoda Wise lived. I am praying for everyone who ever lived or had anything to do with Canton, OH. God bless you and your city.

[@debbieelliott-terrell7618]

Thank you for your comment. I'm from a city near Canton and I never knew of these people. Now I wish to visit Rhoda Wise home.

[@MultiTimelady]

I'd advise against it. I have been here since '91,got to tell you,there isn't much on downtown. Most of the businesses are in North Canton. With each city politician only focusing on tourism and not properly addressing what the residents want or need shows. Sure,there are "bones thrown out" to the residents in the form of first Fridays,a four months for farmers market,which,by has turned into a flea market and business advertisment opportunity and less about selling fresh food. Because of the "new toy" that the centennial plaza has become. Now everything is centered on the that toy not much room for more farmers to sell their fruits and vegetables. And don't get me started on most of the special events that goes on here. Here's how it goes,a popular event that is free and people come and enjoy. Now I get large crowds become rowdy but, what I be seen in the past 25 years is terrible. Most of the residents are blue color,minority,and are at poverty level. And our local government overlooks these people,their constituents, when planning events or opening business. The reason why downtown is dead is because the businesses cater to the doctors, lawyers and judges.snd the restaurants reflect that in both the atmosphere and pricing.Leaving the residents unable to contribute to our local economy. They'd much rather bring a little of North Canton in this city to placate them leaving us out of the cold. And the events? They cost hundreds of dollars to buy a ticket to go to events, and I mean the good ones , to keep the "riff raff"out. Riff raff, is code meaning the poor. And that's just the start.. So,my advice,stay away.

[@marietta1335]

@@MultiTimelady Thank you for your thoughtful comment, MultiTimelady, but it seems most of what you wrote here are also happening in other cities, especially the larger ones. I have lived in San Francisco (not now) and from what I’m hearing that city is almost dead, due to the same reasons you cited here. My interest in Canton, OH, is a religious one. In the 1930s, there lived in Canton a woman named Rhoda Wise, who suffered enormously from wounds and broken bones incurred from having accidentally stepped on a broken sewer cover. The wounds would not heal, plus she had other health problems. Later she developed a huge tumor in her stomach, which kept on regrowing and had to be taken out several times until there was hardly any skin left to cover the surgical wound which would not heal. During her long hospitalization, Rhoda converted to Catholicism and learned how to pray with the nuns who were the nurses in the hospital. When doctors had given up on her and she was taken home to die, Rhoda had visions of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who asked her if she could suffer some more for the conversion of sinners, and she said yes. St. Therese also appeared to her and healed her leg. Rhoda then became a mystic and a stigmatist, incurring the wounds of the crucified Christ on her head, hands, feet, and side for the conversion of sinners and healing of the sick. Every time Jesus appeared to her, her house emitted bright lights that got the attention of neighbors, and pretty soon, large crowds from all over Ohio and beyond gathered around her house. Many sick people were healed, and many went back to practicing their religion. Rhoda’s husband, who was an alcoholic, suddenly stopped drinking. One of the people Rhoda healed was a young girl named Rita Rizzo, who suffered from a debilitating stomach ailment. Rhoda prophesized that Rita would become a nun who would become a spiritual guide to millions. That prophecy was fulfilled. In time, Rita became “Mother Angelica” who founded the Catholic network, EWTN. Mother Angelica became enormously popular with her no-nonsense programs peppered with hilarious humor while teaching Catholicism. Rhoda Wise died in 1948 and is now given the title "Servant of God," a candidate for sainthood in the Catholic Church. Her house in Canton has become a pilgrimage site for Catholics. That’s why I would love to visit her house, and see a bit of Canton myself. But right now, I can’t afford to do that. Please do a search on Rhoda Wise and Mother Angelica for more and accurate information. Thank you and God bless you.

[@markdicarlo216]

​My father went to grade school at Saint Anthony's with Mother Angelica. My brother received a McKinley High School yearbook with her photo and signature.

[@rickreid81]

Very sad. I watched alot of businesses close in NC after n.a.f.t.a. was Signed. Our textile, hosery & furniture business we hit hard. And they closed in droves in the years following. Much like Canton. Just awful.