The steamboat Chautauquan sails the quiet evening waters of Silverlake.
Author: tconte
First Congregational Church and Parsonage
First Congregational Church dates back to 1833. In 1834 the State of Ohio recognized petition to incorporate the First Congregational Church making it the first formally recognized church in Akron. Their first church building was located on High Street, where the courthouse is today. Their third building, pictured here, was constructed in 1909-10 and remains in…
Furnace Street Mission
“The Brightest Spot in the Underworld” – Originally founded by the Reverend Bill Denton, the church worked to help the local area’s unserved and needy. Over the years the church successfully expanded its ministry and outreach to serve the greater Akron area.
Akron High School
Home of the Central Wildcats, Akron (Central) High School was located on Forge Street, between College and Union Streets, facing Union Park. The school was established in 1857, but the pictured building was erected in 1885 at a cost of $135,000. The building stood until 1973 when it was demolished to make way for the…
Union Park
In 1848, Col. Simon Perkins, son of Akron’s founder, gave the People of Akron a gift. Originally called Flatiron Park (a reference to its triangular shape), Union Park, along with Grace Park were given to the people of Akron with a stipulation that these lands be used “for the purpose of public squares, or grounds,…
Summit Beach Park – Early Bathers
A trio of adventurous swimmers brave the cold to be some of the first in the water at Summit Beach Park, Akron, Oho.
Greetings From Akron
Akron is the fifth-largest city in Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, approximately 39 miles south of Lake Erie Cleveland, Ohio.
Samuel Findley School
Akron’s Samuel Findley School was built in 1906. The building was designed by architects Harpster & Bliss. Elements of the Beaux Arts style with additional Classical Revival details were evident throughout the exterior and interior of the school. The school was once located in the triangular lot created by W. Tallmadge Ave, W. Cuyahoga Falls Ave.,…
Silver Lake Park – Miniature Railway
An evening train ride through the Silver Lake Park on the shores of Silver Lake near Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The train was just one of many attractions at the park, including a dance hall, small zoo, amusement rides, picnic areas, and steamboat rides. The first conductor on the Silver Lake Miniature Railroad was Sammy Wise…
Firestone Tire and Rubber Co.
In its first year of operation, the Firestone grossed more than $100,000 in profit. Initially, the company was not involved in the actual production of rubber. Instead, they purchased premade rubber and attached it to carriage wheels.
German American Hall
Funded by Werner Printing and Lithograph Company’s founder, Paul E. Werner, the German American Hall was constructed as a place for German activities. He called it “The Deutsch Haus” (The German House). As anti-German sentiments arose during World War I, it became necessary to rebrand the building as simply the Music Hall. Location: 44 E.…
USS Macon – ZRS-5
In this Picture Postcard view of the USS Macon, a member of the crew checks one of the ships many gasoline tanks prior to a test flight from the Goodyear-Zeppelin dock in Akron. This is the starboard lateral gangway. Narrow catwalks like this one stretched throughout the interior of the ships hull. The Macon ZRS-5, The Macon, was…
Greetings from Akron
The city dates back to 1825 when General Simon Perkins and Paul Williams decided to set up a town along a proposed dam that was to be built across the Cuyahoga River. Ruins of this dam can still be seen near the city of Akron.
Smith’s Tavern
George M Smith’s popular tavern along the Long Lake Channel in the Portage Lakes area outside Akron.
Akron Municipal Airport
As the US Navy’s newly built USS Akron flys overhead, the Akron Municipal Airport and its distinctive architecture stand proudly below in this vintage Akron Postcard. Opening in 1929, the Akron Municipal Airport at one point was a U.S. naval air station, known as Naval Air Station Akron. Today the airport is known as the…
Hotel Frankfort, Market Street
View of the Hotel Frankfort on Akron’s Market Street. The hotel was north of the old Library and Post Office.
Our Lady of the Elms Church
Our Lady of the Elms High School is a private, all-girls independent Catholic college preparatory high school founded by the Sisters of St. Dominic (now Dominican Sisters of Peace) in 1923.
Union, Forge & Mill Streets
A view of the much-changed intersection of Union Street, Forge Street and Mill streets near downtown Akron. Akron’s old High School can be seen on the left side of the image. Union Park is ahead on the right.
The Goodyear-Zeppelin Airship Factory
The Air Dock, as it is known, was constructed in 1929. It was the largest building in the world without interior supports and provided a huge structure in which “lighter-than-air” ships (later known as airships, dirigibles, and blimps) could be constructed. The first two airships to be constructed and launched at the Airdock were USS Akron and its sister ship, USS Macon, built…
Hower Building Fire of 1909
On May 18, 1909, a fire in the seven-story Hower Power block destroyed the building and its contents, causing losses in excess of $1,500,000. Several girls employed in the building had a narrow escape. Firemen were in danger from falling walls. The building was occupied entirely by light manufacturing companies. There were more than 200…
Airport Terminal
In 1942, one of the area’s worst aviation accidents occurred when a Martin B-26B Marauder crashed shortly after takeoff. The plane was on a routine training mission during World War II when it stopped off at Akron (Terminal) Municipal Airport to refuel. During takeoff, a faulty rubber seal lead to engine failure causing the plane to crash into…
Union Station – Amelia Flats
Amelia Flats was the first of two apartment building constructed by businessman Horace B. Camp (1838-1907). The flats were built as upscale suites in a neighborhood well known for its affluent residents – Barber, Buchtel, Bierce, Firestone, Hower, Seiberling and Schumacher.
Railway Bridge Over Ohio Canal
With a train in the background a sunken canal boat in the foreground, and the prominent Northern Ohio Railway bridge towering over the scene, this historic postcard image gives a glimpse into Akron, Ohio’s transportation history.
North Hill M. E. Church
North Hill M.E. Church, Akron, Ohio