The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-01-13
"Old Landmarks"
No. 70.

| Among the old shoemakers of those
days were Seth Golden, Edward White
and Louis Fournace. Old and young,
as they needed shoes, would go or
were taken to one of the shoemakers
of a those days, and leave orders for
shoes to be made to fit them. Now
very little of this is done.
John G. Bockius war the pioneer in
Canton to open a store exclusively
confined to the sale of boots ana
shoes.
The other family of Bockius are
the descendants of John Buckius, the
latter adopted the English way of
spelling their name, so that we have
two families of this Bockius descend
ant in Canton who spell their name
little different. Valentine Bockius
and his children kept on the old Ger
man plan of spelling the name Bock-
ius, but John Buckius and his fami-
ly spelled their name Buckius, which
is the English way. But both are
descendants from the same family
several generations back. From both
branches of these families came some
of our best and useful citizens, and all
of them Industrious and engaged In
honored occupations.
John Buckius, sr., about 75 years
ago, had for a time. carried on the
business of timer in q frame build
ing that stood on the northeast cor
ner of the public square, where w. d.
Caldwell now has his store; and af-
forwards erected on the same ground
a two-story brick building, in which
he for awhile kept hotel, known by
the name of the Franklin house, in
later years other parties opened hotels
in other parts of the city known by
the same name by which Mr. Buclius
first called his hotel.
Henry Buckius, son of John Buck
ius, for many years lived and carried
on the business of timer on the west
side of North Market street between
Fourth and Fifth streets; and his
brother, John Buckius, jr., was a sad
die and harness maker by trade, and
carried on said business for many
years in the southeast corner of Tus-
carawas street and Cleveland avenue,
where the First M. Il. church now
stands; In later years he built good
brick house on the same lot, and
opened hotel known as the ST. Cloud
hotel. which was the first of that
name in Canton; a few years there
after this building was destroyed by
fire: after which Mr.. Buckius occu-
tpied the hotel building, so long known
in later years as the Hurford house,
and there for sometime kept the st.
Cloud hotel, which name was retained
by other parties until it was changed
to that of Hurford house.
l.. v. Bockius lived for many years
in the cottage building that was or
iginally built by George Dunbar on the
southwest corner OF Eighth and Mar
ket streets, Immediately opposite the
Mckinley hotel; all the children of
L. V. Bockins were born there; in
later years the family had lived at
III North Market street, and there Mr..
Bockius died, the widow still living
there.
The cottage built by George Dunbar
and so long afterwards occupied by
, the Bockius family is still standing,
but has been moved hack on the cor
J ner of Eighth and Court streets, and
! is occupied as restaurant Where the
cottage first stood is one of the most
} prominent corners on that street off
Of the public square, and the best in
: terests Of the city and desire Of the
citizens would be that much better
building be put up where the low
wooden structures now occupy this
valuable location; and we shall hope
the day is not far off when this will
be DONE With the growth and pros
perity of Canton, 1t looks badly to
} have so valuable a corner occupied
, with an ordinary one-story frame
, building. such as is now standing
there. All our best citizens agree to
. this