It’s no secret that Massillon is a football town. And it’s been that way for a long time. From the professional teams of the early 1900s, through the glory days of high school head coach Paul Brown in the 1930s, and continuing on to the present day. Some people say that football is the glue that holds the town together. But Massillon is more than just about football.
In its basic form, Massillon is a mid-sized city that epitomizes middle America; i.e., a tight-knitted society engrossed with a sense of community price that is evident in each of its residents. Sure, it has a long-time sports connection, but it also boasts of a rich history, with great industry, education, arts and entertainment.
Massillon is located in Northeast Ohio, about 50 miles south of Cleveland, encompassing around nineteen square miles of land. The economy is serviced by both State Route 21, which runs north and south, and the nationally historic Lincoln Highway, which travels laterally coast-to-coast. The community has been on the map for a long time, having been settled as far back as 1811 and then incorporated as a city in 1853.
The catalyst for growth was having resources in place to transport grain from area farms to market, first by way of the Ohio & Erie Canal and then later via the railroad. Later, it was the steel industry, which from 1880 to 1930 expanded the population from 10,000 to over 25,000 as workers poured in from the southern U.S. and Europe. Today, the population hovers around 32,000, a number that has held steady throughout the previous seventy years, in spite of an aging demographic, unlike most cities in the country.
Massillon is primarily a diversified, middle-class community, with mostly older homes, but also with pockets of upscale neighborhoods. While the steel mills are now mostly gone, they have been replaced by several small and mid-sized industries. There is a defined and continually modernized downtown shopping district with several non-chain stores and restaurants, an extensive library, two movie theaters, churches of many denominations, and a museum that is open free to the public. In addition to both permanent and rotating exhibits, the museum displays a permanent collection of historical artifacts from the days of Paul Brown. There are also numerous parks and hiking areas scattered throughout. Warmer weather brings several festivals and the Summer Concert Series.
The vast majority of students attend Massillon City Schools, which includes a high school (grades 9-12, 1992), a middle school (grades 5-8, 2005) and two new elementary schools (grades K-4, 2025). The high school supports all levels of curriculum, from vocational to college-prep, along with an extensive bundle of sport and non-sport extra-curricular activities, including the nationally-renowned Massillon Tiger Swing Band. The graduation rate is 83%. Many graduates have gone on to have prominent careers, both professionally and athletically. Massillon also has several private elementary schools.
But a major part of the city is still football. For the vast majority of schools across the country, the football teams are supported primarily by the participating students and their parents. But not in Massillon. Most of the residents, regardless of political or religious preferences or having sons on the team, come together as die-hard Tiger fans and show their support by attending the football games in droves, something they have been doing for nearly a hundred years, while boasting of over 3,000 season ticket holders. That’s why a city of 32,000 needs a Paul Brown Tiger Stadium that seats more than half the population. In fact, the stadium is near capacity when local rival Canton McKinley comes to town. For other games the draw is not often below 7,000.
Tiger fans make no excuses; they love their team and follow it year-round, both at home and on the road. And the players return that love, relishing that they represent not just their school but the entire community. With top-shelf coaches, talented players and a competitive schedule, supported by modern practice facilities, the school brings an exciting brand of football to the field. And the results speak for themselves: 25 state championships and 9 national championships, in addition to developing numerous future professional players and coaches. That’s why Massillon is called a football town, with a slogan that reads, “City of Champions.” Only, it’s not JUST a football town. It’s a town for everyone. They just happened to like football.
We are….MASSILLON!