Posted May 5, 200916 yr Here are some sites that show how vibrant downtown Akron use to be before it lost a hundred thousand people or so in the city and even more in the metro. It's unbeivable. Also, there are some great up to date pictures and lots of information for those who are interested. Enjoy! http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/history/photos/toweb/DOWNTOWN1954_x600.jpg http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/history/photos/toweb/Main&Howard1940s_x600.jpg http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/history/photos/toweb/MainSt1931_x600.jpg http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/history/photos/1940%20Main%20&%20Howard%20Streets.jpg http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/Tour/SummitChoral.htm
May 7, 200916 yr It would have been great to walk down Howard street back in the day. Today, the only indication of it's existance is the oddly shaped back of the First National Bank tower.
May 8, 200916 yr Thanks! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 14, 200916 yr My parents tell me many different stories of how dt akron was.. I believe it was once the fastest growing and was top 50 in population once... its barely top 100 now probably. Love my hometown....
May 15, 200916 yr I was born in 1962. I can remember my parents taking me downtown on a regular basis and it was like I was in a big, monster city. It was crowded. I remember eating at Woolworth 5 and 10, Scotts 5 and 10 and going to the Lowes Theater to watch movies, which is now The Civic. I remember going to The Highland Theater to see movies, as well. I think a multi-screan cinema would be a big draw downtown with the college presence. I don't know why no one has thought of it, yet. My dad liked to buy hats at The Hatterie. He also worked at BF Goodrich, on Main St., which generated a familiar odor at certain times of day and night. It sat near Howe Elementary School. My neighborhood; The Near West Side (Wooster Ave., Edgewood, etc.), was so incredibly dense. Akron, at that time, was only about 55 square miles with around 300,000 people, and growing. When you consider the density of the suburbs, as well, you can imagine the feeling. Wooster and Rhodes Ave. had bar after bar, after bar. There was a large supermarket, a few barber shops, corner stores, the Base Ball Field, pimps, prostitutes, drug addicts, new and used furniture and clothing stores, drug stores, churches and people all over the place. It was quite a mix and diversity of businesses and architecture that you rarely see anywhere, any more. You couldn't hardly find an open piece of land anywhere. Even the alleys, and there were many, had houses that lined both sides. It is quite disappointing to remember those days as a child when you look at Akron today. However, I do believe that Akron has positioned itself for tremendous growth again. I think the return of favorable economic conditions for the US and World, as a whole, will reignite Akron's growth.
May 16, 200916 yr Agreed. I think Akron is poised for growth. Keeping Goodyear and Bridgestone in place was a HUGE win. Now, lets hope the University Park inititative starts to bear some real fruit!
May 16, 200916 yr I see multiple reasons for future growth of Akron. 1. UofA is the most likely reason with their nursing and engineering programs perhaps sports teams too that attract students. There seem to be many students from PA actually at both KSU and UA. 2. a 24yr old international ambassador in LBJ and any buzz he creates when he's in town. 3. strong, diverse regional industries in banking, legal, utilities, healthcare, service, and mainly unique manufacturing companies including food manufacturing, polymers, and metals. 4. Very low cost of living with a diverse and strong housing stock from urban to suburban to lakefront or backyard park. 5. New/renovated schools and libraries throughout Akron and multitude of quality educational options available for parents to consider. 6. Incredibly easy access to travel via still growing CAK or CLE. 7. Three growing breweries in Akron- Thirsty Dog, Ohio Brewing, and Hoppin Frog where there were none 3-4 years ago and the entertainment district(20+ extra liquor licenses) still yet to be started. 8. Construction continuing throughout urban neighborhoods of Akron. Its hard to go a block and not see construction going on someplace. 9. Rich and diverse arts and community scene like zoo, parks, and museums as well as charitable organizations. -hmm where's the promised city-wide free wifi from Knight foundation??? 10. Summit County government acts as partner with city. This keeps the billion dollar+ deal alive with Goodyear and the quarter billion $ deal alive with Bridgestone among many other things.
May 16, 200916 yr Man audidave, they need to copy and paste that onto a Marketing Brochure. I agree, where is the city wide free internet? 1. I, personally, see a lot of promise in the Incubators. Most of these small business have grown and added employees, from my understanding. A few have moved out do to expansion and stayed in the area. As these companies continue to grow, so will Suppliers and Vendors. 2. I believe in the work being done in Germany and Israel. There have been a couple of manufacturing companies (A Mold Builder and another near the Air Dock) from Israel who have already located in Akron and who knows when Akron will land the big one, especially in Medical Research and Development. 3. Location, location, location. Akron has 4.5 million people within a 50 mile radius. There are only 7 other cities in the country with that concentration of population within that small of a radius. It is also centrally located with direct highway access to all major metros in the area of the country with the greatest population. And I-77 is direct to The Carolinas (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Raliegh/Durham, Charlotte, etc.) and Atlanta. 4. Big City Amenities with small city quality of life. This is really desirable right now. Plays, Concerts, Comedy, Live Entertainment, Night Life, Pro, Semi-Pro and College Sports and Festivals, without huge traffic jams, ridiculous congestion, tremendous smog, off the radar crime (Which needs to be worked on), unfriendly people and other big city headaches. Akron is a relatively clean city and getting better. There are no real ghettos either. Sure, one or two dilapidated properties, but no real urban disaster areas. 5. Don Plusquelic. I don't care what anybody says, this man is an asset to Akron. He has clout and clout is almost everything. He is not in office to be liked by everybody, but he is there to get the job done and knows how to get it done. I sincerely hope the haters don't win.
May 17, 200916 yr 5. Don Plusquelic. I don't care what anybody says, this man is an asset to Akron. He has clout and clout is almost everything. He is not in office to be liked by everybody, but he is there to get the job done and knows how to get it done. I sincerely hope the haters don't win. The haters wont win. Too many people know that He's very valuable to the city and the county. When it comes time to vote on the recall... I'm voting for him like I did last time His name was on the ticket..
May 17, 200916 yr Here are some more interesting vintage shots and post cards: http://www.summitmemory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/clinefelter&CISOPTR=5&CISOBOX=1&REC=12 http://www.summitmemory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/clinefelter&CISOPTR=12&CISOBOX=1&REC=11 http://www.summitmemory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=%2Fgangl&CISOPTR=3&DMSCALE=100&DMWIDTH=600&DMHEIGHT=600&DMMODE=viewer&DMFULL=1&DMX=0&DMY=0&DMTEXT=&DMTHUMB=1&REC=20&DMROTATE=0&x=239&y=169 http://www.summitmemory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=%2Fgangl&CISOPTR=142&DMSCALE=100&DMWIDTH=600&DMHEIGHT=600&DMMODE=viewer&DMFULL=1&DMX=0&DMY=0&DMTEXT=&DMTHUMB=1&REC=3&DMROTATE=0&x=158&y=220 http://www.summitmemory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/gangl&CISOPTR=27&CISOBOX=1&REC=1 http://www.summitmemory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/gangl&CISOPTR=155&CISOBOX=1&REC=18 http://www.summitmemory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/gangl&CISOPTR=85&CISOBOX=1&REC=8 http://www.summitmemory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/gangl&CISOPTR=31&CISOBOX=1&REC=15 http://www.summitmemory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/gangl&CISOPTR=22&CISOBOX=1&REC=2 http://www.summitmemory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/gangl&CISOPTR=90&CISOBOX=1&REC=17 http://www.summitmemory.org/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/clinefelter&CISOPTR=149&REC=16 http://www.summitmemory.org/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/clinefelter&CISOPTR=310&REC=14
May 18, 200916 yr So, I must be really bad at searching for things on the internet because in the 150 times I've looked for historic pictures of Akron, I've never found this site. Thank You!
May 18, 200916 yr It is fascinating, to me, to see Akron in the 1800's and early 1900's through 1970. It is amazing how many changes the city has gone through. Take Main St. for example: Wow! It looks like a little hick town side street in comparison to how it looked between 1920 and 1950 or so. Even from what I remember as a kid in the 1960's. I'm like a kid in a candy store. I'm on a serious mission now. It's very difficult to find them, but I'm going to keep searching for more.
January 12, 20178 yr Old photo of UA: https://www.uakron.edu/ Skyline shot... http://www.akronohio.gov/ http://www3.uakron.edu/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 28, 20187 yr a screen grab of the famous 1975 shine on america mural from the devo jocko homo video: https://www.ohio.com/akron/lifestyle/a-brush-with-greatness
April 3, 20196 yr On 5/15/2009 at 2:13 PM, Master said: I was born in 1962. I can remember my parents taking me downtown on a regular basis and it was like I was in a big, monster city. It was crowded. I remember eating at Woolworth 5 and 10, Scotts 5 and 10 and going to the Lowes Theater to watch movies, which is now The Civic. I remember going to The Highland Theater to see movies, as well. I think a multi-screan cinema would be a big draw downtown with the college presence. I don't know why no one has thought of it, yet. My dad liked to buy hats at The Hatterie. He also worked at BF Goodrich, on Main St., which generated a familiar odor at certain times of day and night. It sat near Howe Elementary School. Early 70's baby here and I do remember my grandmother taking me on the bus downtown from her Ellet/Goodyear Heights neighborhood to Polskis and Wolworth's (I can still taste that grilled cheese).
October 2, 20195 yr the infamously cool goodyear illuminated tires fad -- 1962: https://www.thedrive.com/news/26862/why-goodyears-illuminated-tires-were-way-ahead-of-their-time
July 20, 20204 yr cuyahoga falls 1880s Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society South of Broad Boulevard bridge, Cuyahoga Falls This cascade of dams speaks to how Cuyahoga Falls took advantage of the river’s drop in elevation to boost industry. By 1840, the city had the most diverse mix of manufacturing businesses in Ohio. The last two dams in downtown were removed in 2013. Economic development now centers on the benefits of a cleaner, free-flowing river. https://www.cleveland.com/news/g66l-2019/05/51f6ccd73f5929/36-jawdropping-photos-of-the-cuyahoga-in-the-crooked-river-contrasts-exhibit.html
July 20, 20204 yr ^It’s going to be AWESOME when Gorge Dam is taken out. I’ve heard that there will be top notch rapids for whitewater rafting. I’m excited for it. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
July 20, 20204 yr i just hiked the glens trail this past weekend to get a sense of what that means. I didn’t realize that the lake behind the dam starts pretty much at the bottom of that picture. The glens trail connects to the gorge trail going along the river beneath the sandstone cliffs for about a mile to gorge blvd. At gorge blvd that is where it opens up to the widened lake. Most of the hike is about 25-30ft above the river. I imagine when the dam comes down it will be 45-50ft above the river. The dam is 60ft tall so that should be a drop of about 100ish feet in 2 miles when its ready to go. There are already people with river kayaks on their vehicles driving all over northern Summit county.
July 21, 20204 yr 17 hours ago, audidave said: i just hiked the glens trail this past weekend to get a sense of what that means. I didn’t realize that the lake behind the dam starts pretty much at the bottom of that picture. The glens trail connects to the gorge trail going along the river beneath the sandstone cliffs for about a mile to gorge blvd. At gorge blvd that is where it opens up to the widened lake. Most of the hike is about 25-30ft above the river. I imagine when the dam comes down it will be 45-50ft above the river. The dam is 60ft tall so that should be a drop of about 100ish feet in 2 miles when its ready to go. There are already people with river kayaks on their vehicles driving all over northern Summit county. And combining dreams, imagine if there was regular commuter rail service from downtown Cleveland to Akron with a stop at Cuyahoga Falls, very close to the start of these rapids. One could carry their kayak from their Cleveland apartment to the train and ride straight to some great whitewater rafting. Ha - the commuter rail will need kayak/raft storage, like CVSR bike storage. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
August 5, 20204 yr 1976 new years eve punk show and much more akron sound music ephemera here: https://clevelandmemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/akronsound/search/page/1
September 17, 20204 yr "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 11, 20213 yr guess who spelling bee champion zaila avant garde was thinking of as inspiration on her journey? akron’s 1930s spelling bee champ macnolia cox: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/07/10/macnolia-cox-zaila-avant-garde-spelling-bee/ Edited August 5, 20213 yr by mrnyc
August 5, 20213 yr 10 hours ago, mrnyc said: Akron was quite the little industrial powerhouse in its heyday! The reason I'm here is my ancestors migration from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Tennessee, all seeking work in the many rubber and chemical factories of Akron. After serving as an army nurse in the South Pacific in World War 2, my grandmother came home, married my grandfather and settled in Akron following other family members who had worked there during the war. She wasn't content to settle down like other good housewives after the war (she was a first lieutenant in the army after all and of course outranked my grandfather). So she took a job with Goodyear as a flight nurse, based out the air-dock at Akron Fulton pictured here. In my childhood she had retired, but would take me to the building to visit her friends. This building was mind-blowing as a child, and is still impressive to this day. If the current owner Lockheed Martin ever has an open house, I would encourage everyone to drop in and check it out!
August 16, 20222 yr black akron and south howard aka historic akron's harlem: AKRON’S VERY OWN | MAKING SENSE OF AKRON’S BLACK HISTORY October 13, 2021 Columns By Ile-Ife Okantah for TDS ... I realized the depth of my gratitude for Akron when I arrived at Kent State University as a student. Half-jokingly, I often say the biggest difference between Kent and Akron is that white people in Akron are used to being around Black people. This does not mean I haven’t experienced my share of racism throughout my life, just like any other Black person in America, or that racist people don’t reside in Akron. However, it wasn’t until living in Kent that I was around people who openly admitted to having little to no interaction with people outside of the white race. How two cities not even an hour apart could have such drastically different energy began to fascinate me. more: https://thedevilstrip.com/2021/10/13/akrons-very-own-making-sense-of-akrons-black-history/
August 16, 20222 yr werner castle 1897-2020 Historic castle razed at Perkins and Union Mark J. Price | Beacon Journal The castle has fallen. Demolition is nearly complete on a distinctive landmark at Perkins and North Union streets in Akron. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On Saturday, a few scavengers picked through the rubble in search of brick souvenirs. The ornate building, which resembled a German castle, served as the main office of the Werner Printing & Lithograph Co., which in the late 19th century was the city’s largest employer with about 1,500 workers. more: https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/lifestyle/around-town/2020/09/05/historic-castle-razed-at-perkins-and-union/113670194/
August 20, 20222 yr On 8/16/2022 at 6:42 PM, mrnyc said: black akron and south howard aka historic akron's harlem: AKRON’S VERY OWN | MAKING SENSE OF AKRON’S BLACK HISTORY October 13, 2021 Columns By Ile-Ife Okantah for TDS ... I realized the depth of my gratitude for Akron when I arrived at Kent State University as a student. Half-jokingly, I often say the biggest difference between Kent and Akron is that white people in Akron are used to being around Black people. This does not mean I haven’t experienced my share of racism throughout my life, just like any other Black person in America, or that racist people don’t reside in Akron. However, it wasn’t until living in Kent that I was around people who openly admitted to having little to no interaction with people outside of the white race. How two cities not even an hour apart could have such drastically different energy began to fascinate me. more: https://thedevilstrip.com/2021/10/13/akrons-very-own-making-sense-of-akrons-black-history/ Everytime I see a historic photo of Akron, I'm in awe at how much Akron destroyed its inner core with urban renewal. Streets like this one would have been incredibly popular neighborhoods/entertainment districts if they survived into the 21st century. It's a real shame because I feel like Akron really doesn't have a whole lot of historic buildings left around Downtown even though it clearly used to have amazing architecture and density down there.
June 13, 20232 yr i knew about the akron blimp, but did not know about its cursed, insanely tragic history — Posted in New Jersey History May 04, 2016 by Kristen The Story Of This Cursed New Jersey Airship Is Unbelievable Do you believe in curses? You might after you read this story. The U.S.S. Akron was a Naval Airship based out of Lakehurst, New Jersey that seems to have been doomed from day one. One accident followed another, resulting in tragedy. more: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/new-jersey/cursed-nj-airship/
July 1, 20231 yr I went to school at UofA and some of these brought back some old memories of around town. Thank you for sharing, they are wonderful https://vidmateapp.winhttps://momix.unohttps://pikashow.bio/ Edited July 2, 20231 yr by katesmith1304
January 20, 20241 yr i don’t think we have a canton historic thread so i’ll put this charming north canton find here — https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzbtM4ssTjO/?igsh=MWRkN3Aydmxjc2tsdA==
March 1, 20241 yr goodyear blimp cape cod 1928 — https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3fc6DVuqHW/?igsh=MXZranZrMDNkbGs3Ng==
March 19, 20241 yr all about the rex humbard tower — https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1uK7tgOHI_/?igsh=b204Nzk2eTdnczZr
April 29, 20241 yr 😂 https://www.kent.edu/magazine/news/wheel-fortune The Battle for the Wagon Wheel—the rivalry between Kent State University and The University of Akron—first became a contest in 1946 when Raymond Manchester, Kent State’s dean of men, offered an old wagon wheel as a trophy in that year’s football game between the Golden Flashes and the Zips. The dean claimed the wheel had come from the buggy of John Buchtel, an Akron industrialist who was the main benefactor and original namesake of what is now the University of Akron. According to the legend that Manchester promulgated (as reported in The Kent Stater, November 15, 1946), Buchtel lost the wheel in the spring of 1870, while in search of a site for his proposed college. His buggy became bogged down near a spring along the Western Reserve trail, which ran through what is now the Kent Campus. As the horses broke free from the buggy, a wheel remained mired in the swamp—and Buchtel dropped Kent from consideration. The wheel was said to have been unearthed in 1902 by workers piping water from the spring to the northern outskirts of Kent, but its origin remained unknown until the town’s patriarchs recalled the “incident of 1870.” Somehow the dean acquired the wheel, which he viewed as a symbol of good fortune: “Had it not been for the loss of this wheel, Kent might never have received the fine state university now located here.” When University of Akron officials got wind of the wheel, they challenged Kent State to regain what they felt was rightfully theirs. Manchester accepted the challenge: “That buggy wheel is a relic that belongs to KSU, but I’m willing to put it up as a trophy—there’s no danger of losing it.” Kent State won the first Wagon Wheel, which had been painted blue and gold (both schools’ colors), beating Akron 13-6. The Flashes won the wheel for the next eight years, and after Kent State’s 58-18 win in 1954, the series was discontinued. The rivalry was revived in 1972 (13-13 tie), but because of different conferences and NCAA levels, the two teams played each other only occasionally for years. They both were members of the Mid-American Conference in 1992, and they’ve played each other ever since. The two schools began a Wagon Wheel Challenge in 2011, which counts all athletic contests in the sports at which they compete head-to-head. The Wagon Wheel is currently in Akron’s possession, but it is time to bring it home. The two rivals will match up again this year at the Homecoming game on October 1, 2016. Go Flashes! This illustration ran with an announcement for the 1986 Battle for the Wagon Wheel in the September 9, 1986 Daily Kent Stater.(Akron won 17-7.)
April 29, 20241 yr hotel mathews story -- 👍 George Washington Mathews George Washington Mathews was the first African American hotel and barber shop owner in Akron.1 His barbershop and hotel were located on North Howard Street at the junction of what is now Howard Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Mathews was one of many successful African American business owners along Howard Street from the1930s to 1960s. Born into poverty in Georgia, Mathews stopped in Akron in 1919 on the way home from a boxing match in Toledo, Ohio. Enamored with the booming “Rubber City,” he returned to Akron in 1920 and opened a barbershop. Then, in 1925, Mathews opened the adjoining hotel named Hotel Matthews. The hotel was inexplicably spelled with two T’s, although the owner, Mathews, spelled his name with one T. Speculation is that the spelling of the hotel was an error on the part of the sign makers. much more akron historic sites here -- https://blogs.uakron.edu/roundaboutakron/matthews-monument-memory/ green guide ad today --
April 29, 20241 yr goodyear aerial 1930 -- View of Akron including the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and East Market Street, circa 1930. Courtesy Summit County Historical Society, Carl H. Pockrandt Collection
April 29, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, mrnyc said: 1986 airdock opened to the public for first time in 50yrs 300k fans -- I was there. My grandmother was honored that day as a World War II vet and former nurse at this very airdock at Fulton.
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