CANFIELD, Ohio — The Mahoning County Agricultural Society announced the inductees for the third class of the Mahoning County Agricultural Hall of Fame.
The 2024 inductees include: Harvey Firestone, Roger Greenawalt, Francis and Jane Less and Paul Myers
The induction ceremonies will take place Aug. 28 at 11 a.m. on the Concourse Stage located near the Grandstand. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend the induction ceremonies.
The purpose of the Mahoning County Agriculture Hall of Fame is to recognize those who have made a significant impact on agriculture. This is the third year the annual awards will be made to men or women, husband and wife teams or partnerships either as farmers or contributors through an agricultural-related field.
Harvey S. Firestone
Born in Mahoning County on Dec. 20, 1868, on his grandfather’s farm, Firestone grew up working on the family farm whenever possible. Firestone, a fourth-generation farmer, was a brilliant inventor who invented and developed the pneumatic farm tire in 1932.
The “ground grip tire,” as it was known, offered a smoother ride and much better traction. Farm machinery could now travel faster and smoother to extend their reach to cover more acreage efficiently. While he now had a home in Akron and traveled the county extensively, Firestone returned often to the family farm to offer a helping hand and experience firsthand the performance of his tires in action.
He helped to develop the interstate highway systems and put American military vehicles on inflatable tires. Firestone’s love of farming and his passion for agricultural education led to his relationship with the FFA. He established a scholarship program that carries on still today.
Roger Greenawalt
Born Feb. 19, 1951, Greenawalt has been involved in many aspects of farming and agriculture throughout his life. He grew up on the family dairy farm in Beloit. His first independent endeavor was raising rabbits. The income from this project was used to buy his own farm toys.
Greenawalt graduated from the Ohio State University with a dual major in Agricultural Education and Agricultural Finance in 1972, and went on to earn his master’s degree in 1976. Greenawalt taught vo-ag from 1972 to 1999 where he served as a cooperating teacher for student teachers. He initiated the annual “Food for America” field trip for district elementary students, served as the Young Farmer’s advisor, and developed an agricultural education model curriculum for the Ohio State University.
Greenawalt worked on a state level to develop the CAUV language for agricultural land use for farmers and testified to keep Public Utilities Commission of Ohio language from becoming burdensome to farmers and farm trucks. He was a local government leader and ran a successful land improvement business. Roger now farms 650 acres along with his farm drainage business.
Francis and Jane Less
Francis and Jane Less were married in October 1941. They began their farming journey on Washingtonville Road in Green Township.
The couple soon became well known for the production of fruits, vegetables and grains. They also had a successful egg production business.
As the couple worked hard on the farm, Francis concentrated on the sweet corn, apples and field corn. He received recognition for producing 200 bushels per acre for five consecutive years from 1969-1973.
In 1973, Ohio Gov. Richard Celeste appointed Francis to the Ohio Agricultural Finance Commission. Francis also served as a director of the Mahoning County Agricultural Society, the Farm Bureau co-op board where he was a past president, and the Salem Fruit Growers Association. The Lesses were the go-to people for other local growers. Francis and Jane were a team, each supporting the operation of the farm and the family. In 1992 the Canfield Fair honored the family as the Rural Family of the Year.
Paul E. Myers
Born Jan. 19, 1897, Myers grew up in Smith Township on a grain, dairy and livestock farm. He traveled throughout Mahoning and Columbiana counties purchasing cattle, hogs, turkeys and chickens. He would butcher these animals at his slaughterhouse and sell the meats to neighborhood markets in the greater Youngstown area. This served as a benefit to local farmers as there were no nearby outlets for their livestock and helped the markets as he offered fresh meats as refrigeration was limited.
As his business grew, Myers traveled to Parkersburg, West Virginia to secure additional animals to supply his markets. During this time he saw the need for a local auction barn and together with Curt Shreve they founded the Damascus Livestock Auction. To get this project underway, Myers brought livestock from Parkersburg to Damascus so there were enough animals to attract buyers, and high enough prices to attract farmers to bring their stock to the sale.
With all this hauling, Myers was always acquiring new cars and trucks. This led to his new venture of becoming a Reo Car and Truck dealer in Youngstown. As this business expanded, in 1937 Myers founded Myers Equipment Co. He continued to farm, milking Holstein cows and raising Black Angus beef cattle until his retirement in 1972.
Myers was a 50-year member of Smith Grange and Director Emeritus of the First National Bank of Salem.
In 1920, Paul and Verna hitched his horse to a buggy and traveled from Beloit to Canfield to enjoy a date at the Canfield Fair. They were married the following year on March 3. Paul’s son David and grandson Craig have gone on to serve as Directors of the Canfield Fair.