Editor’s note: This is another in a series of articles published periodically in 2026 about the observance in Stark County and surrounding communities of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
NORTH CANTON ‒ The Revolutionary War will come to life in Price Park.
The North Canton Heritage Society is inviting Stark County residents and those from surrounding communities to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary with a free Revolutionary War encampment and reenactment from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 27 at the park at 1000 W. Maple St.
“This is the first time we’ve done an event like this,” said Kevin Woodside, the organizer of the event, who serves the Heritage Society as programming and education chairman.
“We wanted to do something special to mark the 250th anniversary of the country, so we started organizing it last year and really hit the ground running the first of the year.”
The Heritage Society has enlisted the Brigade of the American Revolution, Northwest Department, to provide an authentic atmosphere and to educate those attending about what life was like in the newly formed United States.
The Brigade of the American Revolution is a professional organization of volunteer historical reenactors who have taken part in many area reenactments, including events at Fort Laurens near Bolivar in Tuscarawas County.
“Our organization, when it was founded in New Jersey, was formed to increase the interest in the American Revolution and to accurately recreate elements of that period,” said Bob Cairns of Canton, who for more than three decades has been commander of the Brigade’s Northwest Department, which includes 320 volunteer reenactors from Ohio, West Virginia, western Pennsylvania, eastern Indiana and southern Michigan.
“We want to bring an authentic experience to people who come to see us,” said Cairns, who also is the organizer of a division within the Brigade’s Northwest Department, the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment of Fort Laurens. “We won’t do a skirmish, but we will do weapons demonstrations.”
And, during those demonstrations, many narrated by Cairns, visitors will hear an explanation of the process that Revolutionary War soldiers went through to fire their weapons.
“When I fire my musket, I want you to know how and why it worked,” said Cairns, who recalled that he joined the Brigade about the time of the nation’s bicentennial in the 1970s with a goal of being “the best private soldier in the BAR.
“Now (as commander), I don’t often get to be a private soldier. I get more involved in trying to make sure members of our organization are the best historical interpreters and presenters of the American Revolution as possible.”
War reenactments with North Canton ties
Doug Wechter, vice president of North Canton Heritage Society’s board, helped bring the encampment here by being a member of Brigade’s Northwest Department.
“I portray a German soldier for the Crown,” said Wechter, who is of German descent himself and who noted that “the reason why is that when I first went to a reenactment there were so many more (American) militia men than British soldiers, so I thought I’d even it up a little.”
Wechter’s portrayal pays respect to a local individual, Henry Friday, an early settler in what would become Plain Township.
“He was a German soldier (for the Crown) who was captured during the war and later settled in Stark County,” Wechter said.
Wechter said his portrayal also honors a colonial soldier, Leonard Willaman, who came from Germany and fought in the Revolution as part of the Pennsylvania militia before becoming one of the first settlers in what first became New Berlin and then was renamed North Canton.
“The fact that I portray a German soldier adds an interesting local connection,” he said. “Stark County does have a tie to the American Revolution. It did touch our area.”
A love of history
Both Wechter and Cairns noted that reenactments and demonstrations during the daylong encampment will display and discuss more than military operations.
“We’ll have the firearms demonstrations and we’ll fire cannons. But we’ll also have an 18th century surgical display. We’ll have carpenters working with tools of that period. And we’ll have clothing demonstrations,” said Cairns.
“We like to accurately show people the material culture of the day. Most of the time, soldiers weren’t in battle. They were doing other things. We’ll show you why they did those things that way. We’ll point out the differences between then and now, and also the similarities.”
Cairns graduated from Canton South High School and later taught history at his alma mater, so he has an interest in such educational endeavors.
“A lot of reenactment groups don’t explain what they are doing, so you get a show but you don’t learn anything,” Cairns said. “We’re talking to people and people are asking us questions all the time.
“I hope people will take away from this an interest in our history. I hope we cause people to do their own research about the Revolutionary War period because we pushed them in that direction.”
Woodside said reenactors will overnight at the encampment before the actual event, stepping into character during the early morning hours.
“What’s so special about these reenactors is that they are so dedicated to accuracy, right down to the buttons on their uniforms,” said Woodside. “I want people to take away a vision of what it was like to fight for the freedom for a country. Even if it is just for a few minutes, I want them to get a glimpse at the foundation of our country, to see what those guys did.”
Woodside said he is looking forward to that experience.
“It should be fun,” he said. “I’m hoping for good weather.”
And what if storms dampen the rain-or-shine event?
“Call it historical accuracy. The Revolutionary War soldiers had to endure some inclement conditions themselves,” he said.
Reach Gary at gary.brown.rep@gmail.com.
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If you go
What: Revolutionary War encampment & reenactment. The free event will feature 18th century surgical procedures, carpenter tools, cloth spinning, artillery demonstrations, musket firing, marching drills, and uniform inspection.
Where: Price Park, 1000 W. Maple St., North Canton
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 27
Who: Organized by North Canton Heritage Society and featuring the Brigade of the American Revolution, Northwest Department
Why: To observe the America 250 by noting local connections to the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States, and to serve as a lead-in to North Canton’s July 4 weekend activities.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: North Canton to host Revolutionary War encampment for America250
Reporting by Gary Brown, Special to the Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Gary Brown, Special to the Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
