The rubber boom brought with it thousands of jobs to the Akron area, but in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many of the workers faced low wages and dangerous conditions. Organizers of the United Rubber Workers sought to improve the lives of workers. The URW formed in 1935 and organized their first major strike on Akron’s rubber…
The Goodyear-Zeppelin Airdock was a purpose-built facility for the construction of large airships. The $2.2 million building is over 200 feet tall and more than 1,000 feet long. Most remarkable, the entire length of the building is free of interior supports like pillars or struts. At the time of its construction in 1929, the air dock was the…
The Music Hall was dedicated on opened in 1904 with a concert by the Victor Herbert Orchestra. Paul E. Werner, a German-American immigrant and philanthropist who made his fortunes in the publishing industry (Werner Printing and Lithograph Company) financed the $65,000 building. It was commonly known as the German-American Music Hall until anti-German sentiments arose…
The Akron Fire Department was fully motorized by 1914, one of the first departments to do so in the country!
At one time Springfield Lake Park was the largest amusement park in the State of Ohio. The amusement park hosted two coasters, a merry-go-round, swimming, boating, fishing and much more. A double-decked steamboat even cruised the lake complete with an orchestra and dancing. like many of the other lake parks in the region, Springfield Lake drew…
A 1968 factory explosion at the Mohawk Rubber Plant caused the death of 25-year-old Thomas Schultz of Coventry Township.
This was Kenmore’s first school which opened in 1903. The name was soon changed to Central and then to Heminger. The school was closed in 2008 and demolished to make room for a senior housing development. Location: (Demolished) 2228 11th Street in Kenmore, Ohio
This ornate railway passenger station, built in 1888, was located on the corner of West Market Street and South Canal Street. The station was built to relocate passenger service from the railroad’s less convenient station at North Howard and Ridge Streets. The Valley Railway reached from Cleveland to Akron via the Cuyahoga Valley and then south to Valley Junction…
Goodyear entered the fledgling aviation industry when it established its aeronautics department in 1910. The company built its first balloon in 1912 and the next year began building and flying balloons in competition.
Michael O’Neil and his partner Isaac Dyas began serving Akron shoppers in 1877. Their first store was a dry goods store located at 114 East Market Street. In 1912, O’Neil sold his stores to the May Department Stores for $1million. The massive 800,000 square foot building in downtown Akron was constructed in 1927-28. The store operated in…
ZRS-4 Built in Akron, Ohio, The United States Navy airships U.S.S. Akron – ZRS-4 and U.S.S. Macon – ZRS-5 were among the largest airships ever built. Each ship was designed as a long-range scouting platform for use in Naval fleet operation. The helium-filled airships each carried F9C-2 Curtiss Sparrowhawk biplanes which could be launched and…
It began in 1914 with the establishment of The Peoples Hospital Co. Just one year later, a new 125-bed, Peoples Hospital on West Cedar Street would be serving the medical needs of Akronites. In 1954 the hospital would see a massive 200-bed expansion as well as a new name, Akron General Hospital (shown here).
The Mayflower Hotel took her place among downtown Akron’s landmark buildings in 1931. The luxury hotel was an enormous symbol of the city’s prosperity. Interestingly, 1931 also saw the rise of Akron’s First Central Trust Tower and the new YMCA building.
The first Goodyear factory opened in Akron, Ohio, in 1898. The thirteen original employees manufactured bicycle and carriage tires, rubber horseshoe pads, and poker chips. The company grew with the advent of the automobile. In this image, an Akron & Barberton Belt steam train switches cars at Goodyear’s east Akron factory.
In 1888, the Akron Building and Loan Association was opened. The first officers included familiar Akron family names: Hugo Schumacher, W.B. Gamble, A.H. Noah, William Buchtel, and P.M. Atterholt. In 1909, after several moves, the name of the company was changed to the Akron Savings and Loan Company, with its headquarters at the Savings and Loan…
The Marathon Rubber Co. of Cuyahoga Falls/Akron opened in 1912. They manufactured a variety of rubber products including tires, tubes, and belts. The plant pictured here was located on Front Street at the end of Sackett Avenue. Marathon Tire and Rubber Co. formed from the reorganization of the original Marathon Company with C.C. Osmun serving…
Founded in Akron in 1870 as Goodrich, Tew & Co. by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich. The company name was changed to the “B.F. Goodrich Company” in 1880, to BFGoodrich in the 1980s, and to “Goodrich Corporation” in 2001.
Springfield Lake is located in the center of Springfield township. The lake is a glacially formed kettle lake created during the last iceage. Springfield Lake is one of the few natural lakes found in Ohio.
The 27 story art deco style building sits at the corner of Main Street and East Mill Street. The tower was built on the former site of the Hamilton Building.
Akron High School, built in 1884, was renamed Central High School in 1911 when South High was built. The school sat on the current site of Central-Hower High School until it was demolished and replaced in 1973.
Mr. Miller served as the Secretary and Sales Manager for the Diamond Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio.
With roots in dating back to the 1830’s, the St. Paul’s congregation has a long history in Akron. This two-story Victorian Gothic structure was built in 1885 and served as the church Sunday school and parish house. A large sanctuary was added in 1909. The congregation remained at this location until 1952, when it moved to its…
TheSt. Paul’s sanctuary, shown here, was erected in 1909 on the triangular lot at East Market, Forge, and Fir streets. The congregation remained at this location until 1952, when it moved to West Market Street. Location: 354 E. Market St. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Flags are waving as visitors to Akron’s Lakeside Park enjoy a day of rest on the waters of Summit Lake. Lakeside was built by the Akron Street Railway & Herdic Co. in 1887. It was an attraction and picnic ground destination accessible by the railway. Lakeside would later be absorbed into Summit Beach Park.
The four-story, brick-and-stone structure was designed by local architectural firm Harpster & Bliss. Construction of West High School cost $225,000. For its first seven years, West served as both a high school and an elementary school.