The Official Akron Bicentennial Magazine

Contributing to a more sustainable future – that’s what really matters.

We started with tires in Akron, Ohio in 1900 through the Firestone brand. Today, we’re doing so much more in Akron and beyond. Bridgestone continues to evolve into a sustainable solutions company that is relentlessly seeking ways to improve the journey for a world in motion. We are committed to getting you down the road, and to getting future generations down one, too.

HARWICK STANDARD PROUDLY CELEBRATES AKRON’S BICENTENNIAL

Harwick Standard has been part of Akron’s growth and prosperity for over 90 years. We are proud to share our history with this community. Happy 200th Birthday, Akron, Ohio!

The premier supplier in the Rubber, Plastic and Adhesive Markets.

HISTORY SHARING A OF innovation

From Akron’s rubber industry boom to UA’s global leadership in science, The University of Akron’s partnership with the City of Akron has always created meaningful change.

Together, we’ve driven job creation, sparked groundbreaking research and transformed technology to make the world a better place.

The story of Akron is one of trailblazers working together for generations.

And it’s a tremendous opportunity to celebrate this journey.

We’re proud to honor Akron’s bicentennial and our shared legacy of innovation and collaboration.

A

kron: A Rich History, a Phenomenal Future

Hello Akron,

We’re excited to celebrate the city’s 200th anniversary with you all year long! The City of Akron is proud to be a vibrant, diverse, welcoming community full of hardworking and industrious people. The word “Akron” means “high” or “summit” in Greek, and that’s a name we live up to as the highest point on the Ohio & Erie Canal and also as a city of invention and innovation on the precipice of big things!

Akron was founded by Simon Perkins and Paul Williams in 1825 and had its beginnings as a canal town. As the popularity of cars grew and Akron became the headquarters to many of the major rubber suppliers, Akron earned our moniker as the “Rubber Capital of the World.” These days we’ve become so much more than that! From healthcare to education, biomedical research to manufacturing, polymers to entertainment and beyond, Akron is a city full of potential and the energy to meet it. Akron has been home to many notable events and people. We’re proud to be the

birthplace of LeBron James, the former home to abolitionist John Brown, the site of Sojourner Truth’s famous speech, and the founding place of Alcoholics Anonymous, just to name a few. And it’s not uncommon to see the famous Goodyear Blimp still flying overhead when you look to the Akron skies. As we look back on the last 200 years of our history, we are also keenly focused on the next 200 years and what Akron will look like in 2225. In the now of 2025, we are a city poised for growth. We’ve redeveloped our downtown corridor, bet big on becoming the future of the polymer industry, and invested in our residents and our neighborhoods with programming and infrastructure. We are the City on a Hill and still climbing.

If the last 200 years can tell us anything, it’s that Akron can be anything we set our minds to. Happy 200th Akron!

Mayor Shammas Malik

Photo by Bruce Ford

As Akron celebrates its 200th anniversary, we proudly congratulate the city on its rich legacy. As Akron’s local PBS station, PBS Western Reserve is honored to be part of that history, offering free access to high-quality national programming and locally focused stories that reflect the spirit of our community.

Honoring the Past, Committed to the Future

Since 1975, PBS Western Reserve’s channel WEAO, licensed to the City of Akron, has proudly served this community. From local productions including NewsNight Akron, Studio C Sessions, City Centric and Around Akron with Blue Green to historical documentaries such as An Answer from Akron and Akron Women: Another Look at History, we’ve been telling Akron’s stories, highlighting its people and providing educational resources for 50 years. Our ability to continue serving Akron and beyond — fostering partnerships and creating programs that educate, inspire and illuminate — is made possible by the generous support of viewers like you. Thank you!

Support your local station at PBSWesternReserve.org/give.

Happy Bicentennial, Akron!

From your 1825 founding and the early addition of the Ohio & Erie Canal, Akron has a long history of innovation. The giants of the rubber industry that flocked to Akron earned the city’s “Rubber Capital of the World” nickname, and it’s still a thrill to see the Goodyear Blimp up in the air today!

Moving forward, polymers continue to play an important role in the state’s new Greater Akron Polymer Innovation Hub—led by a collective effort of more than 70 partner organizations—that will accelerate impactful innovations in healthcare, mobility, electronics, semiconductors, industrial materials and energy. That means economic growth for decades to come.

Akron also has strength in education, healthcare and biomedical research, among many other industries, and provides unique entertainment with the Akron Art Museum, All-American Soap Box Derby, Akron RubberDucks and Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens.

The next chapter in Akron is unfolding, and I’m confident that Akron will continue to innovate and impress for years to come.

Very respectfully yours,

Mike DeWine Ohio Governor

Akron: Always Evolving Congratulations, Akron

Ilene Shapiro, Summit County Executive

In the past two hundred years we have seen the City of Akron grow, evolve, and reinvent itself.

From a small but mighty village growing around a grist mill, to the booming rubber tire industry, to the new and exciting Sustainable Polymer Cluster, Akron is no stranger to the seasons of change. Turning adversity into opportunity time and time again, the residents and businesses of this city have quite literally changed the world and set a high standard for what it means to be an Akronite.

This rich history continues to guide us as we navigate the present and chart a course for an even more vibrant future. Over the next year, we are looking forward to celebrating the city and its history. And in a city where everything is earned, we have a lot to celebrate.

Emilia

Sykes,

U.S. Congresswoman

As your Congresswoman for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District and a proud Akronite, it is my honor to congratulate Akron on its Bicentennial. I was born and raised on the west side of Akron, so I know firsthand that you won’t find a more hardworking, dedicated and generous group of people. As is true with countless Akronites over the last 200 years, this city has a prominent place in my story and has inspired me to dedicate my career to its people. When the opportunity to represent this community at the Statehouse presented itself, I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility to serve my community—the place and the people who raised my sister and me—and take their voices to the People’s House in Ohio and then on to Congress. Congratulations again to Akron and everyone who makes this community great on this monumental milestone. I cannot wait to see what you accomplish in the years to come.

Governor Mike DeWine

Photo by Vivien McClain

history is AKRON’S HISTORY

One hundred years ago during Akron’s centennial celebration, the young Akron Metropolitan Park District, then just four years old, received its first land donation from local farmer Joseph Courtney. The parcel of land, located at what is now the corner of North Portage Path and Merriman Road, was marked with a boulder that can still be visited today.

In the one hundred years that followed, the park district, now known as Summit Metro Parks, became intertwined with the city of Akron, opening several parks that highlight the hills, valleys, waterways and forests in and around the city. Summit Metro Parks is proud to join Akron in celebration of its bicentennial and wishes the community enduring connections with nature for generations to come.

Our Shared History »

1921: PARK DISTRICT FOUNDED

Under the leadership of Goodyear Tire & Rubber founder F.A. Seiberling, the Akron Metropolitan Park District was established.

1929: SAND RUN METRO PARK ESTABLISHED

Comprised of 700 acres when it first opened, Sand Run Metro Park is the oldest and most visited park in the park district.

1930: GOODYEAR HEIGHTS METRO PARK and GORGE METRO PARK ESTABLISHED

Swiftly growing, the park district opened three new parks this year, including these two with land in Akron.

1941: FIRESTONE METRO PARK ESTABLISHED

With several Metro Parks open in central and northern Summit County, Firestone Metro Park realized the park district’s goal of opening a park in the growing area of south Akron.

1966: F.A. SEIBERLING NATURE REALM and HAMPTON HILLS METRO PARK ESTABLISHED

Another busy year, the park district opened three more parks, including these two with land in Akron. F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm also included the opening of the park district’s first nature center.

1981: CASCADE VALLEY METRO PARK ESTABLISHED

This park is home to several Akron icons, including the Signal Tree and a scenic overlook high above the Cuyahoga River.

2013: FREEDOM TRAIL ESTABLISHED

Named for the Freedom Secondary Rail line of the Erie-Lackawana Railroad, this multipurpose trail bridges the east-west gap between Portage County and downtown Akron.

2021: SUMMIT LAKE NATURE CENTER OPENS

Located south of downtown Akron, this nature center opened during the park district’s own centennial celebration, once again tying Akron’s history to Summit Metro Parks.

Cheers to Akron, Always Inventing

The Akron of today was the home of indigenous tribes of American Indians for thousands of years, well before the arrival of the first Europeans. In 1798, Simon Perkins came to the Western Reserve of Connecticut, a 27-year-old land agent employed by the Erie Land Company, which was a group of investors that included Moses Cleaveland, who would build a town on the banks of the Cuyahoga River at Lake Erie.

During the War of 1812, Simon Perkins, a brigadiergeneral, led 400 men in the Ohio militia in the defense of Ohio against the British.

In the summer of 1825, Simon Perkins asked Connecticut surveyor Joshua Henshaw to create a plat map of a new village that would rise from his lands that sat astride one of North America’s great watershed divides. Like educated men of his day, Perkins studied the classics, and when naming his new town, selected the Greek word “ákros,” signifying a summit or high point.

Henshaw’s map was part of a deed from another property owner, Paul Williams, who farmed the high ground on today’s Broadway, above downtown Akron. The partnership formed by Williams and Perkins was the start of the new town of Akron in Portage County.

On November 28, 1825, the two men appeared at the courthouse in Ravenna, the county seat, to sign and seal the deed. The plat map was recorded on December 6, 1825, bringing the town of Akron into existence.

Akron’s founders remade the land into something they understood—a town not unlike those they knew in New England. They were fueled by the possibilities of new opportunities and the hope of prosperity. As industrialization dominated this American “heartland,” Akron would re-invent itself every few decades, a process that continues today in a city defined by three words: INVENTIVE, INDUSTRIOUS, INSPIRED.

Akron 200: Celebrate, Connect, Discover

The Bicentennial is a call to Akronites, both near and far, to come together as we honor the legacies of our past and look forward to the opportunities of the future. Our mission is to engage every neighborhood, community and sector of our city in a yearlong intergenerational celebration of Akron’s 200th anniversary, one like none other.

With events to be held in all 24 Akron neighborhoods, our efforts will touch every corner of the city, as we highlight the diverse contributions of the generations who have shaped it and the city that has shaped us.

Throughout 2025, you’ll find something for everyone— from history hikes, a concert series, theatrical productions, sports tournaments, children’s events and community conversations, to our Bicentennial Parade, Homecoming Celebration, a neighborhood bike tour, a Soap Box Derby Race and a yearlong wellness challenge in partnership with the Akron Marathon.

Several key initiatives will highlight the Bicentennial year, including the grand opening of the Akron History Center, the publication of a new Akron History Anthology by The University of Akron Press and a new Akron history curriculum developed in partnership with Akron Public Schools that will bring the study of our city’s history back into the classroom. The Bicentennial Beautification Initiative will enhance the look and feel of our cityscape, with neighborhood plantings, community cleanups and public art. Our historic marker program will implement pedestrian level signage to recognize impactful people, places and events from the past, while our Forgotten History Forum Series will examine a variety of interesting topics and seminal points of our history, including some which still challenge us today.

As we mark the passing of Akron’s 200th year, let us take this time to remember those who came before us, whose impact still resound across two centuries and whose legacies encourage us to continue writing the next chapters of our remarkable tale.

David Lieberth President, Akron History Center; Executive Secretary, Bicentennial Commission

Mark Greer Executive Director, Akron 200

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Tll Hail Akron, City at the Summit

wo centuries look good on you. How do we begin to celebrate such a long-lived land of entrepreneurs, inventors, rockers and rebels?

From white walls to Black Keys, dirigibles to devil strips—so much has gone into the shaping of you since the day in 1825 when you arrived as simple coordinates on a plat map.

Graced with natural beauty and resources, molded by ambition and hard work, and sustained by care and vision, you’re looking better than ever.

The story of Akron—the story of us—is rich, messy, astonishing. Hewn from the American wilderness, the city has been shaped and reshaped by the currents of time and human ambition. It’s not one story; it’s many. From its days as a crossroads for traveling Indigenous tribes to its current incarnation as buster of Rust Belt mythology, Akron has evolved time and again.

A century ago, Akron was the fastest growing city in the nation—overflowing with people, dusted with soot and seemingly stretched beyond its capacity. Fifty years ago, the exodus of rubber had begun, leaving its emotional and literal detritus. Since then, the city has thrown off the distressed mantle and built something entirely new from the gleanings of these bewildering, breathtaking two hundred years.

So, what have Akron and its people given the world?

1. The Goodyear Blimp!

2. Tires!

3. LeBron!

Of course, that’s true. But the Akron story started well before blimps, belts and basketball stars.

A lot happens in 200 years—exploits, extravaganzas, scandals, transformations. So, we’re celebrating AKRON’s 200th birthday by marking 200 (at least) milestones, achievements, innovations and people who’ve defined and propelled it to this big day.

We celebrate 200 years of history, innovation, diversity, resilience and civic pride as we look ahead to an irresistibly exciting future.

Can’t wait to see what happens next, Akron!

Blimp. Courtesy of U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command LeBron James. Courtesy of LeBron James Family Foundation Pride Day. Photo by Tim Fitzwater Little Cuyahoga. Photo by Bruce Ford Diwali Celebration. Courtesy of AkronStock. Photo by Suzie Graham. Kids creating bubbles. Photo by Mac Love

1938 Ford with Goodyear whitewall tires. Courtesy of ROGALI

Our Indigenous Roots

Portage Path got its name because it follows the general route nomadic Indigenous people portaged between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas rivers. The path once served as the western boundary for European settlement of the United States.

You can see monuments honoring Akron’s Indigenous people at the northern and southern termini of Portage Path. The sculptures were designed by Peter Jones, a member of the Onondaga and Seneca tribes. In addition, 50 bronze points line the route as surveyed in the late 20th century.

Akron’s totem is the Signal Tree, a 350-year-old burr oak reputedly used by Native Americans as a guide while portaging between the Tuscarawas and Cuyahoga rivers. You can see it at Cascade Valley Metro Park.

“Cuyahoga” is an anglicized spelling of the Mohawk word meaning crooked river.

Akron has declared the first Monday in October as North American First People’s Day to honor Indigenous history, life and culture.

In 2021, historian David Lieberth signed a land acknowledgement with the support of the Portage Path Collaborative, a group dedicated to historic preservation of Akron’s Indigenous history. The group holds an annual walk of Portage Path in partnership with the Lippman School, Jewish Akron, Northern Cheyenne, the Summit County Historical Society, Summit Metro Parks, University of Akron

Cummings Center Institute for Human Science and Culture, Akron-Summit County Public Library, the Akron Art Museum, the Akron History Center and others.

In 2024, The University of Akron also signed a land acknowledgement, a statement of respect for Indigenous lands and a recognition of colonial occupation of those lands.

The Connecticut Western Reserve . . . Everywhere You Look Do you ever wonder why so many things around Akron have Western Reserve in their names? Western Reserve Hospital, Western Reserve Academy, Western Reserve Distillery.

You get the idea.

Well, The Western Reserve was granted to Connecticut by King Charles II

Photos by Bruce Ford unless noted

Photo by Anthony Boarman

Maj. Miner Spicer

A few big names in Akron’s early history . . . all buried in the Akron Rural Cemetery, known today as Glendale Cemetery, one of Akron’s first graveyards

A veteran of the War of 1812, Spicer was an early settler in the area known today as “Spicertown.”

Gen. Simon Perkins

Originally from Connecticut, he finagled the Ohio & Erie Canal through his property in part by convincing fellow settler Paul Williams to donate land to the deal. Perkins named his new city Akron, derived from a Greek word “akros” meaning high place.

Dr. Eliakim Crosby

A physician and veteran of the War of 1812, he settled in Middlebury, a lively town that pre-dates Akron. Akron’s oldest neighborhood, it was located just west of Akron. He built the Cascade Mill Race that allowed industry in Akron to flourish. Parallel to the Canal, the race turned the water wheels of the Cascade Mills along with other mills.

Seth Iredell

A Quaker shopkeeper, was named Akron’s first mayor in 1836 and took his oath in Henry Clark’s Tavern. The Evans Building now stands on the site.

Henry Pickett

One of the first African American business owners in the city. He operated Excelsior White Washing on North Howard St. A plasterer by trade, he invented a patented scaffolding that he displayed at the World’s Fair in New Orleans in 1884. (No image available)

Ferdinand Schumacher

The Oatmeal King of Akron introduced America to rolled oats for breakfast. He opened the German Mills American Cereal Co. in 1856, which eventually became Quaker Oats Cereal Co. The 36 grain silos still stand on Broadway and are now owned and used by The University of Akron.

of England (a guy with funky hair and 12 illegitimate children, just FYI). The colony relinquished some land to the United States in 1786 but kept a portion south of Lake Erie. It sold this land to the Connecticut Land company who in turn sold it to settlers.

If you want to check out life in this wilderness, visit Hale Farm and Village in Bath Township. The homestead of

Jonathan Hale, who came to the area from Connecticut in 1810, is now an interpretative museum. Hale built his Federal-style home with bricks from the clay found in the nearby Cuyahoga River and local lime burned for mortar. It remained in the family until 1953 when it was given to the . . . yep . . . Western Reserve Historical Society

Col. Simon Perkins

Not to be confused with his father the general, he was the state senator that helped form Summit County and who influenced the community to select Akron as the county seat. He had his stone house built on South Portage Path overlooking his father’s town. It is one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in Ohio and is now known as the Perkins Stone Mansion, a historical museum that serves as the headquarters of the Summit County Historical Society.

Grace Tod Perkins

She married Col. Simon Perkins in 1832. With her sisters Mary Evans and Julia Ford, she was influential in establishing and beautifying the Akron Rural Cemetery, now called Glendale Cemetery. She remained an Akron philanthropist until her death in 1867.

Richard Howe

The engineer in charge of building the Ohio & Erie Canal. Howe’s restored 1836 highstyle Federal house on West Exchange Street is home to the nonprofit Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition.

Photo courtesy of Hale Farm and Village

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anal Days: The OG AK-Rowdy

Past Akron was officially founded in 1825 when Gen. Simon Perkins managed to route the Ohio & Erie Canal through his and Paul Williams’ land, but that’s not the full story.

The concrete donut in front of Akron’s Fire Station 2 on East Exchange is actually a millstone, a tip of the hat to Middlebury, a village that pre-dated Akron. The town was merged with Akron in 1872 and became the city’s sixth ward. Irish immigrants flooded into Ohio to dig the Ohio & Erie Canal for three meals a day, $5 a month and some whiskey. They shoveled thick mud, blasted rock with gunpowder and cleared timber by hand.

A disease called “Black Tongue Fever” (malaria or typhus) in 1827 nearly wiped out the young city. Canal workers complained that the fumes from rotting vegetation made them sick with fever and the telltale sign of a furry, black tongue.

Many canal workers died and were

buried in unmarked graves along the towpath—just in case you want to give them a nod next time you pass.

Going through Akron’s locks took hours, so taverns opened to quench the thirst of travelers and canal boat workers. Much other drinking was done in tents and shanties afterhours, which led to frequent, legendary brawls.

Business on the canal had been fading as railroads began providing faster transportation, but the Flood of 1913 provided the canal’s death knell.

Present

But wait! There’s a renaissance story here. The canal is still shaping life in the city, adding sparkle to our downtown and neighborhoods.

Today, the restored Towpath Trail that runs through downtown Akron and the Cuyahoga Valley provides 101 miles of recreational space for hikers, bikers and riders. Nearly three million people visit it each year.

Located on the northern end of

downtown, the Civic Gateway is comprised of a variety of recreational and social amenities along the canal, including the Akron Civic Theatre and parks at Locks 2, 3 and 4.

Lock 3, Akron’s Central Park, just underwent a $17 million makeover. It includes shaded seating, landscaped gardens, artwork, skating areas, and the Maynard Performance Pavilion

Photo by Bruce Ford

Courtesy of Kenmore Construction

It holds free concerts and events all year.

The rushing water of the Ohio & Erie Canal creates multiple waterfalls through Lock 4 that, along with the historic brick facades of some of the oldest buildings in the city, give the space a distinctly urban, chill vibe and a great place to enjoy jazz in Akron.

Canal Park in the heart of downtown Akron is home to the RubberDucks, the AA minor team of the Cleveland Guardians. The canal runs behind left field. The team’s duck mascot, Webster, isn’t rubber; he’s furry. But that’s OK with us and the thousands of kids who hug him each season. Webster is joined by his sister, Rubberta; Orbit the space cat; and Homer the pigeon.

The US Congress designated the canalway as a National Heritage Area

to help preserve and celebrate the rails, trails, landscapes and towns that helped grow a nation. The Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition is a nonprofit that promotes its preservation and use. Formed in 1989, the coalition has developed and supported connector trails and adjacent public spaces in Summit, Stark and Tuscarawas counties. Its efforts have led to the revitalization and repurposing of the 200-year-old canal towpath to create a healthy ecosystem rich in history, culture and recreation.

Summit Lake, which was the high point of the canal, was the site of an amusement park from the 1880s to 1950s. It then became a toxic dump. But the site is in the midst of a multimilliondollar imagining with Akron Civic Commons. It is now a vibrant recreation and nature center in the heart of a historic African American community.

Beginning in 1847, canal workers and travelers frequented the Mustill Store located on the canal at Lock 15. About 50-75 boats passed by it each day. The restored store and neighboring Greek Revival-style Mustill House are open to visitors at the Cascade Parks Locks Association

Random Akron References in Pop Culture

• In the 2000 movie Best in Show, Cookie (Catherine O’Hara) gets her husband (Eugene Levy) to drive to Akron so she can see her old flame, who is now chief hostage negotiator for the city.

• In the ‘90s cartoon the Pickle family moved from Akron to California. (Akron native Mark Mothersbaugh wrote the

• Dunder Mifflin from Office

Akron, the town they claim is haunted.

• The fictional staff on NBC’s Parks and Recreation tests out a slogan: “Pawnee—the Akron of Southwest Indiana.”

• In a 1966 episode of Bewitched , Samantha and Darrin (Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York), travel to Akron to encourage a young boy who’s racing in the All-American Soap Box Derby.

Photo by Bruce Ford

First Night fireworks at Lock 3. Courtesy of AkronStock. Photo by Shane Wynn.

Caring for the Past, Present and Future of

Dear Akron,

As Akron celebrates 200 remarkable years, we at Akron General — now proudly part of the Cleveland Clinic family — want to take a moment to reflect on the journey we’ve shared together.

From our humble beginnings in 1914 as the People’s Hospital, established to care for the hardworking people who fueled the growth of Akron, we’ve been privileged to witness and contribute to the incredible evolution of this city. Just as you’ve transformed from a bustling industrial hub into a vibrant community known for its innovation, culture and resilience, Akron General has grown alongside you, always striving to meet the healthcare needs of our friends and neighbors.

For over a century, we’ve had the honor of caring for the community through every stage of life. We’ve welcomed new generations into the world, provided comfort and healing during times of illness and advanced medical care to ensure that your future is as bright as your past. Through wars, economic shifts, pandemics and technological revolutions, our commitment to the health of this community has always remained steadfast.

We are deeply proud to call Akron our home. This city’s spirit of perseverance and resilience inspires us daily as we continue to expand our services, embrace new technologies and pioneer the latest treatments in medical care. Your support has been invaluable, and in return, we pledge to continue our mission of providing compassionate, world class care to every member of this community.

As Akron steps into its third century, we look forward to the new opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Together, we will continue to grow, innovate and care for one another, ensuring that the next 200 years are filled with health, happiness and prosperity for all.

Thank you, Akron, for your trust, your partnership and your unwavering spirit. Here’s to another century of shared success.

For every care in the world,

Brian Harte, MD

Rstatue of the 6-foot Truth by Akron’s Woodrow Nash. In the speech, Truth argued for women’s as well as Black rights, saying she’d proved herself as strong and smart as any man.

July 12, 1854—Abolitionist

Akron, like America, has had a complicated history when it comes to race. But the city served as the backdrop for some significant events in the struggle for the rights of Blacks in a young America.

May 29, 1851 — Akron’s latest landmark honors famed former enslaved woman, abolitionist and suffragist Sojourner Truth, who gave one of her best-known speeches in the city. The Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza on North High Street, which opened on the 173rd anniversary of her most famous speech, “Ain’t I A Woman?” It features a life-sized

DMuring the late 19th Century, Akron grew steadily, amassing the trappings—and difficulties—of a dynamic city.

aising the Resistance: Akron and Abolition

Frederick Douglass visited Akron when he came to the area to deliver the commencement address at Western Reserve College in Hudson. He also visited John Brown at his rented home on the Col. Simon Perkins farm. One of Douglass’ most recognized images was taken in Akron by a local photographer.

In the 1840s, John Brown lived in Akron minding sheep and selling wool in partnership with Col. Perkins. During his sales trips, Brown hid fleeing slaves in his wagon to bring them to a conductor of the Underground Railroad. In October of 1859, he led an uprising at a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, VA, (now WV), in which people were killed. He was the first person in the nation to be hanged for treason. On Dec. 2, 1859, the day of

his execution, Akron mourned for him. Flags were flown at half-mast; bells tolled; courts adjourned; and stores and businesses closed out of respect. Akron’s German American Alliance erected a monument to him in 1910 in Perkins Woods. An African American organization called the 25 Year Club made additions there in 1938. The John Brown House, across from the Perkins Stone Mansion, is now open to the public

James Worthington fled slavery in Kentucky and settled in Akron in the early 1840s where he became a successful businessman. But the US Congress had approved the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, which decreed that all captured runaway slaves be returned to their owners. When slave hunters found Worthington, powerful Akron residents banded together to prevent his arrest. Judge Alvin C. Voris hid Worthington for nearly a month in his attic while he found an Underground Railroad conductor to take Worthington to freedom in Canada.

ills, Machines, Marbles and Money: Akron Hums Along

Railroads arrived in Akron in the summer of 1852 when swarms of volunteers aided tired construction workers from the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad Co. to drive the last spike to anchor the tracks into town. The first locomotive chugged into Akron in the wee hours of a Sunday morning with its whistle blowing. Church bells tolled, and hundreds of people spilled into the streets despite the early hour and prohibitions on Sabbath activities. The track eventually extended south of Millersburg.

(continued from page 20)

Over the next 50 years, various railroad organizations bought and sold the line and changed the name.

Railroads proved to be cheaper, faster and more dependable than the canal since they were not subject to freezing and flooding, which caused lengthy delays.

But there was plenty of commerce to go around in the Akron of the late 19th century, when its main industries were milling, farm equipment and—thanks to deposits of clay found under Middlebury— clay tiles, sewer pipes and marbles.

Clay

When settlers arrived on the Western Reserve, they needed simple crockery to stock their cabins and homes. When a large deposit of high-quality clay was found in Middlebury, companies sprang up in and around Akron to make the dishes and utensils to fill that need. But as Ohio cities grew, so did the need for citywide sanitation. This demand spawned the large-scale production of clay sewer pipe. The Akron Sewer Pipe Co. became the largest provider of glazed, vitrified (fired) clay pipe in the country by the late 19th century.

Grains

In 1884, Akron businessman Samuel C. Dyke saw room for fun in the city’s ample clay deposits. Dyke had marbles on his mind when he built what is considered to be among the first automated toy factories. Marbles had been expensive to produce to that point because they were made by hand. But Dyke’s creations were machined out of clay at his factory where Lock 3 Park now stands. His Akron Toy Co. drove down the price of marbles, allowing kids to buy them with their own money. In 1891, Dyke founded the American Marble & Toy Manufacturing Co. , the largest toy works in the country. The marbles were produced by the millions and were hauled out of the city in rail cars. Sadly, the company burned to the ground in 1904, and the last remaining marble company, the Akro Agate Co. , shut down in 1951.

The same hilly landscape that created hurdles for the canal builders provided waterpower for industry. The steep descent from the Little Cuyahoga River in Middlebury to the canal at Cascade Locks (home to the Mustill Store) was a perfect path for Dr. Eliakim Crosby’s mill race, built in 1832. A mill race is basically a channel carrying water downhill. After turning Crosby’s millstones in Middlebury, the water descended parallel to the canal, giving rise to more than a dozen industries, including several grist mills.

One of those was Ferdinand Schumacher ’s first milling operations, Cascade Mills.

During the Civil War, Akron was instrumental in helping feed Union army troops. Demand for oats skyrocketed during the war as a cheap and convenient alternative to more expensive high calorie foods

Schumacher’s oatmeal company eventually merged with several other large milling companies to create the Quaker Oats company in 1901. It continued to have a presence in Akron until 1970.

Farm Equipment

The Civil War diminished agriculture’s labor supply as farm workers were quicky turned into soldiers. Savvy

inventors of the day saw an opportunity in this. The C. Aultman & Co. of Canton opened the Buckeye Mower & Reaper factory in Akron in 1863. The Buckeye reaper and mower was invented by Akron’s Lewis Miller, who amassed an impressive 92 patents in his life. The company’s first president was John R. Buchtel , who helped found Buchtel College (later The University of Akron) in 1870. In 1865, farmer and inventor John F. Seiberling began production of mowers and reapers for making straw and hay in downtown Akron. By 1890, Seiberling’s company, the Empire Mower and Reaper Works, was one of the world’s largest manufacturers of harvesting machines.

Random Rubber City Fact:

Lewis Miller’s daughter, Mina, married fellow Ohio inventor Thomas Alva Edison in 1886 in a house that still stands on Dawes Avenue.

The daily life of these earliest industrialists can be glimpsed today at Akron’s Hower House Museum, a 28-room mansion in the Second Empire Italianate style that John Hower built in 1871. The restored mansion, open to the public, is filled with hundreds of treasures and furnishings the Hower family collected from around the world. The house was occupied by the Hower family for a century before it was deeded to The University of Akron in 1970. In 1973, Hower House was placed on the National Register for Historic Places.

Mustill Store.

Courtesy of Cascade Locks Park Association

Random Rubber City Fact: The Hower family is still giving to Akron. In 2017, Jean Hower Taber’s estate left more than $20 million to The University of Akron to support student scholarships and the Hower House museum. The late James Hamilton Hower, great-grandson of John Hower, bequeathed $1.1 million to the Akron Community Foundation in 2023 and $6.6 million to Akron Children’s Hospital to advance pediatric health care in 2024.

Making Meaningful Connections

In Our Community by connecting children and adults with disabilities to the support they need to reach their full potential... one person at a time.

The Hower House , completed in 1871, was built by John Henry Hower. Courtesy of the Downtown Akron Partnership

P

ioneers of Public Education

By the middle of the 19th Century, there were almost 700 schoolage children in Akron, only half of whom attended school. In 1847, a committee created a revolutionary plan to make education free with a standard curriculum and grade levels. It was overseen by the newly formed Akron Board of Education and paid for by taxes which provided for the construction of new school buildings. The plan remains the model for the K-12 education system used across America.

Random Rubber City Fact: In 1840 on land donated by Gen. Perkins, the Old Stone School opened on Broadway where it still stands. It is the oldest public school building in Akron.

Today, the Akron Public Schools (APS) operates nine high schools, nine middle schools, 28 elementary schools and 57 preschools. Its 15 college and career academies, with their 54 pathways, expose students to potential careers and college majors beyond high school. APS—with the help of the United Way of Summit & Medina Counties—works closely with area companies such as Goodyear to make sure that their graduates have skills and competencies needed to fill high

demand, high-wage positions. Whether it’s in global marketing or pediatric medicine, APS students explore their interests and begin their journeys to a successful career.

Some famous APS students:

• James Ingram—Grammy-awarded singer and songwriter

• Judith Resnik NASA astronaut, and engineer

• Rita Dove Pulitzer Prize-winning poet

• John R. Buchtel—Industrialist and philanthropist

• Chrissie Hynde—Lead vocalist The Pretenders

• Rachel Sweet—singer and TV writer (Hot in Cleveland )

• Dan Auerbach & Pat Carney— The Black Keys

• Melina Kanakaredes—Actress

• John Lithgow—Actor

• Nate Thurmond—NBA player

• Gus Johnson—NBA player

• Michael Dokes—Heavyweight boxer

• Paul Tazewell—Academy Awardnominated costume designer

Random Rubber City Fact: Herbert R. Bracken broke the color barrier at the Akron Public Schools in 1940 when he was hired as the district’s first Black teacher.

Akron has a number of private and religious schools such as West Akron’s Our Lady of the Elms, which was founded in 1923 on the site of the former home of B.F. Goodrich executive Arthur Marks. The 1912 Italian Revival home of Marks served as the motherhouse for Dominican sisters but was sold to the all-girls school. Other private Akron schools include the coeducational Archbishop Hoban High School, founded in 1953 in east Akron, and the Lippman School, a K-8 school rooted in Jewish values.

Old Stone School. Courtesy of Downtown Akron Partnership

Rita Dove. Courtesy of the poet. Judith Resnik. Courtesy of NASA

Another Random Rubber City Fact: St. Sebastian Parish and K-8 School was formed due to Akron’s population boom in the early 20th century. St. Vincent’s had become too crowded, so the Catholic diocese ordered a new parish and school to serve West Hill. It opened in 1929.

In 1870, John R. Buchtel , president of Akron’s Buckeye Mower & Reaper, hit up his powerful Akron friends to get the money together to found a college with the Ohio Universalist Convention. Buchtel College, with an entering class of 46 students, has grown into The University of Akron (UA), a 15,000-student academic and research powerhouse with 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It became a state university in 1967.

UA’s College of Polymer Science and Polymer Education (now the College of Engineering and Polymer Science) was the first of its kind in the world when it was established in 1988. The polymer science and plastics engineering program ranks first in the nation.

It offers the only aerospace engineering bachelor’s degree outside of the US Air Force Academy.

UA is among the top 100 US universities granted patents, including ones for power-grid smart sensors and polymer coatings for coronary stents.

UA established the world’s first accredited emergency management and homeland security bachelor’s degree.

The College of Business is among the one percent of schools worldwide doubly accredited in business and accounting.

The Smithsonian-affiliated Drs.

Nicholas and Dorothy Cummings Center for the History of Psychology, the only such museum in the country, is at UA.

Graduates with UA bachelor’s degrees have greater median salaries than those from any other Northeast Ohio public institution.

John R. Buchtel, who helped form what would become UA, was also the first president of the board of The Akron Public Library, which opened in 1874 at the corner of Mill and South Howard streets. But it was really a woman, Mary Pauline Edgerton, whose interest in education fueled the library’s creation. She sought funding help of Akron City Council but received a lukewarm response. She persisted and earned funding from industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The library served a canal town of 10,000 and was piled high with gold-leafed stories of adventurers and kings.

A century later, in 1974, the Library became the Akron-Summit County Public Library, incorporating suburban branch libraries into its system. Today, the Main Library and its branches offer far more than books. Happy 150th!

Here are some of the things you can do at our city’s library:

• Make a podcast or video

• Take a computer course

• Create a family tree

• Borrow cake pans, maracas, artwork and much more

• Enjoy story times with kids

• Laminate, sew, and 3-D print

• Get free passes to area attractions

And of course, reading is always an option either with a real-life book or through the Libby app. John R. Buchtel would be proud.

Other unique education opportunities abound

Stark State College is Akron’s community college. With the opening of its Akron location, Stark State fulfilled a growing need to provide affordable, quality associate degrees and certificates that lead to careers in high-growth, sought-after fields.

Stark State’s presence in Akron is a testament to the power of community. With support from the City of Akron, County of Summit, State of Ohio and

Greater Akron Chamber, Stark State opened its Perkins Street location in 2018. The College continues to meet the educational and workforce needs of the community—from growing College Credit Plus partnerships with high schools to expanding programs for indemand careers.

Since its founding in 1973, NEOMED has grown from a single college under the leadership of several universities to become a state university with four colleges that have transformed the healthcare industry in Northeast Ohio and beyond. Each year, many graduates from the College of Medicine begin residencies at institutions such as Akron Children’s Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Akron General and Summa Health.

Innovative programs include:

• NEOMED Free Clinic, which provides free health care to uninsured and underinsured members of the community

• NEOMED Health Care, a community clinic providing a full range of primary care services including mental health counseling and treatment

• NEOvations Bench to Bedside, a program that helps students create medical devices and other technological advances to market.

• Bitonte College of Dentistry, the only public dental school in Northeast Ohio. The University is currently enrolling students for its inaugural class in 2025 to meet Ohio’s largest health need, oral care.

NEOMED also has joined with University Hospitals to support the joint aim of developing leaders and deploying workers to heal, teach, discover and care for underserved populations in Summit County and Northeast Ohio.

Photo courtesy of Stark State

Photo

Akron Summit County Public Library by Shane Wynn

R

ubber Rising: Akron Hits the Gas

By the end of the Civil War, the canal town had become a commercial powerhouse. Its population grew from 5,000 in 1865 to 13,000 five years later with its own college. Its central location to resources and markets may have been decisive in attracting the companies that in the 20th century made Akron the rubber capital of the world.

All about the Benjamins

In 1870, a New York doctor named Benjamin F. Goodrich randomly bumped into an old friend who extolled the virtues of Akron. He was intrigued. And then a group of Akron investors banded together to offer him $13,600 ($400K today) to locate his fledgling rubber business in the city.

Random Rubber City Fact: Goodrich was the first person in Akron to own a telephone, which was a gift from Alexander Graham Bell in 1877.

Others savvy businessmen noted

Goodrich’s success in Akron and followed him into the rubber business.

Brothers Frank and Charles Seiberling (F.A. and C.W.) opened The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. in 1898, named in honor of Charles Goodyear, the man who discovered vulcanization.

In 1900, Harvey S. Firestone opened the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. on South Main Street. He was friends with Henry Ford, and in 1906 they sealed their partnership when Ford chose Firestone tires for its models

General Tire & Rubber Co. was founded by William O’Neil and Winifred Fouse in 1915 with funds from Michael O’Neil, the owner of the popular downtown O’Neil’s Department Store It set up shop in East Akron.

Along with the tire giants, dozens of others opened in Akron, including Mohawk Rubber Co., the American Rubber Co. and Sun Rubber.

By 1920, factories were running

24 hours a day, and Akron was the fastest-growing city in the nation, as its population tripled to 208,000. In 1913, there were 22,000 rubber workers in Akron. By 1920 that number was 70,000. By 1930, two-thirds of all tires produced in the nation were made in Akron.

Akron: The Capital of West Virginia?

In rubber’s early boom days, executives found it hard to fill jobs. One self-made problem: no African Americans were hired as tire builders. Instead, they were given the most menial jobs. Even the company cafeterias were segregated until the 1960s. The rubber companies chose to recruit in the Upper South. They sent out recruiters to the hills and hollers of Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky. Once some came and settled, tens of thousands followed. There, they found just what they were looking for: a white, English-speaking population of workers accustomed to low wages.

Visit the Summit County Historical Society at the Perkins Stone Mansion, home to Akron and Summit County’s founding family. 200 years of rich history, culture, and community start here.

“All you had to do was hit town in those days and they grabbed you,” said Haskell Jones, a rubber worker from Kentucky. “Rubber factories was going full blast and they was hiring every one of us hillbillies that come into town. Thousands.”

Rubber workers, unhappy with meager pay, dangerous conditions and nonexistent benefits, began to organize. In 1935, the United Rubber Workers of America union held its founding convention at the Portage Hotel . (The URW merged with the United Steelworkers in 1995.)

The same year the URW was founded, Alcoholics Anonymous was born in Akron. New York stockbroker Bill Wilson, staying at the Mayflower Hotel on business, called a local church in a desperate attempt to stay sober. The church arranged a meeting with Akron’s Dr. Bob Smith, another struggling alcoholic. They met in the Gate Lodge of Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, hosted by Henrietta Seiberling , and began forming the tenets that would become the 12 Steps of AA. The Gate Lodge is open to the public. Dr. Bob’s home on

Ardmore Avenue is now a museum and national landmark.

On Jan. 29, 1936, a sit-down strike in the truck tire department of Firestone Plant One shut down the entire plant. A sit-down strike—during which workers literally sat at their stations blocking the machinery—was an innovative labor tactic at the time. Strikes soon broke out at Goodrich and Goodyear. These strikes were a turning point in the history of labor relations, setting a precedent for workers’ rights and paving the way for future labor reforms.

Tire lingo every Akronite should know

• Carbon black—The powdered pigment added to tires. The dust got everywhere—skin, hair, eyes.

• Gum-dipping—Coating plies in rubber for strength and flexibility. A Harvey Firestone thing.

• Gummers—The people who gumdipped

• Hot beds—Where rubber factory workers slept in shifts—8-hour-shifts, three in 24 hours.

• Vulcanization—Invented by Charles Goodyear in 1839. Rubber is heated with sulfur or other chemicals to increase its strength

• Sulfur dioxide—the chemical most responsible for the smell that hung over Akron for decades.

Random Rubber City Fact: In 1938, nearly 1,800 people donned outrageous rubber costumes and piled into the Mayflower Hotel downtown to celebrate rubber in all its glory at a “Rubber Ball.”

Courtesy of Summit County Historical Society

W

orld War II: “Whistling Death”

At the outbreak of war in 1941, Akron was the home of six rubber companies: Goodyear, Goodrich, Firestone, General, Mohawk in Akron and Seiberling (in Barberton). Akron was ready to aid the war effort.

With the natural rubber supply from Southeast Asia cut off due to war, a consortium of rubber companies and academic researchers in Akron and beyond united to produce synthetic rubber on a massive scale in a stunningly short time. They were led by Goodrich scientist Waldo Semon

Real-life Rosies rushed to the factories to replace the fighting men. Women at Goodyear could buy special uniforms at the company store with emblems reading, “Remember Pearl Harbor.”

Honor and Sacrifice: The deadliest days for Akron members of the military were Feb. 19, 1945, when 12 Akron servicemen were killed, and Nov. 25,

1944, when 11 Akron men lost their lives. Ten Akron-area men were killed on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), and another ten on Dec. 18, 1944. The bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, cost the lives of ten Summit County men.

Akron cranked out thousands of items for the military, including:

• Self-sealing fuel tanks, rubber boats, life vests and barrage balloons

• The 40mm Anti-Aircraft Bofors Gun, machine gun cartridges, gas tanks and high-explosive shells

• Specially equipped blimps to hunt German and Japanese subs

• M5 tank turrets, kegs for food transport, parachute rafts and tank tires

• Corsair fighter aircraft. The Japanese called it “Whistling Death” for the sound its iconic gull wings produced in a dive. Pilots called it the best air-to-air fighter in the Pacific theater.

Random Rubber City Fact: GOJO

Industries , maker of Purell, began in 1946 when Goldie Lippman noticed how hard it was for tire builders to get their hands clean after work. They’d been using toxic kerosene and benzene to remove the carbon black, but Goldie and her husband, Jerry Lippman, set out to create a healthier option. They succeeded, and the Akron company is still innovating today.

Photo courtesy of The National World War II Museum

Photo courtesy of Rubber News

A

kron Takes to the Skies

The Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) evolved against the backdrop of World War II when the nation was concerned about air defenses. Akron Municipal Airport had served the region well for two decades, but its location in a topographic bowl with limited space was difficult for large planes to navigate.

CAK’s beginnings laid an aviation foundation that contributes more than $300 million to the local economy and connects more than 1.4 million passengers to destinations worldwide. Over the last decade, the airport has undergone numerous improvements, including gate modernization, runway extension, a new two-level concourse and ticket wing renovations.

The Akron Municipal Airport became the Akron Fulton Airport, named for Bain “Shorty” Fulton who, in the 1920s, created the airport out of farmland. When the larger Akron-Canton Airport was built, major airlines moved their operations there and Fulton began serving smaller plane traffic. Fulton Airport was renamed the Akron Executive Airport in 2018 and is owned by the City of Akron. It caters to recreational pilots and corporate jet traffic. The 1930s Art Deco-style Fulton Airport terminal has been restored and is now home to a biomedical development company.

Random Rubber City Fact: Shorty Fulton dreamed up the 35,000-seat Rubber Bowl adjacent to his airfield. In 1939, Akron Beacon Journal sportswriter Jim Schlemmer and Fulton began raising money to build it. It eventually became

a Work Progress Administration project and opened in 1940.

Akron on the Move: Trucking Goods, Transporting People

The tire industry continued to boom after World War II, and trucking became the preferred method of moving rubber goods across the country. Trucking was more flexible than railroads, so the tire companies lobbied Congress for improved nationwide highways. Several

Akron, Barberton and Cuyahoga Falls underwrote METRO’s operational costs. In 1972, voters supported METRO by passing a $1 million property tax levy to help finance transit operations. With this revenue base, METRO began constructing much-needed facilities. METRO expanded in 1975 with the introduction of SCAT, prearranged, door-to-door rides for older adults and persons with disabilities.

In recent years, METRO RTA, on Rosa Parks Drive, has added four electric buses to its fleet, built a new downtown transit center, fine-tuned its highfrequency routes and is currently building a new maintenance facility in Kenmore, thanks to a grant from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Random Rubber City Fact: SCAT provides nearly 400,000 rides a year to seniors and those with disabilities

trucking companies started in Akron, including Motor Cargo, Dixie-Ohio and Roadway Express. At one point, Roadway was the largest general freight trucking firm in the nation.

Moving freight was one thing; moving people another. Akron’s public transportation began with horse and carriages in the 1880s, then moved to streetcars, jitneys, trolleys and double decker buses. In 1969, the Akron Transportation Co. — faced with a strike — closed its doors, making Akron the largest US city without public transportation. But a newly created Akron Metropolitan Regional Transit Authority (METRO RTA) successfully negotiated new contracts with bus operators and mechanics. Area industry representatives and the City of Akron provided $50,000, allowing METRO to buy 50 used buses.

From 1969 to 1972, the cities of

The Final Frontier

In the 1950s and 60s, America was determined to beat the Russians in an intense space race, so NASA turned to Akron for help. Goodrich designed and built the silver spacesuit worn by astronaut John Glenn when he became the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. Goodrich made every spacesuit worn by Project Mercury’s seven original astronauts.

Goodrich traces its role to 1934, when test pilot Wiley Post asked for a high-altitude suit. Goodrich’s Russell S. Colley designed the pressurized garment from balloon fabric. His wife, Dorothy, stitched it together on her sewing machine.

Goodyear made the window frame for the Apollo 11 command module, the panel on which landing instruments were mounted and the flotation devices that kept the capsule upright on its return from the moon.

Photo courtesy of The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

These days, Goodyear is working with NASA on materials experiments on the International Space Station

Both Goodyear and Bridgestone Corp. have worked with NASA to develop tires for a lunar terrain vehicle.

Judith Resnik, who graduated from Firestone High School, was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate in 1978 and flew her first mission aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1984. She was the second American woman and the first Jewish woman to fly in space. Tragically, we lost Resnik in 1986 when the space shuttle Challenger exploded.

Akron has entered the chat . . . Our favorite Akron-isms

• Jojos—Kinda like french fries only, well, more potato-y

• Devil Strip—A much better term than “tree lawn”

• King James—Not “the Bible,” but a near-God nonetheless

• Hot Rice—It’s not spicy hot. It’s warm and served with chicken.

• Archie—No, not Prince Harry’s kid. Our Archie is a giant talking snowman with laser eyes.

• Flicking—This is how to play hooky from school.

• Zippy She’s peppy; she’s spunky; she’s our fighting UA kangaroo.

• Pop—Never soda.

A Booming and Boisterous Town

From the 1940s to the 1960s, Akron was cranking out tires, spacesuits, babies (Boomers) and great jazz. Famous musicians such as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald often performed in Akron. Howard Street between downtown and west Akron was dubbed “Little Harlem” as the center of the Black business and entertainment district. Music and dancing were always on order on “Rhythm Row” from the Cosmopolitan to Benny Rivers. Jazz is still on tap around town, including at BLU Jazz+ and the Institute for Jazz Studies at The University of Akron. The annual Rubber City Jazz and Blues Festival draws thousands of fans for three days of smoking back beats. George Mathews was the first African

American hotel owner in Akron. Located on North Howard Street at the junction of what is now Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, the hotel (inexplicably spelled “Matthews”) was home to a series of businesses starting in the 1930s, including a photo studio, record store and Mathew’s barber shop. It was listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book (later the Travelers’ Green Book), as one of the only Akron hotels to welcome Black travelers. Some of the hotel’s famous guests were musicians Count Basie, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. A monument by Akron artist Miller Horns, which features a green door in a brick facade flanked by a barber pole, was placed near the site in 2011.

• Soap Box—You don’t stand on this. You turn it into a car and ride it at Derby Downs.

• Black Keys

Our boys, the famous rockers.

ARacial Reckoning and Renewal

kron has had a long, painful history of segregation and racial discrimination that can’t be denied. But today the city is working on healing wounds, righting wrongs and moving forward with efforts to be welcoming to all.

In the summer of 1900, Louis Peck , an African American bartender, was arrested for the assault of a five-year-old girl. Whites were so enraged that they dynamited the newly built Akron City Hall and courthouse in an attempt to get to Peck who had been spirited away to Cleveland. Peck was convicted of the crime and imprisoned for years. He was ultimately exonerated.

In the early 1920s, the Summit County chapter of the Ku Klux Klan reported having 50,000 members, making it the largest local chapter in the country. People in positions of power—including county officials and nearly the entire Akron school board—were Klan members. Wendell Wilkie, an Akron lawyer who would run for President in 1940, successfully exposed the KKK and led a successful effort to oust Klan

members from the Akron school board. Harvey Firestone operated a millionacre rubber plant in Liberia, leading to years of forced labor and medical experimentation on the African workers. Overt racism was evident at every level of the rubber companies until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forced new hiring practices. African Americans had the worst jobs in the factories. Almost exclusively, they were hired as janitors assigned to scrubbing floors, cleaning toilets or emptying spittoons. Some dug ditches in freezing weather as part of yard gangs, or they worked in the hellish heat of “the pit” where tires were cured.

The cafeterias at Goodyear and Firestone were segregated until 1964. Firestone Park and Goodyear Heights, the communities designed by tire companies for workers, were for Whites only, even though African Americans helped build them.

The first African American Chemistry graduate of The University of Akron, Ray Dove, could only find work as an elevator operator until Goodyear finally gave him a chance to work in the lab. His daughter, Rita Dove, would become the first African American and youngest Poet Laureate of the United States.

In the 1960s, Firestone Tire & Rubber hired Dr. Gates Morgan as its corporate medical director, the first African American to hold this position in a Fortune 500 company. Gates’ wife, Dolores “Dee” Parker Morgan, sang with Duke Ellington.

In July 1968, Akron was rocked by The Wooster Avenue Riots firebombs, shootings, lootings, arrests and confrontations between African Americans and law enforcement. Four hundred were arrested during that week

The burning of city hall in 1900. Postcard from AkronPostcards.

in what was then called the LaneWooster neighborhood, and Mayor John Ballard requested a thousand National Guard troops to contain the violence. It took the work of the Black religious community as well as law enforcement to halt the chaos.

In the 1960s and 70s, redlining— discrimination in lending—limited African Americans to certain neighborhoods. And then the $4.7 million Innerbelt project wiped out long-time Black neighborhoods downtown. The doomed project was abandoned and then decommissioned in 2017 with the City issuing an apology to the displaced.

The recently formed Reconnecting Our Community began binding the wounds of Innerbelt era by reclaiming the heritage of the lost neighborhood and planning for its future. Thanks to a nearly $1 million grant from the Department of Transportation, Akron has hired Sasaki, an urban architectural firm, to plan the transformation of the decommissioned Innerbelt.

In 1994, the Akron Beacon Journal won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for “A Question of Color,” a series that urged readers to examine how race

plays a part in housing, crime, business and education. It was the Beacon ’s fourth Pulitzer and led to the formation of the Coming Together Project , an organization that for years promoted better communication between races. After operating for its first year under the auspices of the newspaper, the Coming Together Project attained its own autonomous standing as a nonprofit organization. It operated until 2008 when it ran out of funding.

The Dr. Shirla R. McClain Gallery of Akron’s Black History and Culture at The University of Akron reflects and promotes the Black community in Greater Akron as an important part of the city’s history and culture.

A century ago, a coalition was formed to address the needs of Akron’s growing African American population. It assisted in developing projects such as Elizabeth Park and advocated for African Americans in workplaces and schools. In 1925 the Akron Community Service Center and Urban League, now known as the Akron Urban League (AUL), was founded and became the newest affiliate of the National Urban League.

Photos courtesy of the Akron

Dr. Shirla R. McClain Gallery. Photos courtesy of The University of Akron.

Juneteenth Celebration. Courtesy of Akron Urban League

A Question of Color photo courtesy of Akron Beacon Journal.

Leaders in the Fight for Civil Rights in Akron

The list of those who’ve worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Black Akron residents and race relations is long and includes those from all walks of life. Here are just a few:

Horace Stewart — A photographer who moved to Akron at the height of the Depression and opened a Howard Street studio he was a member of the Akron chapter of the NAACP, as well as an organization called the Association for Colored Community Work that eventually became the Akron Urban League. Courtesy of The University of Akron

Marian T. Hall Founder of the Summit County Committee for Adequate Welfare and Welfare Rights, Marian Hall sat on many boards, including the Akron Urban League and the Mayor’s Human and Community Relations Commission. She was a past president of the Summit County Human Services Committee. The Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA) named its senior living building at Edgewood Village in her honor.

Vernon Odom, Sr. — A native of Arkansas, Odom moved to Akron in 1953 to work at the Community Service Center and Urban League.

As a community activist, he worked unflaggingly to fight poverty, racism and violence. Akron renamed Wooster Avenue Vernon Odom Boulevard in his honor.

Rev. Ronald Fowler — Senior Pastor of the Arlington Church of God for 40 years, Rev. Fowler approached race relations with love. He was best known for co-founding the Love Akron Network in 1995 with Knute Larson, the White pastor of The Chapel. He was a key

participant in the Beacon Journal ’s Coming Together Project, prompting a visit in 1997 from President Bill Clinton.

Mary Peavy Eagle — A native of Checotah, Oklahoma, Mary Peavy Eagle was the first African American woman president of the PTA in Summit County. In 1932, she started the Council of Negro Women to assist efforts in neighborhoods. This idea was copied at the national level in 1936 by Mary McLeod Bethune in the creation of the National Council of Negro Women.

Random Rubber City Fact: The Gay Endowment Fund , founded in 2001 through the Akron Community Foundation, has given thousands in grants to organizations such as the Bayard Rustin LBGTQ+ Resource Center, which opened in Akron in 2022. The center offers myriad services, including a food pantry, mental health help and free community dinners. The Akron Pride Festival, now in its ninth year, draws 50,000 people to downtown Akron each summer to celebrate diversity, acceptance and equality for the LBGTQ+ community.

Vernon Odom, Sr.

Courtesy of Akron Community Foundation Mary Peavy Eagle. Courtesy of Opie Evans Papers, University of Akron Archives

Faith in All Its Forms

Akron’s religious history was shaped by the many immigrant groups who came seeking their worldly and spiritual fortunes. This history is rich, varied and, complex—but full of passion for community that still drives the city today.

1834 First Congregational Church, arguably the first formal church in the city, was founded.

1837—Akron’s first Catholic Church, St. Vincent de Paul , was founded to serve Akron’s growing Irish population. Construction on the current Romanesque Revival church on West Market street began in 1864.

1861—The German population of Akron established St. Bernard Catholic Church, whose current German Baroque Romanesque home was built in 1901 on South Broadway St. downtown. It currently hosts services in English and Spanish.

1865 The Akron Hebrew Association was formed by 20 men to serve the growing population of Jews from Eastern Europe. Two decades later, it established a reform synagogue on South High Street. It would eventually be named Temple Israel which remained a fixture on Merriman Road from 1911 until it moved to Springside Drive in Montrose.

1866—Akron entrepreneur and inventor Lewis Miller helps design the First Methodist Episcopal Church

with a flexible plan for Sunday school classrooms. The design became known as the Akron Plan and was soon adopted by Protestant churches nationwide.

1866 Wesley Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was founded as the first Black congregation in Akron. It makes its home today on North Prospect Street, in a church built by local African Americans. Longtime pastor Rev. Eugene Morgan was the first African American elected to the Akron Public School Board (1968). The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city’s next oldest Black congregations are Shiloh Baptist Church (1880) and Second Baptist Church (1892), now on South Main Street.

1945—The Beth El congregation joined the United Synagogue of America and became the first Conservative congregation in the city. Services were first held on South Maple Street. In 2012, it relocated to the campus of the Shaw Jewish Community Center.

1996 The Islamic Societies of Akron and Kent merged and purchased 18 acres on East Steels Corners Road in Cuyahoga Falls where they built a Masjid, Islamic school and multi-purpose hall.

2022—Sri Lankan immigrants to Akron dedicated their first area temple

to practice the teachings of Theravada Buddhism. It is located on two acres on Vernon Odom Boulevard.

Akron’s religious leaders have spearheaded some of the city’s most vital social services.

Sister Ignatia of the Sisters of Charity welcomed alcoholics to Akron’s St. Thomas Hospital for treatment despite the hospital’s policy against treating “drunks.” She encouraged Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith to visit alcoholic patients there, the very beginning of what would become the worldwide AA movement.

The Haven of Rest opened as a rescue mission in 1941 by Rev. Charles C. Thomas of the Ellet Brethren Church. The mission has served the homeless and destitute since. It offers 24-hour service and has expanded its assistance. The Haven of Rest is now located on East Market Street.

OPEN-M (Opportunity Parish Ecumenical Neighborhood Ministry), a Christian ministry that feeds the hungry, cares for the sick, and strengthens the community, was formed in 1969, spearheaded by Rev. Bob Ralph of the Church of the Good Shepherd. Today, OPEN M operates from its spacious multipurpose facility in the Summit Lake neighborhood, helping more than 67,000 annually through food services, health

Rev. Eugene Morgan. Courtesy of the Akron Beacon Journal Sister Ignatia. Photo from the Alcoholics Anonymous Archives.

services and employment services.

Father Sam Ciccolini established the Interval Brotherhood Home, a treatment center for alcoholics, in 1970.

The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and ACCESS , which aids homeless women, were started in the 1980s by individuals with ties to the Akron Catholic Commission. Today, the Foodbank is the source of emergency food for 600 food pantries, hot meal sites, shelters and hunger relief programs. In 2023, they provided 27.2 million meals.

ACCESS is an independent, nonprofit

organization that provides shelter services for homeless single women and homeless women with children. Since its inception, ACCESS has served more than 23,000 women and children in crisis.

Father Norm Douglas and attorney Larry Vuillemin started Heart to Heart Leadership in 1986 to bring purposedriven values to workplaces in Akron.

Love Akron was created in 1995 by Pastor Mark Ford, Pastor Knute Larson and Rev. Dr. Ron Fowler to sit between the community and the churches to help

Akron thrive. The organization serves as a hub dedicated to unifying Akron’s colors, cultures and congregations.

Akron was a hotbed of televangelism from the very beginning of the genre. As Appalachians flocked to Akron for work in the tire factories, their colorful preachers followed them. All this while, radio was transforming mass media. After establishing their names with radio sermons, the preachers eventually migrated to television as that medium exploded.

Photo illustration by Frank Cucciarre

Photo

The First Congregational Church and Parsonage circa 1909. Photo courtesy of AkronPostcards.

The First Congregational Church as it stands today. Photo courtesy of Summit Live 365.

Courtesy of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank

Rev. Bill Denton—A worker at Sun Rubber, Rev. Denton set up his Furnace Street mission in 1929 in the heart of Akron’s red light and gambling area. He began by preaching with a bullhorn and then broadcasting on WADC radio. Several televangelical leaders got their start by working the streets with Denton.

Random Rubber City Fact: Rev. Bill Denton’s son, Rev. Bob Denton, started the pioneering Victim Assistance program in Akron in 1972 and was a nationally known victim advocate and crisis responder.

Rev. Rex Humbard was the first US evangelist to have a weekly nationwide television program (1952–83) which eventually reached 20 million viewers worldwide. Humbard’s Cathedral of Tomorrow was built in Cuyahoga Falls in 1958. It ran into financial trouble in the 1970s, which is why that well-known tower remains unfinished.

Random Rubber City Fact: Rev. Humbard presided over Elvis Presley’s funeral in 1977.

Rev. Ernest Angley was originally based at Grace Cathedral in Springfield Township. In 1994, Angley relocated to Humbard’s former cathedral complex. Angley’s TV program The Ernest Angley Hour could be seen across the globe from 1972 onward. He died in 2021 after decades of controversies.

Random Rubber City Fact: Comedian Robin Williams included a satire of Rev. Angley in his stage routine as “Reverend Earnest Angry.”

Rev. Dallas F. Billington, a rubber worker from Kentucky, formed the Akron Baptist Temple in 1935 with 80 members. He grew it to one of the first megachurches in the nation (15,000 members). Its radio and television programs broadcasted its ministry worldwide. The church was dissolved several decades after his death.

200 YEARS AT THE SUMMIT & STILL CLIMBING

Let us be your guide to all things downtown Akron in 2025 & beyond, scan the code or visit: downtownakron.com

Happy 200th, Akron, Ohio!

USING

THE PAST

As Akron reaches its 200th anniversary, we proudly celebrate our library’s remarkable 150 years of service. Founded amidst the city’s early growth, the library has been a steadfast companion on this journey, nurturing generations of readers and learners. As we honor our shared histories, we look to the future with resolve, committed to evolving alongside our vibrant city. Together, we will continue to inspire curiosity and enrich lives, ensuring that both our library and our city thrive for another century and beyond.

As Akron reaches its 200th anniversary, we proudly celebrate our library’s remarkable 150 years of service. Founded amidst the city’s early growth, the library has been a steadfast companion on this journey, nurturing generations of readers and learners. As we honor our shared histories, we look to the future with resolve, committed to evolving alongside our vibrant city. Together, we will continue to inspire curiosity and enrich lives, ensuring that both our library and our city thrive for another century and beyond.

LeBron and Akron: A Hometown Love Story

Ayoung boy who grew up in one of Akron’s toughest neighborhoods spent a childhood in upheaval until he discovered he excelled at sports. That boy grew into LeBron James, the GOAT of the National Basketball Association and flag bearer for the 2024 USA Olympics team. His basketball skills are phenomenal, of course, but it’s what he’s done for Akron kids like himself that makes us cheer.

The LeBron James Family Foundation (LJFF) partnered with the Akron Public Schools in 2019 to open the I PROMISE School for at-risk students in the district. It offers wraparound social services such as a food pantry and laundry area for its families.

In 2020, LJFF opened I PROMISE Village, housing for the school’s families in transition.

House Three Thirty (area code shoutout), in the former Tangier restaurant, is used for job training, family financial health programs, recreation and community building. Plus, there’s a cool museum dedicated to the Akron kid himself.

Football League two years later. In 1921, the Pros were led by Fritz Pollard, the first Black head coach in the NFL.

The Goodyear Silents were a semiprofessional football team composed of deaf rubber workers from Akron. From 1917 to 1929 the Silents won 54 games, lost six, and tied three.

Just a few of the Olympians from

Lester Carney : track, 1960 : diving, 1976

Butch Reynolds: track, 1988

Mark Gangloff : swimming, 2004

Jonny Marshall: swimming (Great

Hayes Jenkins: figure skating, 1956

David Jenkins: figure skating, 1960

Brock Kreitzburg: bobsledding, 2006 : basketball, 2024

• LeBron James: basketball, 2024

In 2024, the Foundation opened a medical and dental clinic across the street from House Three Thirty. It is open to the entire community.

LeBron Isn’t Our Only Sports Story

Buchtel College (UA) hit it big when it named John Heisman, for whom the famous trophy is named, as its second head coach in 1893. The hire meant the

Random Rubber City Fact: During World War II, Firestone had approximately 300 deaf employees; Goodyear had about 135; and the booming Goodyear Aircraft had more than 500.

The Goodyear Wingfoots and Firestone Non-skids, intramural basketball teams, had a fierce rivalry. The teams were so serious the companies decided to form the Midwest Basketball Conference in the 1930s, which eventually evolved and expanded to become the NBA.

Every summer for 87 years, hundreds of kids swarm east Akron for the thrill of the hill. Derby Downs is the world headquarters of the FirstEnergy AllAmerican Soap Box Derby and the site of the annual championship race and

Photo by Bruce Ford Photo

weeklong festivities in July. In the 1950s and 60s, the Derby drew top celebrities such as Ronald Reagan and the cast of Bonanza. Today, the Derby’s STEM programs provide building blocks for practical and classroom skills.

The Akron Marathon is an athletic extravaganza. It started out in 2003 with 3,500 runners. Since then, it has expanded to a multi-race series over four months with numerous blue-chip corporate sponsors. About 15,000 runners participate in the marquee marathon in September. The blue line that marks the Marathon route has woven itself into Greater Akron culture.

We had a Rubber Bowl once! Of course, we did!

From its opening in 1940 until 2008, the Rubber Bowl served as the home field of the Akron Zips football team prior to the opening of InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field. It also hosted numerous rock concerts in its heyday, including the Rolling Stones. Alas, unlike Mick Jagger, it showed its age. It was demolished in 2023.

Zippy, The University of Akron’s adorable-yet-fierce kangaroo and a Capital One Mascot of the Year, is one of only a handful of female collegiate mascots in the country. The UA Zips were named after zippered, rubber (!) galoshes

The Professional Bowlers Association Tournament of Champions one of five PBA major tournaments—is held annually at Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn where it started in 1965. The PBA was founded in 1958 by Akron sports agent Eddie Elias and was headquartered in the city until 2000 when it was purchased by West Coast investors. The tournament returned to Akron’s historic bowling alley in 2018 and continues to this day.

Akron’s Firestone Country Club has hosted the greatest legends to ever play the game of golf. Tiger Woods has eight tournament wins on the famed South course, and Jack Nicklaus has seven, including the 1975 PGA Championship. Firestone now hosts the annual Kaulig Companies Championship, one of five major championships on the Senior PGA Tour.

Random Rubber City Fact: Akron needed a course to hit its modern golf ball invention —Portage Country Club being one of the oldest in the nation.

The Rubber Meets the Road. . . Out of

Town

The 1970s and 80s were undoubtedly a gut punch to Akron. The city lost more than 4,000 rubber industry jobs between 1972 and 1975. Between 1975 and 1982, one by one, the tire companies pulled the plug on production of passenger tires in Akron, later relocating to the South or being absorbed by other corporations. B.F. Goodrich was sold to French tiremaker Michelin in 1988. Firestone was purchased by Bridgestone Corp. in 1989 after Firestone suffered one of the largest consumer recalls in history with its Firestone 500 tires. Continental AG, a German company, purchased General Tire from GenCorp in 1995. By the mid-1990s, only Goodyear remained headquartered in Akron, forcing our city to redefine itself again.

ranks second in the nation.

Photo courtesy of The Akron Marathon

Photo courtesy

of The University of Akron

But wait! This massive period of deindustrialization led to some really, really bangin’ music that still inspires today’s musicians.

Greater Akron is a major site on the map of punk music and was recognized for its “Akron Sound.” DEVO of “Whip It” fame and The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde are probably the most wellknown of the punk/new wave musicians to come out of 1970s Akron, but they weren’t alone. The (NYC) Village Voice put it this way in 1978: “Something is obviously going on out there.” Bands such as Chi Pig and Tin Huey played the Crypt and the Bank downtown to raucous crowds.

About 25 years after the punk thing, Akron’s Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney formed the blues-y rock band

The Black Keys. They’ve gone on to be Grammy-winning rock stars. Their latest is Dropout Boogie, nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Album in 2023.

Today, we’re home to those who make what the music makers master:

• Mollard Conducting Batons

• EarthQuaker Devices (guitar pedals)

• S.I.T. Strings Co. (handcrafted strings)

• Panyard (steel drums)

• Lay’s Guitars (handmade guitars)

Today, Akron’s live indie/DIY music scene is massive, drawing people to favorite haunts such as Jilly’s Music Room, the Rialto and Musica

R

Wubber City Reignited: The Power of Polymers

e honor our history as the rubber capital of the world. That’s why we put a 12-foot high sculpture of a tire builder in the middle of downtown, The Rubber City Worker But rubber is our future as well as our past. We’re building on the legacy left to us by Goodrich, Goodyear, Firestone and General, and creating new materials and processes to help humankind and heal the planet.

The University of Akron is ranked as one of the top polymer science and engineering programs in the world. Polymers are long strings of molecules that make up everything from medical devices to chewing gum.

One of the flashiest buildings on the UA campus is the 12-story Goodyear Polymer Science Center The company also endows UA’s Goodyear Chair in Intellectual Property Law. A polymer sculpture by artist Dale Chihuly graces its front lawn.

In 2024, Akron was named a Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub by the U.S. Department of Commerce, beating out hundreds of other applicants. It was awarded $51 million to build on the work already done by a polymer industry group focused on advanced materials innovation. State and local funding added another $49 million to bring the total grant for the hub to $100 million.

UA is also home to the Center for Tire Research (CenTiRe), a consortium of researchers at UA and Virginia Tech as well as industry members and the National Science Foundation.

In 2022, Bridgestone Americas opened the $21 million Advanced Tire Production Center (ATPC) to make Firestone Firehawk tires for NTT IndyCar

series. It is the first new tire plant in Akron in 70 years.

The ATPC campus is graced by the iconic red Firestone sign that for decades lit up the original Firestone Plant One on South Main Street. Bridgestone Americas has worked thoughtfully to preserve the Firestone heritage while innovating the brand for the future.

ContiTech in Fairlawn, a division of Continental, is one of the leading suppliers of technical rubber products and plastics technology.

Nexen Tire America Inc. relocated its US headquarters to the area in 2021, near the company’s existing technical center.

The former Goodrich factory on South Main Street—once the largest rubber factory in the world—is now a mixed-used development called Canal Place and home to the Bounce Innovation Hub. It offers co-working space, mentorships and more to earlystage tech businesses and the broader community.

Tire giant Goodyear anchors Akron’s east side with its global headquarters, a stone’s throw from where it was founded more than a century ago. Its famous blimps (there are now three) hunted subs in wartime, but today hum along over sporting and community events.

We’re the not just the birthplace of the Goodyear Blimp; we’re also home to the ginormous Airdock, built in 1929 to house dirigibles under construction. Today, the Airdock hosts LTA (Lighter than Air), which is building a next-generation electric blimp for humanitarian use. LTA is also inspiring a new generation of airship research professionals, engineers, machinists and

flight crews—a development as huge as the Airdock itself.

We’ve mentioned synthetic tires, Corsairs, blimps and AA, but check out these other things Akron has given the world:

• Dum-Dums® (Akron Candy Company)

• PURELL® Hand Sanitizer (GOJO Industries)

• Twinkle Polish® (Malco)

• Zud (Malco)

• Carpet Fresh (Malco)

• Wound golf balls (B.F. Goodrich)

• P.F. Flyers (B.F. Goodrich)

• Pflueger Baitcast reel

• Toy marbles (S.C. Dyke)

• First space suits for U.S. astronauts (B.F. Goodrich)

• Blue Tip matches (Ohio Match)

Other Akron inventions include:

• Grade levels in schools

• Quaker Oats

• Police patrol wagon

• Collapsible scaffolding (Henry Pickett)

• First collegiate steel drum band (UA)

• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

The University of Akron Polymer Science Center. Courtesy of The University of Akron.

Rubber City Worker.

Photo by Jim Carney.

G

ifts That Keep on Giving

Unlike many communities Akron’s size, the city’s industrial heritage— and the wealth it engendered—has left us with treasures that fuel our daily lives today. The philanthropy and leadership provided by such groups as the GAR Foundation (trucking), Knight Foundation (media) and the Akron Community Foundation (rubber) have provided fuel for our economic and cultural transformations and expansions.

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron is a reminder of the vast wealth amassed by Akron’s early rubber barons. The 65-room Tudor Revival mansion was

built more than a century ago for F.A. and Gertrude Seiberling of Goodyear. The house and 70 acres of landscaped gardens are now open to visitors. It hosts numerous community events, including Shakespeare in the Gardens and the artisan Ohio Mart during the year.

Nurturing our Nature

F.A. Seiberling, co-founder of Goodyear, was the force behind the creation of the Akron Metropolitan Park District (later Summit Metro Parks) in 1921. He made the first large-scale contribution with 500 acres of land from Merriman to Ghent roads. When it opened in 1929, Sand

Tulips bloom in front of Stan Hywet Hall. Courtesy of Akron-Summit CVB

Run Park stretched for 700 acres. Today, Summit Metro Parks has 15,000 acres in 16 parks, three nature centers and 150 miles of trails. It gets more than five million visits a year.

Some of the most popular SMP spots:

• The view from The Overlook at Cascade Valley Metro Park

• Mary Campbell Cave at the Gorge Metro Park

• Piney Woods at Goodyear Heights Metro Park

• Deer Run Trail at O’Neil Woods Metro Park

Ohio’s only national park is right here

Congressman John Seiberling, grandson of F.A., helped to shepherd a bill in 1974 to create the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area (CVNP), overseen by the National Park Service (NPS). (It received National Park designation in 2000. ) In the 1960s, Akron residents and public officials looked around and saw tires, trash and old appliances clogging the river and marring the valley’s natural beauty.

The park began acquiring private land within the designated 33,000 acres, as well as working out cooperative agreements with developments already in place, including Summit Metro Parks and Blossom Music Center It cleaned up toxic sites and developed trails and attractions.

Today, our valley is alive with blue heron, fox, coyotes and myriad plant and aquatic life. Its hiking, biking and riding trails provide a ready escape from the daily grind. Thanks to the work of many people, the Cuyahoga River is a National Heritage River and an Ohio water trail. It attracts nearly three million visitors a year and is routinely listed among the most visited national parks in the country.

CVNP Hiking Heaven:

• Brandywine Gorge Loop

• Ira Trailhead to Beaver Marsh

• Buckeye Trail to Blue Hen Falls

• Towpath Trail to anywhere

Photos courtesy of Summit Metro Parks.

PETER BOYER

MICHAEL SACHS

Featuring composer Peter Boyer and brass and percussionists of The Cleveland Orchestra.

If hiking isn’t your thing, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and the National Park bring fun and natural knowledge to visitors. There is no other national park in the country with a nonprofit heritage railroad operating within it and providing educational and entertainment programs to enhance accessibility to tens of thousands of people each year.

Random Rubber City Fact: Wingfoot Lake State Park began as land purchased by Goodyear in 1916 for its wartime blimp construction. (Wingfoot refers to the tire company’s logo.) The lake’s north shore was developed as a corporate retreat and recreation area in the 1960s. It was donated to the state for a park in 2009.

The gift of entertainment

Built in 1929 by Marcus Loew and designed by famed theater architect John Eberson, the Akron Civic Theatre has hosted the brightest stars

of stage and screen for 95 years. The restored interior is fashioned after a Moorish castle, and the ceiling features a twinkling night sky. The Civic now has two new adjacent performance venues, the Knight Stage and Wild Oscar’s

The Goodyear Theater, built in 1920 on the tire company campus, hosts concerts all year and stands as a centerpiece of the mixed-use East End development that has replaced the old Goodyear headquarters.

E.J. Thomas Hall , a 3,000-seat venue on the UA campus is named for the longtime chairman and chief executive of Goodyear, and its main reception area is named the Goodrich Lobby. The hall is home to the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Tuesday Musical, Children’s Concert Society, Akron Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Broadway in Akron series.

Akron’s oldest arts organization, Tuesday Musical , was founded in 1887 by a group of musical women, including the wives and daughters of Akron’s early industrialists. A few decades after forming, Tuesday Musical began presenting concerts by world-acclaimed musicians. It has brought global greats, including Vladimir Horowitz, Leontyne Price, Yo-Yo Ma and Wynton Marsalis to town.

Blossom Music Center, summer home of The Cleveland Orchestra, may be in neighboring Cuyahoga Falls,

but it has been attracting the support and appreciation of Akron residents since its opening in 1968. Sitting on the lawn with a picnic is a summertime ritual for Akron families (as is getting out of the parking lots). Blossom is also widely used for popular music events. The largest recorded attendance for a single show at Blossom, totaling 24,364, was for a Blood, Sweat and Tears concert in 1969, just one year after the venue’s opening.

Random Rubber City Fact: The Michael Stanley Band, virtually unknown outside Northeast Ohio, set an overall attendance record of 74,404 over four sold-out shows at Blossom in 1982.

Weathervane Community

Playhouse was founded in 1935 as an offshoot of Woman’s City Club’s Theater. The Woman’s City Club only allowed members to perform, which Grace Hower Crawford, a daughter of an Akron industrialist Otis Hower, felt limited the pool of talent. With the help

Take a nostalgic trip on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Photo by Robert George

of Laurine Schwan, Helen Troesch and Muriel MacLachlan, the group began holding plays in a barn in Highland Square. It took the name Weathervane after the rooster on its roof. In the mid1960s, a large capital campaign resulted in the construction of the present-day 233-seat facility that opened in 1970, the first enterprise established in today’s Merriman Valley.

Random Rubber City Fact: Grace Hower Crawford, a white woman of means, encouraged the all-Black Dumas Players company to perform at Weathervane and elsewhere during the 1930s, an unusually progressive move at the time.

In 1900, Col. George Tod Perkins of Akron’s founding family, donated 79 acres for use as a park for children that was known as Perkins Woods Park The park had one of the first playgrounds in the community through an initiative by Margaret Chapman Barnhart

The city began by creating a small zoo with two bears. Today, the Akron Zoo is home to 2,000 animals on 77 acres. The zoo is building a $12 million animal hospital expected to open in 2026. It has been accredited by the American Zoological Association every year since 1989 and takes part in the AZA’s myriad conservation programs.

Random Rubber City Fact: The Akron Zoo manages the national conservation program FrogWatch USA.

The Akron Art Museum was founded in 1922 in two basement rooms with the help of Goodrich executive and philanthropist Edwin Shaw. Today, the museum is housed is one of the most stunning buildings in downtown Akron.

The museum’s unwavering focus on modern and contemporary art from 1850 onward has allowed it to develop one of the finest collections of its kind in the country. Events in its galleries and garden fill the soul all year.

While you’re feeling artsy, check out Summit Artspace. Founded in 2015, it is home to artist studios, creative businesses and five galleries with new exhibitions four times each year. It provides public programs to engage the community with local artists and promotes a strong, diverse and

vibrant arts and culture community. It is housed in an East Market Street building constructed in 1927 by John S. and James L. Knight as home of the Akron Beacon Journal. You can feel the creative vibes from Main Street.

Random Rubber City Fact: Edwin Shaw founded the Akron Community Foundation with a bequest of more than $1 million in 1955. His name was also given to the Edwin Shaw Rehabilitation Hospital, now part of Cleveland Clinic Akron General.

Summit ArtSpace.

Courtesy of AkronStock.

Photo by Jeffrey Klaum

Photo by Shane Wynn.

Building Hope, Saving Lives

Summa Health

In 1892, as the industrial revolution was heating up, a Dutch immigrant blacksmith named Boniface DeRoo left $10,000 in his will for the creation of Akron City Hospital—an institution that has shaped the culture, character and well-being of the Greater Akron community since its inception.

In its first year of operation, City Hospital performed 40 operations, had 21 beds and cared for 143 patients who had an average hospital stay of 15-17 days. In the decades that followed, the hospital merged with St. Thomas Medical Center (1989), became Summa Health and grew with facilities in Barberton, Green, Cuyahoga Falls and Wadsworth.

Today, the health system has more than 8,000 employees; nearly 1,000 credentialed physicians; 1,300 in-patient beds; a Level 1 trauma center; and facilities totaling more than three million square feet across all its campuses.

Among its contributions to the community are several notable achievements:

• First Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Summit County (1951)

• Vital role in the birth of Alcoholics Anonymous and development of a formal treatment center for sufferers at St. Thomas Hospital (1934)

• First adult open-heart surgery in Akron and one of the first in the country (1964)

• First microscopic eye surgery in Akron and one of the first in the country (1970)

• First successful replantation of a severed arm (1976)

Summa continues to evolve and grow. In 2019, it opened its West Tower, a seven-story building that includes two floors for women’s health and a breast health center. In 2023, it opened the Juve Family Behavioral Health Pavilion, which also houses the Heritage Center, honoring Summa’s role in AA and treatment for suffering alcoholics.

Cleveland Clinic Akron General

As the rubber industry and Akron’s population boomed in the early 20th century, the community realized it needed a second hospital. A group of doctors joined with philanthropists, including the Seiberling, Polsky and Firestone families, to found the People’s Hospital in 1914. It was renamed Akron General Hospital in 1954 and expanded to include several facilities in the area. The Cleveland Clinic took full ownership of it in 2015. More than 100 years after it was founded, Cleveland Clinic Akron General now serves the people of Akron with everything from routine health needs to complex medical challenges.

Akron General offers a broad range of services across a range of specialties:

• Heart and Vascular specialists and advanced Cancer Care

• Neurology, Neurosurgery and Stroke Care

• Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal Fetal Medicine

Courtesy of Summa Health

• Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine

• Primary Care

• Surgery including Bariatrics/Obesity Medicine

• Urogynecology and Urology

And many other specialties to serve the community.

Akron General provides:

· The only Level I Trauma Center in the Cleveland Clinic Health System— supported by a Cleveland Clinic Children’s Level III NICU, equipped to handle life’s most critical moments

· Summit County’s only Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program, where trained nurses provide round-the-clock staffing to conduct examinations in a private area of the hospital’s emergency department

· A widely used food pantry that opened in 2022 with a second location at the hospital’s Women’s Health Center on South Broadway Street that opened in 2023

· A Cancer Care Fund has offered free mammograms for uninsured or underinsured women for two decades

· Integrating Clinical and Resource Evaluations (I CARE), part of a larger campaign called Neighbor to Neighbor to address health disparities in Summit County

Akron General’s Health & Wellness Center, Bath, made headlines in 1996 as the first facility of its kind in the US. The meticulously designed center offers primary care, radiology, outpatient surgery, physical therapy and sports medicine. Its standout feature is a 60,000 square-foot medical fitness facility, inclusive of people of all ages and backgrounds. The facility houses cardiovascular and weightlifting equipment, an indoor pool and therapy pools, a steam room, a sauna, a whirlpool, a gym, an indoor and outdoor track, a youth fitness area, exercise studios and an indoor rock-climbing wall. The center’s holistic approach aims to treat the sick and promote wellness to prevent illness. Building on its success, Akron General opened additional Health & Wellness Centers in Stow (2007) and Green (2012) with Emergency Departments, and one was later added to the Bath center.

Random Rubber City Fact: From 1916–20, 5,000 Akron girls were given sodium iodide in a study of goiter prevention. It worked! Today, most salt in America is iodized, and goiters are uncommon.

Akron Children’s Hospital

Many Akron parents have thanked their lucky stars for Akron Children’s Hospital. From humble beginnings in 1890 as the Mary Day Nursery for children whose mothers worked, Children’s has evolved into a nationally ranked, independent pediatric health system with two hospital campuses, seven regional health centers and more than 50 primary care and specialty care locations covering half of eastern Ohio. Its seven-story $180 million Kay Jewelers Pavilion, opened in 2015, allows women with high-risk pregnancies to deliver at Children’s so the babies can be whisked straight to the intensive care unit.

Akron Children’s performed more pediatric surgeries and procedures

than any other hospital in Northeast Ohio in 2023.

It was the second hospital in the nation to implement a Doggie Brigade in 1992. The hospital’s Women’s Board has raised more than $15 million, committed countless volunteer hours and supported an array of hospital initiatives, including:

• The Holiday Tree Festival

• The “Have a Heart, Do Your Part Radiothon”

• The Charity Ball, which celebrated its 121st event in 2024, annually presents honorees in recognition of their parents’ and grandparents’ volunteer contributions to the community. All proceeds from this event benefit the hospital.

Random Rubber City Fact: Children’s Air Bear was the first medical helicopter in Ohio dedicated to transporting kids facing life-threatening emergencies.

Photos courtesy of Akron Children’s Hospital

T

Ahe Magic Merchants of Christmas

sk any vintage Akronite what they remember about their childhoods, and they’ll likely describe going downtown to see the elaborate holiday window displays at O’Neil’s and Polsky’s department stores. Cars jammed downtown; carolers serenaded shoppers; and kids pressed their noses to the window glass.

In 1877, Michael O’Neil and Isaac J. Dyas opened a small store on the southwest corner of Market and Main streets. The store expanded until O’Neil’s became the largest department store in Ohio. In 1912, O’Neil’s was sold to the May Department Store Co. In the

Incredible Edibles!

Sauerkraut balls are to Greater Akron what wings are to Buffalo or cheese steaks are to Philly. No holiday party is complete without the yummy tidbit of deep-fried meat and sauerkraut.

Other Akron treats include:

• Strickland’s frozen custard

• Luigi’s cheese-smothered salad

• Skyway’s SkyHi burger

• Swensons’ Galley Boy

• Norka Soda (Akron backwards. Five flavors)

• Lawson’s Chip Dip

Frank and Robert Menches, German immigrants from Akron, traveled to a fair in Hamburg, New York, in 1885 to sell concessions. While there, the story goes, they ran out of sausage for their sandwiches and substituted ground beef. They named

mid-1920s, it purchased property for a new building several blocks south of the established business district. O’Neil’s six-story store was opened to the public in 1927.

The new O’Neil’s store attracted other businesses to the southern end of Main Street, including Polsky’s Department Store, which remained O’Neil’s major competition from its opening in 1930 to its closing in 1978. By the early 1930s, the new Main Street business spurred by O’Neil’s had extended Akron’s business district south to Exchange Street, more than one-half mile from the Market-Main Street location of the

the new sandwich after the fair, calling it a “Hamburg.” They also invented the waffle cone. There are others who lay claim to the hamburger, but we believe Frank and Robert. They were Akron guys.

Akron’s restaurant scene is always evolving, reflecting the traditions of immigrants who’ve settled here for the past 200 years. From the classic Italian at Papa Joe’s in the Merriman Valley and DeVitis on Tallmadge Avenue to Cilantro Thai downtown and the Nepali Kitchen in North Hill, Akron proves it still knows a thing or two about good food.

original dry goods store.

Today, the O’Neil’s store, which closed in 1989, has been converted to mixed-use development that includes restaurants and office space. The Polsky Building now belongs to The University of Akron and is undergoing a $45 million renovation to become the Knight Center for Creative Engagement (The Knight Foundation contributed $20 million to the project.)

Although O’Neil’s and Polsky’s are gone, Akron still celebrates the holiday season with a lively Santa Parade, a winter festival and shop windows decorated by local artists.

Gone but not forgotten:

Green Turtle Café — A Howard Street

hotspot for Black Akron

Sanginiti’s — Elegant Italian on East Market Street

Lou & Hy’s — Jewish Deli in Wallhaven Brown Derby — Cocktails and steak on Waterloo Road

The Mark — Steak and seafood on West Market Street

Georgian Room — Tea and sandwiches at O’Neil’s Department Store

Young’s — Fish and chicken on Nesmith Lake

Nick Anthe’s — Halibut in North Hill House of Hunan — Moo Goo Gai Pan in Fairlawn Town Center

Bavarian House — Wiener Schnitzel on East Market Street

Tangier — Middle Eastern fare on West Market Street

B

Aright Lights, Big City

kron is reinventing downtown, as private developers add to the work done by the Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP) to create vibrant, work-play-live communities in the heart of the city. DAP’s initiatives include a clean and safe program; collaborative marketing for the district; support for downtown businesses; the care and maintenance of public spaces and freeto low-cost events all year.

Highlights of Downtown Developments

Akron’s Northside District is a hip residential arts and entertainment area in what once was the city’s red-light district. Luigi’s, an Akron landmark, anchors the district, and Jilly’s Music Room brings in music fans. The Northside Marketplace showcases locally made products and services. Cyclists hop on the Towpath Trail only 100 yards away.

A view of downtown Akron from Highland Square. Photo courtesy of Akron-Summit CVB

Lock 4 Harvest Fest. Courtesy of AkronStock.

Photo by Tim Fitzwater

Above: Northside Lofts. Courtesy of AkronStock. Photo by Shane Wynn.

Below: Luigi’s. Photo by Shane Wynn.

Northside Lofts provides elegant, urban living. A Courtyard by Marriot anchors the area and draws out-oftowners to the heart of our fair city. Other significant downtown developments:

• Overall, more than $176 million has been invested in new residential housing in downtown Akron since 2018, leading people of all ages to experience the joys of city living.

• Akron’s Main Street recently underwent a $45 million, threeyear-long facelift that includes new walkways, bike lanes and landscaping.

• A group of Northeast Ohio investors purchased two buildings at the former B.F. Goodrich plant, known as Canal Place, and turned them into 139 upscale apartments at a cost of $40 million. It is called The Goodrich.

• More luxury apartments are planned for the former Philadelphia Rubber Works building, the only vacant building remaining on the former B.F. Goodrich campus. The project is slated to cost $57 million.

• The former CitiCenter Building at 146 S. High St., owned by the city of Akron, is to be converted into a 114unit apartment complex at a cost of $32 million.

• Well-known developer Tony Troppe has been crafting big plans for the Evans Building at the intersection of Main and Exchange Streets. They call for 35 loft apartments, a restaurant, coffee shop and meeting areas. It already has occupied office space, which will remain. The cost is estimated at $6.2 million.

• The historic Mayflower Hotel on South Main Street, where AA’s Bill Wilson first called for help in 1935 and stars such as Jimmy Stewart stayed, underwent a $25 million glow-up. It provides housing for those 55 and older.

• The Bowery District is a bustling work-play-live hub on South Main Street in downtown Akron. Developers invested $42 million to renovate six historic buildings into modern luxury apartments, retailing and office space.

Explore 19th century life in the Western Reserve including 32 historic structures, featuring the Johnathan Hale House, built in 1810, craft and trade demonstrations, farm animals and gardens. Our costumed interpreters will provide a look into daily life on the farm.

Akron’s Oldest Church Is Ellet’s Most Welcoming Church!

Akron’s Oldest Church Is Ellet’s Most Welcoming Church!

Started 1809, Still Celebrating in 2025

Started 1809, Still Celebrating in 2025

Akron’s Oldest Church Is Ellet’s Most Welcoming Church! Started 1809, Still Celebrating in 2025

MEMORIAL DAY come to our free breakfast, 8-10 a.m., then our Ellet Cemetery/Akron

MEMORIAL DAY come to our free breakfast, 8-10 a.m., then our Ellet Cemetery/Akron

MEMORIAL DAY come to our free breakfast, 8-10 a.m., then our Ellet Cemetery/Akron

MEMORIAL DAY come to our free breakfast, 8-10 a.m., then our Ellet Cemetery/Akron

Bicentennial Memorial Service, 10:30 a.m. in our historic 1828 Sanctuary.

Bicentennial Memorial Service, 10:30 a.m. in our historic 1828 Sanctuary.

Bicentennial Memorial Service, 10:30 a.m. in our historic 1828 Sanctuary.

Bicentennial Memorial Service, 10:30 a.m. in our historic 1828 Sanctuary.

AUGUST 26 free Akron Bicentennial

AUGUST 26 free Akron Bicentennial

AUGUST 26 free Akron Bicentennial

AUGUST 26 free Akron Bicentennial

Ice Cream Social, 6 p.m., and Brass Band of the Western Reserve concert, 7 p.m.

North Springfield Presbyterian Church 671 Canton Rd., Akron northspringfieldpc@att.net (330) 784-3001 free -10 n Akron’s Oldest Church Is Ellet’s Most Welcoming Church! Started 1809, Still Celebrating in 2025

Ice Cream Social, 6 p.m., and Brass Band of the Western Reserve concert, 7 p.m.

Ice Cream Social, 6 p.m., and Brass Band of the Western Reserve concert, 7 p.m.

Ice Cream Social, 6 p.m., and Brass Band of the Western Reserve concert, 7 p.m.

SUNDAY WORSHIP 11:15 a.m.

SUNDAY WORSHIP 11:15 a.m.

SUNDAY WORSHIP 11:15 a.m.

SUNDAY WORSHIP 11:15 a.m.

Rev. Patricia Moats, Pastor

Rev. Patricia Moats, Pastor

Rev. Patricia Moats, Pastor

Rev. Patricia Moats, Pastor

North Springfield Presbyterian Church 671 Canton Rd., Akron northspringfieldpc@att.net (330) 784-3001

North Springfield Presbyterian Church 671 Canton Rd., Akron northspringfieldpc@att.net (330) 784-3001

North Springfield Presbyterian Church 671 Canton Rd., Akron northspringfieldpc@att.net (330) 784-3001

Photo courtesy of The Bowery District Apartments

Crave Restaurant in The Bowery District Building. Courtesy of AkronStock. Photo by Shane Wynn

Onward, Upward to 2225

One of Akron’s greatest strengths is its commitment to collaboration in action. We aren’t just boosters; we’re doers. We know how to work together to make things happen. Many people and organizations continue to propel us forward. Only some of them are named here.

We’re creatives, advocates, adventurers, innovators and inventors. We’re hard workers with soft hearts. We look around and ask ourselves how to add something phenomenal to our community. Vision and energy lead us to take on the hard things.

We come from a legacy of ingenuity. From the pioneers to the polymer scientists, we Akronites know how to build a better city, a better world.

Akron Children’s Museum

In 2016, a group of young parents determined that Akron needed a child-centered play museum with Akron-centric experiences. In 2023, the downtown museum was expanded with 10 new features, including a sensory room, sound studio, air tube wall and a redesigned Makerspace to host STEM education experiences.

ArtsNow ArtsNow leverages the arts and culture sector by collaborating with and supporting the arts, culture, and environmental resources in the region

Courtesy of International Institute of Akron

Courtesy of Akron Black Artists Guild.

Courtesy of Akron Children’s Museum

Courtesy of Akron Urban League

and threading creativity throughout our community.

International Institute of Akron Since 1916, the IIA has been helping refugees and immigrants achieve an empowered life with dignity, connection and belonging. It offers education and employment services; translation; immigration legal services; and social services. It also serves as a refugee resettlement provider, a role it has had since 1979. Currently resettling in Akron are refugees from many countries including Bhutan, Burma, Nepal, Myanmar, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Vietnam, Syria, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Akron Black Artists Guild—ABAG is a network of Black artists dedicated to building a thriving community that fosters educational and professional development by connecting Black artists to opportunities and resources.

Akron Roundtable—In 1976, Akron leaders decided the city needed a community forum to encourage and bring bold, creative and new ideas to the region. Its nearly 500 speakers have included governors, poets, spies and scientists. The speakers bring their ideas and observations to Akron where they can be leveraged and expanded to launch new community efforts. Recent topics include the culture of giving in the Black community and music as a creative path in education.

Akron Urban League—Since 1925, AUL has continuously adapted to the needs of Akron’s community, supporting residents through workforce development, youth education, entrepreneurship and racial justice advocacy. In the 1950s and 60s, the Akron Community Service Center and Urban League on East Market Street provided amenities that had been lacking for the Black community, including a gym, pool and library. It became a safe haven, offering recreational programs for Blacks when no other facilities in Akron would.

In the 1970s and 80s, with Vernon Odom Sr. at the helm, AUL expanded its scope and became a leading force in civil rights advocacy and economic empowerment. The organization’s entrepreneur programs were expanded. A capital campaign allowed for the construction of the AUL’s new home on

Vernon Odom Boulevard. In 2025, the AUL celebrates 100 years as a pillar of the community.

Random Rubber City Fact: Established in 2023 through the Akron Community Foundation, the Black Giving Collective Fund is an endowment fund created by the Black community to benefit the Black community in and around Greater Akron.

Asian Services in Action (ASIA )— ASIA is the largest health and human services agency serving the Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) community of Northeast Ohio. The nonprofit ASIA runs a health center in Akron that specializes in linguistically and culturally competent care for immigrants and refugees. ASIA also provides all the wraparound social services for this community to thrive in Northeast Ohio.

Global Ties Akron—Global Ties Akron builds relationships worldwide through international leader exchanges. Along with global education and social justice enterprise, it promotes citizen diplomacy and cross-cultural understanding to break down barriers and reduce stereotypes. In 2023, they

made more 23,000 local to global connections, which brought more than $3 million to the Akron area economy.

Leadership Akron Leaders and potential leaders come together in this program to connect with each other and dive into the workings of community collaboration. Its Diversity On Board program, now in its ninth year, is designed to advance minority representation on nonprofit and public boards. Its NEXT cohort brings individuals at or nearing retirement together to leverage their extensive experience and expertise to influence the community’s trajectory.

NEXT, an acronym for New Endeavors for eXperienced Talent, offers participants a platform to redefine their role in the life of Akron. It also has a program for juniors in high school. Junior Leadership Akron helps build young leaders in Akron and throughout Summit County.

United Way of Summit & Medina

For more than 100 years, United Way of Summit & Medina has channeled the generosity and caring power of the local community to advance the

common good. First established in 1918 as a War Chest fund to support the local community during World War I, it later became the Better Akron Foundation under the leadership of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. executive W.D. Shilts.

During its first fundraising campaign, the Better Akron Foundation raised an astonishing $1.2 million—nearly $20 million in today’s dollars.

Today the United Way of Summit & Medina pursues the bold goals of youth reading success, career readiness, financial empowerment and health equity through its many direct services,

programs and partnerships. It has improved those community standards every year since setting the four major goals. It is also working to improve the social services ecosystem to make it easier to navigate and access.

Summit County Historical Society

Seven women of the Cuyahoga-Portage Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) founded the organization in 1924 in anticipation of Akron’s centennial. A century later, their collection of historic papers and photographs, housed at the Special Collections Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library, is available to the public. The organization maintains the Perkins Stone Mansion, the home of Akron and Summit County’s founding family, the John Brown House and the Old Stone School.

Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce—From start-ups to established companies, GAC offers businesses the connections and resources that support their growth in ways that strengthen the vibrancy of the regional economy. Members include established companies, such as the 131-year-old Acme Fresh Market grocery chain and rising stars such as EarthQuaker Devices, which makes special-effect guitar pedals.

The polymer industry has been a cornerstone of economic growth in Greater Akron, playing a crucial role in the region’s industrial evolution. Akron has transitioned from its early rubber dominance to a vibrant hub for advanced polymers, plastics and sustainability-driven innovation.

The Polymer Industry Cluster is a collection of public and private partners whose focus on innovation and sustainability has generated investment and received national recognition as the center for sustainable polymers research, innovation and collaboration. The Cluster’s work resulted in a state-funded Innovation Hub award and national Tech Hub designation, resulting in a $100 million investment.

The goal of the Cluster is to solidify Greater Akron as a global center for polymer innovation. Over the next seven to 10 years, Greater Akron’s polymer industry is poised to:

• Create or retain more than 4,000 jobs, including nearly 2,400 new jobs in the Akron area

Perkins Stone Mansion. Courtesy of Summit County Historical Society.

• Generate more than $1 billion of private investment in expanded production

• Remove millions of tons of carbon dioxide from the environment annually

Bounce Innovation Hub Located in the renovated Goodrich factory, the nonprofit organization has more than 300,000 square feet of coworking, event, meeting and professional office space. It has a technology incubator, a software accelerator and a Generator space for makers and creators. Companies currently working with Bounce include a robotics firm with a platform for virtual cardiac ultrasounds, a medical device group making better anesthesia masks and an AI specialist developing an app that scans social media posts for harmful content.

MAGNET (The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network) — Since 1984, MAGNET has been helping local businesses grow, adding more than 100,000 jobs and boosting Northeast Ohio’s economy—especially in Akron. They’re all about making manufacturing

stronger and helping companies develop cool new products.

• About ten years ago, MAGNET opened an office in Akron and teamed up with Bounce to help startups and creators bring their ideas to life.

• In 2020, MAGNET helped manufacturers produce 50 million pieces of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), protecting jobs and saving lives.

• Recently, MAGNET created a Blueprint for Manufacturing to bring even more jobs to the area.

• They also started one of the first Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEP), a program to support small and medium manufacturers.

• Plus, they offer programs like a unique apprenticeship to help students get hands-on experience in tech careers.

MAGNET has helped launch hundreds of products — from giant 3D printers to whiskey brands — showing that Akron is a hub for innovation.

Courtesy of United Way of Summit & Medina

Photo

courtesy of MAGNET

Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub, we’re leveraging decades of knowledge and experimentation by the brightest minds in the field to create a whole new field to help heal the planet. More than 70 partner agencies make up the collaborative bedrock of the Hub, including key players like the Greater Akron Chamber, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and The University of Akron. The core of this initiative is the Polymer Pilot Plant, a facility dedicated to advancing polymer applications across vital industries, including healthcare, mobility and energy. This commitment is poised to leverage Akron’s deep-seated expertise and track record in the polymer realm and shape it into jobs, innovation and sustained economic vitality.

The city is working with Community Development Corporations to enliven and strengthen its various neighborhoods and business districts–from Middlebury to Maple Valley. The Rubber City Heritage Trail now under

Above: The University of Akron Polymer Lab. Courtesy of The University of Akron.

Below: MAGNET at work. Courtesy of MAGNET.

construction will be a six-mile multiuse recreational trail connecting the neighborhoods of Goodyear Heights, Middlebury, University Park, Downtown Akron, Firestone Park, Summit Lake and Kenmore. The trail will offer Akron residents a new way to commute around the city by creating a safe, walkable, bikeable and accessible connection to parks, grocery stores, libraries, churches and other amenities.

It takes a village to build a successful city. Our Akron predecessors worked hard to bring us to the point. They tamed the wilderness, built communities, put the world on wheels, leveraged our polymer prowess and preserved our natural beauty.

So . . . are you in? Are you ready to write the next chapter of the Akron story?

& MEDINA

AY SUMMIT

Help us build a community where leaders and organizations come together to solve problems, where help is always within easy

to build a better life is available to everyone.

2024 Lock 3 Reopening. Photo by Bruce Ford

Rendering of The Heritage Trail. Courtesy of Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition

Pre History

1854

The

First People—the Seneca, the Cayuga, the Huron, the Shawnee, the Ojibwe and the Leni Lenape (or the Delaware)—lived on the land that is now Akron.

The 8-mile Portage Path, traversing Akron from the Cuyahoga River to the Tuscarawas River, has played an important role in the region since 1785.

Akron, at 1,067 feet above sea level, is one of Ohio’s highest points and sits astride a major US watershed divide.

Two men impersonating US Marshals try to arrest escaped slave James Worthington. Attorneys Lucius Bierce and Alvin Voris help Worthington escape to Canada.

Ferdinand Schumacher purchases a mill to create oat bars for the Union Army and becomes the pioneer of breakfast cereal, forming the American Cereal Company, later to become the Quaker Oats Company.

1825

General Simon Perkins and Paul Williams co-found Akron, naming it after the Greek word “akros” or summit, because it sits at the highest point on the Ohio and Erie Canal.

1851

Sojourner Truth delivers her “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech at the Universalist Old Stone Church on High Street.

1859

Abolitionist John Brown visits Akron to get support for his raid on Harpers Ferry that attempted to end slavery. Akron’s GermanAmerican Alliance erects a monument to him in 1910, and additions were made in 1938 by the African American 25 Year Club.

1864

Lewis Miller establishes The Buckeye Mower & Reaper Company (later International Harvester), develops the Akron Sunday School Plan (1867), and co-founds the Chautauqua Assembly (1874).

1827

The first canal boat travels from Akron to Cleveland including a one-mile series of 16 staircase locks.

1849

David E. Hill builds the first American sewer pipe factory in East Akron.

1869

The Ladies Cemetery Association raises funds to build the Caretaker’s Lodge at the Akron Rural Cemetery, now Glendale Cemetery.

1835

Dr. Eliakim Crosby’s mill race is pivotal to Akron’s growth by providing power for industry and commerce.

1847

The Akron School Plan provides free education for all children and in 1853 is the first to provide free high school—a concept later adopted across the nation.

1840

Summit County is established by Colonel Simon Perkins, then a state senator and the son of Akron’s co-founder, General Perkins.

1844

John Brown, Akron’s most prominent link to the era of abolition, moves to Akron.

1870

Dr. Benjamin Goodrich moves his then-failing rubber company from New York to Akron. The B.F. Goodrich Company would later become the largest rubber company in the world.

John R. Buchtel founds Buchtel College, later The University of Akron, aided by contributions from the Universalist Church.

1890

The Akron Day Nursery, later the Mary Day Nursery, is founded for children of working mothers. It eventually becomes Akron Children’s Hospital.

Continued on next page...

1892

Boniface DeRoo bequeaths $10,000 to help found Akron City Hospital, the first in the city. Today, it is known as Summa Health.

1927

Goodyear constructs the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons.

1900

Harvey S. Firestone Sr. founds the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. In 1906 he would land his biggest client, the Ford Motor Company.

1925

The Akron Community Service Center and Urban League, now the Akron Urban League (AUL), is founded.

Akron celebrates its centennial with a parade and a book published by the newly formed Summit County Historical Society.

1930

The first shipment in a Roadway Express truck contains B.F. Goodrich tires. By 1939, it becomes the largest long-haul trucking company in the US.

1920

Akron becomes the fastest growing city in the nation due to the influx of workers for the tire industry.

1935

Dr. Bob (below) and Bill W. create Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in the Stan Hywet Gate Lodge as guests of Henrietta Seiberling.

1905

M.F. Christensen and Samuel C. Dyke (below) mass produce marbles. Saalfield Publishing Co. makes books and toys, cementing Akron’s leadership in the toy industry.

1916

The International Institute of Akron is founded to welcome immigrants and refugees to the community.

The Akron Experiment tests 10,000 schoolgirls between 1916 and 1920 and concludes that iodized salt prevents goiters.

1909

Dr. Charles Knight teaches the first “rubber chemistry” class in the world at Buchtel College.

1914

Marcus Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association in Akron, dedicated to the “general uplift of the Negro people of the world.”

1915

F. A. Seiberling, co-founder of The Goodyear Rubber Company, raises money to build Peoples Hospital, which becomes Cleveland Clinic Akron General in 2015.

1938

The Negro Motorist Green Book (later the Travelers’ Green Book), a Jim Crow era travel guide for African Americans,

lists the Matthews Hotel as one of the only lodgings available for African Americans visiting Akron.

1940

During WWII, Waldo Semon and other Akron chemists rapidly develop synthetic rubber after the supply of natural rubber is cut off.

1941

During World War II, over half of Goodyear’s 30,000 workers were women, commonly known as “Rosies.”

1946

Ray Dove is the first African American chemistry graduate of The University of Akron and the first African American chemist at Goodyear. His daughter, Rita Dove, would become the first African American and youngest US Poet Laureate.

2009

President Obama signs the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Ledbetter, a Goodyear employee, fights for equal pay for all women.

1997

President Bill Clinton launches his initiative on race in Akron, inspired by a Pulitzer-winning Beacon Journal series. It sparks national conversations and the Coming Together Project.

2018

Akron declares the first Monday in October as North American First People’s Day to honor indigenous history, life, and culture.

2023

Shammas Malik, Akron’s youngest and first Muslim mayor, is elected.

1958

Ed Davis becomes the first African American elected to Akron city council as Ward 3 representative. He would become the first Black President of Council in 1970 and Clerk of Council in 1976.

1995

Four women found Asian Services in Action (ASIA) to help the underserved, low-income and immigrant Asian communities in Northeast Ohio.

2024

Akron becomes a Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub, receiving $100 million in federal, state, and local funding for polymer innovation.

1968

The Wooster Avenue Riots is a week of civil unrest as tensions boiled over following decades of racial injustice. 1000 National Guard are called in, and 400 arrests were made.

1986

Judith Resnik, the second US woman in space, the first Jewish woman in space, and a Firestone High School graduate, is killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion.

1972

Robert Denton pioneers the Victim Assistance Program, a nationally known victim advocate and crisis responder.

2025

The Goodyear Blimp celebrates its Centennial. Akron celebrates its Bicentennial.

The Sojourner Legacy Plaza, featuring a lifesize statue of Sojourner Truth designed by renowned African American Woodrow Nash, is unveiled.

Summit County Historical Society, for her expertise on compiling this timeline.

City Council consists of 10 ward councilmembers and 3 at large councilmembers who represent the citizens of Akron. Council plays an important role in the operation of Akron city government, voting on all budgetary matters and serving as the city’s oversight and accountability branch. To learn more, visit akroncitycouncil.org

“I love my Akron Neighborhood.”

When my husband and I moved into it as newlyweds, we thought we’d stay for five years and then move on. But decades later, we remain. It’s my special corner of the city I love.

Akron now has 24 unique neighborhoods, all of which have their own flavor with special spots to grab a coffee or parks to bring the kids. North Hill has always been multicultural; West Hill has homes on the National Register of Historic Places. Downtown is the place for city living.

In these 24 profiles, we’ve tried to give you a taste of each neighborhood— with the help of community ambassadors—so you might be convinced to spend some time exploring all of them.

But what makes a neighborhood is, well, neighborliness. It’s the connections we make while walking our dogs or standing in line at the grocery store. Akron is filled with dedicated people willing to work hard to make their special corner of Akron lively and dynamic—today and tomorrow.

Front Row from l to r: Ward 4 Councilmember Jan Davis, Ward 7 Councilmember Donnie Kammer, Ward 10 Councilmember Sharon Connor, Ward 8 Councilmember Bruce Bolden, At Large Councilmember Linda Omobien. Second Row from l to r: Ward 5 Councilmember Johnnie Hannah, Ward 1 Councilmember Samuel DeShazior, Clerk of Council Sara Biviano, At Large Councilmember and Vice President of Council Jeff Fusco (seated), Council Chief of Staff Dr. Joan Williams, Ward 3 Councilmember and President of Council Margo Sommerville (seated), Ward 2 Councilmember Phil Lombardo, Ward 6 Councilmember and President Pro Tem Brad McKitrick (seated), Ward 9 Councilmember Tina Boyes, At Large Councilmember Eric Garrett Sr.

Senior Writer, Akron Bicentennial LIVE Publishing Company

Akron

Cascade Valley

TTwo decades ago, Akron’s Cascade Valley, then known as Elizabeth Park Valley, was a distressed urban neighborhood north of downtown. Today, thanks to the hard work of both the private and public sector, it has come alive. Parks are filled with families, new housing dots the landscape, and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail provides plenty of recreation for everyone.

Cascade Valley began as the city’s first industrial valley. The same topography that presented an obstacle for the canal builders provided waterpower for a string of industries that soon lined the canal. Parallel to the canal was the Cascade Race, built in 1832 by Eliakim Crosby. It was this separate mill race which powered mills, a furniture factory, furnaces and distilleries.

Today, that Cascade Valley history has been safeguarded by canal preservation groups. Cascade Locks Park and the Mustill Store Museum, a restored 1850s general store, provide a hands-on history lesson on Akron’s canal-era past. A centerpiece of the neighborhood is the 526-acre Cascade Valley Metro Park, lined with miles of trails and scenic landmarks, including the 300-year-old Signal Tree.

In the southwest section of the Cascade Valley, neighbors, with the help of many community groups, have made significant updates to Elizabeth Park. Recent enhancements include upgraded playground equipment, improved walking trails, expanded green spaces, and a splash pad. Additionally, ongoing programming has encouraged community involvement. These changes have transformed Elizabeth Park into a vibrant, modern space that

reflects the community’s needs while preserving the area’s historical significance.

The old Elizabeth Park public housing, built in the 1940s by the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA), has been transformed into Cascade Village, townhomes on either side of East North Street and apartments in a four-story building on North Howard Street.

The former Swinehart Tire & Rubber Co. factory near the corner of North and Howard Streets has been transformed into Cascade Lofts, upscale living in the heart of the valley. Hickory Street is dotted with new townhomes and stand-alone homes built in the last decade. Lock 15 Brewing provides refreshment for residents and park visitors who marvel at the community’s transformation from neglected urban neighborhood to lively city oasis.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Michael Howard

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? Its rich history, culture, and recent revitalization efforts.

What do you enjoy doing in your neighborhood? I enjoy exploring the parks, hiking the Towpath, eating at Northside Market and riding the Scenic Valley Railway.

Gina Burk

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? The abundance and integration of vibrant parks, access to organic farms, markets and recreational green spaces.

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? Become known nationally as the Cuyahoga Valley Gateway District ecotourism recreation area.

Left: Cascade Valley home. Photo by Bruce Ford. Above: Michael Howard and summer campers. Courtesy of Michael Howard.

Chapel Hill

Rubber City Clothing, an Akron retailer, sells a T-shirt emblazoned with the road signage for State Route 8. This route is a touchstone for the city. And it’s the opening of this northsouth expressway, along with an enclosed mall, that shaped the northern Akron neighborhood we call Chapel Hill today.

But before whizzing cars and half-off sales, there was Capt. Nathaniel Bettes, a Revolutionary War veteran, who in 1816 settled the land near the intersection of Tallmadge and Home Avenues. For his war service, Bettes received a pension and about 500 acres from the state of Massachusetts, including 150 acres in untamed Ohio. Bettes lived to see the 1825 founding of Akron, which eventually annexed the neighborhood. The captain was in his 90s when he died and is buried with descendants on a hillside near his homestead. The area is still known as Bettes Corners.

In the 1930s, a young boy named Richard Buchholzer was playing on his family’s farmland near the old Bettes home when he found what he described as the ruins of an Indigenous council circle, a place of worship for Native Americans. Years later, when he chose to build a mall on the land, he named it Chapel Hill to honor its history.

When Chapel Hill Mall was opened in 1967, it drew people from across the city who often traveled the new state Route 8 to get there. For years, the mall thrived.

In the early 1990s, it had a 100 percent occupancy rate. But as people began to show a preference for the in-and-out of strip malls and the convenience of online shopping, the mall began to fade. Development along Howe Avenue exploded as people sought shopping closer to the Route 8 exit. Chapel Hill Mall closed in 2021 and has been converted into a business park.

Archie, the mall’s eight-foot-tall talking snowman that thrilled and terrified kids for decades, as well as its bright, musical carousel, have found new homes at Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron.

Neighborhood Ambassador

Rodney Matthews

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? Our uniqueness comes from the 30+ different cultures all within one neighborhood.

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? We hope to see all our neighbors be able to thrive together, in deep relationships.

What do you enjoy doing in your neighborhood? I enjoy talking with residents and going to the neighborhood parks.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? The diversity of neighbors, friends, businesses and landscapes.

Above : Residents enjoy the Gorge Metro Park. Photo courtesy of Akron-Summit CVB. Right: Chapel Hill Home.

Coventry Crossing

Coventry Crossing is Akron’s southernmost neighborhood, carved out of a once-massive Coventry Township. The neighborhood is named for a housing development built in the 1990s in what was once township property.

In 1788, Coventry Township was initially part of Washington County, the first county formed in the Ohio Territory. The township originally encompassed the Rolling Acres area, Summit Lake and the lands south to the GreenNew Franklin boundary line. Daniel Haines was the first resident to settle in Coventry Township in 1806.

When the Ohio & Erie Canal opened in Akron in 1827, the system needed a steady, ample flow of water. The glacial lakes in the Coventry area, now known as the Portage Lakes, were modified to supply this water.

Over years, Akron annexed several parts of Coventry Township, including the Rolling Acres and Summit Lake areas. In 1994, the City of Akron and Coventry Township reached a Joint Economic Development District (JEDD) agreement. The JEDD brought city utilities to an area previously served by wells. A housing development now known as Coventry Crossing, began to spring up within an area, annexed to Akron. The homes in the neighborhood were built mainly in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The Coventry Crossing neighborhood sits across from the expansive Firestone Metro Park and the famous Firestone Country Club. The country club was commissioned in 1929 by Harvey S. Firestone, founder of the tire company, for his employees. In 1954, the Rubber City Open was the

first pro golf tournament to be held at the club but not the last. The club has hosted many professional tournaments. The South Course is considered one of the most challenging courses in professional golf. Today, the club hosts the annual Kaulig Companies Championship, one of five stops on the PGA’s senior players tour.

At Firestone Metro Park, across from Coventry Crossing, large wetlands and marshy meadows provide critical habitat for fish, crayfish, frogs, turtles and birds. Little Turtle Pond offers fishing for kids, and the Tuscarawas Meadows area is popular with cross country skiers and hikers. A sled hill off East Warner Road provides wintertime fun.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Bruce Ford

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? Coventry Crossing is an enclave within the City of Akron with its own park and gazebo.

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? I hope that our Neighborhood Association continues to maintain the beauty and the quality of life.

Mark Derrig

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? We are a unique enclave hidden in away in southern Akron. We are in the City of Akron but part of the Coventry School District.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? Its proximity to highway access and the Firestone Metro Parks. A short walk to Turtle Pond and the metro parks is truly a plus. But the must-see are the fall colors of our entrance way.

Left: Entrance to Coventry Crossing. Photo by Bruce Ford. Above: Movie night. Photo by Mark Derrig.

Downtown Akron

Downtowns are the beating heart of any city, but for decades, downtown Akron was simply the place people went to work. Urban renewal projects of the 1960s split the inner city neighborhoods off from the center of the city.

After tire manufacturers left town, downtown Akron visibly suffered. The major department stores, which drew people downtown during the holidays to shop and admire decorated windows, closed permanently. Other stores and restaurants followed. People flocked to the suburbs.

It’s the familiar saga of deindustrialized downtowns. But Akron has turned the narrative on its head. Summit County, the City of Akron and ambitious developers have come together to remake downtown into a neighborhood where people work, live and play. Overall, more than $176 million has been invested in new residential housing in Downtown Akron since 2018, leading people of all ages to experience the joys of city living.

So, for those interested in living downtown, you’re covered. And, as for playing, there’s plenty of room for that. Lock 3 Park, Akron’s Central Park, just underwent a $17 million makeover. Hop on the Towpath Trail which runs right through downtown. Visit the Akron Art Museum, the Akron Children’s Museum, the new Akron History Center, and Summit Artspace. The Rubber Ducks, the AA team of the Cleveland Guardians, play at Canal Park on Main Street. The Main Akron-Summit County Public Library has more than books, including a recording studio and directto-film printers. The Nightlight is an intimate venue for indie

films. Drink a beer at Jilly’s, see a show at the Akron Civic Theatre, listen to music at BLU Jazz+. If you’re hungry, you’ll find gooey grilled cheese at the Lockview. Visit the Northside Marketplace where you can find locally made products and more.

The City is working to heal the wounds, visible and not, that were caused by urban renewal. It is seeking public input on remaking the decommissioned Innerbelt into a public space and reuniting downtown with its inner-ring neighborhoods.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Albert Macso

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? We love being a part of the Historic Arts district with its cool character and culture. As the neighborhood coffee shop, we get things going early, and then the block comes alive with museums, restaurants, bars, the movie theater, and music venues.

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? That the block continues to fill in with other great businesses. Storefronts are still available, and we could always use more unique attractions to bring people downtown.

Traci Buckner

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? A lively family environment that both educates and entertains, fostering community connections and joyful experiences together.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? The rich history of the Lock system located along the Ohio & Erie Canalway.

Above : Fireworks downtown. Photo by Anthony Bearman. Right: The Peanut Shoppe is a favorite snacking spot since 1933.

East Akron

Population 11,493

Library

Goodyear Branch

Parks & Recreation

Joy Park

Joy Park

Community Center

Talbot/Whitney Park

Housing

Single-family and multifamily

Landmarks & Attractions

Viall Lodge at East Akron

Cemetery

Arlington Church of God

Archbishop Hoban High School

East Akron is a neighborhood that was once powered by rubber and followed its fortunes for years. Built in the shadow of two of the biggest tire companies in the world, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and General Tire Rubber Company, East Akron was home to the tire builders, trimmers, mixers, the people who worked on the factory floor to keep America rolling.

In 1915, Akronites William O’Neil and Winifred Fouse watched the success of Akron’s Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, as it began to capture the emerging automobile market and saw an opportunity in tire manufacturing. In 1915, they launched General Tire Rubber Company in East Akron.

For decades, Goodyear, General Tire and East Akron thrived. But Goodyear shut down its tiremaking operations in Akron in 1978, although it kept its headquarters on the east side of town. In 1982, General Tire shut its Akron tire-making plant. In 1987, its tire-making operations were spun off from the parent holding company and sold to Continental AG of Germany.

As tire jobs disappeared, the neighborhood struggled to find its footing. The East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation (EANDC) helps East Akron residents facing foreclosure and other housing issues. It leads classes on home buying and good financial management. In 2022, the EANDC, Akron Parks Collaborative and other partners worked together to create a new kid-designed playground at East Akron’s Talbot/Whitney Park.

Development of the nearby East End, including the Hilton Garden Inn, The Lofts and The Residences, has brought new life to the general area. The developer of the East End, Industrial Realty Group, is now planning a 160-unit affordable housing complex for seniors on the site of the former Goodyear Middle School on Martha Avenue. Joy Park Community Center serves as a gathering place for community meetings that take place monthly.

An interesting landmark in the neighborhood is the East Akron Cemetery, which opened in 1853. The cemetery is the final resting place of famous Akron citizens, such as publishing pioneer Arthur J. Saalfield and George Barber, father of O.C. Barberton, the founder of Barberton.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Cazell Smith, Sr.

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? Our neighborhood’s unique flavor is strong friendship and kinship ties.

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? We hope in the future, the number of owner-occupied houses is maintained and increased.

Holly Calhoun

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor?

East Akron Labor Day Parade brings together communities celebrating the holiday.

What do you enjoy doing in your neighborhood? Working in the communities with community gardeners, having community events and informational meetings.

Left: Mural of Mr. East Akron, Art Minson. Above: 49th Annual Labor Day Parade. Courtesy of EANDC.

Located in the southeast corner of Akron, the neighborhood called Ellet today was once part of Springfield Township. The early settlers, arriving in the beginning of the 19th century called the area by several names, including The Burgh and North Springfield.

Samuel J. Elliott (shortened to Ellet) was among Springfield’s earliest white settlers, having moved to the area from Maryland in 1810. He purchased more than 500 acres of land from Gen. Simon Perkins. He then sold a large portion to his sons. “The Burgh” grew steadily and had a population of 1,500 by 1830.

North Springfield stayed mostly rural until the postWorld War I boom and tire jobs brought an influx of new residents to the Akron area. Farms quickly gave way to housing developments. Some people set up shacks made of wood and tin until their houses could be built.

Unfortunately, the infrastructure to support such a fast-growing community—sewers, water and gas— was virtually nonexistent. Residents battled over the merits of annexation to Akron for several years, but desperation finally led the board of trade to petition for annexation of Ellet and the municipal airport, which was granted in 1929. Today, the airport’s terminal building, which was constructed in 1931, has been restored and transformed into a corporate headquarters. The Akron Executive Airport, which has been expanded in recent years, is still in active use for private air travel.

At annexation, the community received a post office, but it needed a name to go with it. Citizens gathered at a general store to vote on it. Since the building stood on

land once owned by David Ellet Jr., they decided Ellet would be its name. Although many residents feared the loss of their identity as a separate community, the Ellet spirit is still going strong today.

Longtime Ellet residents remember sledding at Derby Downs (the home of the All-American Soap Box Derby), eating frozen custard at Strickland’s (still great) and shopping at the Ellet Meat Market. Ellet has seen a wave of new housing construction. It is a healthy middle-class community and home to both blue- and white-collar workers.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Bill Fritz

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? Being an Ellet historian, I’d love to have a building designated for an Ellet historical society and war veterans’ murals hanging from poles throughout the community.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? Our school system, our clean, safe environment and how neighbors look out for each other.

Jim Weyrick

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? Ellet has three immortal janitors: two schools and a gymnasium were named for their beloved custodians.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? It’s my fourgeneration home! I moved back in 2014 after living 31 years near Chicago.

Population

18,900

Library

Ellet Branch

Parks & Recreation

Hyre Park

Lion’s Park

Ellet Community Center

Goodyear Heights Metro Park

Davenport Park

Housing Mainly single-family; some apartments

Landmarks & Attractions

Derby Downs

Goodyear

Airdock

Guggenheim

Airship Institute

Eastgate Ellet Plaza

Above: The East Side Lamp Post is an Ellet landmark. Photo by CoStar Media. Right: Derby Downs. Photo courtesy of Derby Downs.

Fairlawn Heights

Branch

Fairlawn-Bath Branch

Parks & Recreation

Sand Run Metro Park

Seiberling Nature Realm Housing

Single-family

Landmarks & Attractions

Homes by Roy Firestone

Landscapes/ Streets by Warren H. Manning

The downtown Akron of the early 20th century was a gritty and noisy place. Streetcars clanged, roads were jammed and barfights frequently spilled onto sidewalks. But there was a place only 20 minutes away that promised to be nearly magical—clean and quiet with expansive lawns and elegant homes that spoke of old money.

Golf! Tennis! Desirable associates! What more could any aspirational executive ask for?

This was the sales pitch of the creators of Fairlawn Heights, which, more than a century later, remains one of Akron’s most appealing neighborhoods.

It began when The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. founder F.A. Seiberling purchased a large farm along West Market Street near Revere Road with plans for a family estate. But he eventually chose to locate his Stan Hywet Hall on North Portage Path instead. Seiberling decided the old farm would be ideal for a golf club and an elegant enclave, so he purchased additional tracts amassing 1,000 acres. He built the golf club on the north side, and the Akron Development Co. shaped a luxury neighborhood on the south side.

Seiberling’s golf club is now known as Fairlawn Country Club, although the original clubhouse burned down in 1929 to be replaced by the building on North Wheaton Road.

Famous landscape architect Warren H. Manning, who had designed the grounds of Stan Hywet, planned the gently curving streets and boulevards of Fairlawn Heights. Each residence sat on no less than an acre, and strict rules governed housing specifications.

After the boom of building in the 1920s and early 30s, the neighborhood was somewhat static until after the end of World War II when slightly more modest homes began to fill in the empty lots of Fairlawn Heights, which had been annexed by Akron in 1932.

A drive through the streets of Fairlawn Heights today reveals Tudor and Georgian revivals, French Norman and Chateaux styles, and even Bauhaus and ranch homes. The area still has no sidewalks, which residents say helps it retain the countryside feel Manning imagined.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Amy Freed Humbert

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? I hope Fairlawn Heights can continue to attract young families, keep outside through-traffic to a minimum, and maintain its canopy of mature trees.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? Our natural beauty, friendly neighbors, historic homes, and convenient access to essential services and major transportation routes all within a short drive.

Bob Keener

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? Our neighborhood’s historic combination of grand homes and more modest dwellings. A 1930s ad said, it’s a neighborhood where “the family that wishes to build a $10,000 or $15,000 home is just as welcome as the one who builds a $50,000 residence.”

What do you enjoy doing in your neighborhood? Enjoying Fairlawn Heights’ beauty, taking in neighborhood celebrations such as the Fourth of July Parade, the Fall Festival, and the Easter Egg hunt.

Left: Residents enjoying the neighborhood. Above: Drone shot of Fairlawn Height’s beauty. Photos by Bob Keener.

Firestone Park

Harvey Firestone’s piercing gaze, forever etched in bronze, still looks out over Firestone Park, the community he built south of downtown Akron more than a hundred years ago.

Harvey’s gaze may never have wavered since the statue was placed on the grounds of the Firestone Research Center on the 50th anniversary of his tire company, but life has moved apace around him. For one thing, his research center is now the Bridgestone Americas Technology Center. Bridgestone, which purchased Firestone in 1988, has invested heavily in Akron and the Center, opening a tire plant and test track on its Firestone Park campus in 2022.

Firestone Park may be a reminder of Akron’s glorious past as the Rubber City, but it’s a lively community of today filled with young families and those who’ve lived here for generations.

Firestone Park had its origins during Akron’s boom time in the early 20th century when tire factories were operating around the clock. Harvey Firestone wanted to build a charming neighborhood where his workers, both blue- and white-collar, could live close to their jobs.

The streets in Firestone Park curve gently, and street corners are planted with flowers. The homes vary in size and style from modest Cape Cods to large Colonials. It’s no wonder they were appealing to hundreds of Firestone employees.

But Harvey Firestone had stipulated that the community would be Whites only, which it remained until the 1960s. Thankfully, the community today is integrated and thriving.

High school baseball and softball teams play their games in Firestone Stadium, which recently underwent a $1.5 million renovation. The Aster Avenue Business District, which was named a local landmark and historic district by the City in 2019, has always been the heart of commerce in Firestone Park. Old-timers will remember Patterson’s Hardware, Lucky Shoes, Hoover’s Pharmacy and the Circle Theater. Today, retailers include cafes, small markets, thrift stores and pizza shops.

The Firestone Park Community Center is a gathering place with events all year. Recreational facilities include tennis courts and a splash pad for summertime fun. Firestone Metro Park, part of the Summit Metro Parks, is 258 acres of scenic hiking areas with habitats for varied wildlife.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Joanna Wilson

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor?

I love that Firestone Park has kept its name, which originated from its ties to the rubber industry and Akron’s history.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? The park, library, and community center located in the center of Firestone Park, surrounded by a gorgeous tree canopy.

Kevin Richards

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? I would love to see money spent to help update the neighborhood and local parks.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? A great sense of community full of amazing people.

Above : Kids perched on statue of Harvey FIrestone. Right: Home in Firestone Park . Photos by Bruce Ford.

Goodyear Heights

Population

WGoodyear Metro

Reservoir Park

Reservoir Park

Community Center

Housing

Single-family

Landmarks & Attractions

Linda Theater

Pioneer Street

Triangle Park

Blue Pond

hile strolling Goodyear Heights, it’s not hard to see the dream community Frank A. Seiberling envisioned for employees of his tire company. The neighborhood, built in the early 20th century, is cited as an example of the Garden City Movement, whose hallmarks are high-quality architecture and the integration of public spaces into the overall design. The streets follow the gentle contours of the land. Numerous small parks dot the landscape. The roomy Reservoir Park and sprawling Goodyear Metro Park provide plenty of recreational space for the community.

Goodyear Heights was designed by renowned landscape architect Warren Manning, who also created the gardens at Stan Hywet Hall, the Seiberling family mansion on Akron’s west side.

Some original features of Manning’s design, such as the steps on Bingham Path, are still in use. The small town square at Goodyear Boulevard and Pioneer Street retains much of its original charm, and a second commercial area near Reservoir Park also serves the neighborhood. The individual homes in Goodyear Heights include variations on English and American Craftsman styles. Houses in the first phase of the project, which began in 1912, were designed by the well-known New York firm of Mann & MacNeille.

The tire company helped finance the purchases of the homes, but only White families benefited since Goodyear Heights Realty had an explicit policy prohibiting Black workers from buying in the neighborhood. It wasn’t integrated until the late 1960s. For obvious reasons, Goodyear Heights was hit hard by the demise of tire

manufacturing, and the neighborhood’s population declined.

But today, the R.I.G.H.T. Committee (Residents Improving Goodyear Heights Together) are working to make needed improvements throughout the neighborhood and develop plans to enhance its quality of life and economic activity.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Art X Love created a paintscape for Triangle Park to reinvigorate this community gathering place on Goodyear Boulevard.

The Linda Theater, at the corner of Goodyear Boulevard and Newton Street since 1947, has shown first-run movies to generations.

It’s been more than a century since Frank Seiberling dreamed up his ideal community, but his company and the neighborhood it generated are still thriving.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Brittany Nader

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? Its parks and distinct homes are an early example of the “Garden City Movement,” which integrates green spaces with affordable housing.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? It’s close to the city’s cultural neighborhoods while still feeling tucked away and close-knit.

Jon Ashley

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? Goodyear Heights is quiet with winding streets, plenty of green spaces and full of hardworking dreamers and doers.

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? I hope to see more collaboration and stronger neighborhood identity and pride in the future.

Left: Neighbors meeting Neighbors. Above: Hope in the Heights mural. Photos courtesy of Goodyear Heights CDC.

High Hampton

High Hampton, north of the Merriman Valley, wasn’t always part of Akron. It was once part of Northampton Township. The Ottawa and Mingo tribes hunted in Northampton before Europeans arrived. The first white settler in Northampton was Simeon Prior, who moved there with his wife and 10 children from Northampton, MA in 1802. Native Americans still lived in the township and remained there until 1812 when American forces began to assemble there for the War of 1812. Northampton provided a rendezvous point for militia during the war.

Akron and Cuyahoga Falls annexed southern portions of the township in the 1970s and ‘80s, and a portion of the township was purchased by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. In 1986, what remained of Northampton merged with Cuyahoga Falls and became that city’s 8th ward.

The annexation history of Northampton left an irregular border between Akron and Cuyahoga Falls, including an isle inside Akron. When Akron redrew its maps in 2023, it labeled this area High Hampton after an existing housing development of 130 homes inside its borders. The area is an oasis of quiet in an otherwise busy area along Portage Trail and State Road. And its ties to Cuyahoga Falls remain, as most High Hampton homeowners have a Cuyahoga Falls mailing address. Population

Ninety percent of the homes in High Hampton were built after 1960 with the majority built between 1990 and 2004, including the Cross Creek subdivision. Homes range from sprawling ranches to traditional center-hall colonials. The area also includes the 200acre Ascot Industrial Park, which is home to several well-known companies, such as Main Street Gourmet (muffins and more) and Coltène/Whaledent Corp. (dental products).

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Danny Zapelli

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? We have a suburban feel with Akron’s amenities nearby, minutes from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the Summit Metro Parks, and the valley.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? Wonderful, conscientious neighbors in a safe, peaceful, and well-maintained area, always ready to help each other with property upkeep.

Nancy Stanforth

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? Lovely vistas, gorgeous trees and safe, quiet lanes with friendly neighbors. Stores and services are minutes away.

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? I’m excited for new trails to improve connectivity and the opening of the Humane Society building

Above : Enjoying fall in the neighborhood. Photo by David Thomas . Right: Biking in Hampton Hills Metro Park. Photo by Rob Vaughn.

Highland Square

Population

10,901

Library

Highland Square Branch

Parks & Recreation

Hardesty Park

Will Christy Park

Hereford Park

Rich Swirsky Memorial Park

Housing

Single-family and multifamily

Landmarks & Attractions

Dr. Bob’s Home

The Highland Theater

“Unk,” the Indigenous American statue

Highland Square is known as Akron’s artsiest and funkiest community where a spirit of acceptance is cultivated. It’s where Akron’s first Pride March stepped off in the summer of 2017. (It’s now held downtown because of its growth.) It’s a truly diverse neighborhood and home to a mix of families, senior citizens and single, young professionals. It’s a highly walkable neighborhood, and its bars, restaurants and shops are popular. The grand dame of the district, the Art Deco Highland Theater, oversees it all.

Highland Square’s first real growth happened during Akron’s boom time in the first decades of the 20th century when rubber began its rule. Prosperous Akronites began to move from downtown’s Fir Hill area westward to escape the grime and noise of expanding tire factories. They built stately Tudors, Colonials and Georgians along West Market Street and its side roads, such as Rose Boulevard and Highland Avenue.

During the 1930s and 40s, the neighborhood began to fill in with more modest homes and apartment buildings for those midlevel professionals who wanted a five-minute, straight-shot drive to downtown. One of those was Dr. Bob Smith, who co-founded Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935 and whose home on Ardmore Avenue is open for tours.

Since then, the business district has undergone ups, downs and massive changes. An old gas station was replaced by the Mustard Seed Market & Café, a popular store and restaurant serving organic food and more. Longtime favorite, The Bucket Shop and Annabell’s, have closed in recent years. But Angel Falls coffee shop

still has plenty of cozy seats where neighbors gather, and Aladdin’s does a brisk business with its Middle Eastern fare. Mary Coyle, founded in 1937, serves takeout Italian cuisine and ice cream treats. Square Records is heaven for vinyl lovers.

The Highland Theater, opened in 1938, has been on the verge of being razed more than once, but today, the 600-seat theater has been renovated to include a bar area and dance floor. It shows popular first-run movies at discounted prices.

A highlight of the year is Highland Square’s annual PorchRokr festival, which draws thousands to hear local bands play on people’s front porches every August.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Elisa Gargarella

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? We have unique houses with lots of character. People are friendly, eclectic, and community oriented. Holiday events, PorchRokr and year-round family activities make my neighborhood feel welcoming and cool.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? I love the pride in restored century homes, curated gardens and devil strips. Families with kids, two great elementary schools and supportive neighbors make this community special.

Sarah Yuronka

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? I hope we continue to be engaged with each other and our city.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? We are a walkable neighborhood.

Left: Mary Coyle has been serving treats since 1937. Photo by Bruce Ford. Above: PorchRokr music festival. Photo by Shane Wynn

Although Kenmore has been a neighborhood of Akron for nearly a century, residents still hold fast to their separate identity and history.

First imagined as a bedroom community between the bustling cities of Akron and Barberton at the turn of the last century, Kenmore was carved out of six farms in Coventry Township by the Akron Realty Co. The company purchased property along Kenmore Boulevard, the right of way for a new trolley line between Akron and Barberton and began building homes for rubber workers in 1901.

Kenmore grew rapidly and reached city status in 1922, but its residential and small business tax base didn’t pay the bills. The city fell into debt and tried raising sewer fees. Outraged citizens formed a committee to explore Kenmore’s annexation to Akron. This led to ferocious battles among residents—some pro-annexation and some not. Four Kenmore councilmen were jailed for a week in contempt of court when they refused to place the Kenmore-Akron merger before voters. But the issue made it on the ballot, and Kenmore became Akron’s ninth ward in 1928.

Kenmore remained a middle-class, family-oriented community for decades, but the loss of rubber jobs hit the neighborhood hard. The area’s economic backbone had been good-paying factory jobs, so Kenmore had to find a way to thrive without them.

Take a walk today down Kenmore Boulevard (or the BLVD Historic District as it’s known), and you’ll find a community—Akron’s second largest—reinvented as a home for artists, musicians and more. It was

placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019. There are a dozen music-related businesses in a three-block area, including music retail, live music venues, recording studios and music schools. Thrash metal musician Curran Murphy owns Custom Audio Mutation, and New Wave pioneer Chris Butler moved his recording studio to Kenmore in summer 2024. The Rialto Theater has been serving up live music in the heart of Kenmore for several years. Retail mainstays Lay’s Guitar and Kenmore Komics & Games still draw customers to the neighborhood from everywhere.

In addition, a new Pfeiffer Elementary (K-5) and Miller South School for the Visual & Performing Arts (4-8) are to be built just north of the Historic District and are scheduled to open in the 2026-27 school year.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Kemp Boyd

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor?

We are a community with a historical district. Kenmore Blvd is not only a landmark in the Kenmore neighborhood but also for the City of Akron.

What do you enjoy doing in your neighborhood? I love visiting our parks and Kenmore Blvd. I also like to visit the thriving nonprofit organizations like First Glance and Just A Dad From Akron.

Joyce Laney

What is the hope for your neighborhood in the future?

As a neighborhood we would love for the City to utilize the old school footprint as a greenspace for events or a dog park or something.

What do you enjoy in your neighborhood? I enjoy walking. But in our community, there’s a lot we enjoy—The Rialto, Old 97 and the Center for Dance & Yoga.

Population

18,409

Library

Kenmore Branch

Parks & Recreation

Kenmore

Community Center

Nesmith Lake Park

Shadyside Park

Housing

Primarily singlefamily

Landmarks & Attractions

The Rialto Theatre

SRINA Tea House & Café

Showcase Meats

Southern Terminus of the Portage Path

Above : Concert at Shadyside Park. Photo by Bruce Ford. Right: Kenmore Boulevard. Photo courtesy of Better in Kenmore.

Merriman Hills

Population 7,146

Library Northwest Branch

Parks & Recreation

Sand Run Metro Park

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Cascade Valley Metro Park

Towpath Trail

Landmarks & Attractions

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

The Anchorage Portage Path

Merriman Road

In the early decades of the 20th Century, Merriman Hills was the most desired address among the upper-class executives of rubber companies and allied industries. A century later, it has stood the test of time. It remains one of Akron’s wealthiest, most desirable neighborhoods.

In 1912, when F.A. Seiberling, founder of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., decided to build his enormous Tudor Revival home on North Portage Path, the area was mostly undeveloped farms and woodlands. Well to the west of downtown and away from the sooty tire plants of east and south Akron, the area was considered the countryside when the Seiberlings built Stan Hywet Hall.

Others soon followed. Paul Litchfield, the longtime president of Goodyear, built his mansion known as The Anchorage on Merriman Road in 1925. He then hired the firm of Good and Wagner to develop the Ridgecrest Allotment subdivision, which includes Mayfair Road, Genesee Road and Delaware Avenue. The homes were originally built on double lots to allow for spacious gardens, although many of those lots were eventually sold off and developed.

Good and Wagner also designed commercial projects in Akron, including the Municipal Building downtown and the Portage Country Club at the intersection of Twin Oaks and North Portage Path.

Several elegant homes in the area were built by Roy Firestone, a self-taught Akron architect who, oddly enough for Akron, had no relationship to founders of the tire

company. He was known for graceful, arched doorways and ornamental ironwork that is still admired today.

In the 1920s, residential building also took off down the hills of Sunnyside Avenue and Palisades Drive. Although those homes are generally more modest than the grand dames of Portage Path, they still boast the fine details of that prosperous time in Akron’s history such as custom cabinetry and elaborate molding.

In the mid 1970s, as Akron’s existing housing stock aged, a new development of mainly split-level, mid-century modern homes sprung up on steep hillsides in a subdivision called Merriman Woods. An adjacent subdivision, Riverwoods, was developed mainly in the 1990s.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Barbara Feld

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? We live in the city, but it has always seemed so rural—a fascinating dichotomy.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? The friendliness and concern for the senior citizens still living in their homes.

Natalie Rothenbuecher

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? Continue to maintain its old charm and younger residents moving in.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? It continuously maintains its sense of home and tight-knit community. Growing up here, moving away, then being back to visit—all has the same comfortable feeling.

Left: Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens. Photo courtesy of Akron-Summit CVB. Above: July 4th parade spectators. Photo by Katie Orendorf.

Merriman Valley Neighborhoods

& Recreation

Cuyahoga Valley National

Hampton Hills

Cascade Valley

Sand Run Metro

Landmarks & Attractions

Indigenous

Path

Towpath

Treaty Line Area (once western U.S. boundary)

At the heart of the Merriman Valley is the north terminus of an ancient route Indigenous people traveled on foot, portaging their canoes between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers. A century ago, the Valley was the mainly undeveloped space on the outskirts of the burgeoning industrial Akron. In fact, the first major building in the area—once a four-story meatpacking house built in 1917—still stands near the intersection of Merriman Roads and North Portage Path.

As the southern gateway to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which receives nearly 3 million visitors a year, the Valley is a prime location for regional economic development. It is surrounded by other recreational parkland, including Sand Run Metro Park, Cascade Valley Metro Park, the Towpath Trail and Hampton Hills Metro Park. It has numerous popular bars, restaurants, salons and stores as well as the Weathervane Playhouse and the Liberty Commons lifestyle center, which recently came under new ownership.

But the area has suffered from a complicated annexation history and deferred decisions. Much of the land was once part of Northampton Township and was gradually annexed by Akron during the 1980s. In 1986, land that remained in the township was merged with the city of Cuyahoga Falls. Confusing boundaries and clashing zoning rules resulted in a hodgepodge of businesses and homes with no visual or cultural cohesion. Sidewalks, where some exist, that are too close to busy roads, make the area virtually unwalkable.

But all that appears to be changing. In 2021, the cities of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls unveiled a plan developed

by Farr and Associates of Chicago that would turn the Merriman Valley and the Schumacher area along Portage Trail Extension into an ecotourism destination and proper gateway to the national park. New zoning methods should lead to better integration of residential areas, such as Parkwood Estates, with commercial areas and parks.

And in recent years, Merriman Valley neighbors banded together to protect a 45-acre triangle of land adjacent to Northampton Park known as Theiss Woods that had been considered for new development. The City of Akron eventually decided to keep the property as a woodland site for an urban forestry academy.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Josh Larkin

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? Merriman Valley offers a national park, unique restaurants, and one of the state’s finest producing theaters. Boutique lodging would boost commerce and attract more visitors, making the neighborhood vibrant.

What do you enjoy doing in your neighborhood? Apart from spending a lot of time working at Weathervane Playhouse, I enjoy walking Sand Run trails and experiencing a variety of foods from local restaurants.

Karen Zampelli

What gives my neighborhood its unique flavor?

Its majestic hills, winding river, national park, scenic railroad, hiking, biking, and tons of restaurants and shops.

What do you love best about your neighborhood? The natural beauty that no man could ever create better or can ever destroy from our memories.

Left: Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Photo by Robert George. Above: Weathervane Playhouse. Courtesy of Akron-Summit CVB.

Middlebury

Before there was Akron, there was Middlebury. Today, the neighborhood is bordered by The University of Akron, The East End and Summa Health System’s Akron City Hospital. But in 1807, a former sea captain from Connecticut named Joseph Hart planted roots in the midst of the wild Ohio Country. Hart partnered with miller Aaron Norton to build a grist mill on the Little Cuyahoga River.

Hart and Norton’s mill inspired other industries to take off. And when a deposit of excellent clay was found in Middlebury in 1847, a pottery boom began. The Merrill Co. produced smoking pipes and clay bottles. Other potteries soon followed. Later, the industry evolved to focus on sewer pipe and brick production. The clay products industry in Akron continued into the early 20th century.

In 1825, when the Ohio & Erie Canal was routed west of Middlebury in what is now Downtown Akron, the village was eclipsed by the booming canal town. It was annexed to Akron in 1872.

When The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. opened on East Market Street in 1898, rubber workers found Middlebury a convenient place to live. But with the disappearance of tire manufacturing in the 1970s and years of disinvestment, Middlebury suffered. People moved out, and homes deteriorated.

But in recent years, the community has come together to improve life in Akron’s first neighborhood, rehabbing homes, creating public spaces and tearing down unsafe structures.

The Well Community Development Corporation

transformed an empty church into a neighborhood hub. It opened a café, a bookshop and Akron Food Works, a restaurant-grade kitchen where entrepreneurs can experiment. It also rehabs old housing and works to create a sense of community. The Neighborhood Network, part of Habitat for Humanity of Summit County, brings together Middlebury residents to determine their needs and invests in community-led projects. In 2022, about 70 residents got together to completely rebuild Middlebury’s Jewett Park, thanks to local grants.

While it’s looking to the future, Middlebury doesn’t forget its past. A millstone stands in front of Fire Station #2 to commemorate Joseph Hart and his mill of long ago.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Yolanda Parker

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? I hope the residents will receive all the tools needed to improve their quality of life and achieve their personal goals.

What do you enjoy doing in your neighborhood? I enjoy visiting the residents at their homes and providing neighborhood events.

Zac Kohl

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? Middlebury is a place of diversity and opportunity, where all people are known and a part of something bigger than themselves.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? The people, built around resiliency and connectedness.

Above : Residents enjoying A Taste of Middlebury. Right: Serving it up at Compass Coffee. Photos by Michelle Hill at Rae of Light Photography .

Population 24,892

Parks

Patterson Park

People’s Park

Waters Park

Patterson Park Community Center

Housing

Primarily single-family; some apartments

Landmarks & Attractions

DeVitis Italian Market & Deli

Headquarters of Alcoholics

Anonymous

Carovillese Club

North Hill

Community House

Akron’s North Hill has been called the city’s international district, and its tagline is simple: “One community, Many cultures.” It has been that way since Italians settled in North Hill in the early years of the last century, creating an Old World community in the city limits. The neighborhood’s development was supercharged in 1922 with the opening of the North Hill Viaduct, which connected North Hill to downtown Akron. The Viaduct was closed in 1977 for safety reasons and was replaced in 1981 by the All-America Bridge (better known as the Y Bridge).

Akron’s International Center, later renamed the International Institute of Akron, was established in 1916 by the YWCA to help foreign-born women (mainly Italian and Polish) adjust to American society. During World War I, as more refugees from war-torn Europe arrived in Akron and were attracted by its booming tire industry, the Institute expanded its mission to include men. In 1979, Akron was named an official resettlement city for refugees, and the Institute was there to welcome newcomers. The institute made its home in North Hill for decades until moving downtown in 2023, but its impact on this Akron neighborhood will outlast its residence.

As the tire jobs left Akron in the late 70s, North Hill deteriorated, and its population declined. A decade ago, North Hill High School had 500 students and was at risk of closing. Today, it’s flourishing with nearly 900 students, many of whom are the children of Akron’s newest wave of immigrants, the Bhutanese. Akron is home to the second

largest community of Bhutanese-Nepalis in the country. Along with a large number of recently arrived Congolese refugees, these newcomers have helped North Hill curtail population loss. They join the long-established White and African American residents to create Akron’s most racially and ethnically diverse neighborhood.

The North Hill Community Development Corporation is working to bring these diverse groups together with efforts such as the NoHi Food Truck Park, which features a rotating supply of food trucks, and People’s Park, an event space. The Howard Street Heritage Courtyard, designed by artist Jason Flakes, celebrates the diverse heritage of North Hill and the rich history of African Americans on Howard Street.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Gary Wyatt

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? It’s full of history and heritage, and it’s a melting pot of culture.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? Watching the diversity of the various cultures making connections that encourage healthy relationships within our neighborhood.

Rebecca Aronhalt Yokum

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor?

The specialty grocery stores with their literal flavor and representational flavor.

What do you enjoy doing in your neighborhood? Working in my Let’s Grow Akron Community Garden plot and chatting with passing neighbors.

Left: North Hill home. Photo by Bruce Ford. Above: Neighbors gather at People’s Park. Photo courtesy of North Hill CDC.

Northwest Akron

Northwest Akron has many notable landmarks, but perhaps none defines the neighborhood more than Sand Run Metro Park. In 1929, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. co-founder F.A. Seiberling made the first large-scale contribution with 500 acres of land stretching from Merriman Road where he was building Stan Hywet Hall to Ghent Road. The park system then approached remaining landowners to either donate or sell their rights-of-way along the future Sand Run Parkway. When it opened to the public in 1929, the park was about 700 acres. Today, it stands at nearly 1,000 and attracts two million visitors a year.

Residents enjoy jogging or walking along the Sand Run Parkway trail that runs parallel to the road. And everyone enjoys the splash of driving through the parkway’s ford where it crosses Sand Run. Creation of the park also helped preserve the city’s link to the historic Portage Path, which Native Americans traveled for countless generations.

Seiberling also owned land stretching from Stan Hywet Hall west to North Hawkins. In the 1920s, facing financial difficulties, Seiberling sold much of that land to developers. But it wasn’t until the 1950s, when water and sewer lines were extended to the area, that housing was actually developed. Within a decade, the area was packed with ranches, Colonials and bungalows for people who preferred to live on the west side, which was generally upwind from the tire factories.

In the early 1960s, the Akron Public Schools decided to build a new high school to serve the growing

neighborhood. Firestone High School, now the Firestone Community Learning Center, opened in September of 1963. It was named for Harvey S. Firestone, founder of the tire company.

The classes of 1965 and 1966 moved into Firestone while it was still under construction. That group included Judith Resnik, who went on to be a NASA astronaut. She was killed in the 1986 explosion of the Challenger space shuttle. Other famous alumni include Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders; Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys; and Shammas Malik, Akron’s current mayor. The school was rebuilt in 2016 on its original location.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Greg Trask

What do you enjoy doing in your neighborhood? I really love working here at the library and engaging in the lives of the people I serve.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? It’s a mashup of an older, established neighborhood with the energy of young, diverse families.

Joshua Moore

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? Northwest Akron blends historic architecture, scenic parks, vibrant arts, and local eateries, creating unique charm.

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? The development/better utilization of communication tools to publicize all the amazing events.

Above : Movie night at the Nature Realm. RIght: F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm. Photos courtesy of Summit Metro Parks.

Sherbondy Hill Neighborhoods

Population 9,329

Parks & Recreation

Sherbondy Hill

Park

Lane Field

Perkins Park

Housing

Single-family and multifamily

Landmarks & Attractions

Ed Davis

Community Center

Sherbondy Hill

Cemetery

Akron Zoo

Sherbondy Hill, once known as the Lane-Wooster neighborhood, has a complex history tied to systemic racism and disinvestment. But plans are underway to address the many issues caused by this discrimination, and the neighborhood is poised for revival.

The City of Akron changed the neighborhood’s official name to Sherbondy Hill in 2017 to honor its unique history. In 1817, brothers John and George Sherbondy settled on a hill, now bordered by the intersection of I-76 and I-77. They praised its peaceful setting.

Its bucolic beauty may be why a Jewish congregation in Barberton chose it for a cemetery. The official name is the Orthodox Jewish Cemetery, but it is commonly known as Sherbondy Hill Cemetery today.

But things would not stay peaceful forever. When the city underwent massive urban renewal in the 1960s and 70s, historic Black neighborhoods were destroyed, and residents of color were further pushed into areas of disinvestment. One of the neighborhoods they were allowed to call home was Sherbondy Hill.

By the summer of 1968, racial tensions reached a peak. A week of confrontations between Blacks and law enforcement engulfed the city.

A commission, asked to determine the causes of the 1968 riots, blamed “the aggravated compression” of Blacks into ghettos because of urban renewal.

But in recent years, the City has devised plans to improve housing and services in the neighborhood. A 2023 study showed Akron neighborhoods that were deeply distressed in 2017, including Sherbondy Hill, have

stabilized, and homes have increased in value. New homes continue to be built by developers and community groups, and the city has established programs to help homeowners and landlords with repairs.

The Ed Davis Community Center recently underwent a nearly $12 million renovation and Perkins Woods Pool, had a $5.5 million renovation in 2023. Sherbondy Hill Park was a 2024 recipient of the Akron Parks Challenge by the City of Akron and Akron Parks Collaborative, making $150,000 in improvements.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Bishop Samuel Hampton II

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? I would love to see greater economic empowerment for small businesses and youth.

What do you enjoy in your neighborhood? Walking through the community because it’s so peaceful.

Dr. Barbara Lucas

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? We are family-oriented with concerned, friendly neighbors. We also represent various religions— Christians, Muslims, and others.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? We are wellestablished with longtime residents. Families are a mixture of young and older residents, and neighbors take pride in their homes and the neighborhood.

Raymond Greene, Jr.

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? Most of us have been on Thornton St. for over 20 years. We look out for each other, and we’ve seen each other’s children grow up.

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? More small businesses and accessible community spaces.

Left: Enjoying a day at the zoo. Photo courtesy of the Akron Zoo. Above: Perkins Woods Pool. Courtesy of City of Akron

South Akron

Just south of Firestone Park and north of The University of Akron, South Akron was once known as Goosetown. The area was developed in the mid-19th century by immigrants from Germany and the Slavic nations who came to work in Akron’s factories. Goosetown reportedly got its name because residents kept geese and other animals in their yards.

On Grant Street, DiFeo & Sons Poultry serves as an anchor to a business district built along an old streetcar line. DiFeo’s was founded by Alfonso DiFeo, who started with a few chicken coops in 1918. They have a full-service butcher and a prepared food counter. The family has purchased blighted buildings around the shop and either razed or renovated them. Also on Grant Street, Klein’s Seafood, which traces its roots to the 1920s, sells fresh fish and has a takeout counter for hot perch sandwiches and more. Together, DiFeo’s and Klein’s make a destination shopping spot for hungry Akronites.

South Street Ministries on South Street, founded in 1997 by Duane and Lisa Crabbs, has devoted itself to helping and supporting the residents of South Akron as well as the adjacent Summit Lake neighborhood. Its bike shop restores donated bikes and allows residents to borrow them. It also has open gym nights where kids can get a hot meal and play basketball during the colder months.

South Street’s Front Porch Café, once a Croatian-American social club, serves as a community hub on Grant Street. Its Porch Light Coffee Co. sells coffee, drinks and a light menu of tasty treats. It also has a walk-in health clinic

for area residents and offers support services for those reentering society after incarceration.

Morgan Park on Morgan Avenue recently underwent a two-year-long redesign and upgrade. All three basketball courts have been resurfaced. The park also boasts a new asphalt trail, pavilion, vibrant park furnishings and native plant landscaping. Through a collaboration with Build Akron and Buchtel Community Learning Center, students added stone pillars to the pavilion. The park revitalization was made possible with funding and partnerships from various public and private donors.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Keith Graves

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? The future for South Akron is a hope for growth. Perhaps we can put together a group of new, young ambassadors.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? The people. They won’t give up. We just rededicated Morgan Park, a great place for kids. Neighborhood gardens continue to grow, and we have a farmers market.

Shawn Bonner

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? To have more community service connections fostered across the community with business owners included.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? My neighbors and connections to the neighborhood, including South Street Ministries Day with its recovery programs and Arc’s Recovery Fest, which supports those in recovery and service providers of recovery needs.

Population 6,203

Library

Firestone Park Branch

Parks & Recreation

Morgan Park

Summit Lake Nature Center

Housing

Single-family and multifamily

Landmarks & Attractions

Porch Light Café

Jednota Club

Shiloh Baptist Church

Above : Friends of South Street Ministries. Right: Reopening of Morgan Park. Photos courtesy of South Street Ministries.

Population 4,667

Libraries Odom

Parks & Recreation

Summit Lake Nature Center

Lane Field Park

Ohio & Erie Canal Park

Housing

Mixed singlefamily and multifamily homes

Landmarks &Attractions

Summit Lake Trail

Summit Lake Community Center

Summit Lake, a natural glacial lake in south Akron, was vital to Akron’s development and has had many identities in its lifetime. With the building of the Ohio & Erie Canal in 1825, the lake was lowered to provide water used to operate the 17 locks between Exchange Street and the Little Cuyahoga River. Canal boats were pulled across the lake by mules that crossed via a floating towpath.

The lake’s bucolic setting drew Akron residents from all quarters who came by carriage or trolley. At the turn of the 19th century, amusement parks set up elaborate operations on both the east and west shores. Lakeside Park was on the east, and Summit Lake Park (also known as Beerside) was on the west. Although Lakeside did not offer alcohol, both resorts featured picnic areas, baseball parks and a bandstand. Summit Beach Amusement Park opened in 1917, but industries had polluted the lake so badly the Akron health director warned against swimming there. That led Park owners to build the Crystal Pool at Summit Lake, the biggest tile pool in the world: 75 feet by 180 feet. Just east of the lake was League Park, where the Akron Yankees played minor league baseball in 1935-41.

Sadly, after World War II, the area became a victim of neglect, industrial pollution and significant disinvestment. But within the last decade, community and city leaders have joined forces to clean up and reimagine the area. Summit Metro Parks has opened a nature center on the site, and a walking trail has been constructed that

connects a loop around the lake to the Towpath Trail. Since these efforts began, the lake has rebounded with wildlife and new recreational opportunities.

In 2021, the city and community came together to form a land-use plan more in keeping with neighborhood needs. Rezoning allows for the development of new businesses and the construction of housing types at a range of prices. The Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority has plans to renovate apartment buildings and construct new homes on vacant lots within the next couple of years.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Jason Blakely

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? A blend of different cultures and backgrounds. It is resilient and hardworking, tough.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? The fighting spirit. The feeling of togetherness, hope, and possibility.

Shirley A. Finney

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor?

The Memorial Garden that includes a library and play area. Also, the neighborhood garden where people can learn to grow food.

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? That the young will grow old and become caretakers of this land they call home!

Left: Homes along Summit Lake. Above: Cyclists enjoy riding the floating Towpath Trail. Photos by Bruce Ford.

University Park

University Park is, unsurprisingly, named for The University of Akron (UA) that stands at its heart. Created out of the old enclaves of Goosetown (near Wolf Ledges) and Spicertown, University Park is now a bustling college district with coffee shops, take-out spots, sit-down restaurants and boutiques.

It all began in 1810 when Connecticut native Miner Spicer rode on horseback to Ohio and purchased 200 acres of land in what was then called Portage Township. The next year, he sent for his family, who came by ox teams, accompanied by his cousin Amos Spicer and Paul Williams, who would become one of Akron’s founders. The area was annexed by Akron in 1865, the year Akron became a city.

The University of Akron was founded in 1870 by the Universalist Church and named for industrialist John R. Buchtel, who was instrumental in its creation. It grew rapidly as Akron grew and became a state university in 1967. Its 15,000 students come from across the country and the world.

UA is not the only home of higher education in University Park. Stark State College, a community college, opened an Akron campus in 2018 on Perkins Street.

Although much of the housing in University Park is rental units to meet the needs of students, there are many longtime residents who enjoy its lively pace and amenities. The Neighborhood Network, part of Habitat for Humanity of Summit County, has gathered community members to discuss their needs and spruce up the neighborhood

together. In 2022, nearly 70 neighbors got together to completely make over Boss Park near Leggett Community Learning Center, and erect all new play equipment. A year earlier, Neighborhood Network cleared out an overgrown swath of land adjacent to Boss Park and installed a community food forest.

Crouse Street is home to Don Drumm Studios & Gallery, one of the country’s top contemporary craft retailers. Its two buildings are filled with jewelry, sculpture and more crafted by more than 500 artists from across North America. Another must-see in the neighborhood is E.J. Thomas Hall, a performing arts center that hosts shows and concerts and serves university and civic groups.

Neighborhood Ambassador

Leandra Drumm

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor?

A neighborhood nestled among college students, hospitals, a bustling city, and our art gallery. Harmonizing for more than half a century.

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? Balancing the forces of beauty and growth through art to enrich community experiences.

What do you enjoy doing in your neighborhood? Interacting with people who come to visit our gallery. Seeing the wonder in their expressions as they find a piece of art that speaks to them.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? Being part of a community that embraces creativity and art. Building upon that foundation to develop meaningful connections.

Population

9,012

Libraries

Bierce Library at

The University of

Akron

Main Library

Parks & Recreation

Boss Park

Grace Park

Kohl Family

YMCA

Housing

Single-family and multifamily homes and apartments, mainly rentals

Landmarks & Attractions

The University of Akron Polymer Science Center

E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall

Hower House

Don Drumm

Studios & Gallery

Akron Mon

Community Temple

Akron Glass

Works

Above : UA students. Photo courtesy of The University of Akron. Right: Front gate of Don Drumm Studios & Gallery. Photo courtesy of Don Drumm.

Wallhaven Neighborhoods

Population 4,329

Libraries

Northwest Branch

Highland Square

Parks &Recreation

Hardesty Park

Forest Lodge Park

Schneider Park

Housing

Single-family and multifamily

Landmarks & Attractions

Wallhaven Building

Elm Court

St. Sebastian

Church and School

O’Neil House

Swensons Drive-In

IIn 1929, E.C. Wall opened a gas station, drug store and 19-room hotel at the intersection of Hawkins Avenue, West Exchange Street and West Market Street. He called it Wallhaven, and nearly 100 years later, the name defines the neighborhood stretching from Highland Square to the east to Fairlawn Heights to the west.

Wallhaven is a dynamic area of shops, restaurants and parks as well as homes that range from middle-class to sprawling. The O’Neil House on West Exchange Street was built in 1923 by the founder of General Tire, William Francis O’Neil. It is now a bed and breakfast. Harbel Manor, the 118-room home of rubber baron Harvey S. Firestone, was the showpiece of his estate at West Market and Twin Oaks. His son, Harvey Firestone Jr. built a Versaillesinspired home across the street in 1927. Harbel Manor was razed in 1959, and Harvey Jr.’s house is in private hands.

Much of the land in Wallhaven was once the 165-acre estate of Arthur Marks, a B.F. Goodrich executive. Marks sold most of the property to developer and banker Charles Herberich who planned a residential development. Marks sold 33 of his acres, including his mansion called Elm Court, to the Sisters of St. Dominic, who renamed it Our Lady of the Elms. The sisters moved into the Marks mansion in 1923 and opened a day school on the grounds. The nuns lived in the house until 2024 when they sold it to the pre-K-12 school.

As you travel West Market, it’s hard to miss the stone towers that herald its intersection with Melbourne Avenue. They mark the entrance to Castle Park, an allotment

developed in 1912. Lots were sold by Hall & Harter Real Estate of Akron. There were originally seven stone towers, but only three remain standing. The Castle Park neighborhood is popular with young families and features many homes built in the 1920s and 30s.

Many parks, including the expansive Hardesty Park, give people ample room to gather. Forest Lodge Park gets its name from the cabin on the property, which Arthur Marks used for hunting and fishing.

After a park visit, residents often head to Swensons, the drive-in restaurant that has earned national accolades for its burgers.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Marissa Little

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? Quiet streets, convenient location, park spaces . . . and of course D’Agnese’s, Niko’s and Nervous Dog!

What do you like best about your neighborhood? Our home and the street we live on. Our neighbors are caring, involved and genuinely great people!

Tristan Seiler

What do you enjoy doing in your neighborhood? Hardesty Park events and Castle Park chili cookoff, marathon block party, and the July 4th parade!

What do you like best about your neighborhood? Walkable with everything you need: convenient location, ample amenities, well-kept homes and diverse, friendly neighbors! It’s like our own little town within the city.

Left: Swensons, a neighborhood favorite. Photo courtesy of Akron-Summit

CVB. Above: Art Expo at Hardesty Park. Photo by Bruce Ford.

West Akron

On a visit to West Akron, it’s always good to make a stop at Mutton Hill where the Perkins Stone Mansion has stood for 190 years. It’s called Mutton Hill because its owner, Col. Simon Perkins, son of Akron’s founder, let his sheep graze on its expansive grounds. Across the street is the John Brown House, once home to the famous abolitionist who minded the colonel’s sheep and oversaw his wool business.

In another part of the neighborhood, Schneider Park bears silent witness to the harsh realities of life in early Akron. It was once the site of the Summit County Infirmary, a home and farm for the indigent and mentally ill who were often kept in appalling conditions. Many were buried on site in a potter’s field.

But in 1916, developer Philip Schneider purchased the land from the Infirmary to build upscale homes for Akron’s burgeoning population. (The infirmary was moved to Tallmadge.) A 15-acre plot was too swampy to build, so Schneider bequeathed it to the city for a park. Despite its grim past and unmarked graves, the park these days is busy with kids at play and people traversing its newly installed walking path.

Copley Road, near its intersection with South Hawkins Avenue, is dotted with restaurants, salons, barbershops and clothiers. Prior to the 1960s, this area of West Akron, also known as Maple Valley, was a thriving African American neighborhood with several streets featuring entertainment, dining, and a full range of small businesses. Typical of many urban cores, the Copley Road area has a history of disinvestment and decline.

Today the neighborhood is still a place of tree-lined streets and well-kept homes, and there remains a strong African American cultural presence. Buchtel Community Learning Center, branch libraries and city parks are historic, anchoring assets. The Maple Valley Merchants Association is working hard to get more people into their stores by making the area visually appealing and safe. The city is working to transform the old VFW Hall into a community resource center.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Dara Harper

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? Bringing back the investment along the Copley Road area of west Akron, activating and updating the corridor with a third-place concept.

What do you enjoy doing in your neighborhood? Taking a morning walk in my neighborhood, taking in the character and craftsmanship of the various 20th century-built homes and viewing the beautiful seasonal flowers and foliage.

Tammy Monroe

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? Our residents, their pride, and the support they give to the community. The renovated Ed Davis Center and Perkins Pool offer a safe space for families of all backgrounds to meet, interact, and enjoy healthy recreation.

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? Better housing resources will revitalize homes for elderly, veterans, disabled, and low-income homeowners, uplifting neighborhoods, fostering diversity, boosting self-esteem, and encouraging sustainable community growth.

Above : West Akron Youth Track. Right: Homes in West Akron. Photos by Bruce Ford.

West Hill

Population

2,694

Library

Highland Square Branch

Parks & Recreation

Oakdale Pocket Park

Balch Street

Fitness Center

Housing

Single-family and multifamily

Landmarks & Attractions

Glendale

Cemetery

Bates Hill

Hall Park

Allotment

Mount Peace

Cemetery

When Akron’s population exploded at the beginning of the 20th century, middle-class residents sought refuge from the sooty, crowded conditions of neighborhoods surrounding the rubber factories on the eastside. They migrated west up Market Street to West Hill, where savvy developers were only too happy to welcome them. The area is brimming with historic significance but maintains a lively character today.

West Hill is south of West Market, north of West Exchange and west of downtown to Rhodes Avenue. The Hall Park Allotment, bordered roughly by Crosby Street, Maple Street and West Exchange, was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. It was developed by New England-born Philander Hall between 1902 and 1919 during the height of the rubber boom. It consists of several houses representing the picturesque styles of the period, including the American Foursquare, Craftsman, Colonial, and Medieval Revival styles.

Thomas Edison married Mina Miller, the daughter of Akron inventor and entrepreneur Lewis Miller, in a home on Dawes Avenue in 1886. (He taught her Morse code and then used it to propose to her.) The brick home stands on West Hill today and has been converted into apartments.

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church has its roots with the Irish workers who helped build the Ohio and Erie Canal. Construction began in 1864 on the current Romanesque Revival stone church at the corner of Maple and West Market streets. The affiliated St. Vincent-St. Mary High

school on the north side of West Market is the alma mater of LeBron James. James and his family foundation have transformed West Hill by opening the I PROMISE School on West Market Street and I PROMISE housing on South Maple Street. His House 330, a community gathering spot, is located in the former Tangier Restaurant on West Market Street,

West Hill is also home to Bates Hill, reportedly the steepest hill in Akron, with a grade of about 28 percent. The hill has long been known by Akronites as Cadillac Hill because of the Cadillac car dealership located at the end of the road.

Neighborhood Ambassadors

Judi Hill

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? Plans for the innerbelt that aim to repair and rebuild displaced families and businesses, potentially creating historical sites or new businesses with input from all stakeholders.

What do you like best about your neighborhood? It’s very close to downtown. I can access my favorite sites in minutes: The Peanut Shop, The Civic and Lock 3.

Karen Starr

What gives your neighborhood its unique flavor? The eclectic architectural styles and being one of the only live/work-zoned residential neighborhoods in Akron.

What do you hope for your neighborhood in the future? That as we get more developed, we don’t lose the fun, interesting vibe. (West Hill, Best Hill!)

Left : Neighborhood fun. Photo courtesy of West Hill Neighborhood Org. Above: LeBron with kids at House 330. Photo courtesy of LeBron James Family Foundation.

Neighborhoods Legacy

LWolf Ledge, Goosetown and GrantWashington

egacy Neighborhoods: The History of Home

Temple Square

Spicertown

East End

Cascade

Thomastown

Lane Wooster

Special thanks to Leianne Neff Heppner, Summit County Historical Society and Mark Greer, Akron 200 for contributing to this feature. 1925 Akron Map courtesy of Akron Summit County Public Library, Special Collections.

Little Dublin

Bartges Town

Five Points

Elizabeth Park Four Corners

Hell’s Half Acre Opportunity Park Oak Park

Maple Valley

TThe Akron History Center, A Celebration 200 Years In The Making

he leading edge of Akron’s 2025 Bicentennial celebration is an enduring, long-lasting, free museumquality exhibit that welcomes visitors and inspires residents. For the first time, there is one place where the stories of Akron’s 200-year history are illuminated by relics and artifacts of Akron’s past and interpreted through modern digital technology.

Located in The Bowery at 172 South Main Street, King James Way, on the Towpath of the Ohio & Erie Canal at Lock 4, THE AKRON HISTORY CENTER celebrates Akron’s prowess in industry— cereal, clay products, farm machinery, rubber and polymer products, trucking, metalworking, and health care and highlights Goodyear’s NASCAR racing history and Lighter Than Air.

Exhibits honoring Akron’s leadership in public education, the abolition of slavery, the fight to establish organized labor and the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous and Victim Assistance present an honest portrayal of the city’s untold stories of Indigenous People, African-born freedom-seekers and the immigrants who tripled Akron’s population between 1910 and 1920.

The Lock 4 level: Akron’s founding and topography, the Ohio & Erie Canal and the history of abolition.

The Boomtown level: The story of industry: cereal, clay products, farm machinery, rubber and tires.

The Main Street level: The Rhythms of the Rubber City, recalling “The Akron Sound” represented by DEVO, the Black Keys, Chrissie Hynde, Tin Huey, James

The Akron History Center Inc. Founding Board of Directors

Christopher Burnham, CEO (retired), The Development Authority of Summit County

William Considine, CEO (retired), Akron Children’s Hospital

Marie Covington, Founder, Covington Communications

Tracy Dowe, City President, Fifth Third Bank

Bruce Fahey, Shareholder, Reminger Co. LPA, retired

William Ginter, CEO (retired), Advanced Elastomer Systems

Joseph Kanfer, Chairman (retired), of GOJO Industries

David Lieberth, Deputy Mayor (retired). Chairman Emeritus, Summit County Historical Society

Ingram and more. Eight flat screens feature video portraits of current and former residents, “Akronites Who Have Impacted America.”

The Akron History Center was organized on April 1, 2021. It is a 501(c)(3) not forprofit, tax-exempt charity.

The Center is part of the $45 million Bowery Development that has invigorated Main Street, a transformational multi-use development at the center of Downtown Akron adjacent to the “Civic Gateway” (Lock 3 and Lock 4), along with the $25 million investment in the Akron Civic Theatre and the John, James, and Clara Knight Stage. It is a component of the $20 million “Reimagining the Civic Commons” project that will create accessible, equitable and welcoming public spaces along the Ohio & Erie

Brian Merklin, Associate Attorney, Brouse & McDowell

Gregg Mervis, President & CEO, Akron-Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau

Diane Miller-Dawson, Director of Community and Economic Development, Summit County

Curtis Minter Jr., Senior Fellow, ThirdSpace Action Lab

Hon. Carla Moore (retired), 9th District Court of Appeals

Donzell Taylor, CEO, Welty Building Corp

Bernett Williams, Vice President External Affairs, Akron Children’s Hospital

Canal Towpath Trail from downtown Akron to Summit Lake.

The Akron History Center will be operated by the Akron-Summit County Public Library in a partnership that includes the Summit County Historical Society, The University of Akron Archives, the Downtown Akron Partnership, the Akron-Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Lighter Than Air Society.

Until the Akron History Center was opened, Akron was the only major Ohio city without a place where the history of the city’s founding and growth, its industrial and social history and the stories of its diverse population have been told in one place. The community is well-served by historic house museums: Stan Hywet, Perkins Stone Mansion, John Brown House, Hower House, Mustill Store, Hale Homestead, and the Richard Howe House. They display varying degrees of artifacts and exhibits for the public. But there has been no single destination in Akron for residents and visitors to learn about the city’s industrial and social history.

History of the project

Planning for a “Rubber Museum” in Akron began in 1979 when University of Akron president Dominic Guzzetta proposed construction of a new museum chronicling the history of the rubber industry in Akron. But despite

efforts over decades, plans were never executed.

However, the initiative continues to have currency, demonstrating the worthwhile benefits of showcasing Akron’s legacy of invention and innovation and celebrating the many inventors and artists who have drawn inspiration from the city and achieved national recognition.

The Akron History Center at the Bowery will for the first time collect the multitude of Akron achievements in one place at one time.

David Lieberth, president of the Akron History Center, said, “We’re thrilled with the response of local government, corporations, foundations and individuals. Through 2024, donors have committed $2.2 million to the project.

A key component of our fundraising has been the Diamond Business Guild, composed of Akron companies that have been in business 60 years or more. Collectively, these 24 companies have committed $700,000 to the Akron History Center.”

What can you expect to see at the Akron History Center?

• Goodyear will host an interactive exhibit boasting of Akron’s historic role as a center for race tire production.

• The Akron Sound Museum has shared its collection of hundreds of artifacts documenting the city’s role in the Industrial Rock era of the 1980s.

• The Summit County Historical Society will, for the first time, be able to exhibit 200-year-old artifacts that tell the story of General Simon Perkins and the contributions of the Perkins family over the city’s first century.

• Artifacts from many collections have been contributed by donors, including a gas mask for children licensed by Walt Disney during World War II (one of only 3 in the U.S.)

• GOJO’s history, starting with the first dispensers hand-tooled by founder Jerry Lippman, will be shown along with the current electronic Purell dispensers.

• Dr. Bob Smith’s office door from the Second National Building will be a touchstone for the thousands of AA adherents who visit Akron each June.

• A 1950s working model of the landmark Airdock recalls Akron’s Lighter Than Air history, along with the Duralumin models used to design the USS Akron.

• Judith Resnik’s uniform patch from the maiden voyage of Space Shuttle Discovery. She was an engineer, part of the first group of NASA astronauts to include women.

• The wall of honor—eight flatscreens televising the life stories of champions from Akron who have achieved national and international recognition.

• Twenty Steps to Social Justice — the landmark events that have defined Akron as a place where we struggle— and often prevail—on issues of race, identity, and disability.

The Akron History Center Design Team includes Barrie Projects of Cleveland Heights that created the original International Spy Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement in Las Vegas, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, and the National Museum of Psychology in Akron.

Exhibits have been fabricated by Communication Exhibits Incorporated (CEI) in Canal Fulton. It has offered premium face-to-face marketing services to professionals across multiple industries for over 40 years.

A

For access to the history of Akron, please check out these websites!

kron Milestone Celebrations Through the Years

Akron’s Centennial celebrations of 1925 drew together the city’s mighty industrialists, high society ladies and everyday people. Music, dance, theater, exhibitions and a milelong parade of flower-strewn floats expressed the spirit of an exciting city on the move. Akronites from all corners celebrated the city’s past, present and hopes for the future. In 2025, we commemorate Akron at 200. Just as a century ago, we are bringing residents together to share the city’s history, discuss its progress and setbacks and plan for its brilliant future.

are from the

the

Special Collections, unless otherwise noted.

Images of the Akron Centennial booklet are from the Taylor Memorial and Cuyahoga Falls

Akron History Center - https://akronhistorycenter.org/ Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio - https://www.summithistory.org

Akron-Summit County Public Library Special Collections - https://www.akronlibrary.org/locations/main-library/special-collections The University of Akron Archives and Special Collections- https://www.uakron.edu/libraries/archives/

University of Akron Cummings Center for the History of Psychology - https://www.uakron.edu/chp/archives/ Akron Area Intergroup Council of Alcoholics Anonymous - https://akronaa.org

East Market Street with Arches for Fireman’s Parade 50th Akron Anniversary.

Images

collection of

Summit County Historical Society of Akron, OH, housed at the Akron-Summit County Public Library

Collection

Akron’s 150th Anniversary parade and festivities.

Pyrotechnic display in front of the Perkins Stone Mansion for the 175th Anniversary.

Photo by Bruce Ford

Bicentennial Commission

Executive Secretary

David Lieberth, President, Akron History Center

Honorary Commissioners

Ernest Pouttu, President and CEO, Harwick Standard Distribution

Hon. Elinore Stormer, Judge of the Probate Court of Summit County

Dr. Cynthia Capers, Emeritus Dean, Professor of The University of Akron, College of Nursing

Marco Sommerville, Retired, Senior Advisor to the Mayor, Deputy Mayor for Intergovernmental Affairs

Commissioners

Suzie Graham Moore, Director of Economic Development, City of Akron

Dr. Paul Levy, Professor of Psychology, The University of Akron

Gregg Mervis, CEO, Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau

Leianne Neff Heppner, CEO, Summit County Historical Society of Akron, OH

Pam Hickson Stevenson, Executive Director, Akron-Summit County Public Library

Megan Mannion, Learning Specialist, Akron Public Schools

Phil Montgomery, Director, Department of Finance and Budget, County of Summit

B

icentennial Calendar of Events 2025. Join us as we celebrate throughout the year.

Check back regularly as additional events are added to the Bicentennial calendar!

Event dates and details are subject to change.

January 7

Bicentennial/Akron Marathon Wellness Challenge Begins

Margo Sommerville, Akron City Council, President and Ward 3 Representative

Hon. Deborah Cook , Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Mark Greer, Executive Director, Akron 200 Bronlynn Thurman, Program Officer, The Cleveland Foundation

Andre Thornton Jr., Division President, ASW Global Sharon Connor, Akron City Council, Ward 10 Representative

Joseph Tucker, Executive Director, South Street Mission

Mac Love, Co-Founder & Chief Catalyst, Art x Love

Kathryn Beck , Co-Artistic Director, Gum-Dip Theatre

Dr. Naresh Subba , Physics Department, Kent State University, Bhutanese community

Curtis Minter Jr., Senior Fellow, ThirdSpace Action Lab

James Weyrick , Ellet Community historian and volunteer

Tina Boyes, Akron City Council, Ward 9 Representative

Demetrius Lambert-Falconer, Chief of Community Engagement, Summit Metro Parks

Dr. Harvey Sterns Professor Emeritus, The University of Akron and Co-Chair, Age-Friendly Akron

Kimberly Beckett , President, Downtown Akron Partnership

Akron 200 Board of Directors

Ernest Pouttu, Chair

Dr. Cynthia Capers, Vice Chair

David Lieberth, Secretary

Gregg Mervis, Treasurer

Mark Greer, Executive Director

Dr. Paul Levy, Professor of Psychology, The University of Akron

Andre Thornton Jr., Division President, ASW Global Bronlynn Thurman, Program Officer, The Cleveland Foundation

Tina Boyes, Akron City Council, Ward 9 Representative

Staff

Mark Greer, Executive Director

Jasina Chapman, Operations Manager

Susan Kosco, Volunteer and Events Coordinator

Mark Cheplowitz, Executive Producer of Special Events

David Lieberth, President, Akron History Center

Brandon Meeker Digital Media and Office Assistant

Rose Vance-Grom, Historic Research & Programming Coordinator

The Akron Bicentennial Wellness Challenge is an inclusive, yearlong program designed to inspire residents to prioritize health and well-being while commemorating Akron’s 200th anniversary. Go to www.akron200.org/ events-calendar/

January 20

Celebrating Black History in Perkins Woods

11 am - 4 pm Daily / Akron Zoo, Nature’s Theater in The Lehner Family Zoo Gardens

Perkins Woods, a city park now largely comprising the Akron Zoo, was a place where African Americans in Akron made local history through the changes and challenges of the 20th century.

March 8

Screening of Butch Reynolds Documentary, False Positive, an ESPN 30 for 30 film

Showtime: TBA / Goodyear Theater

Akron’s Butch Reynolds’ reputation took a debilitating hit when he was falsely accused of using steroids, costing him the 1992 Olympics. He fought to restore his legacy.

March 30

330 Day Concert at Akron Civic Theatre featuring iconic Akron hits with The Summit FM

Time: TBA / Akron Civic Theatre

Forgotten History Forum Series

Sponsored by Exclusive Media Partner:

Monthly from January to December 2025

The Forgotten History Forums will explore aspects of Akron’s history pivotal to our development but not often discussed. More conversation than lecture, these forums will give attendees an opportunity to inquire and interact with thought leaders on a range of engaging topics.

Photo of canal workers. Courtesy of National Archives. Dr. Shirla R. McClain with students. Courtesy of the Dr. Shirla R. McClain Collection in Archival Services of University Libraries. Colonial Theater.

Courtesy of cinematreasures.org . Group at table.

Courtesy of Akron Beacon Journal

April 5

Grand Opening of the Akron History Center

11 am / 172 S. Main Street

A celebration 200 years in making!

April 5

Downtown Akron Sakura Festival

3 pm - 7 pm / Downtown

Presented by Downtown Akron Partnership. We’ll celebrate the 450+ cherry blossom trees that bloom along the Towpath Trail in downtown Akron and Ohio & Erie Canal Park with activities at multiple points along the trail.

April

5

Bicentennial Light the Locks

After Sunset / Locks 1, 2, 3, 4, Downtown Akron

Join us at sunset on the canal after the Akron Sakura Festival as we Light the Locks with thousands of lantern boats in this unique celebration.

April 22

Premiere of Bicentennial Fanfare. Tuesday Musical Concert Series

7:30 pm - 9 pm / E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall

Tuesday Musical’s Myers New Music Fund has commissioned internationally acclaimed composer Peter Boyer to create and conduct the world premiere of Fanfare for Akron to open our Akron Bicentennial Concert featuring the brass and percussion sections of The Cleveland Orchestra, led by TCO principal trumpet Michael Sachs.

For more information, visit www.tuesdaymusical.org

May 4

Southeast Asian Celebration

Noon - 4 pm / Downtown Akron

The celebration will honor South Asian culture, springtime holidays and new year celebrations that take place throughout the region.

May

9

John Brown’s 225th Birthday Commemoration

Celebrating the historic abolitionist and Akron’s most consequential resident.

For more information, visit www.summithistory.org

May 15

Dearest Enemy Pre-show Lecture with Joseph Rubin

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm / Akron-Summit County Public Library Auditorium

Akron-Summit County Public Library will host a lecture and discussion on Dearest Enemy, the first Rodgers and Hart show, which had its world premiere for Akron’s Centennial Celebration in 1925. Production to follow at Akron’s Goodyear Theatre on Saturday, June 21. Free admission.

June

– October

Bicentennial Neighborhood Bike Tour

This self-guided tour will take cyclists throughout Akron’s 24 neighborhoods, highlighting historic people, places and events, as well as public art and other neighborhood features.

June

6 - 8

Alcoholics Anonymous 90th Annual Founders’ Day Event

Join Akron Alcoholic Anonymous as it hosts a weekend of informative, empowering and celebratory events commemorating its 90th Anniversary.

Pre-registration will open March 1.

Scan this QR code to see all the up-to-date Bicentennial events !

Scan this QR code to become a Volunteer

Scan this QR code to see the digital, interactive version of the official Bicentennial Magazine

June 21

Dearest Enemy

Musical Theatre Production

7 pm / Goodyear Theater

Enjoy this production of the first Rodgers and Hart musical, Dearest Enemy, which made its world premiere in 1925 during Akron’s Centennial.

June 27 - 28

Akron Marathon Race Series: National Interstate 8K & 1 Mile

June 27, 7 pm - 8 pm

June 28, 7:30 am - 10:30 am

The University of Akron

Kick off the Akron Marathon Race Series presented by Summa Health with the National Interstate 1 Mile on Friday night! The 8k will be held on Saturday. The course highlights The University of Akron’s campus with a unique tour of downtown Akron. For details, go to www.akronmarathon.org

New History Anthology Brings Our Past Up to Date

One of the first projects commissioned for the Bicentennial is a new history of Akron. Twentyseven authors have written essays for the anthology that will be the most substantial chronicle of the city’s past since Karl Grismer’s 1952 History of Akron & Summit County.

New science allows an accurate account of Indigenous people, and new sensibilities support the first publication of Akron’s LGBTQ+ history.

The City of Akron has funded the book, edited by Dr. Jon Miller, professor of English and director of The University of Akron Press. It will be available for purchase in spring 2025.

Harvey Firestone and Henry Ford. Downtown Akron circa 1916. Photos courtesy of Akron History Center.

June 28

Bicentennial Kickball Tournament

Time: TBA / Firestone Stadium

Form your team and sign up to participate in this fun-filled competition at Historic Firestone Stadium.

Akron Children’s and Summa Health Mother-Baby Health Fair

Time: TBA / Downtown Akron

Join Akron’s trusted healthcare leaders Akron Children’s and Summa Health for a MotherBaby Health Fair offering expert guidance on family wellness, child development and community safety

July 1- 6

Akron Bicentennial Signature Celebration Week

Downtown Akron

Join us for our core celebration week in Downtown encompassing the Civic Gateway and Lock 3.

July 3

Downtown Bicentennial Food Festival at Civic Gateway

Noon / Downtown Akron, Lock 3

Along with traditional Fourth of July American fare, the Bicentennial Food Festival turns Lock 3 into Akron’s culinary center, featuring a variety of cuisines and cultures from Akron’s diverse communities.

July 5

Goodyear Bicentennial Downtown Parade

10 am - Noon / Downtown Akron

Don’t miss the biggest Akron parade in over half a century!

July 5

Akron Rubber Ducks Game –Bicentennial Bobblehead Night

7:05 pm - 10 pm / Canal Park

Join us for the Akron Rubber Ducks game at Bicentennial Bobblehead Night as the Ducks take on the Erie SeaWolves.

July 19

3-on-3 Basketball Tournament

Time: TBA / Downtown Akron

Held in conjunction with the African American Festival, bring your A-game and join us at Lock 3 for this high-powered tournament featuring men’s, women’s and youth divisions.

July 5

Bridgestone Bicentennial Homecoming Event: “Feature the Future”

1 pm / At Lock 3 Park, following the Bicentennial Parade.

Highlighting the innovations, industries, technology and wealth of opportunities at the forefront and on the horizon throughout Akron and the region.

Opening of the 2000 Time Capsule.

July 31 - August 3

Premiere of Outdoor Historical Drama

8 am - 5 pm / Waters Park

Gum-Dip Theatre will present a new outdoor drama commemorating Akron’s Bicentennial at the historic Waters Park. Written and directed by Akron native and Bicentennial Commissioner Katie Beck. Scan

Scan

August 12

Akron Marathon Race Series: Goodyear Half Marathon & 10K

6:30 am - 11 am / Goodyear World Headquarters

The Goodyear Half Marathon & 10k brings the iconic landmarks of Goodyear right under your feet for a unique and unforgettable racing experience. Set a personal record on Goodyear’s Proving Grounds before making your way past the company’s historic World Headquarters and campus.

September 4-6

Rubber City Jazz and Blues Festival

Noon - Midnight / Downtown Akron Venues

Celebrate Akron’s music legacy with some of the brightest stars around. Catch a world premiere by The Remember Balloons on Saturday; enjoy panel discussions and talks.

September 7

Bicentennial Pickleball Tournament — Champion’s League

Noon - 5 pm / Shaw JCC

Don’t miss the Pickleball event of the year! For advanced players.

September 13

50th Anniversary Cuyahoga Valley Showcase

2 pm - 4 pm / Howe Meadow, 4040 Riverview Road, Peninsula 44264

As part of their 50th anniversary, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park will celebrate its staff and partners with a showcase of their work. Come meet with rangers, partners, volunteers and others to learn more about the efforts that have taken place to create, maintain and revitalize Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

September 14

Bicentennial Pickleball Tournament –Recreational League

Noon - 5 pm / Shaw JCC

Don’t miss the Pickleball event of the year!

Open to players of all skill levels.

September 19

Bicentennial Soap Box Derby Race and Tailgate Party

6 pm - 10 pm

Experience the Soap Box Derby as never before with this one-of-a-kind night race where we’ll light up the track with surprise divisions you won’t want to miss! A fun-filled tailgate event for the entire family.

Scan this QR code to see all the up-to-date Bicentennial events !

September 21

Bicentennial Pickleball Tournament – Rain Date

Noon – 5 pm / Shaw JCC

September 26

Day of Play, Celebrating Iconic Akron Toys

10 am - 5 pm / Akron Children’s Museum

Join us to kick off Worldwide Day of Play to celebrate the Bicentennial with a historical scavenger hunt, time capsule creation and more!

September 26

Akron Marathon Race Series: The Mandel Kids Fun Run

6 pm - 7:30 pm / Downtown Akron

Presented by Akron Children’s Hospital

A free, 1-mile fun run for children 12-years-ofage and under. All participants receive a gift, medal and healthy snack.

September 27

Akron Marathon Race Series: FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon & Team Relay

7 am - 2 pm / Downtown Akron

Join us for the Akron Marathon Race Series presented by Summa Health, the FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon & Team Relay! Register at www.akronmarathon.org

October

The More childhood, please™ Awards

Time: TBA

Akron Children’s launches the More childhood, please™ Awards, a signature dinner and recognition program that honors community members and organizations who preserve, protect and enrich childhood. For more information, visit www.akronchildrens.org

October 5

CAK 5K on the Runway

8 am - 5 pm / MAPS Air Museum

A truly one-of-a-kind experience that starts at the MAPS Air Museum and runs out onto the Taxiways / Runways of the Akron-Canton Airport. Adult Run/Walk, Student Run/Walk, Lil’ Captain’s Dash.

https://runsignup.com/Race/OH/Green/ CAKRunway5K

Scan this QR code to become a Volunteer

Scan this QR code to see the digital, interactive version of the official Bicentennial Magazine

October 10

Outlined in Black Exhibition

6 pm - 8:30 pm / Akron Soul Train Gallery

“Outlined in Black,” a compelling exhibition in collaboration with the Akron Black Artist Guild (ABAG), highlights the diverse artistic expressions of the Black community in Northeast Ohio, featuring a range of innovative techniques and engaging narratives.

October 18

Downtown Akron Fall Fest

4 pm - 7 pm / Downtown Akron, Cascade Plaza

Presented by Downtown Akron Partnership

Enjoy trick-or-treat stations, a costume contest, photo opportunities with beloved characters, food and drink and live music.

The Bicentennial Beautification Initiative

The Bicentennial Beautification Initiative will encompass neighborhood plantings, community cleanups, and public art.

Partners include Keep Akron Beautiful, Summit Metro Parks, and Akron Parks Collaborative. Sign up to volunteer at Akron200.org

November 1

Smells Like Snow Festival

Noon - 6 pm / Downtown Akron Cascade Plaza

Presented by Downtown Akron Partnership

Savor local coffee and food, boutique shopping, art experiences, live music, fun and special guests.

Nov 2025 – Feb 2026

ACF Soul of Philanthropy Exhibit – AAM/Black Giving Collective

Akron Art Museum

This coveted national touring exhibit is an inspiring showcase that delves into the rich history and impactful stories of Black philanthropy

A2025

December 6

200th Anniversary of the Filing of the Plat by General Simon Perkins

Closing Ceremony

6 pm - 8 pm / Lock 3 Park

Join us for the grand culmination of the Akron Bicentennial on our 200th Anniversary date with entertainment and celebrations highlighting the Bicentennial year.

Sealing of the 2025 Time Capsule

Bicentennial/Akron Marathon Wellness Challenge Ends

Participants who complete the wellness challenge will be recognized at the Bicentennial Closing Ceremony and receive a commemorative pin.

nniversaries of Note

• Alcoholics Anonymous 90th Anniversary

• Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. Quasquicentennial (125th)

• The Goodyear Blimp Centennial

• Akron Urban League Centennial

2026

• America’s Semiquincentennial (250th)

• Centennial of Akron City Hall (Municipal Building), April 3

Commemorate Akron’s bicentennial along with Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s 50th anniversary. Plan your adventures in the park on the trails, rails, and river; learn fascinating history; connect with the arts and much more.

Cover Photo Credits

Past

General Simon Perkins. Courtesy of New York Public Library

Digital Collection

Sojourner Truth. Courtesy of Library of Congress.

Canal workers. Courtesy of Canalway Partners

B.F Goodrich Factory. Courtesy of Akron Postcards

Main Street, Akron, Ohio. Courtesy of Akron Postcards

“Tragic Prelude,” a 1938 mural painted by John Steuart Curry. John Steuart Curry / Public Domain

Present

Girl painting. Photo by Mac Love

Lock 3 Aerial. Courtesy of Kenmore Construction

Downtown Akron. Photo by Dan Shingler

The Goodyear Blimp. Courtesy of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Fireworks. Courtesy of the RubberDucks

Future

Schoolgirls. Courtesy of Akron Public Schools

Students with polymers. Courtesy of The University of Akron

Woman in lab. Courtesy of MAGNET

Graduation. Courtesy of The University of Akron

Akron Timeline Photo Credits

Pre-History First People. Indian carrying canoe. Original photo by William Fischer, Jr. / Illustrated by Frank Cucciarre

1825 General Simon Perkins and Plat. Courtesy of Summit County Historical Society

1827 Ohio & Erie Canal Boat. Courtesy of Summit County Historical Society

1835 Dr. Eliakim Crosby. From 90 Years and Over by Samuel Lane

1840 Colonel Simon Perkins. Courtesy of Summit County Historical Society

1844 John Brown. Photo by Augustus Washington

1847 Akron School Plan. Courtesy of Summit County Historical Society

1849 American Sewer Pipe Company. The picture is from an 1874 atlas.

1851 Sojourner Truth. Courtesy of Library of Congress

1854 Ferdinand Schumacher. Courtesy of Summit County Historical Society

Quaker Oats. Courtesy of Akron History Center

1859 John Brown. “Tragic Prelude,” a 1938 mural painted by John Steuart Curry. John Steuart Curry / Public Domain

1864 Lewis Miller. Courtesy of National Inventors Hall of Fame The Buckeye Mower & Reaper. Courtesy of Summit County Historical Society

1869 Caretaker’s Lodge at the Akron Rural Cemetery. Courtesy of Akron-Summit Public Library, Special Collections

1870 Buchtel College becomes The University of Akron. Seal, courtesy of The University of Akron.

1890 Akron Day Nursery. Courtesy of Summit County Historical Society

1892 Akron City Hospital. Courtesy of Akron Postcards

1900 Harvey S. Firestone. Courtesy of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. Courtesy of Akron Postcards

1905 Samuel C Dyke. Courtesy of Summit County Historical Society Clay Marbles. Courtesy of Akron History Center

1909 Dr. Charles Knight. Courtesy of The University of Akron Archives and Special Collections

1914 Marcus Garvey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress

1915 F. A. Seiberling. Courtesy of Seiberling Visual History/Public Domain. People’s Hospital. Courtesy of Akron Postcards

1916 Akron Experiment. Courtesy of Akron History Center

1920 City of Opportunity Stamp. Courtesy of Akron History Center

1925 Akron Centennial parade. Courtesy of Summit County Historical Society

1927 Goodyear, Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Balloon. Courtesy of Goodyear/Goodyear Blimp/Facebook

1930 Roadway Express. Courtesy of GAR Foundation

1935 Dr. Bob. Courtesy of Akron Archives—Akron History Center, Stan Hywet Gate Lodge. Courtesy of Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

1938 The Negro Motorist Green Book by Victor Hugo Green/ Public Domain

1940 Waldo Semon. Courtesy of the Inventors Hall of Fame

1941 Firestone “Rosies.” Courtesy of the Akron Archives—Akron History Center

1946 Ray Dove. Courtesy of the Dove Family

1958 Ed Davis. Courtesy of Opie Evans Papers at The University of Akron Archives

1968 National Guard. Courtesy of Akron Beacon Journal

1972 Dr. Robert Denton. Courtesy of Victim Assistance Program of Summit County

1986 Judith Resnik. Courtesy of NASA

1995 Asian Services in Action (ASIA). Courtesy of ASIAohio.org

1997 President Clinton and Mark Williamson. Courtesy of The White House.

2009 Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Courtesy of Akron Beacon Journal

2014 Gay Games 9. Courtesy of Summit County Historical Society

2018 North American First People’s Day. Courtesy of walkportagepath.com

2023 Shammas and Alice Malik. Courtesy of City of Akron

2024 The Sojourner Legacy Plaza. Photo by Jim Carney

2025 Goodyear Blimp. Courtesy of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Photo Credit: Jerry Jelinek

Thank You to the Bicentennial Sponsors and Partners

To become a Bicentennial Sponsor, visit Akron200.org

by

Photo

Bruce Ford

Powerful History

For 200 years, Akron has been a place of innovation and resilience. FirstEnergy has been honored to partner with the city to build a vibrant place to live, work and dream.

Congratulations, Akron, on your icentennial.B

CELEBRATING AKRON’S HISTORY

TOGETHER