Akron tourist information

Canal years

Much of Akron's early growth was because of its location at the "summit" of the Ohio and Erie Canal (thus the name "Summit County") which at one time connected Lake Erie and the Ohio River.

Akron started as a small village on the divide between the St. Lawrence and the Mississippi. The village was a 43-block square with its main intersection at Exchange and Main Streets and a north limit one block beyond State Street. It was renamed South Akron when Cascade, an adjacent village north of State Street and centered on Market and Howard Streets, changed its name to North Akron.

South Akron was built to serve people using the Ohio Canal. North Akron developed around a construction project originally intended to provide increased water power for industries. In 1836 the villages joined. The completion of the Cross-cut Canal along Main Street in 1839 started Akron on its climb to industrial importance. Coal, a major railroad, and manufacturing growth from the Civil War, gave the City its next boost — its population jumped from 3,500 to 10,000 between 1860 and 1870.

Because of physical obstacles — the steep hill on West Market Street, the Little Cuyahoga Valley, and the swamp south of the City – Akron grew to the east. This encouraged the annexation of Spicertown, centered on Spicer and Exchange, and then Middlebury, which was centered where the Arlington and Market Street commercial area is now located.

Akron’s history and the history of the rubber industry are mutually bound. The rubber industry transformed Akron from a small canal town into a fledgling city. The birth of the rubber industry started in the eighteen hundreds, long before America fell in love with the automobile. Akron was incorporated as a village in 1835, and as a city in 1865. In 1869, B.F. Goodrich began the first rubber company to settle in Akron. In 1915, the area increased from 7,254 acres (29.38 km²) to 16,120 acres (65.29 km²). The population rose approximately 200 % from 69,067 in 1910 to 208,435 in 1920. General Tire was founded in 1915, by the O’Neil’s whose department store became an Akron landmark.

The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company became America's top tire manufacturer and Akron was granted the moniker of “The Rubber Capital of the World”. Goodyear's president, F.A. Seiberling, had been building homes costing around $3,500 for employees in what would become known as Goodyear Heights. Likewise, Harvey Firestone began building employee homes in what would be called Firestone Park. These leaders were responding to the housing crunch caused by the boom in the rubber business.

Akron was, indeed, booming. For a time it was the fastest-growing city in the country, its population exploding from 69,000 in 1910 to 208,000 in 1920. People came for the jobs in the rubber factories from many places, including Europe. Of those 208,000, almost one-third were immigrants and their children.

In the fifties and sixties Akron saw a surge in industry as use of the automobile took off. But while America was still using bias-ply tires, Europe had already seen the wave of the future in radial tires. The radials had almost three times the tread life of bias-ply, and Akron’s rubber mills were not equipped to handle the manufacturing requirements. As a result many companies tried to produce ‘hybrid’ tires, which were troublesome at best. Firestone manufactured the ill-fated 500 series, which was recalled in the millions. B.F. Goodrich eventually bit the bullet and transformed all the old equipment with new machinery that would facilitate the manufacturing of the newer radial tires.

In the seventies and eighties the rubber industry experienced a major decline as a number of strikes and factory shutdowns delivered the final blows to the industry. In ten years the number of people working within the rubber industry was slashed in half. By the early nineties all but Goodyear had moved their headquarters out of Akron.

Goodyear continues to manufacture racing and experimental tires, and Firestone’s technical centre remains in Akron. Because the rubber industry is still a major employer in the region, Akron has suffered less than other cities of similar size which have gone through Rust Belt decline, such as neighboring Youngstown.

Akron's road network does not run on any grid system, and it can be confusing for out-of-town motorists. Roads frequently change name or direction without warning, or stop and continue elsewhere. In addition there are two sets of numbered roads, one in Kenmore (1st -31st Streets), and one along Arlington (1st - 9th Avenues), the rest of the city has no numbering at all.

This disparity between areas is due to Akron's many annexations over the years. Akron’s transportation needs are fulfilled by two major interstates, Interstate 76 and Interstate 77. I-76, I-77, and Route 8 meet at one central interchange, which is commonly known by the same name. The central interchange divides the city into four quadrants. The Interstate 76 Eastern Expressway weaves through much of Akron’s warehouse sector and the Goodyear world headquarters is easily visible. I-76 is paired with I-77 for about two miles (3 km) west of the central interchange, and then splits off again, with I-76 later being paired with US-224 and I-77 heading north towards Cleveland. This portion of highway is currently under review by ODOT for reconstruction.

The Western highway is a major route to Cleveland and Columbus, and is a near term destination to Fairlawn a major commercial area. Route 8 has been overhauled numerous times and serves as a major entryway for the north-eastern suburbs, namely Cuyahoga Falls, Munroe Falls, Stow and Hudson. There are also two highways to the south, U.S. Highway 224, and Interstate 277. I-277 connects I-77 directly with the southern portion of I-76 providing a quick route between neighbouring Barberton and south Akron. The Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway, commonly known as the Innerbelt, includes part of the longer Route 59. It serves the very center of the city, and was supposed to run from the I-76 / I-77 to Route 8. However, due to poor planning, the Innerbelt was never completed and only runs to Main St. Route 59 also lacks direct I-76W / I-77N inbound and offbound ramps, furthering its problems. Mayor Don Plusquellic has brought up the idea of tearing up the northern end of the Innerbelt in order to free land for development, although a majority of the residents have stated that they would like to see it completely connected as originally planned.

Public transportation is available through the METRO RTA system, which has a fleet of over two hundred buses and trolleys, and operates local routes as well as running commuter buses into downtown Cleveland. SARTA also has a bus line running between Canton and Akron. Amtrak closed its station near Quaker Square in 2005. Airline passengers travelling to or from Akron use either the Akron-Canton Regional Airport in Green or Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Two low-fare airlines, Frontier Airlines and AirTran Airways, have begun serving Akron-Canton in recent years, making that airport a fairly popular alternative for travellers to or from the Cleveland area. Akron Fulton Airport serves private planes and is the home of the Lockheed Martin Airdock, where the Goodyear blimps were formerly stored and maintained.

Going on a trip? Why not browse some of the luggage at eBags.com ^{(external source)}

Your vacation. A time to lose yourself. And sometimes your luggage, too. Need Travel Insurance? Why not try Travel Guard ^{(external source)}