1780History
Around 1780, Captain Samuel Brady achieved notoriety for his activities in the area, including his leap of 21 feet (6 m) over the Cuyahoga River to avoid capture by a Native band.
1798Culture
As part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, the area was divided into survey townships in 1798 and almost all of what is now Kent was originally part of Town 3 Range 9, which wo...
1803Military
Franklin Township was surveyed in 1803 and settled in November 1805 when John Haymaker and his family moved west from Warren to the banks of the Cuyahoga River.
1805Government
Part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, Kent was settled in 1805 and was known for many years as Franklin Mills.
1807Architecture
They were joined by John's brother George and their father Jacob Haymaker and their families early the next year, and built a gristmill in 1807.
1815History
== Religion ==
The earliest organized religious services in Kent were held in 1815 when a Methodist group was formed, followed by a Congregational church in 1819.
1817Education
The first religious meetinghouse in Kent, which also served as the first schoolhouse, was built in 1817 and was used by several different denominations.
1818Architecture
In 1818, Joshua Woodard arrived in the area and began constructing buildings just north of the village forming the "Upper Village" that would be known briefly as Carthage.
1828Architecture
Later, the Methodists built another building in 1828 that was also used by multiple denominations.
1835Culture
From 1835 to 1839, noted American abolitionist John Brown moved to the village, partnering with Zenas Kent to build a tannery along the Cuyahoga River.
1836Architecture
A lock and attached arch dam was completed in 1836.
1837Architecture
Factories and mills were either planned or constructed along the Cuyahoga River, some of which either were never built or ultimately failed, due mostly to effects of the Panic o...
1840Architecture
The canal officially opened in 1840, but was shut down by the 1870s.
1851Military
Marvin Kent had started his own railroad company, the Franklin and Warren Railroad, in 1851 after Franklin Mills was bypassed by the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad.
1858History
The former home of the Congregational Church was dedicated in 1858 and still stands along Gougler Avenue very near the Unitarian Universalist Church.
1859History
Garfield's first nomination for public office in 1859.
1860Education
The Kent district was created around 1860 and later merged with the Franklin Township and Brady Lake school districts in 1959.
1863Military
In 1863 the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad was constructed through Franklin Mills, due largely to the efforts of local businessman Marvin Kent, son of Zenas Kent.
1864Military
In 1864 the town was renamed Kent in honor of Marvin Kent's efforts.
1865Architecture
The shops opened in 1865 and the railroad played an important part of Kent's industry and development through the early 20th century before the shops were completely shut down i...
1867Government
It was incorporated as a village in 1867 and became a city after the 1920 Census.
1868Architecture
The oldest church building in Kent still used as a place of worship is the Unitarian Universalist Church on Gougler Avenue, which was dedicated in 1868.
1869Architecture
Other buildings include the 1869 Kent Jail, now used by the Parks and Recreation Department, and the 1837 Franklin Township Hall, the site of eventual U.S.
1881History
John Davey came to Kent in 1881 as head groundskeeper at Standing Rock Cemetery.
1892Government
It was established in 1892 after Kent became the first village in Ohio to use an 1892 state law which allowed municipalities under a population of 5,000 to tax residents for the...
1901Government
In 1901, he published his theories on tree surgery with his book The Tree Doctor, and later established the Davey Tree Expert Company in 1909.
1909Disaster
After a fire destroyed the Seneca Chain Company in 1909, one of the city's main industries at the time, city leaders created the Kent Board of Trade in 1910, a forerunner to the...
1910Crime
Today Kent is a college town best known as the home of the main campus of Kent State University, founded in 1910, and as the site of the May 4, 1970 Kent State shootings.
1913Education
On the northwestern part of the campus is the Ohio State Normal College At Kent district, which includes the school's five original classic revival buildings dating to 1913.
1920Architecture
Included in the redevelopment was the purchase and renovation of the old Kent hotel, which first opened in 1920.
1928Architecture
Gross Company Building, built in 1928 and designed by Kent architect Charles Kistler, was added to the NRHP in 2016.
1954Government
Smithers-Oasis, a floristry manufacturer, was founded in Kent in 1954 and operates a plant in the city.
1961Education
Black squirrels were brought to the campus from Canada in 1961 by Kent State University head groundskeeper Larry Woodell.
1963Government
The city charter, adopted in 1963, is reviewed by a charter commission every 10 years who then make recommendations for changes, the last review being in 2025.
1964History
It served as the home of the First Congregational Church—which became the Kent United Church of Christ in 1964—until 1955.
1970Civil Rights
In May 1970, protests began on the campus of Kent State University over the United States' invasion of Cambodia in the Vietnam War.
1971History
Several memorials have been placed at the site over the years and commemorations have been held annually since 1971.
1973Disaster
During the spring and summer, thunderstorms are fairly common and the area is susceptible to tornadoes, though the last recorded tornado in Kent occurred in 1973.
1975Architecture
Also during the late 1960s and into the 1970s, construction of Haymaker Parkway, completed in 1975, brought changes to the city's layout while eliminating ongoing problems with ...
1979Government
It was founded in Kent in 1979 and maintains an additional masjid in the city.
1988History
The record high temperature is 103 °F (39 °C), set on July 7, 1988, with the record low of −22 °F (−30 °C) recorded January 17, 1982.
1992Government
The market was established in 1992 and includes over 40 vendors, making it one of the oldest and largest farmers' markets in Northeast Ohio.
1995Government
Kent received national attention in 1995 when the city's water was named "Best Tasting Municipality Water" at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting.
2000Architecture
After being vacant since 2000, it re-opened on April 1, 2013, as a Buffalo Wild Wings and also houses offices, a wine and jazz bar, and apartments.
2002History
Since opening in 2002, it has been visited by approximately 120,000 patrons from all over Ohio, 38 U.S.
2003Infrastructure
In 2003, the 1836 arch dam was bypassed to meet water quality standards set by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
2004Education
Cultural exchanges have included a performance of a choir from Kent's Theodore Roosevelt High School in Dudince in 2004 and tour groups from Kent visiting in 2006 and 2008.
2005History
The park, known as Heritage Park, was formally dedicated in May 2005.
2006Culture
The 2006 expansion to the library brought available space to 55,000 square feet (5,100 m2) with a book collection of 166,407 items as of 2023.
2007Education
The university began buying properties in that neighborhood in 2007 and by December 2012 had acquired 43.
2008Economy
=== Redevelopment ===
Beginning in 2008, several redevelopment projects in the downtown area were put into motion and resulted in nearly $110 million (~$157 million in 2024) in...
2009Architecture
Included in the project was construction of a pedestrian alleyway lined with small shops, eventually known as Acorn Alley, which opened in 2009.
2010Military
Leading up to the American Civil War, Franklin Mills had three notable stops on the Underground Railroad, giving fugitive slaves shelter on their escape to Canada; one still sta...
2011History
Since then, Kent has placed in the top five six times with the most recent being a fifth-place finish in 2011.
2012Architecture
New offices for Ametek and the Davey Tree Expert Company opened in late 2012 along with several new small businesses on the first floors of each building.
2013Education
The hotel, operated by Kent State University, opened in June 2013 and the new parking garage, operated by the Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (PARTA) opened April...
2014Architecture
A five-story mixed-use building called The Landmark was completed in 2014 and construction started in November 2015 on an additional five-story mixed-use building featuring micr...
2016Economy
The mill closed in 2016 after Star of the West consolidated operations to Willard, Ohio, and the complex was sold to a local developer in 2019.
2018Government
Adoption of a new flag was first proposed in 2018 by Mayor Jerry Fiala to replace the previous flag adopted in 1975 that was largely unknown and unused.
2020History
The 2020 count was a slight decline from 2010, which city leaders attributed to the census being taken just after many student residents left at the onset of the COVID restricti...
2021Education
Patrick School, which serves around 200 students in grades K–8 from Kent and several surrounding communities as of the 2021–22 school year.
2022Disaster
On December 2, 2022, part of the complex caught fire.
2023History
At the Federal level, Kent is included in Ohio's 13th congressional district, represented since 2023 by Republican Dave Joyce of Geauga County.
2024Education
The university is also constructing Crawford Hall, a new facility for the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, set to open in 2024.
2025Education
It is also building a 180-acre (73 ha) training and research campus and arboretum for both employees and the public which is scheduled to be complete in 2025.