Information
Landmark: Hoover Historical CenterCity: Canton
Country: USA Ohio
Continent: North America
Hoover Historical Center, Canton, USA Ohio, North America
Overview
On Walsh University’s campus in North Canton, Ohio, the Hoover Historical Center invites visitors to explore the story of The Hoover Company-once a household name-through exhibits that preserve and share its history, from gleaming chrome vacuums to vintage advertisements.It takes place in William H.’s childhood home, where the floorboards still creak underfoot.“Boss” Hoover , the center offers a vivid portrayal of innovation, entrepreneurship, and 20th-century American domestic life.📜 Historical Overview The Hoover Family Home : The museum is housed in an 1853 Victorian farmhouse that was the childhood home of William Hoover.At “Boss” Hoover, the center brings to life the spirit of innovation, bold entrepreneurship, and the everyday rhythms of 20th‑century American homes, right down to the hum of a kitchen radio.📜 Historical Overview – The Hoover Family Home: The museum sits inside an 1853 Victorian farmhouse, where a young William Hoover once ran down its creaking wooden stairs.The house still carries its 19th-century charm, its creaking floorboards setting the stage for the historical tale.William Hoover first made his living selling leather goods, the scent of tanned hides filling his shop.In 1908, he bought the rights to James Spangler’s portable electric suction sweeper and started turning out vacuum cleaners, the kind that hummed softly as they slid across the floor.This product could put the Hoover name on the map worldwide, as recognizable as the hum of a vacuum in a quiet hallway.Growth and Global Influence: In the decades that followed, Hoover’s name became the go-to word for vacuum cleaners, as familiar as the hum of one on a Saturday morning.🖼️ Museum Exhibits The Hoover Historical Center features guided tours through creatively designed rooms that combine period décor with industrial history.By the mid-20th century, people in the UK were casually saying they’d “Hoover” the carpet, using the brand name as shorthand for vacuuming.During World War II, Hoover shifted its production lines to turn out military gear-plastic helmet liners with a faint chemical smell, aircraft parts, and vital medical supplies-showing both its adaptability and strong sense of patriotism.🖼️ Museum Exhibits Step inside the Hoover Historical Center, where guided tours lead you through rooms dressed in rich period décor and layered with stories of industrial innovation.One highlight is the Vacuum Cleaner Gallery, where Hoover models line up in order from bulky wood-and-metal workhorses to the smooth chrome curves of mid-century design, tracing the story of home cleaning over the decades.Advertising Archive: A lively trove of Hoover ads-from crackling radio jingles to glossy print spreads and giveaway trinkets-dating back to the 1910s, each piece showing how marketing and consumer tastes have shifted over time.🌿 Gardens and the Herb Society The grounds include beautifully maintained herb gardens established in 1988, a project of the Herb Society at the Hoover Historical Center.Women in the Workplace: Honoring the vital part women played at Hoover, especially in wartime, when they kept machines humming and business running with skill and determination.The Hoover family’s legacy comes alive through worn photo albums, treasured keepsakes, and shared stories that reveal how the company began and what its founder dreamed of building.🕒 Visitor Information Address : 1875 East Maple Street, North Canton, Ohio 44720 Tours : Offered March through October Days : Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Times : 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, and 3:00 PM Duration : Approximately 45–60 minutes Group Tours : Available on weekdays by prior arrangement (minimum 8 people) Admission : Free; donations are welcome to support the center’s mission Accessibility : The center is wheelchair accessible and designed to accommodate guests with disabilities Contact : Phone: (330) 490-7435 Email: [email protected] 🎉 Special Programs and Events Christmas on Hoover Farm : A festive seasonal event featuring Victorian holiday décor, caroling, storytelling, and traditional refreshments.Wartime Production Exhibit: See manufacturing logs, worn blueprints, and actual military parts built at Hoover during World War II.🌿 Gardens and the Herb Society - Since 1988, the Herb Society has tended lush, fragrant beds at the Hoover Historical Center, where rosemary brushes your fingertips as you pass.The gardens serve as an open-air classroom, where rows of basil, lavender, and chamomile illustrate culinary, medicinal, and fragrant uses.The gardens often host public workshops, herb festivals, and seasonal gatherings, where the air smells faintly of rosemary, all to spark curiosity and deepen people’s knowledge of herbs.You’ll find us at 1875 East Maple Street in North Canton, Ohio 44720.Tours run March through October on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at noon, 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00, lasting about 45–60 minutes.Weekday group tours are welcome with prior arrangements for eight or more people.Admission’s free, though donations help keep our mission strong.The center’s wheelchair accessible and built to accommodate guests with disabilities.Call (330) 490-7435 or email [email protected] for details.And don’t miss Christmas on Hoover Farm-a warm holiday celebration with Victorian décor, caroling drifting through the halls, storytelling, and classic seasonal treats.The Annual Hoover Festival honors Hoover’s legacy with hands-on history displays, gleaming vintage Hoover machines, live local music, tasty food stalls, and plenty of family-friendly fun.
