Robert H. Folger

Robert Folger arrived in Kendal in 1813 with his parents, Mary Joy and Mayhew Folger (the noted sea captain). As a young man, the son took to the water as well, as captain of a canal packet.

Admitted to the bar in 1842, Robert H. Folger held four terms as probate judge and one term in the Ohio House of Representatives. He prepared the legal work for Massillon’s incorporation in 1853, then served as mayor in 1861 and again from 1864 through 1866.

As an ardent abolitionist, Folger was a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and he is credited with an eloquent 1861 speech encouraging Massillon men to support President Lincoln’s war effort.