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Poland gets its fifth Ohio Historical Marker
POLAND
The Village Green has long been a gathering place for Poland residents.
In the 1800s, it was the site of a log meetinghouse and school.
It was a place for local militia, as well as War of 1812 and Civil War soldiers, to train.
Today, it is known as the best sled-riding location in town, a place where kids meet in the winter to slide down the gently sloping hills.
And Saturday, it was the gathering place for a ceremony that honored the Green itself, as residents and local officials met to dedicate an Ohio Historical Marker recognizing the historic significance of the Village Green, the Poland Presbyterian Church and the cemetery that sits next to the church.
The Poland Historical Society applied for the marker, which is on the edge of the Village Green on South Main Street, through the Ohio Historical Society, “so that people in the future will be reminded of the significance of the place and the heritage we share in Poland,” said Dave Smith, member of the PHS.
The marker is Poland’s fifth.
Poland’s, and Mahoning County’s, first marker also is located on the green, and recognizes Judge Turhand Kirtland, one of the founding residents who came to Poland as an agent of the Connecticut Land Company in 1798 and who donated the green and cemetery to the residents of Poland in 1804.
The three other markers commemorate U.S. President William McKinley, who spent part of his childhood in Poland and graduated from Poland Academy in 1859.
The newest marker, which is the 40th in the county, cost $2,680 and was paid for by the Samuel Kirtland Hine Memorial Fund, which was established for the maintenance of the green and the cemetery.
The cemetery, in which more than 450 people are buried and which has headstones marked from 1805 to 1928, contains the graves of 13 Revolutionary War veterans, 13 War of 1812 veterans and 10 Civil War veterans. Most of the earliest settlers of Poland are buried there as well.
Poland Presbyterian Church, also recognized on the marker, was established in 1802. The current structure was completed in 1897.
Saturday’s ceremony also featured the unveiling of a new bench dedicated to Bob Eich, John Rice and Bob Zedaker, longtime members of the Hine Fund Committee.
Poland Historical Society members said they plan to apply for other historical markers.
“We’d like to make this an annual thing,” said Ten Heineman, member of the PHS.
“We’re thinking about a couple — down at the town hall, and also at the little red schoolhouse,” said Larry Baughman, historical society president. “But we’d also like to hear from our residents about where future markers should be considered.”