Kinsman residents worried about the possibility of rain ruining their parade Saturday cheered up after the sun peeked from behind the clouds.

Kinsman Township's bicentennial celebration kicked off with a parade of locals. Fire trucks, floats, bands, community organizations and horses lined up on Kinsman-Nickerson Road and surrounding streets before marching around the town's square.

Sally and Eldridge Marshall of Kinsman sat in lawn chairs at the edge of the road in the square with their two grandchildren, 3-year-old Shania Marshall and 1-year-old Colton.

The two children beamed as they held onto balloons and a grocery bag full of parade candy.

"(Paraders) were so considerate. Instead of throwing the candy in the road, they handed it to the children," Mrs. Marshall said. "And the fire engines didn't blare their horns, which scares the kids," she added.

She said Colton was supposed to be in the parade with other pre-schoolers, but he didn't want to go. However, he did enjoy watching parade, she said.

"The floats were beautiful. They had horses, tractors, old cars and red white and blue balloons. It was so pretty," she said.

Kinsman police estimated about 2,000 residents and out-of-towners came out for the celebration, sponsored by the Kinsman Historical Society.

Following the parade, Kinsman Park was chock full of face painting, vendors, games and other activities. A quilt show in the Badger High School gym, tours of the Octagon House on Main Street and music and skits in the high school auditorium were other highlights of the day.

Garnet Pohl, 73, said as a
68-year Kinsman resident, she was pleased with the celebration and the people.

"I was enthused with everything. Kinsman doesn't usually get that big a turn-out. It was very nice and everyone was well represented -- the churches, library, funeral homes ...," she said.

Kinsman was founded in 1799 when John Kinsman and his brother-in-law, Simon Perkins, came from Connecticut to survey and sell land designated the Connecticut Western Reserve.

Kinsman purchased the 16,664 acres that would later be named for him and sold parcels for $1 to $2 dollars an acre. The first settlers came in 1802 from Connecticut.