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History of Akron, Ohio, USA
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Discover Akron: History, News, Travel, and Stories

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1825 - Akron, Ohio founded
wikipedia.org
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1839 - Charles Goodyear of Akron developed the process of vulcanizing rubber.
www.ereferencedesk.com/ resources/ state-facts/ ohio.html
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1854 - Akron
Akron, a beautiful and flourishing town of Portage township, and capital of Summit county, Ohio, on the Ohio and Erie canal, at its junction with the Pennsylvania and Ohio canal, 110 miles in a direct line N. E. from Columbus, and 36 miles S. from Cleveland. It occupies the highest ground on the line of the canal between Lake Erie and the Ohio river, and is 400 feet above the lake. By means of the canal and little Cuyahoga river, the town is amply supplied with water-power, which is employed in a variety of manufactures; and its mercantile business is extensive. Immense quantities of wheat are shipped here. Akron was laid out in 1825. In 1827 the Ohio and Erie canal was constructed to this point, and in 1841 Akron was chosen as the county seat. The canal was finished in 1832; cost $5,000,000. The same year the canal which connects it with Beaver, Pennsylvania, was opened, and a new impetus given to its improvement. It has several churches, 1 bank, 2 woollen factories, 6 large flouring ... Read MORE...
1888 - Joseph Dickenhof, aged seventy years, was assaulted by highwaymen at Akron, O., on the evening of the 31st ult. and robbed of $7,300 which he carried in a valise.
St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
November 3, 1888
1890 - TORNADO AT AKRON, OHIO. A PATH CUT THROUGH THE CITY AND MANY BUILDINGS DEMOLISHED.
Akron, Ohio, May 12. - Saturday was a bad day for this city. A terrible cyclone moved down upon us, causing great damage. Professor Egbert, of Buchtel College, who was out in the storm, calculated that it was traveling at the rate of four miles a minute, so that its track of about a mile and a half through this city was traversed in little more than twenty seconds. It moved in almost a straight line through a well-settled part of the city, and scarcely a foot of the mile and a half traversed, but is strewn with splintered timbers, broken
furniture, uprooted trees, and leveled barns and outhouses. In a trip over the storm's path nineteen dwellings were counted that were either ripped into kindling wood or so badly wrecked that they can not be occupied. About seventy-persons in all, are out of house and home and are being sheltered by friends.
Eighteen persons were injured but it is thought all will recover. Seventy-five buildings, including residences, barns and outhouses, were... Read MORE...
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1895 - Akron
Akron, a beautiful and flourishing city, the capital of Summit co., 0, is a manufacturing, mineral, and railroad centre,39 miles by rail S. by E. of Cleveland, 131 miles by rail N.E. of Columbus, and 252 miles by rail N.E. of Cincinnati. It is on the Ohio Canal, 960 feet above the level of the sea, and 400 feet above the level of Lake Erie. It has an active trade in grain and extensive manufactures of agricultural implements. Akron has 33 churches, 7 banks, public schools, a high school which cost $100,000, a public library, boiler-works, brick- and fire-brick-works, a paint and oil-factory, a harness factory, a sewer-pipe factory, a stoneware-factory, hard-rubber works, a twine- and cordage factory, a shirt-factory, soap-works, knife-works, an ice factory, a roller flour-mill, stove-works, a match-factory, and lumber-mills. Two daily, 1 tri-weekly, and 4 weekly newspapers are published here. Akron is the seat of Buchtel College (Universalist), founded in 1872. Coal is mined near this ... Read MORE...
1897 - OPERA HOUSE BURNED.
Akron, O., July 19. - The Academy of Music block, containing the local opera house, was almost destroyed by fire Sunday. The loss on the block, owned by SYLVESTER T. EVERETT, of Cleveland, is $25,000; that on the opera house is $10,000, with smaller losses to offices and stores will amount to another $10,000. The insurance on the block and the opera house is about half the losses.
Stevens Point Daily Journal
Stevens Point, Wisconsin
July 19, 1897
1899 - SMOLDERING RUINS. MAIN BUILDING OF BUCHTEL COLLEGE DESTROYED BY FIRE.
Akron, O., Dec. 21. - The main building of Buchtel college, including all the laboratories, library, men's and women's dormitories, was burned to the ground. The fire started in the men's dormitory, about 5 p.m., and spread to other portions of the building rapidly. Much of the personal property of the students and a large number of valuable books from the library were saved. The loss is fully $100,000, with $65,000 insurance. A meeting of the students and friends of the college will be held Thursday and it is probable that the college will be rebuilt at once.
The Daily Herald
Delphos, Ohio
December 21, 1899
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1900 - August 3 - Harvey Firestone starts the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio.
http://www.independentsentinel.com/
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1901 - April 20 - Akron OH established April snow records of 15.6 inches in 24 hours, and 26.6 inches for the month.
The Weather Channel
1909 - $1,500,000 FIRE IN AKRON, O. FLAMES DESTROY WHOLE BLOCK - SEVERAL NARROWLY ESCAPE.
Akron, O. - May 18. - Fire in the seven-story Hower Power block today practically destroyed the building and its contents, causing a loss which it is thought will aggregate $1,500,000. Several girls employed in the building had a narrow escape. Firemen were in danger from falling walls.
The building was occupied entirely by light manufacturing companies. There was more than 200 employes in the building when the fire was discovered.
The blaze started in the basement and the occupants of the block had plenty of time to escape, although the young women were thrown into a panic. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is unknown.
Both the GOODRICH Rubber Company and the Diamong Tire Company lost thousands of dollars' worth of automobile tires.
There is about $800,000 insurance on the building and its contents.
Alton Evening Telegraph
Illinois
May 19, 1909
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1916
Akron, a city, the capital of Summit co., Ohio, and a manufacturing, mineral, and railroad centre, 39 miles S. by E. of Cleveland, on the Baltimore and Ohio, the Cleveland, Akron and Columbus and other railroads. It is on the Ohio Canal, and about 1000 feet above the level of the sea. It has an active trade in grain and extensive manufactures of agricultural implements, machinery, castings, edge-tools, rubber, sewer-pipe, matches, etc., employment being given by over 300 manufacturing establishments. Akron is the seat of Buchtel College (Universalist), founded in 1872. Coal is mined near this city. Pop. in 1890, 27,601 ; in 1900, 42,728.
Lippincotts New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns, Resorts, Islands, Rivers, Mountains, Seas, Lakes, Etc., in Every Portion of the Globe, Part 1 Angelo Heilprin Louis Heilprin - January 1, 1916 J.B. Lippincott - Publisher
1928 - FOUR AKRON BOYS KILLED BY BLAST. FIRED DRUM OF BENZINE UNDER SHED. THREE BROTHERS AND PLAYMATE DIE AND FIFTH OF GROUP MAY LIVE ALTHOUGH BADLY BURNED.
Akron, April 30 - Four boys, three of them brothers, were killed and a fifth was seriously injured when a steel drum of benzine exploded in a shed at the rear of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company plant here Sunday.
Those killed were:
CHARLES CARTER, 14.
ALBERT CARTER, 10.
LEEMAN CARTER, 5.
FREDERICK WADTLY, JR., 13.
LESLIE BUSH, 14, was badly burned although physicians believe he will recover.
The drum exploded when one of the boys lighted a match fumes apparently were leaking from the container and as the match ignited there was a terrific explosion. The five boys were deluged with blazing benzine.
One of the lads was killed instantly. Screams of the others brought nearby residents to the scene. They wrapped the boys in blankets and rushed them to hospitals where they died, one by one.
ALBERT CARTER was said to have struck the match.
LEEMAN CARTER staggered to a point across the street from the blast where he collapsed. His brothers managed to crawl some distance ... Read MORE...
1935 - June 10 – Alcoholics Anonymous is founded in Akron, Ohio by William G. Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith.
wikipedia.org
June 10, 1935
1940 - June 5 - 1st synthetic rubber tire exhibited (Akron Ohio)
historyorb.com
June 5, 1940
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1947 - May 11 - BF Goodrich announced the development of tubeless tire (Akron Ohio)
historyorb.com
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1948 - September 7 - 1st use of synthetic rubber in asphaltic concrete, Akron Ohio
historyorb.com
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1953 - July 19 - WAKR TV channel 23 in Akron, OH (ABC) begins broadcasting
historyorb.com
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