Each month, we feature an Ohio City as part of our Ohio Community Spotlight series. This month we spotlight “Summit City,” Akron!
It's that time again - every month we feature a different city as part of our Ohio Community Spotlight Series. This month, we travel to the Rubber Capital of the World, the City of Invention - Akron!
Akron is the fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a 2020 Census count of 190,469. The Akron metropolitan area, which covers all of Summit and Portage counties, has an estimated 702K residents. Akron is just 40 miles south of Cleveland and 23 miles north of Canton.
Akron is situated on lands that were once inhabited by various indigenous nations, including the Seneca, Cayuga, Leni Lanape (Delaware) Miami, Shawnee, Wyandot, Ottawa, and Ojibwe tribes. These nations utilized the land for centuries, with the Portage Path a vital trade route in the region.
The Akron area was first settled by Americans in 1810, & the city was established in 1825 along the Cuyahoga River at the summit of the developing Ohio & Erie Canal. Akron is Greek in origin, meaning a summit or high point. Originally two villages, "South Akron" & "North Akron", merged in 1836.
Akron Plat Map. Public Domain Image.
The Ohio & Erie Canal was vital to Akron's early economic development, connecting to Lake Erie to the north & the Ohio River to the south. Future canals would open the area to the east as well. Stoneware, sewer pipe, & farm equipment were some of the areas early industries.
The Ohio and Erie Canal. Public Domain Image.
In the late 1800s, Akron would become the hub for rubber tire manufacturing. Though the vulcanization of rubber had been developed in 1844 in Woburn, Massachusetts, in 1870 Akron's citizens persuaded Dr. B.F. Goodrich to relocate his company from NY State to the city.
In 1898, F.A. Seiberling, whose father owned a farm manufacturing business in the city, founded the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, named for inventor Charles Goodyear who had died in 1860. Next came Firestone Tire & Rubber in 1900, and finally General Tire in 1915.
The Rubber Worker. Stock Image.
These four businesses were the largest tire manufacturers in the world, and helped to birth a number of other industries in the region as well. The American trucking industry can trace its origins to Akron due to the tire industry, and the Goodyear-Zeppelin Company manufactured airships there.
U.S.S. Akron Under Construction at the Akron Air Dock. Public Domain Image.
Akron became a boomtown due to the rubber industry, & affordable housing for all the new factory workers was a challenge. Many of the city's homes were built by the rubber businesses to house workers, with neighborhood's like Goodyear Heights and Firestone Park still dotting the city today.
Goodyear Heights Neighborhood. Public Domain Image.
Housing remains a challenge still today. GOPC worked with the city last year to develop "A Housing Action Plan for Akron." The plan will help city officials & other leaders spur new housing development, keep long-time residents in their homes, and improve the quality of existing homes for all Akron residents
Like many other cities that make-up the so-called 'rust belt', Akron has experienced its share of industry decline. Today, Goodyear is the only major rubber company to still call Akron home. The namesake airdock was sold in 1987 and was a recipient of a brownfield grant in the early 2000s.
The city's historical connection to rubber has helped to birth a new industry. Through the University of Akron, the city is the home to the Goodyear Polymer Center, the National Polymer Innovation Center, & the College of Polymer Science.
The area holds forty-five percent of the state's polymer industries, with the oldest dating to the 19th century. Akron sits at the center of the "Polymer Valley," with more than 400 polymer-related companies being located nearby (94 are located in the city itself).
Akron's industrial past has lent to it having a number of important cultural & civic landmarks. The Akron Symphony Orchestra is housed at E.J. Thomas Hall on the campus of the University of Akron. The Akron Art Museum features art produced since 1850 along with national & international exhibitions.
Akron Museum of Art. Stock Image.
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens is the seventh-largest historic house in the United States, built by Goodyear founder F.A. Seiberling in 1912 & today open for public tours. the Akron Civic Theatre is an excellent example of an early 20th Century movie palace, designed in a "Moorish" theme.
Sports fans can enjoy summer nights out watching the Akron Rubber Ducks, a AA affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, play at downtown's Canal Park. Akron also hosts the annual PGA Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club, & has been home to the All-American Soap Box Derby since 1935!
1954 All American Soap Box Derby Ad. Public Domain Image.
The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail is a regional bike & hike trail that follows the canal north to Cleveland & south to New Philadelphia. The trail runs through the heart of downtown Akron & is a popular tourist attraction. Lock 3, a major park in the downtown, is adjacent to the trail.
One of Akron's most notable contributions is that is hosted the very first meeting of Alcoholic's Anonymous in 1935. A chance meeting between founders Bill W. and Dr. Bob Smith led to Dr. Smith’s decision to quit drinking on June 10, and the pair soon began treating others at Akron City Hospital.
Alcoholics Anonymous grew out of this meeting and today, Founder's Day continues to be celebrated in Akron each year.
Dr. Bob House in Akron, site of the First “AA” Meeting in 1935. Public Domain Image.
Akron has been the home to many notable people over the years, ranging from Knight Newspaper founder John S. Knight, Watergate figure John Dean, Astronaut Judith Resnik, and Actor Ray Wise, all were born in Akron.
Mission Specialist Judith Resnik on the middeck of Discovery during STS-41-D. Public Domain Image.
Akron has also produced a number of notable musicians and musical groups, including Devo, The Black Keys, and Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders all hail from the city
Many notable sports figures have also emerged from Akron. These include 2X World Series winner Thurman Munson, former Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian, and Butch Reynolds, former world record holder in the 400 meter dash.
Did you think we'd forget to mention the two most famous athletes ever to emerge from Akron? Both Steph "Chef" Curry and LeBron "King" James were born in the city in 1988 & 1984 respectively. Though Curry would grow-up in North Carolina, James was raised there & contributes to the city still today.
That wraps up another community spotlight. Be sure to drop by and check-out all that Akron has to offer, and be sure to check-in with us next month for the next community to be featured in the Ohio Community Spotlight series.
