Motor cars were still new on the scene when this image of Akron’s Main Street was captured by the photographer.
Author: tconte
St. Vincent High School
With roots as a mission church visited by Father Basil A. Shorb, pastor of St. Francis Xavier Church, Doylestown, in 1837, St. Vincent de Paul parish is the oldest church in Akron.
Henry Hotel, New Reservoir
Henry Hotel, New Reservoir, Near Akron, Ohio – See: Walter Thornwell Inn
John Brown House
Brown was an abolitionist with strong religious convictions. He felt that violence was necessary to end American slavery, since decades of peaceful efforts had failed. In May 1856, Brown and his sons killed five supporters of slavery in the Pottawatomie massacre. Brown then commanded anti-slavery forces at the Battle of Black Jack and the Battle of Osawatomie. Brown…
Kepler’s Landing, Turkey Foot Lake
Kepler’s Landing was located at the south end of Turkey Foot Lake. The hotel was built in 1892 by William Kepler.
Findley School
Built in 1906, this beautiful structure was designed by architects Harpster & Bliss. Evident throughout the exterior and interior of Findley School were elements of the Beaux Arts style with additional Classical Revival details. The school was located in the triangular lot created by W. Tallmadge Ave, W. Cuyahoga Falls Ave., and Wall Street.
Canoeing at Long Lake
Recreation on the Portage Lakes.
No. 3 Smoke Stack – Goodyear
“This remarkable stack rises to a height of 250 feet. The diameter at base is 22 feet and 5 in. with 32 5/8 in. wall. Is 12 feet in diameter at top. 1310 tons of material were required to build it. The stack fans the fires under our boilers and is in a way responsible…
Brighton Farm – Portage Lakes
Country home of Akron industrialist and philanthropist, Frank Hibbard Mason (1852-1931). Mason worked for B. F. Goodrich.
First-Second National Bank
Constructed in 1911, the First-Second National Building is located on the southeast corner of South Main Street and East Bowery Street. In 1919, four additional floors were added to the building. Although it was designed for the Second National Bank, during construction the bank merged with the First National Bank to form the First-Second National Bank.
First Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) Church
Akron’s First Methodist Episcopal Church was located on the corner of Broadway and Church Streets. In 1911, the building was destroyed by a fire despite being located across the street from a fire station.
East Mill Street
Akron’s boom came from the rubber industry, but before that, it was an important canal town, a regional center for milling and a notable mass-producer of clay products.
USS Macon – PC6 Under Construction
USS Macon was built at the Goodyear Airdock in Springfield Township, Ohio by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation. Because this was by far the biggest airship ever to be built in America, a team of experienced German airship engineers, led by Chief Designer Karl Arnstein, instructed and supported design and construction of both the USS Macon and the USS Akron. From the collection…
City Hospital
Akron’s City Hospital was created from a fund left by an early resident, Boniface DeRoo. The fund, which represented the lifetime savings of a frugal hard working man, amounted to $10,000. The first building used for the hospital was an old frame house at the corner of Broadway Street and Center Street. Patients were seen,…
Howard Street, looking South
At one time, Howard Street was one of the most popular areas of Akron’s downtown. Busy people, cars, and horses with carts fill the scene outside Federman’s “Lowest Price Store in Akron.” Also in the scene – the Empress theater, and Kirk’s.
USS Macon – PC 1 Under Construction
Sister ship of the USS Akron. Measuring an incredible 785 feet in length, the Macon and Akron were the largest airships in the world. At 50mph, these airships has a potential 10,580 mile range. The airships were large enough to house 5 airplanes that could be launched and recovered while in flight. From the collection…
Post Office
Opened in 1899 as Akron’s main post office, today this building is part of the Akron Art Museum. Pairs of carved eagle medallions and bronze lanterns decorate the building’s façade. A mosaic depicting a Pony Express rider is embedded in the lobby floor.
Portage Hotel
The Portage Hotel, located downtown at Main Street and Market Street, replaced the former Empire House Hotel in 1912 and served as Akron’s leading hotel until the opening of the modern Mayflower Hotel in 1931.
Elks Temple
The Elks began in 1868 as a social club for minstrel show performers called the “Jolly Corks”. It was established as a private club to elude New York City laws governing the opening hours of public taverns. The organization evolved into a major American fraternal, charitable, and service order with more than a million members, both men, and women, throughout…
Mayflower Hotel
Akron’s Mayflower Hotel on Main Street Located at the corner of Main Street and State Street, the 16 story Mayflower had 450 room, a ballroom, banquet hall, six private dining rooms, one large dining room, coffee Shop, and equipped with modern equipment.
Bathers at Summit Beach
Summit Lake was a popular summer retreat for Akron area residents. First as a picturesque picnic area and latter as a amusement park. From rollercoasters to live entertainment, the park had it all. The Beach Park operated for 40 years before closing its gates in 1958.
Union Cafe Bar & Lunch Room
The Union Cafe was located on Market street across the tracks from Union Depot.
USS Macon – PC2 Under Construction
The USS Macon was christened on 11 March 1933, by Jeanette Whitton Moffett, wife of Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, Chief of the U.S. Navy’s Bureau of Aeronautics. The airship was named after the city of Macon, Georgia. On April 21, 1933, just weeks after the loss of the USS Akron in which Admiral Moffett…
Summit Beach Bathers
Akron’s Summit Beach Park located on the shores of Summit Lake, provided Akronites with 40 years of recreation and entertainment before closing its gates for good in 1958.
Lakeside – Glenn Curtiss Hydro-Aeroplane
In 1911, aviation pioneer Glenn H. Curtiss promised Akron a memorable event. Curtiss brought his experimental hydro-airplane to Lakeside Park at Summit Lake. His three flights were seen by nearly 50,000 people that day. During his final flight, the hydro-airplane lost a section of its propeller. Although the plane to become unstable, Curtiss was able to safely bring…