The Matchcover Storyteller

I came across this lovely old Diamond matchcover while sorting and “old” evokes a need to explore a story.  As for the cover itself, I wonder if the image on the reverse is a stock image and how many more there are;   But onto the McKinley Candy Store (and these two different covers):

It was opened on Market Street in downtown Canton, Ohio in 1904 by Greek immigrant brothers Harry (1886-1961) and Gust Niarachos (dates unknown).   The store was near the old St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church (which was later moved 4 miles north in 1958).   The brother later separated, each running his own candy store;  Harry’s astayed downton;  I believe it was Gust who then had the McKinley Confectionery Co. at Walnut and Tuscarawas, further east in Canton.

Harry’s McKinley Candy store later became The Candy Bowl after he sold it (for which I have no date).   The last information I have on the two stores as owned by the brothers is from 1955; there’s not much after that, and of course, both these covers appear to go back to the 1930s.

There’s another element to this, and that’s the fact that U.S. President William McKinley was from Canton.  The brothers and their McKinley candy outlets had no affiliation with the president, nor he with them, but they traded on the name quite freely in their advertising.  But then, a lot of things in Canton were named for William McKinley!