History - Akron, OH

Resources

http://www.akronhistory.org/ http://cuyahogafallshistory.com/

Short History of Akron/Summit County

Prior to Akron Settlers

As long ago as 12,000BC people inhabited the area of the Cuyahoga Falls, Cuyahoga Valley and the surrounding vicinity. The Native American settling of the region is broken into three distinct periods: Paleo-Indian (from 12,000 - 10,000BC), the Archaic (10,000-800BC), and the Woodland (800BC-1600AD).

Akron along with most of Northeast Ohio is included into a region called the Western Reserve of Connecticut which was land owned by the State of Connecticut that was sold to investors in 1796. However Native Americans still inhabited the lands.

At the turn of the 18th century, General Simon Perkins, commissioner of the Ohio Canal Fund, promoter of the Western Reserve of Connecticut, and involved in planning the canal across the Summit and down the river to Lake Erie, acquired land in the area of the Portage Summit.

Early European Settlers

Around the time of the land sales, settlers began to trickle into the area. Youngstown was founded in 1796, ["Warren in 1798, ["Hudson in 1799, ["Ashtabula in 1803, and Stow in 1804.

Founding of a City

Akron was founded in December 1825 by Simon Perkins. It began as a small village on the divide between the St. Lawrence River and the Mississippi River drainage basins. The village was a 43-block square with its main intersection at Exchange and Main Streets. The northern limit was one block beyond State Street. Much of Akron's early growth was due to its location along the Ohio and Erie Canal which at one time connected Lake Erie and the Ohio River. The locks were needed because of the steep 400-foot (120 m) rise in elevation as the canal crossed the summit between the Lake Erie and Ohio River watersheds. Akron comes from the Greek word that means "summit".

In 1833, Eliakim Crosby established a "second" Akron just north of the existing village known as Cascade, which was referred to locally as "North Akron."[19] Cascade developed around a construction project originally intended to provide increased water power for industries. In 1836 the villages joined under the Akron name. The completion of the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal along Main Street in 1839 started Akron on its climb to industrial importance.

1799 Hudson established

1807 Tallmadge established

1808 Stow established

1809 Green Township established Richfield Township established

1812 Cuyahoga Falls established

1816 Wolf Creek Township established

1818 Norton Township established

1819 Copley established

1827 Ohio Canal is started.

1832 The Ohio & Erie Canal opens.

1834 Akron's first school is built

1840 Summit County was formed from portions of Medina, Portage and Stark Counties.