Its name came from a Greek word meaning “an elevation” or “point.” Many of the town’s earliest residents were Irish migrants employed to build the nearby Ohio and Erie Canal. Its location along the canal meant that many farmers brought their crops to Akron to be milled and then transported to other markets.
The American Soap Box Derby has a home in Akron but it didn’t start here. Dayton newspaperman Myron Scott came up with the idea in 1933. The first race was in 1934. The event quickly grew, gained sponsorships, and – thanks in part to tire companies – moved to Akron in 1935.
Akron became a manufacturing center primarily due to its location. The city was well connected to the canal system, and later to numerous major railroad lines.
Following World War II, Akronites faced difficult financial times. The industries that allowed Akron to prosper during the 1800s and early 1900s began to decline. The economic downturn resulted in a declining population. In 1950, nearly 275,000 resided in the city. Fifty years later, the population had dropped to 217,000, and today it sits at 197,633.
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.
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.
Back in the days when horse-drawn carriages ruled the roads, Akron recorded the first automobile in all of Ohio. In 1890, the proto-type automobile drove on the streets of Akron and was fuelled by coal with a steam-engine to operate it.
When a stockbroker, Bill W and an Akron surgeon, Dr. Bob S met they formed a group known today as alcoholics anonymous. Because both of the men felt comfortable talking with each other because they both were struggling with the same problem, they eventually worked on their drinking problem together. Because of these men in…
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 (63 km) south of Lake Erie.
Seeded on the Ohio-Erie Canal, Akron was the fastest growing city in America during the teens and 20s. The rubber industry attracted people from all over the world to work here. From 1910 to the mid 1920s, Akrons population exploded from 69,000 to more than 300,000. Today it is shy of 200,000.
Akron’s Firestone Tire and Rubber Company participated in the Century of Progress – World’s Fair, in Chicago. Their Factory and Exhibition Building contained a complete production line of the most modern and efficient tire-making machinery in the world. Firestone produced Gum-Dipped Tires from raw materials to the finished tire at the exhibit. In the Exhibit Hall they…