Staff photo / R. Michael Semple
Sue Davis stands in the section of her Newton Falls history room that is dedicated to Newton Falls servicemen.

Her basement serves as an archive, where she has accumulated newspapers, letters, photos, books, notebooks of newspaper clippings, magazines, posters, and other historical records, memorabilia and artifacts.

Davis said, “My nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and entire family have helped me a lot to do this. Everything here I collected or was given to me. The shelves and tables were all purchased second hand.”

After moving into her new home two years ago, Davis, with help from her family, organized her collections into what she refers to as “The History Room.”

Although much of the material is related to Newton Falls history, the room encompasses other history plus a “Veterans Corner.”

The walls of the large basement room are lined with display cases, 6-foot tables, stands and bookshelves brimming with history and memorabilia.

Davis’ parents moved to the area from Pennsylvania after her father, a veteran, was hired at the Ravenna Arsenal (now known as the Camp James A. Garfield Joint Military Training Center). They lived in a duplex in “the projects,” now known as the East River Gardens.

“The homes in the projects were available to military families. My grandparents lived in the other half of our duplex,” said Davis.

Her parents and grandparents also collected newspapers and newspaper articles.

Davis lived in the family home until she moved to the Shepard House on South Canal Street.

After 30 years at Packard Electric, she retired and spent the next 16 years caring for her older brother, Robert “Buckskin” Davis, who has MS.

Robert is a Vietnam veteran. Her father, Russell D. Davis, was a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient. Davis’ “Veterans Corner” of the History Room is dedicated to remembering not only her father and brother, but also other veterans, including 25 veterans from her 1968 Newton Falls High School graduation class, four of whom were killed in Vietnam.

The corner includes many items, including letters from her father during the war, dog tags, medals, a Red Cross sewing kit, pictures, coins from Germany, an Army-issued bible and a POW bracelet.

Newton Falls Heralds are meticulously organized from as early as 1978, 60 Newton Falls High School yearbooks, from 1940 on, a table containing newspapers covering the devastation caused by the 1985 tornado, and copies of The Bridge newspaper fill much of one side of the room.

A blanket made from T-shirts depicting Newton Falls businesses and organizations covers part of the room’s back wall. Some of the business and organization names include Big D’s, Phillips Heating, Ianazone’s Pizza, Nemet Electric, Ken’s Auto Service, Newton Lanes, Hometown Hot Dogs, Bailey Furniture Company, AMVETS Post 112, Rollin’ Smokes, Mi Amigo, Sam’s Pizza, Princeton Construction and Mimi’s.

A bookcase of three-ring binders containing carefully organized news clippings in plastic folders cover topics such as the Bicentennial, Clubs, Churches, the Chamber of Commerce, Anniversaries, Weddings, Famous People, The Dam, Pizza Shops, New Years Babies, Scouts and Campfire, City Officials, Politics, Newton Falls Businesspeople, Sports, the Library, and the Piper Rock Festival.

A shelf contains books written by Newton Falls residents, including a book by Marty Douce and a book by Lindsay Evanoff. Another shelf contains Newton Falls area cookbooks. Several notebooks contain school information. A showcase is dedicated to the Newton Falls Covered Bridge, and posters from the past advertising the Newton Falls Lions Club Festival.

Business-related materials are part of the collection and include pens, key rings, bar drink tokens, S&H Green Stamps, with posters on the wall from past businesses such as Carlo’s, Manos, Melvin Shoes, and The Arlington Snack Bar. Bowling at Andrews Recreation on Warren Road was only 30 cents a game in 1959. Hundreds of area business cards fill a display board. Key chains depicting the names of states, schools, animals, birds and other topics are sorted and in small drawers.

The collection includes toys and books popular in the 1950s and 1960s, including marbles, pop beads, caps from cap guns, Tinkertoys, Golden Books, and Jack and Jill magazines.

Packard Electric memorabilia, including union papers, pay stubs, cups, pens, and keychains, is showcased. Davis’ blood donation pins, showing 95 donations totaling 11 gallons and seven pints, are also showcased.

Davis’ History Room serves as a time capsule, telling many stories from the past, all unlocked through well-preserved documents and artifacts.

“I am a few months short of 75. I love news and I love Newton Falls and have no desire to leave it. I love to show my collection and talk about it with other people who know the history. I learn a lot that way. There is a lot I don’t know,” Davis said.