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WAOH and WEAO serve the city of Akron specifically, while WBNX and WVPX identify themselves as "Akron-Cleveland", serving the entire Northeast Ohio market. Akron has no native news broadcast, having lost its only news station when the former WAKC became WVPX in 1996. WVPX and Cleveland's [[WKYC]] later provided a joint news program, which was cancelled in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/news_releases/2001/033001.html|title=Akron news release}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=R.D.|last=Heldenfelds|title=Newscast off air, on cable.|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-29733372_ITM|work=[[Akron Beacon Journal]]|publisher=[[Knight-Ridder]]|date=2005-07-05|accessdate=2008-08-02}}</ref>
WAOH and WEAO serve the city of Akron specifically, while WBNX and WVPX identify themselves as "Akron-Cleveland", serving the entire Northeast Ohio market. Akron has no native news broadcast, having lost its only news station when the former WAKC became WVPX in 1996. WVPX and Cleveland's [[WKYC]] later provided a joint news program, which was cancelled in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/news_releases/2001/033001.html|title=Akron news release}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=R.D.|last=Heldenfelds|title=Newscast off air, on cable.|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-29733372_ITM|work=[[Akron Beacon Journal]]|publisher=[[Knight-Ridder]]|date=2005-07-05|accessdate=2008-08-02}}</ref>

⚫
==Health==
⚫
[[File:SummaHospit.jpg|thumb|left|[[Summa]] Hospital as viewed from across the [[All-American Bridge]]]]
⚫
Akron's adult hospitals are owned by two health systems, Summa Health System and Akron General Health System. [[Summa Health System]] operates Akron City Hospital and St. Thomas Hospital, an orthopedic hospital located in the North Hill neighborhood.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.summahealth.org/common/templates/contentindex.asp?ID=456|title=www.summahealth.org/common/templates/contentindex.asp?ID=456<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref> Akron General Health System operates Akron General Medical Center.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.akrongeneral.org/portal/page?_pageid=153,166999&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL|title=www.akrongeneral.org/portal/page?_pageid=153,166999&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref> [[Akron Children's Hospital]] is an independent entity that specializes in pediatric and burn care.<ref>https://www.akronchildrens.org/cms/site/73139f80fa022ea8/index.html</ref> Both Akron City Hospital and Akron General have been on the U.S. News and World Report Magazine's list of "Best Hospitals" many times. It is worth noting that both AGMC and Summa are designated Level I Trauma Centers. By comparison, Akron's much larger urban neighbor to the north, Cleveland, has only one.<!-- which one? please link -->


==Law and Government==
==Law and Government==
Line 503: Line 499:


In 1915, a new municipal water system was established. It also included a reservoir on the [[Cuyahoga River]] with storage capacity of 2,385,200,000 [[gallon]]s (9,027,982,000 [[liter]]s), a complete purification system, and a pumping station.
In 1915, a new municipal water system was established. It also included a reservoir on the [[Cuyahoga River]] with storage capacity of 2,385,200,000 [[gallon]]s (9,027,982,000 [[liter]]s), a complete purification system, and a pumping station.

⚫
==Health==
⚫
[[File:SummaHospit.jpg|thumb|left|[[Summa]] Hospital as viewed from across the [[All-American Bridge]]]]
⚫
Akron's adult hospitals are owned by two health systems, Summa Health System and Akron General Health System. [[Summa Health System]] operates Akron City Hospital and St. Thomas Hospital, an orthopedic hospital located in the North Hill neighborhood.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.summahealth.org/common/templates/contentindex.asp?ID=456|title=www.summahealth.org/common/templates/contentindex.asp?ID=456<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref> Akron General Health System operates Akron General Medical Center.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.akrongeneral.org/portal/page?_pageid=153,166999&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL|title=www.akrongeneral.org/portal/page?_pageid=153,166999&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref> [[Akron Children's Hospital]] is an independent entity that specializes in pediatric and burn care.<ref>https://www.akronchildrens.org/cms/site/73139f80fa022ea8/index.html</ref> Both Akron City Hospital and Akron General have been on the U.S. News and World Report Magazine's list of "Best Hospitals" many times. It is worth noting that both AGMC and Summa are designated Level I Trauma Centers. By comparison, Akron's much larger urban neighbor to the north, Cleveland, has only one.<!-- which one? please link -->


==Education==
==Education==

Revision as of 20:20, 19 February 2009

City of Akron
City
Official seal of City of Akron
Seal
Nickname(s): 
The Rubber Capital of the World, Polymer Capital of the World, Rubber City, City of Invention, Summit City, Tire City, Roo-Town, AK-Rowdy
Location within the state of Ohio
Location within the state of Ohio
Location within Summit County, Ohio
Location within Summit County, Ohio
Country United States
State Ohio
County Summit
Founded1825
Incorporated1835 (village)
-1865 (city)
Government
 •  Mayor Don Plusquellic ( D)
Area
 •  City62.4 sq mi (161.6 km2)
 • Land62.1 sq mi (160.8 km2)
 • Water0.3 sq mi (0.9 km2)
Elevation
955 ft (291 m)
Population
 (2000) [1]
 •  City217,074
 • Density3,497/sq mi (1,350.3/km2)
 •  Metro
694,960
Time zone UTC-5 ( EST)
 • Summer ( DST) UTC-4 ( EDT)
Area code(s) 330, 234
FIPS code39-01000 Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1064305 Template:GR
Website http://www.ci.akron.oh.us

Akron is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. Template:GR In 2007, its population was estimated to be 207,934. [2] The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland to the north and Canton to the south, approximately 60 miles (96 km) west of the Pennsylvania border.

Akron is the principal city of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area that covers Portage and Summit counties [3] and had a combined population of 694,960 at the 2000 census. Template:GR

Akron was founded in 1825 near the Ohio and Erie Canal, and became a manufacturing center owing to its location at a staircase of locks. The locks were needed due to the higher elevation of the area, which gave rise to the name Summit County as well as Akron, which is a rough translation of summit into Greek (Stewart, pg. 233). Akros, part of the original Greek word akrópolis, means highest. After the decline of heavy manufacturing in the 1970s and '80s, the city's industry has since diversified into research, financial, and high tech sectors.

Akron and nearby Canton are often referred to as a single region or considered twin cities. The Akron-Canton Regional Airport is one of many places near the city that is named for both places. While the U.S. Census Bureau still counts the two metropolitan areas separately, if combined, the total population of the Akron-Canton area would equal 1,101,894 people. In 1985 the Akron Fulton International Airport was recognized as the 3rd National Landmark of Soaring by the National Soaring Museum. [4]

Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron in 1935. [5] The city is home to The University of Akron, the Akron Aeros Double A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, the Soap Box Derby World Championships and the Firestone Country Club, at which the PGA Tour's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is played. The word "devilstrip" is also thought to be unique to, and have its origin in, Akron: it refers to the strip of grass between a sidewalk and the street.

Akron won the All-American City award three times making it into the National Civic League Hall of Fame. The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated Akron as a Tree City USA.

History

Canal years

The original town plot of Akron

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 was established in December 1825 by Simon Perkins 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; [6] its northern limit was one block beyond State Street. The village was originally built mainly to serve people using the Ohio and Erie Canal as Akron was located in an area with a series of canal locks as the canal ascended from Cleveland to the Portage summit. In 1833, Eliakim Crosby established a "second" Akron just north of the existing village known as Cascade, which would also be referred to locally as "north Akron." 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. Coal, a major railroad, and manufacturing growth from the Civil War contributed to a population increase from 3,500 to 10,000 inhabitants 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.

The Rubber Capital of the World

Goodyear headquarters

Akron’s history and the history of the rubber industry are intertwined. The rubber industry transformed Akron from a small canal town into a fledgling city. The birth of the rubber industry started in the 1800s. In 1869, B.F. Goodrich started the first rubber company in Akron. In 1898, Frank A. Seiberling founded the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. [7] Firestone Tire and Rubber Company was established in Akron in 1900. [8] [9] In 1915, Akron's area increased from 7,254 acres (29.36 km2) to 16,120 acres (65.2 km2). The population rose approximately 200% during this time, from 69,067 in 1910 to 208,435 in 1920. General Tire was founded in 1915 by the O'Neils, whose department store became an Akron landmark. [10] 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". [11]

The rubber industry shaped not just the industrial, but also the residential landscape in Akron. Rubber companies responded to housing crunches caused by the booming rubber business by building affordable housing for workers. Goodyear's president, F.A. Seiberling, built homes costing around $3,500 for employees in what would become known as Goodyear Heights. [12] Likewise, Harvey Firestone built employee homes in what would be called Firestone Park. [13]

For a time it was the fastest-growing city in the country, [14] 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. Among the factory workers in the early 1920s was a young Clark Gable. [15]

In the 1950s and '60s Akron saw a surge in industry as use of the automobile took off. In the 1970s and '80s, however, 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.[ citation needed] By the early '90s Goodyear was the only remaining rubber manufacturer based in Akron.

Blimp hub of the United States of America

Goodyear Blimp

Akron became the blimp hub of the United States due to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company creating the Goodyear Zeppelin Company. The company made 9 blimps for the United States military during World War I and 104 during World War II. The company in its most productive years completed the Pony, Pilgrim, Puritan, Volunteer, Mayflower, Vigilant, Defender, Reliance, Resolute, Enterprise, Ranger, Columbia, Akron, and Macon. [16]

Goodyear Inflatoplane

From after the wars up til present day, the Akron based company use the blimps mainly for advertising purposes. The company created the "Skytacular," a sign with multiple colors flown from blimps which could be read by civilians on ground, the signs could be seen best at night. Since the 1950s the Goodyear Blimp would commonly appear at major sporting events. [16] The company manufactured over 300 zeppelins between 1917 and 1995, but currently just 4 airships are operated by the company in the United States. [16] The Goodyear Airdock, located on the eastside of Akron, was the largest buildings in the world without interior supports at its time of completion. [17]

Goodyear also manufactured inflatoplanes in 1956, its purpose was for rescue missions during war. There were two main versions of the plane, the GA-468, a single-seater, and the GA-466, a two-seater version.

Crime

File:Cornershot-ani.gif
CornerShot (standard version)

Preliminary Ohio Crime Statistics show that in year 2007, aggravated assaults increased by 45% and had a slight increase in burglary and rape while all other crimes remained average. [18] Records also show that fewer juvenile were found guilty of sex crimes in the year 2008 in Summit County than in any other year since court officials started keeping track in 1989. 2008 sex case convictions totaled 57, compared with the high of 150 in 2002 and the average over the past decade of 104. Among the 57 cases, 22 was for the lesser crime of gross sexual imposition and only 22 involved rape. [19] To aid officers in fighting crime, the city became the first in the United States to have officers trained and equipped with the high-tech Israeli gun CornerShot. [20]

Meth Capital of Ohio

Summit County is long reputed as the "Meth Capital of Ohio." Statistics show that it is due mainly to Akron, who in between 2006 and July 2008 totalled 86 meth sites of the county's 102, far exceeding every other city. The county in 2008, experienced a 42 percent spike in the number of meth labs raided and dismantled 68 labs, compared to 2007's total of 48. The authorities said the decrease of Mexican meth being imported after the distruption of a major operation in 2005, attributed to the increase localy made meth. APD records show that the spike originated in 2005 and then on, this unusual high count putting both all counties and major cities of Ohio in a major deficit compared [21] resulted in the Akron Council adopting several recommendations from the Meth Property Awareness task force on August 11, 2008. Some of these recommendations included, law enforcement agencies processing meth sites to submit an El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) form to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, second the forms be put into a countywide database, and third that the Council urge state and federal governments to establish meth cleanup guidelines. [22] [23] [24]

Mob Era

Akron experienced one of the first criminal organizations in the United States during early 1900s. The Mafia leader Don Rosario Borgio arrived in Akron using a general goods store as a front and set up two back rooms for illegal operations. Borgio along with the Black Hand controlled all of gambling and brothels in Akron, while extorting its wealthy citizens. In 1918 the Akron Police Department started aggressively raiding Borgio's gambling establishments and houses of ill repute, locking up the operators and patrons. In result, Borgio held a meeting in his store with Black Hand leaders where he gave the order to slay every cop in Akron, with a $250 reward on every head. The order led to the murders of four Akron Police Officers, Robert Norris, Edward Costigan, Joe Hunt, and Gethin Richards. Akron was rid of the Black Hand after Borgio's eventual execution by electric chair. [25]

Ku Klux Klan's Power and Fall in Akron

In Summit County, the Ku Klux Klan reported having 50,000, making it the largest local chapter in the United States. Members included many county officials, the sheriff, mayor of Akron, judges, county commissioners, and most members of Akron's school board. At the 1925 parade in Akron, the Ku Klux Klan created a Ladies' Auxiliary Centennial float.

In May 1919 the Klan was challenged by a settler new to the city, Wendell Willkie who worked as a lawyer. Willkie while working to get Newton Baker nominated in 1924, tried to get condemning the Ku Klux Klan into the Democratic Party's platform, but failed by one vote. The Akron Klan chapter sent him a telegram blasting him for what they called "joining the payroll of the Pope", then Willkie replied with a six word telegram reading “The Klan can go to hell.” Willkie also fought the Klan for control of the Akron Board of Education. In early 1925, three of the seven Board members resigned due to the president and three other Board members having ties with the Klan. A committee of one hundred was formed to recruit and promote non-Klan candidates to run in the November election, Willkie was a spokesman for the group. Three of the group’s four candidates won in the election which started the beginning of the end of the Klan’s influence in Akron politics. [26]

Riot of 1900

In 1900, violence erupted in Akron after the abduction and rape of six year-old daughter of the Maas family from infront of her home by Louis Peck, an African-American who had recently arrived in the area. Though Peck was arrested and confessed to the crime, stories of the confession were exaggerated with one paper even printing the confession in red ink. Due to threats of lynching, Peck and another black man were moved to Cleveland for safety. Angry crowds began to gather in the evening demanding Peck and attempted to search the City Building, but were barred by police. Tensions escalated after police fired into the crowd with over 100 shots fired killing two small children and explosions of dynamite. The result was the destruction of the City Building and the Columbia building, which both burned to the ground. The mob violence lasted until nearly 4:00 the next morning after searches of the Old Court House and the County Jail and refusal to believe that Peck had been moved to Cleveland when the mayor tried to explain. 31 men and boys were later convicted of charges related to the riot. [27]

Wooster Ave. Riots of 1968

In July 1968, several riots occurred over the span of several days centered in the city's mostly Black populated Wooster Ave./Edgewood Ave. area. The exact cause of the riots have been debated until this day, with the riot it'self being well documented. On the July 16, Akron Police Department officers were called to quell several fights in the area between Black gangs from city's north and west sides of town. Althought initially quelled, the gang member continued a running fight with one another and the APD well into the morning. The police department responded with higher and higher numbers of patrol units in the area to contain and arrest the gang members within the area, with a arbitrary curfew being enacted. By late the next morning of July 17, new police officers arrived to ensure the police actions from the night before were continued and peace restored. However at this point many residents of the area had begun to gather on Wooster Ave. near Edgewood Ave., having heard rumors of excessive violence on the part of the APD. Tensions between citizens and the APD had by this point had become high due to long-standing vendettas between the two sides based on a array of issues from discrimination, to police brutality.

File:Akron downtown skyline aerial.jpg
Aerial view of Downtown Akron

This is widely believed to have been the flashpoint of the riots, as the black citizens began berating and challenging the APD officers. With the first arrests of some of the citizens, the level of confrontation and hostillities rose until a full scale riot was in progress. The majority of the local citizens in the area retreated to their homes as to protect their property, while others left the area all together to avoid being swept up in the coming turmoil.

The scope of the riot initially remained within the scope of the Wooster/Edgewood area, but as more and more people arrived from other areas of the city, the riot soon spilled into downtown Akron itself. Sometime later in the evening or night, the National Guard was mobilizied to deal with the rapidly deteriorating situation and were in place around the Wooster Ave./Edgewood Ave. area by the morning of the 18. As the rioting began anew, the National Guard deployed a massive amount of tear gas in the area remembered by local residents as "just a huge cloud on the ground". This effectively ended the riot as a whole with most residents seeking escape from the gas, and citizens who had arrived to the area to witness/join the riot quickly left the area by their own means. Almost immediately the Mayor of Akron, John S. Ballard called for an independent commission to detail the events of the riot, and to investigate the root causes of it. The riot officially was recognized as being put down on the 23, with the investigative commission being appointed on the 26. [28]

Geography

Downtown Akron from the All-American Bridge

Topography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 62.4 square miles (162 km2), of which, 62.1 square miles (161 km2) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) of it (0.54%) is water.

Climate

Akron has a humid continental climate ( Koppen climate classification Dfa), with cold but changeable winters, wet, cool springs, warm (sometimes hot) and humid summers, and cool, rather dry autumns. Precipitation is fairly well-distributed through the year, but summer tends to have the most rainfall (and also, somewhat paradoxically, the most sunshine), and autumn the least. The mid-autumn through early-spring months tend to be quite cloudy, with sometimes less than 30% possible sunshine. The cloudiest month is December, and the sunniest month is usually July, which is also, somewhat ironically, the wettest month.[ citation needed] Winters tend to be cold, with average January high temperatures of 33 °F (1 °C), and average January lows of 17 °F (−8 °C), with considerable variation in temperatures. During a typical January, high temperatures of over 50 °F (10 °C) are just as common as low temperatures of below 0 °F (−18 °C). Snowfall is lighter than the snowbelt areas to the north, but is still somewhat influenced by Lake Erie. Akron-Canton Airport generally averages about 47.4 inches of snow per winter. During a typical winter, temperatures drop below 0 °F (−18 °C) on about 6 occurrences, generally only during the nighttime hours.

Average July high temperatures of 82 °F (28 °C), and average July lows of 61 °F (16 °C) are normal. Summer weather is more stable, generally humid with thunderstorms fairly common. Temperatures reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C) about 9 times each summer, on average. [29] In hot summers, such as 1988, however, as many as 30 days over 90 °F (32 °C) have been observed, and in cooler summers, such as the summer of 2000, the temperature may never reach 90 °F (32 °C). Temperatures over 100 °F (38 °C) are rare (about once per decade on average), most recently occurring on several occasions in the hot summer of 1988.

The all-time record high in Akron of 104° F (40° C) was established on August 6, 1918, [30] and the all-time record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was set on January 19, 1994. [31]

Climate data for Akron, Ohio
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: National Weather Service [32]

Cityscape

Akron during Rubber Era

Downtown

Financial and legal offices, hotels, hospitals, government and other civic buildings are predominant in the downtown area. Commercial uses and light industry are the primary land uses south of Cedar Street, in Opportunity Park, and along Wolf Ledges Street. Parks along the historic Ohio and Erie Canal provide recreation opportunities. Downtown features adaptive re-use of historic structures such as the B.F. Goodrich plant (Canal Place) combined with modern additions. These include the Canal Park baseball stadium, Knight Convention Center, and National Inventors Hall of Fame. Residential redevelopment includes conversion of the YMCA into modern apartments and construction of new condominiums at the Landings at Canal Park. [33]

Neighborhoods

Akron consists of these neighborhoods [34]

Unincorporated Neighborhoods

Maple Valley - The neighborhood covers the west end of Copley Road, before reaching I-77. Along this strip are several businesses using the name, as well as the Maple Valley Branch of the Akron-Summit County Public Library.

Spicertown - Falling under the blanket of "University Park" found above, this term is used frequently to describe the student-centered retail and residential area around East Exchange St. and Spicer, near the University of Akron.

West Hill - West Hill is roughly bounded by West Market on the north, West Exchange on the south, Downtown on the East, and Rhodes Ave. on the West. It features many stately older homes, particularly in the recently recognized Oakdale Historic District. The neighborhood is served by the active West Hill Neighborhood Organization (WHNO).

Suburbs

Akron's older inner-ring or "first" suburbs include Fairlawn, Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, and Tallmadge.

Parks

Demographics

Location of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area in Ohio
Historical population
Census Pop.Note %±
18503,266—
18603,4776.5%
187010,006187.8%
188016,51265.0%
189027,60167.2%
190042,72854.8%
191069,06761.6%
1920208,435201.8%
1930255,04022.4%
1940244,791−4.0%
1950274,60512.2%
1960290,3515.7%
1970275,425−5.1%
1980237,177−13.9%
1990223,019−6.0%
2000217,074−2.7%
2007 (est.)207,934
[35]

As of the census Template:GR of 2000, there were 217,074 people, 90,116 households, and 53,709 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,497.3 people per square mile (1,350.3/km²). There were 97,315 housing units at an average density of 1,567.9/sq mi (605.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.22% White, 28.48% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.16% of the population. The top 5 largest ancestries include German (18.1%), Irish (11.5%), English (7.2%), Italian (6.8%), and American (6.4%) [1].

There were 90,116 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,835, and the median income for a family was $39,381. Males had a median income of $31,898 versus $24,121 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,596. About 14.0% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.7% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Akron has a metropolitan population of 694,960 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Akron is also part of the larger Cleveland-Akron-Elyria Combined Statistical Area, which was the 14th largest in the country with a population of over 2.9 million according to the 2000 Census.

Culture

Film and Television

Akron has served as the setting for several major films and episodes of television series, including More Than a Game [36], The Instructor (1983) [37], ...All the Marbles (reissued as The California Dolls) [38], and MTV's Busted Live [39]. Akron also has been referenced to in television series, such as Rugrats, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation [40], Prison Break [41], Seinfeld [42], The Venture Bros. [43], Blackout [44], The Virgin of Akron, Ohio [45], and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air [46]. Infamous murders in the city of Akron were also documented in television series such as American Justice [47], Autopsy [48], City Confidential [49], Cold Case Files [50], Murder by the Book [51], Psychic Detective [52], and Sensing Murder [53].

Virtual

File:No one lives forever 2 video game PC cover scan.jpg Akron has served as the setting on a stage in the first-person-shooter PC platform video game No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way. [54]

Literature

Akron has served as the setting for many books, including A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian [55], Unwind by Neal Shusterman, The Coast of Akron by former literary editor of Esquire Adrienne Miller [56], Every Crooked Pot by Renee Rosen [57], If Looks Could Kill by M. William Phelps [58], Thomas and Beulah by Rita Dove [59], and The Dark Tower 7 [60] and The Stand by Stephen King. [61]

Music

Aside from the North Hill neighborhood of Akron's history in jazz during the early 1900s, for decades Akron has produced musicians in many of genres. Leading out of jazz in the 1950s was Howard Hewett, then continued in the 70s by Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders. In the 80s more of Akron native sons kept the city on what is referred to in the music industry as the "map" like Devo, James Ingram and younger brother Phillip Ingram, and Buckner & Garcia. In the 90s and present decade Akron artist have switched focus to rock and hip-hop have forming bands such as Rubber City Rebels and The Black Keys, and also rapper Chino Nino who collaborated with Juvenile and B.G.. Another mainstream performer was rap group V.E.C. whose highest rated song dubbed the city with the nickname "AK-Rowdy". [62] [63] [64]

Cuisine

Akron residents Ferdinand Schumacher (The Oatmeal King) who created the first breakfast cereal [65], and The Menches Brothers who invented the hamburger, ice cream cone, and caramel corn have long played an important role in defining the worldwide cuisine. Also native singer Chrissie Hynde owns The VegiTerranean restaurant in the Northside Lofts, and other notable eateries in Akron are Mary Coyle's Ice Cream, Aladdin's, Metro Burger, Swenson's, Tangier, and Menches Brothers Restaurant, Hamburger Station. Akron along with other areas of Ohio participated in the 23cent for pizza special, courtesy of Papa John's after the "Cry Baby Lebron" t-shirt controversy. [66]

Entertainment

The E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall

Akron has a diverse heritage of restaurants and shopping centers. Quaker Square, located in the heart of Akron’s downtown, was redeveloped in the early 1970s as a downtown mall, created from the old Quaker Oats factory, which originally operated at that location. The oat silos had been transformed into unique, round hotel rooms. Recently, the University of Akron purchased this complex for its own use, primarily as residence-hall space.

Highland Square, located in near West Akron and anchored by the historic Highland Theatre, is a well-known entertainment district, featuring antique stores, retail shops, and several unique restaurants and taverns. Other unique and historically significant Akron neighborhoods include Goodyear Heights and Firestone Park, originally developed and designed for employees of the large Akron rubber companies. Likewise, Northwest Akron is home to a number of large mansions, many of which, like the famous Stan Hywet Hall, were built early in the 20th century for the upper management of these companies, as well as the city's many other industries.

During the summer, Akron hosts the National Hamburger Festival, a tribute to the city's role in the invention of the hamburger. [67] Each summer Akron hosts the All American Soap Box Derby. Children from around the world race their homemade, gravity-powered race cars down the steep hill at Derby Downs in the shadow of the Goodyear Airdock.

Adjacent to the Derby Downs race hill is a 19,000-square-foot (1,800 m2) outdoor skatepark. The park features concrete ramps, including two bowls going as deep as 7 feet (2.1 m), a snake run, two hips, a stair set with handrail, many smaller quarter pipes and a variety of grind boxes. Positioned just a few feet from the Akron Skatepark is a BMX course where organized races are often held in the warmer months.

The Akron Civic Theater

The city is also home to several museums, including:

  • Akron Art Museum
  • The Archives of the History of American Psychology
  • National Inventors Hall of Fame
  • Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens
  • Hamburger Station Restaurant and Museum
  • American Marble and Toy Museum
  • Goodyear World of Rubber Museum

Sports

Canal Park, home of the Akron Aeros

Baseball

Akron's baseball team established in 1997, is the Akron Aeros (AA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) ( Minor League Baseball) Eastern League two time champion (2003,2005) and four time Southern Division Champion (2003,2005,2006,2007). [68] Akron's former minor league baseball team the Canton-Akron Indians played in the Eastern League. Akron's former Negro League baseball team the Akron Black Tyrites played in the Negro National League.

Softball

Exterior of Firestone Stadium, site of Akron Racer home games

Akron's softball team established in 1998, is the Akron Racers ( Softball) NPF one time champion (2005). [69]

Football

Akron's former NFL team the Akron Professionals ( National Football League) won the first NFL championship in 1920 with an undefeated record but with a few tied games. Fritz Pollard, the first African-American head coach in the NFL, co-coached the Pros in 1921. [70]

Basketball

The Akron Cougars who replaced the Akron Quakers, has been in turn replaced by the Akron Energys, who began playing in 2008. Akron's former NBA team the Akron Wingfoots won the Intercontinental Cup 3 times (1967, 1968, 1969).

Roller Derby

Akron's Roller Derby team is the Northeast Ohio Rock n Roller Girls. [71]

College

File:Akron Zips CIMG9047.JPG
A four-sided scoreboard with vacuum fluorescent display screens hangs in the center of James A. Rhodes Arena

The University of Akron also has college teams including, Akron Zips ( NCAA) (both football and basketball teams), and a women's basketball team also referred to as the Zips.

Local Sporting Events

Soap Box Derby

The Soap Box Derby is a youth soapbox car racing program which has been run in the United States since 1934. World Championship finals are held each July at Derby Downs. Cars competing in this and related events are unpowered, relying completely upon gravity to move.

Rubber City Open Invitational

The Rubber City Open Invitational, first played as the Rubber City Open in 1954, was the first PGA Tour event to be held at the storied Firestone Country Club. The tournament, last played in 1959, was discontinued as Firestone gained national prominence and attracted bigger events beginning with hosting the 1960 PGA Championship, the American Golf Classic in 1961, and in 1962 the World Series of Golf now known as the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Road Runner Marathon

In addition to being the first community of the World Wide Web to get high speed internet access via Time Warner Road Runner, Akron host an annual race named The Akron Road Runner Marathon, on September 26th. [72]

The Akron & National Marble Tournament

The Akron & National Marble Tournament was created in 1923, by Roy W. Howard. The tournament was sponsored by The Akron Press, then later the Akron Times-Press, and the Akron District Marbles Tournament from 1923 to 1937. In 1938 the Akron Beacon Journal took over the tournament and ran it until the 1950’s, and the American Legion continued it until the 1960s. [73]

Venues

Local sporting facilities include Canal Park, Rubber Bowl, Summa Field at InfoCision Stadium, Firestone Stadium, Derby Downs, Firestone Country Club, James A. Rhodes Arena, Summit County Fairgrounds Arena Complex, and Northfield Park.

Economy

Street view of FirstEnergy headquarters

Akron is home to two Fortune 500 companies: the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and FirstEnergy. In addition, Akron is home to a number of smaller companies such as GOJO, makers of Purell, Advanced Elastomer Systems, FirstMerit Bank, Roadway Express (a subsidiary of Yellow Roadway), Hygenic Corporation makers of Biofreeze and Thera-Band exercise equipment. Myers Industries, an international manufacturer of polymer products, Acme Fresh Market and Lockheed Martin, Maritime Systems & Sensors division. The City of Akron created the first Joint Economic Development District to promote regional commerce with neighboring suburbs.

In late 2007, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company agreed on a deal that will keep its world headquarters in Akron which has been called the deal of the year and will keep the company within the city for decades. The project involves the redevelopment of 280 acres in and around the operations off East Market Street. Goodyear is the fifth-largest private employer in Summit County. Due to the agreement with Industrial Realty Group (IRG) of Downey, Calif., Goodyear will sell most of its Akron area property and facilities to IRG so would build a new world headquarters building and a new headquarters for the company's North American tire business. IRG also plans to make improvements to the company's technical center and research facilities. Goodyear plans to move into the new buildings in 2010. [74]

IRG envisions turning other parts of Goodyear's property into a project dubbed Akron Riverwalk. A retail and commercial development located within a short walking distance from the headquarters on the city's eastside. [75]

In mid 2008 during its 20th anniversary, Bridgestone, the world's largest tire maker agreed to keep and build a new state-of-the-art technical center in Akron instead of moving it to Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The deal is said to keep from 600 to 1,000 high paying jobs in the city. Ground breaking is planned to begin in 2010 and the move to the new facility to be in 2012. [76]

Media

Print media

Former [77]

  • The Akron Weekly Post
  • Akron Jounral
  • The Era
  • The American Balance
  • The Buzzard
  • Glad Tidings
  • The Flower of the West
  • The Pestalozzian
  • The Cascade Roarer
  • Summit Beacon
  • The Flail
  • The American Democrat
  • The Casket
  • Free Soil Platform
  • Akron Eagle
  • Free Democrat
  • True Kingdred
  • Akron Offering
  • Free Democratic Standard
  • The Sockdolager
  • The Whip
  • The School Mistress

Radio

See also: Akron Radio

Television

Akron is unique in that despite its size, it does not form its own television market, primarily due to being less than 40 miles (64 km) from Cleveland. It is part of the Cleveland-Akron (Canton) Media market. However, four stations in the market are licensed to Akron.

WAOH and WEAO serve the city of Akron specifically, while WBNX and WVPX identify themselves as "Akron-Cleveland", serving the entire Northeast Ohio market. Akron has no native news broadcast, having lost its only news station when the former WAKC became WVPX in 1996. WVPX and Cleveland's WKYC later provided a joint news program, which was cancelled in 2005. [78] [79]

Law and Government

See also: List of Mayors of Akron, Ohio
Summit County Courthouse

The city adopted a new charter of the commissioner manager type in 1920, but reverted to its old form in 1924. The current mayor of Akron is Don Plusquellic. Mayor Plusquellic is currently serving his fifth term, and was the President of the United States Conference of Mayors during 2004. He is also a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, [80] a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston, Massachusetts Mayor Thomas Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The Akron City Council has thirteen members. Ten are elected to represent wards and three are elected at large.

In 1915, a new municipal water system was established. It also included a reservoir on the Cuyahoga River with storage capacity of 2,385,200,000 gallons (9,027,982,000 liters), a complete purification system, and a pumping station.

Health

Summa Hospital as viewed from across the All-American Bridge

Akron's adult hospitals are owned by two health systems, Summa Health System and Akron General Health System. Summa Health System operates Akron City Hospital and St. Thomas Hospital, an orthopedic hospital located in the North Hill neighborhood. [81] Akron General Health System operates Akron General Medical Center. [82] Akron Children's Hospital is an independent entity that specializes in pediatric and burn care. [83] Both Akron City Hospital and Akron General have been on the U.S. News and World Report Magazine's list of "Best Hospitals" many times. It is worth noting that both AGMC and Summa are designated Level I Trauma Centers. By comparison, Akron's much larger urban neighbor to the north, Cleveland, has only one.

Education

University of Akron Polymer Tower

Higher education

The city is home to the University of Akron, which serves nearly 26,000 students, making it the fifth largest public university in the state. It is regarded as a world leader in polymer research. The University recently underwent a $300 million dollar construction project, which added nine new buildings and renovated fourteen, and closed Carroll and Union Streets. [84] The University also offers a combined B.S./M.D. program with the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. A new football stadium, Summa Field at InfoCision Stadium, is being built on-campus as a replacement for the University's previous stadium, the Rubber Bowl. [85]

Akron is also located in close proximity to several other colleges and universities including the main campus of Kent State University in nearby Kent; Hiram College in Hiram; and the College of Wooster in Wooster as well as several schools in the Cleveland area.

Secondary education

Elementary and secondary education is mainly provided by the Akron Public Schools, which are currently going through a 15-year, $800 million rebuilding process, remodeling some schools and entirely replacing others. Some schools will be closing permanently due to a drop in enrollment. The school board could not get a levy passed to pay for its portion of the construction expense so it worked out an arrangement with the city of Akron where the city will use the money from a new income tax to pay for Community Learning Centers, which will serve as schools but be owned by the city. [86] Meanwhile the academic situation has improved recently as the city’s schools have been moved from "Academic Watch" to "Continuous Improvement" by the Ohio Department of Education.

Private education

Akron also has many private, parochial and charter schools. Akron Public Schools made headlines in 2004 when a freshman student of Akron Digital Academy, the district’s own online charter school, was not allowed to participate in extracurricular activities, an event later covered and satirized by The Daily Show. St. Vincent - St. Mary High School, just west of Akron’s downtown, also made headlines when basketball star LeBron James was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers first overall after his graduation in 2003. Akron-based Summit Academy Schools is the largest system of non-profit community schools in the country which are specifically designed for students with learning disorders such as ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome, high-functioning autism and PDD-NOS.

Transportation

File:BlimpHangAkron.jpg

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 is also one highway to the south, U.S. Highway 224, part of which is also notated as Interstate 277 (I-277 connects I-77 with I-76). 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./Howard 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 some residents have stated that they would like to see it completely connected as originally planned.

The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath's bridge leading into Downtown Akron

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. Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (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 International Airport serves private planes and is the home of the Lockheed Martin Airdock, where the Goodyear blimps were formerly stored and maintained. The Goodyear blimps are now housed outside of Akron in a facility on the shores of Wingfoot Lake in Suffield.

Trails

The Towpath is a regional bike and hike trail that follows the Ohio and Erie Canal. A bridge was completed in Summer 2008, crossing Route 59/The Innerbelt, which connects the Towpath proper with bike routes painted onto downtown Akron's city streets, thus completing another step towards the connection of Cleveland and East Liverpool with a hike and bike trail.

Terminals

The Akron Fulton International Airport terminal

Akron-Canton Airport

The Akron-Canton Airport is a commercial Class C airport located in the city of Green, roughly 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Akron. The airport is jointly operated by Summit County and Stark County. The airport was dedicated on October 13, 1946, but permanent terminal facilities were not built until 1955.

Akron Fulton International Airport

The Akron Fulton International Airport is a general aviation airport located in and owned by the City of Akron. It first opened in 1929 and has operated in several different capacities since then. The airport did have commercial scheduled airline service until the 1950s. It is now used for both cargo and private planes.

Akron Northside Station

Akron Northside Station is a train station located in the city at 27 Ridge Street along the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

Akron RTA Transit Center

The Akron RTA Transit Center located on South Broadway Street features 432 solar panels on the roof making it the largest single array in Ohio will provide about 33% of the facility's yearly needs, and recyclable water as part of an effort to go green. It also has installed geothermal heating and cooling seats for 300 people, free wireless internet access, and 45 geothermal wells sunk 305 ft (93 m) into the earth providing heat and air conditioning for the facility. An Akron Police Department substation with two police officers working all hours of transfer operation and more than 90 security cameras are also on site. Greyhound Bus services will also give bus transportation through the facility who currently operates out of its own terminal on Grant Street. Alternative to walking passengers can take a free loop bus running from downtown on Main Street to the terminal.

Sister cities

Akron has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

See also

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Further reading

  • Akron Chamber of Commerce Year Book, (1913-14)
  • The University of Akron Press
  • Dyer, Joyce, Gum-Dipped: A Daughter Remembers Rubber Town, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2003)
  • Endres, Kathleen, Akron's Better Half: Women's Clubs and the Humanization of a City, 1825-1925, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2006)
  • Jones, Alfred Winslow, Life, Liberty, & Property: A Story of Conflict and a Measurement of Conflicting Rights, The University of Akron Press: Akron (1999)
  • Russ Musarra and Chuck Ayers, Walks around Akron, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2007)
  • S. A. Lane, Fifty Years and Over of Akron and Summit County, (Akron, 1892)
  • S. Love and David Giffels, Wheels of Fortune: The Story of Rubber in Akron, Ohio, The University of Akron Press: Akron (1998)
  • S. Love, Ian Adams, and Barney Taxel, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2000)
  • F. McGovern, Written on the Hills: The Making of the Akron Landscape, The University of Akron Press: Akron (1996)
  • F. McGovern, Fun, Cheap, and Easy: My Life in Ohio Politics, 1949-1964, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2002).

External links

Template:OH cities and mayors of 100,000 population

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WAOH and WEAO serve the city of Akron specifically, while WBNX and WVPX identify themselves as "Akron-Cleveland", serving the entire Northeast Ohio market. Akron has no native news broadcast, having lost its only news station when the former WAKC became WVPX in 1996. WVPX and Cleveland's [[WKYC]] later provided a joint news program, which was cancelled in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/news_releases/2001/033001.html|title=Akron news release}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=R.D.|last=Heldenfelds|title=Newscast off air, on cable.|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-29733372_ITM|work=[[Akron Beacon Journal]]|publisher=[[Knight-Ridder]]|date=2005-07-05|accessdate=2008-08-02}}</ref>
WAOH and WEAO serve the city of Akron specifically, while WBNX and WVPX identify themselves as "Akron-Cleveland", serving the entire Northeast Ohio market. Akron has no native news broadcast, having lost its only news station when the former WAKC became WVPX in 1996. WVPX and Cleveland's [[WKYC]] later provided a joint news program, which was cancelled in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/news_releases/2001/033001.html|title=Akron news release}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=R.D.|last=Heldenfelds|title=Newscast off air, on cable.|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-29733372_ITM|work=[[Akron Beacon Journal]]|publisher=[[Knight-Ridder]]|date=2005-07-05|accessdate=2008-08-02}}</ref>

⚫
==Health==
⚫
[[File:SummaHospit.jpg|thumb|left|[[Summa]] Hospital as viewed from across the [[All-American Bridge]]]]
⚫
Akron's adult hospitals are owned by two health systems, Summa Health System and Akron General Health System. [[Summa Health System]] operates Akron City Hospital and St. Thomas Hospital, an orthopedic hospital located in the North Hill neighborhood.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.summahealth.org/common/templates/contentindex.asp?ID=456|title=www.summahealth.org/common/templates/contentindex.asp?ID=456<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref> Akron General Health System operates Akron General Medical Center.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.akrongeneral.org/portal/page?_pageid=153,166999&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL|title=www.akrongeneral.org/portal/page?_pageid=153,166999&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref> [[Akron Children's Hospital]] is an independent entity that specializes in pediatric and burn care.<ref>https://www.akronchildrens.org/cms/site/73139f80fa022ea8/index.html</ref> Both Akron City Hospital and Akron General have been on the U.S. News and World Report Magazine's list of "Best Hospitals" many times. It is worth noting that both AGMC and Summa are designated Level I Trauma Centers. By comparison, Akron's much larger urban neighbor to the north, Cleveland, has only one.<!-- which one? please link -->


==Law and Government==
==Law and Government==
Line 503: Line 499:


In 1915, a new municipal water system was established. It also included a reservoir on the [[Cuyahoga River]] with storage capacity of 2,385,200,000 [[gallon]]s (9,027,982,000 [[liter]]s), a complete purification system, and a pumping station.
In 1915, a new municipal water system was established. It also included a reservoir on the [[Cuyahoga River]] with storage capacity of 2,385,200,000 [[gallon]]s (9,027,982,000 [[liter]]s), a complete purification system, and a pumping station.

⚫
==Health==
⚫
[[File:SummaHospit.jpg|thumb|left|[[Summa]] Hospital as viewed from across the [[All-American Bridge]]]]
⚫
Akron's adult hospitals are owned by two health systems, Summa Health System and Akron General Health System. [[Summa Health System]] operates Akron City Hospital and St. Thomas Hospital, an orthopedic hospital located in the North Hill neighborhood.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.summahealth.org/common/templates/contentindex.asp?ID=456|title=www.summahealth.org/common/templates/contentindex.asp?ID=456<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref> Akron General Health System operates Akron General Medical Center.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.akrongeneral.org/portal/page?_pageid=153,166999&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL|title=www.akrongeneral.org/portal/page?_pageid=153,166999&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref> [[Akron Children's Hospital]] is an independent entity that specializes in pediatric and burn care.<ref>https://www.akronchildrens.org/cms/site/73139f80fa022ea8/index.html</ref> Both Akron City Hospital and Akron General have been on the U.S. News and World Report Magazine's list of "Best Hospitals" many times. It is worth noting that both AGMC and Summa are designated Level I Trauma Centers. By comparison, Akron's much larger urban neighbor to the north, Cleveland, has only one.<!-- which one? please link -->


==Education==
==Education==

Revision as of 20:20, 19 February 2009

City of Akron
City
Official seal of City of Akron
Seal
Nickname(s): 
The Rubber Capital of the World, Polymer Capital of the World, Rubber City, City of Invention, Summit City, Tire City, Roo-Town, AK-Rowdy
Location within the state of Ohio
Location within the state of Ohio
Location within Summit County, Ohio
Location within Summit County, Ohio
Country United States
State Ohio
County Summit
Founded1825
Incorporated1835 (village)
-1865 (city)
Government
 •  Mayor Don Plusquellic ( D)
Area
 •  City62.4 sq mi (161.6 km2)
 • Land62.1 sq mi (160.8 km2)
 • Water0.3 sq mi (0.9 km2)
Elevation
955 ft (291 m)
Population
 (2000) [1]
 •  City217,074
 • Density3,497/sq mi (1,350.3/km2)
 •  Metro
694,960
Time zone UTC-5 ( EST)
 • Summer ( DST) UTC-4 ( EDT)
Area code(s) 330, 234
FIPS code39-01000 Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1064305 Template:GR
Website http://www.ci.akron.oh.us

Akron is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. Template:GR In 2007, its population was estimated to be 207,934. [2] The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland to the north and Canton to the south, approximately 60 miles (96 km) west of the Pennsylvania border.

Akron is the principal city of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area that covers Portage and Summit counties [3] and had a combined population of 694,960 at the 2000 census. Template:GR

Akron was founded in 1825 near the Ohio and Erie Canal, and became a manufacturing center owing to its location at a staircase of locks. The locks were needed due to the higher elevation of the area, which gave rise to the name Summit County as well as Akron, which is a rough translation of summit into Greek (Stewart, pg. 233). Akros, part of the original Greek word akrópolis, means highest. After the decline of heavy manufacturing in the 1970s and '80s, the city's industry has since diversified into research, financial, and high tech sectors.

Akron and nearby Canton are often referred to as a single region or considered twin cities. The Akron-Canton Regional Airport is one of many places near the city that is named for both places. While the U.S. Census Bureau still counts the two metropolitan areas separately, if combined, the total population of the Akron-Canton area would equal 1,101,894 people. In 1985 the Akron Fulton International Airport was recognized as the 3rd National Landmark of Soaring by the National Soaring Museum. [4]

Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron in 1935. [5] The city is home to The University of Akron, the Akron Aeros Double A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, the Soap Box Derby World Championships and the Firestone Country Club, at which the PGA Tour's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is played. The word "devilstrip" is also thought to be unique to, and have its origin in, Akron: it refers to the strip of grass between a sidewalk and the street.

Akron won the All-American City award three times making it into the National Civic League Hall of Fame. The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated Akron as a Tree City USA.

History

Canal years

The original town plot of Akron

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 was established in December 1825 by Simon Perkins 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; [6] its northern limit was one block beyond State Street. The village was originally built mainly to serve people using the Ohio and Erie Canal as Akron was located in an area with a series of canal locks as the canal ascended from Cleveland to the Portage summit. In 1833, Eliakim Crosby established a "second" Akron just north of the existing village known as Cascade, which would also be referred to locally as "north Akron." 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. Coal, a major railroad, and manufacturing growth from the Civil War contributed to a population increase from 3,500 to 10,000 inhabitants 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.

The Rubber Capital of the World

Goodyear headquarters

Akron’s history and the history of the rubber industry are intertwined. The rubber industry transformed Akron from a small canal town into a fledgling city. The birth of the rubber industry started in the 1800s. In 1869, B.F. Goodrich started the first rubber company in Akron. In 1898, Frank A. Seiberling founded the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. [7] Firestone Tire and Rubber Company was established in Akron in 1900. [8] [9] In 1915, Akron's area increased from 7,254 acres (29.36 km2) to 16,120 acres (65.2 km2). The population rose approximately 200% during this time, from 69,067 in 1910 to 208,435 in 1920. General Tire was founded in 1915 by the O'Neils, whose department store became an Akron landmark. [10] 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". [11]

The rubber industry shaped not just the industrial, but also the residential landscape in Akron. Rubber companies responded to housing crunches caused by the booming rubber business by building affordable housing for workers. Goodyear's president, F.A. Seiberling, built homes costing around $3,500 for employees in what would become known as Goodyear Heights. [12] Likewise, Harvey Firestone built employee homes in what would be called Firestone Park. [13]

For a time it was the fastest-growing city in the country, [14] 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. Among the factory workers in the early 1920s was a young Clark Gable. [15]

In the 1950s and '60s Akron saw a surge in industry as use of the automobile took off. In the 1970s and '80s, however, 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.[ citation needed] By the early '90s Goodyear was the only remaining rubber manufacturer based in Akron.

Blimp hub of the United States of America

Goodyear Blimp

Akron became the blimp hub of the United States due to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company creating the Goodyear Zeppelin Company. The company made 9 blimps for the United States military during World War I and 104 during World War II. The company in its most productive years completed the Pony, Pilgrim, Puritan, Volunteer, Mayflower, Vigilant, Defender, Reliance, Resolute, Enterprise, Ranger, Columbia, Akron, and Macon. [16]

Goodyear Inflatoplane

From after the wars up til present day, the Akron based company use the blimps mainly for advertising purposes. The company created the "Skytacular," a sign with multiple colors flown from blimps which could be read by civilians on ground, the signs could be seen best at night. Since the 1950s the Goodyear Blimp would commonly appear at major sporting events. [16] The company manufactured over 300 zeppelins between 1917 and 1995, but currently just 4 airships are operated by the company in the United States. [16] The Goodyear Airdock, located on the eastside of Akron, was the largest buildings in the world without interior supports at its time of completion. [17]

Goodyear also manufactured inflatoplanes in 1956, its purpose was for rescue missions during war. There were two main versions of the plane, the GA-468, a single-seater, and the GA-466, a two-seater version.

Crime

File:Cornershot-ani.gif
CornerShot (standard version)

Preliminary Ohio Crime Statistics show that in year 2007, aggravated assaults increased by 45% and had a slight increase in burglary and rape while all other crimes remained average. [18] Records also show that fewer juvenile were found guilty of sex crimes in the year 2008 in Summit County than in any other year since court officials started keeping track in 1989. 2008 sex case convictions totaled 57, compared with the high of 150 in 2002 and the average over the past decade of 104. Among the 57 cases, 22 was for the lesser crime of gross sexual imposition and only 22 involved rape. [19] To aid officers in fighting crime, the city became the first in the United States to have officers trained and equipped with the high-tech Israeli gun CornerShot. [20]

Meth Capital of Ohio

Summit County is long reputed as the "Meth Capital of Ohio." Statistics show that it is due mainly to Akron, who in between 2006 and July 2008 totalled 86 meth sites of the county's 102, far exceeding every other city. The county in 2008, experienced a 42 percent spike in the number of meth labs raided and dismantled 68 labs, compared to 2007's total of 48. The authorities said the decrease of Mexican meth being imported after the distruption of a major operation in 2005, attributed to the increase localy made meth. APD records show that the spike originated in 2005 and then on, this unusual high count putting both all counties and major cities of Ohio in a major deficit compared [21] resulted in the Akron Council adopting several recommendations from the Meth Property Awareness task force on August 11, 2008. Some of these recommendations included, law enforcement agencies processing meth sites to submit an El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) form to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, second the forms be put into a countywide database, and third that the Council urge state and federal governments to establish meth cleanup guidelines. [22] [23] [24]

Mob Era

Akron experienced one of the first criminal organizations in the United States during early 1900s. The Mafia leader Don Rosario Borgio arrived in Akron using a general goods store as a front and set up two back rooms for illegal operations. Borgio along with the Black Hand controlled all of gambling and brothels in Akron, while extorting its wealthy citizens. In 1918 the Akron Police Department started aggressively raiding Borgio's gambling establishments and houses of ill repute, locking up the operators and patrons. In result, Borgio held a meeting in his store with Black Hand leaders where he gave the order to slay every cop in Akron, with a $250 reward on every head. The order led to the murders of four Akron Police Officers, Robert Norris, Edward Costigan, Joe Hunt, and Gethin Richards. Akron was rid of the Black Hand after Borgio's eventual execution by electric chair. [25]

Ku Klux Klan's Power and Fall in Akron

In Summit County, the Ku Klux Klan reported having 50,000, making it the largest local chapter in the United States. Members included many county officials, the sheriff, mayor of Akron, judges, county commissioners, and most members of Akron's school board. At the 1925 parade in Akron, the Ku Klux Klan created a Ladies' Auxiliary Centennial float.

In May 1919 the Klan was challenged by a settler new to the city, Wendell Willkie who worked as a lawyer. Willkie while working to get Newton Baker nominated in 1924, tried to get condemning the Ku Klux Klan into the Democratic Party's platform, but failed by one vote. The Akron Klan chapter sent him a telegram blasting him for what they called "joining the payroll of the Pope", then Willkie replied with a six word telegram reading “The Klan can go to hell.” Willkie also fought the Klan for control of the Akron Board of Education. In early 1925, three of the seven Board members resigned due to the president and three other Board members having ties with the Klan. A committee of one hundred was formed to recruit and promote non-Klan candidates to run in the November election, Willkie was a spokesman for the group. Three of the group’s four candidates won in the election which started the beginning of the end of the Klan’s influence in Akron politics. [26]

Riot of 1900

In 1900, violence erupted in Akron after the abduction and rape of six year-old daughter of the Maas family from infront of her home by Louis Peck, an African-American who had recently arrived in the area. Though Peck was arrested and confessed to the crime, stories of the confession were exaggerated with one paper even printing the confession in red ink. Due to threats of lynching, Peck and another black man were moved to Cleveland for safety. Angry crowds began to gather in the evening demanding Peck and attempted to search the City Building, but were barred by police. Tensions escalated after police fired into the crowd with over 100 shots fired killing two small children and explosions of dynamite. The result was the destruction of the City Building and the Columbia building, which both burned to the ground. The mob violence lasted until nearly 4:00 the next morning after searches of the Old Court House and the County Jail and refusal to believe that Peck had been moved to Cleveland when the mayor tried to explain. 31 men and boys were later convicted of charges related to the riot. [27]

Wooster Ave. Riots of 1968

In July 1968, several riots occurred over the span of several days centered in the city's mostly Black populated Wooster Ave./Edgewood Ave. area. The exact cause of the riots have been debated until this day, with the riot it'self being well documented. On the July 16, Akron Police Department officers were called to quell several fights in the area between Black gangs from city's north and west sides of town. Althought initially quelled, the gang member continued a running fight with one another and the APD well into the morning. The police department responded with higher and higher numbers of patrol units in the area to contain and arrest the gang members within the area, with a arbitrary curfew being enacted. By late the next morning of July 17, new police officers arrived to ensure the police actions from the night before were continued and peace restored. However at this point many residents of the area had begun to gather on Wooster Ave. near Edgewood Ave., having heard rumors of excessive violence on the part of the APD. Tensions between citizens and the APD had by this point had become high due to long-standing vendettas between the two sides based on a array of issues from discrimination, to police brutality.

File:Akron downtown skyline aerial.jpg
Aerial view of Downtown Akron

This is widely believed to have been the flashpoint of the riots, as the black citizens began berating and challenging the APD officers. With the first arrests of some of the citizens, the level of confrontation and hostillities rose until a full scale riot was in progress. The majority of the local citizens in the area retreated to their homes as to protect their property, while others left the area all together to avoid being swept up in the coming turmoil.

The scope of the riot initially remained within the scope of the Wooster/Edgewood area, but as more and more people arrived from other areas of the city, the riot soon spilled into downtown Akron itself. Sometime later in the evening or night, the National Guard was mobilizied to deal with the rapidly deteriorating situation and were in place around the Wooster Ave./Edgewood Ave. area by the morning of the 18. As the rioting began anew, the National Guard deployed a massive amount of tear gas in the area remembered by local residents as "just a huge cloud on the ground". This effectively ended the riot as a whole with most residents seeking escape from the gas, and citizens who had arrived to the area to witness/join the riot quickly left the area by their own means. Almost immediately the Mayor of Akron, John S. Ballard called for an independent commission to detail the events of the riot, and to investigate the root causes of it. The riot officially was recognized as being put down on the 23, with the investigative commission being appointed on the 26. [28]

Geography

Downtown Akron from the All-American Bridge

Topography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 62.4 square miles (162 km2), of which, 62.1 square miles (161 km2) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) of it (0.54%) is water.

Climate

Akron has a humid continental climate ( Koppen climate classification Dfa), with cold but changeable winters, wet, cool springs, warm (sometimes hot) and humid summers, and cool, rather dry autumns. Precipitation is fairly well-distributed through the year, but summer tends to have the most rainfall (and also, somewhat paradoxically, the most sunshine), and autumn the least. The mid-autumn through early-spring months tend to be quite cloudy, with sometimes less than 30% possible sunshine. The cloudiest month is December, and the sunniest month is usually July, which is also, somewhat ironically, the wettest month.[ citation needed] Winters tend to be cold, with average January high temperatures of 33 °F (1 °C), and average January lows of 17 °F (−8 °C), with considerable variation in temperatures. During a typical January, high temperatures of over 50 °F (10 °C) are just as common as low temperatures of below 0 °F (−18 °C). Snowfall is lighter than the snowbelt areas to the north, but is still somewhat influenced by Lake Erie. Akron-Canton Airport generally averages about 47.4 inches of snow per winter. During a typical winter, temperatures drop below 0 °F (−18 °C) on about 6 occurrences, generally only during the nighttime hours.

Average July high temperatures of 82 °F (28 °C), and average July lows of 61 °F (16 °C) are normal. Summer weather is more stable, generally humid with thunderstorms fairly common. Temperatures reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C) about 9 times each summer, on average. [29] In hot summers, such as 1988, however, as many as 30 days over 90 °F (32 °C) have been observed, and in cooler summers, such as the summer of 2000, the temperature may never reach 90 °F (32 °C). Temperatures over 100 °F (38 °C) are rare (about once per decade on average), most recently occurring on several occasions in the hot summer of 1988.

The all-time record high in Akron of 104° F (40° C) was established on August 6, 1918, [30] and the all-time record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was set on January 19, 1994. [31]

Climate data for Akron, Ohio
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: National Weather Service [32]

Cityscape

Akron during Rubber Era

Downtown

Financial and legal offices, hotels, hospitals, government and other civic buildings are predominant in the downtown area. Commercial uses and light industry are the primary land uses south of Cedar Street, in Opportunity Park, and along Wolf Ledges Street. Parks along the historic Ohio and Erie Canal provide recreation opportunities. Downtown features adaptive re-use of historic structures such as the B.F. Goodrich plant (Canal Place) combined with modern additions. These include the Canal Park baseball stadium, Knight Convention Center, and National Inventors Hall of Fame. Residential redevelopment includes conversion of the YMCA into modern apartments and construction of new condominiums at the Landings at Canal Park. [33]

Neighborhoods

Akron consists of these neighborhoods [34]

Unincorporated Neighborhoods

Maple Valley - The neighborhood covers the west end of Copley Road, before reaching I-77. Along this strip are several businesses using the name, as well as the Maple Valley Branch of the Akron-Summit County Public Library.

Spicertown - Falling under the blanket of "University Park" found above, this term is used frequently to describe the student-centered retail and residential area around East Exchange St. and Spicer, near the University of Akron.

West Hill - West Hill is roughly bounded by West Market on the north, West Exchange on the south, Downtown on the East, and Rhodes Ave. on the West. It features many stately older homes, particularly in the recently recognized Oakdale Historic District. The neighborhood is served by the active West Hill Neighborhood Organization (WHNO).

Suburbs

Akron's older inner-ring or "first" suburbs include Fairlawn, Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, and Tallmadge.

Parks

Demographics

Location of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area in Ohio
Historical population
Census Pop.Note %±
18503,266—
18603,4776.5%
187010,006187.8%
188016,51265.0%
189027,60167.2%
190042,72854.8%
191069,06761.6%
1920208,435201.8%
1930255,04022.4%
1940244,791−4.0%
1950274,60512.2%
1960290,3515.7%
1970275,425−5.1%
1980237,177−13.9%
1990223,019−6.0%
2000217,074−2.7%
2007 (est.)207,934
[35]

As of the census Template:GR of 2000, there were 217,074 people, 90,116 households, and 53,709 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,497.3 people per square mile (1,350.3/km²). There were 97,315 housing units at an average density of 1,567.9/sq mi (605.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.22% White, 28.48% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.16% of the population. The top 5 largest ancestries include German (18.1%), Irish (11.5%), English (7.2%), Italian (6.8%), and American (6.4%) [1].

There were 90,116 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,835, and the median income for a family was $39,381. Males had a median income of $31,898 versus $24,121 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,596. About 14.0% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.7% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Akron has a metropolitan population of 694,960 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Akron is also part of the larger Cleveland-Akron-Elyria Combined Statistical Area, which was the 14th largest in the country with a population of over 2.9 million according to the 2000 Census.

Culture

Film and Television

Akron has served as the setting for several major films and episodes of television series, including More Than a Game [36], The Instructor (1983) [37], ...All the Marbles (reissued as The California Dolls) [38], and MTV's Busted Live [39]. Akron also has been referenced to in television series, such as Rugrats, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation [40], Prison Break [41], Seinfeld [42], The Venture Bros. [43], Blackout [44], The Virgin of Akron, Ohio [45], and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air [46]. Infamous murders in the city of Akron were also documented in television series such as American Justice [47], Autopsy [48], City Confidential [49], Cold Case Files [50], Murder by the Book [51], Psychic Detective [52], and Sensing Murder [53].

Virtual

File:No one lives forever 2 video game PC cover scan.jpg Akron has served as the setting on a stage in the first-person-shooter PC platform video game No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way. [54]

Literature

Akron has served as the setting for many books, including A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian [55], Unwind by Neal Shusterman, The Coast of Akron by former literary editor of Esquire Adrienne Miller [56], Every Crooked Pot by Renee Rosen [57], If Looks Could Kill by M. William Phelps [58], Thomas and Beulah by Rita Dove [59], and The Dark Tower 7 [60] and The Stand by Stephen King. [61]

Music

Aside from the North Hill neighborhood of Akron's history in jazz during the early 1900s, for decades Akron has produced musicians in many of genres. Leading out of jazz in the 1950s was Howard Hewett, then continued in the 70s by Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders. In the 80s more of Akron native sons kept the city on what is referred to in the music industry as the "map" like Devo, James Ingram and younger brother Phillip Ingram, and Buckner & Garcia. In the 90s and present decade Akron artist have switched focus to rock and hip-hop have forming bands such as Rubber City Rebels and The Black Keys, and also rapper Chino Nino who collaborated with Juvenile and B.G.. Another mainstream performer was rap group V.E.C. whose highest rated song dubbed the city with the nickname "AK-Rowdy". [62] [63] [64]

Cuisine

Akron residents Ferdinand Schumacher (The Oatmeal King) who created the first breakfast cereal [65], and The Menches Brothers who invented the hamburger, ice cream cone, and caramel corn have long played an important role in defining the worldwide cuisine. Also native singer Chrissie Hynde owns The VegiTerranean restaurant in the Northside Lofts, and other notable eateries in Akron are Mary Coyle's Ice Cream, Aladdin's, Metro Burger, Swenson's, Tangier, and Menches Brothers Restaurant, Hamburger Station. Akron along with other areas of Ohio participated in the 23cent for pizza special, courtesy of Papa John's after the "Cry Baby Lebron" t-shirt controversy. [66]

Entertainment

The E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall

Akron has a diverse heritage of restaurants and shopping centers. Quaker Square, located in the heart of Akron’s downtown, was redeveloped in the early 1970s as a downtown mall, created from the old Quaker Oats factory, which originally operated at that location. The oat silos had been transformed into unique, round hotel rooms. Recently, the University of Akron purchased this complex for its own use, primarily as residence-hall space.

Highland Square, located in near West Akron and anchored by the historic Highland Theatre, is a well-known entertainment district, featuring antique stores, retail shops, and several unique restaurants and taverns. Other unique and historically significant Akron neighborhoods include Goodyear Heights and Firestone Park, originally developed and designed for employees of the large Akron rubber companies. Likewise, Northwest Akron is home to a number of large mansions, many of which, like the famous Stan Hywet Hall, were built early in the 20th century for the upper management of these companies, as well as the city's many other industries.

During the summer, Akron hosts the National Hamburger Festival, a tribute to the city's role in the invention of the hamburger. [67] Each summer Akron hosts the All American Soap Box Derby. Children from around the world race their homemade, gravity-powered race cars down the steep hill at Derby Downs in the shadow of the Goodyear Airdock.

Adjacent to the Derby Downs race hill is a 19,000-square-foot (1,800 m2) outdoor skatepark. The park features concrete ramps, including two bowls going as deep as 7 feet (2.1 m), a snake run, two hips, a stair set with handrail, many smaller quarter pipes and a variety of grind boxes. Positioned just a few feet from the Akron Skatepark is a BMX course where organized races are often held in the warmer months.

The Akron Civic Theater

The city is also home to several museums, including:

  • Akron Art Museum
  • The Archives of the History of American Psychology
  • National Inventors Hall of Fame
  • Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens
  • Hamburger Station Restaurant and Museum
  • American Marble and Toy Museum
  • Goodyear World of Rubber Museum

Sports

Canal Park, home of the Akron Aeros

Baseball

Akron's baseball team established in 1997, is the Akron Aeros (AA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) ( Minor League Baseball) Eastern League two time champion (2003,2005) and four time Southern Division Champion (2003,2005,2006,2007). [68] Akron's former minor league baseball team the Canton-Akron Indians played in the Eastern League. Akron's former Negro League baseball team the Akron Black Tyrites played in the Negro National League.

Softball

Exterior of Firestone Stadium, site of Akron Racer home games

Akron's softball team established in 1998, is the Akron Racers ( Softball) NPF one time champion (2005). [69]

Football

Akron's former NFL team the Akron Professionals ( National Football League) won the first NFL championship in 1920 with an undefeated record but with a few tied games. Fritz Pollard, the first African-American head coach in the NFL, co-coached the Pros in 1921. [70]

Basketball

The Akron Cougars who replaced the Akron Quakers, has been in turn replaced by the Akron Energys, who began playing in 2008. Akron's former NBA team the Akron Wingfoots won the Intercontinental Cup 3 times (1967, 1968, 1969).

Roller Derby

Akron's Roller Derby team is the Northeast Ohio Rock n Roller Girls. [71]

College

File:Akron Zips CIMG9047.JPG
A four-sided scoreboard with vacuum fluorescent display screens hangs in the center of James A. Rhodes Arena

The University of Akron also has college teams including, Akron Zips ( NCAA) (both football and basketball teams), and a women's basketball team also referred to as the Zips.

Local Sporting Events

Soap Box Derby

The Soap Box Derby is a youth soapbox car racing program which has been run in the United States since 1934. World Championship finals are held each July at Derby Downs. Cars competing in this and related events are unpowered, relying completely upon gravity to move.

Rubber City Open Invitational

The Rubber City Open Invitational, first played as the Rubber City Open in 1954, was the first PGA Tour event to be held at the storied Firestone Country Club. The tournament, last played in 1959, was discontinued as Firestone gained national prominence and attracted bigger events beginning with hosting the 1960 PGA Championship, the American Golf Classic in 1961, and in 1962 the World Series of Golf now known as the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Road Runner Marathon

In addition to being the first community of the World Wide Web to get high speed internet access via Time Warner Road Runner, Akron host an annual race named The Akron Road Runner Marathon, on September 26th. [72]

The Akron & National Marble Tournament

The Akron & National Marble Tournament was created in 1923, by Roy W. Howard. The tournament was sponsored by The Akron Press, then later the Akron Times-Press, and the Akron District Marbles Tournament from 1923 to 1937. In 1938 the Akron Beacon Journal took over the tournament and ran it until the 1950’s, and the American Legion continued it until the 1960s. [73]

Venues

Local sporting facilities include Canal Park, Rubber Bowl, Summa Field at InfoCision Stadium, Firestone Stadium, Derby Downs, Firestone Country Club, James A. Rhodes Arena, Summit County Fairgrounds Arena Complex, and Northfield Park.

Economy

Street view of FirstEnergy headquarters

Akron is home to two Fortune 500 companies: the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and FirstEnergy. In addition, Akron is home to a number of smaller companies such as GOJO, makers of Purell, Advanced Elastomer Systems, FirstMerit Bank, Roadway Express (a subsidiary of Yellow Roadway), Hygenic Corporation makers of Biofreeze and Thera-Band exercise equipment. Myers Industries, an international manufacturer of polymer products, Acme Fresh Market and Lockheed Martin, Maritime Systems & Sensors division. The City of Akron created the first Joint Economic Development District to promote regional commerce with neighboring suburbs.

In late 2007, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company agreed on a deal that will keep its world headquarters in Akron which has been called the deal of the year and will keep the company within the city for decades. The project involves the redevelopment of 280 acres in and around the operations off East Market Street. Goodyear is the fifth-largest private employer in Summit County. Due to the agreement with Industrial Realty Group (IRG) of Downey, Calif., Goodyear will sell most of its Akron area property and facilities to IRG so would build a new world headquarters building and a new headquarters for the company's North American tire business. IRG also plans to make improvements to the company's technical center and research facilities. Goodyear plans to move into the new buildings in 2010. [74]

IRG envisions turning other parts of Goodyear's property into a project dubbed Akron Riverwalk. A retail and commercial development located within a short walking distance from the headquarters on the city's eastside. [75]

In mid 2008 during its 20th anniversary, Bridgestone, the world's largest tire maker agreed to keep and build a new state-of-the-art technical center in Akron instead of moving it to Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The deal is said to keep from 600 to 1,000 high paying jobs in the city. Ground breaking is planned to begin in 2010 and the move to the new facility to be in 2012. [76]

Media

Print media

Former [77]

  • The Akron Weekly Post
  • Akron Jounral
  • The Era
  • The American Balance
  • The Buzzard
  • Glad Tidings
  • The Flower of the West
  • The Pestalozzian
  • The Cascade Roarer
  • Summit Beacon
  • The Flail
  • The American Democrat
  • The Casket
  • Free Soil Platform
  • Akron Eagle
  • Free Democrat
  • True Kingdred
  • Akron Offering
  • Free Democratic Standard
  • The Sockdolager
  • The Whip
  • The School Mistress

Radio

See also: Akron Radio

Television

Akron is unique in that despite its size, it does not form its own television market, primarily due to being less than 40 miles (64 km) from Cleveland. It is part of the Cleveland-Akron (Canton) Media market. However, four stations in the market are licensed to Akron.

WAOH and WEAO serve the city of Akron specifically, while WBNX and WVPX identify themselves as "Akron-Cleveland", serving the entire Northeast Ohio market. Akron has no native news broadcast, having lost its only news station when the former WAKC became WVPX in 1996. WVPX and Cleveland's WKYC later provided a joint news program, which was cancelled in 2005. [78] [79]

Law and Government

See also: List of Mayors of Akron, Ohio
Summit County Courthouse

The city adopted a new charter of the commissioner manager type in 1920, but reverted to its old form in 1924. The current mayor of Akron is Don Plusquellic. Mayor Plusquellic is currently serving his fifth term, and was the President of the United States Conference of Mayors during 2004. He is also a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, [80] a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston, Massachusetts Mayor Thomas Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The Akron City Council has thirteen members. Ten are elected to represent wards and three are elected at large.

In 1915, a new municipal water system was established. It also included a reservoir on the Cuyahoga River with storage capacity of 2,385,200,000 gallons (9,027,982,000 liters), a complete purification system, and a pumping station.

Health

Summa Hospital as viewed from across the All-American Bridge

Akron's adult hospitals are owned by two health systems, Summa Health System and Akron General Health System. Summa Health System operates Akron City Hospital and St. Thomas Hospital, an orthopedic hospital located in the North Hill neighborhood. [81] Akron General Health System operates Akron General Medical Center. [82] Akron Children's Hospital is an independent entity that specializes in pediatric and burn care. [83] Both Akron City Hospital and Akron General have been on the U.S. News and World Report Magazine's list of "Best Hospitals" many times. It is worth noting that both AGMC and Summa are designated Level I Trauma Centers. By comparison, Akron's much larger urban neighbor to the north, Cleveland, has only one.

Education

University of Akron Polymer Tower

Higher education

The city is home to the University of Akron, which serves nearly 26,000 students, making it the fifth largest public university in the state. It is regarded as a world leader in polymer research. The University recently underwent a $300 million dollar construction project, which added nine new buildings and renovated fourteen, and closed Carroll and Union Streets. [84] The University also offers a combined B.S./M.D. program with the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. A new football stadium, Summa Field at InfoCision Stadium, is being built on-campus as a replacement for the University's previous stadium, the Rubber Bowl. [85]

Akron is also located in close proximity to several other colleges and universities including the main campus of Kent State University in nearby Kent; Hiram College in Hiram; and the College of Wooster in Wooster as well as several schools in the Cleveland area.

Secondary education

Elementary and secondary education is mainly provided by the Akron Public Schools, which are currently going through a 15-year, $800 million rebuilding process, remodeling some schools and entirely replacing others. Some schools will be closing permanently due to a drop in enrollment. The school board could not get a levy passed to pay for its portion of the construction expense so it worked out an arrangement with the city of Akron where the city will use the money from a new income tax to pay for Community Learning Centers, which will serve as schools but be owned by the city. [86] Meanwhile the academic situation has improved recently as the city’s schools have been moved from "Academic Watch" to "Continuous Improvement" by the Ohio Department of Education.

Private education

Akron also has many private, parochial and charter schools. Akron Public Schools made headlines in 2004 when a freshman student of Akron Digital Academy, the district’s own online charter school, was not allowed to participate in extracurricular activities, an event later covered and satirized by The Daily Show. St. Vincent - St. Mary High School, just west of Akron’s downtown, also made headlines when basketball star LeBron James was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers first overall after his graduation in 2003. Akron-based Summit Academy Schools is the largest system of non-profit community schools in the country which are specifically designed for students with learning disorders such as ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome, high-functioning autism and PDD-NOS.

Transportation

File:BlimpHangAkron.jpg

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 is also one highway to the south, U.S. Highway 224, part of which is also notated as Interstate 277 (I-277 connects I-77 with I-76). 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./Howard 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 some residents have stated that they would like to see it completely connected as originally planned.

The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath's bridge leading into Downtown Akron

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. Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (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 International Airport serves private planes and is the home of the Lockheed Martin Airdock, where the Goodyear blimps were formerly stored and maintained. The Goodyear blimps are now housed outside of Akron in a facility on the shores of Wingfoot Lake in Suffield.

Trails

The Towpath is a regional bike and hike trail that follows the Ohio and Erie Canal. A bridge was completed in Summer 2008, crossing Route 59/The Innerbelt, which connects the Towpath proper with bike routes painted onto downtown Akron's city streets, thus completing another step towards the connection of Cleveland and East Liverpool with a hike and bike trail.

Terminals

The Akron Fulton International Airport terminal

Akron-Canton Airport

The Akron-Canton Airport is a commercial Class C airport located in the city of Green, roughly 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Akron. The airport is jointly operated by Summit County and Stark County. The airport was dedicated on October 13, 1946, but permanent terminal facilities were not built until 1955.

Akron Fulton International Airport

The Akron Fulton International Airport is a general aviation airport located in and owned by the City of Akron. It first opened in 1929 and has operated in several different capacities since then. The airport did have commercial scheduled airline service until the 1950s. It is now used for both cargo and private planes.

Akron Northside Station

Akron Northside Station is a train station located in the city at 27 Ridge Street along the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

Akron RTA Transit Center

The Akron RTA Transit Center located on South Broadway Street features 432 solar panels on the roof making it the largest single array in Ohio will provide about 33% of the facility's yearly needs, and recyclable water as part of an effort to go green. It also has installed geothermal heating and cooling seats for 300 people, free wireless internet access, and 45 geothermal wells sunk 305 ft (93 m) into the earth providing heat and air conditioning for the facility. An Akron Police Department substation with two police officers working all hours of transfer operation and more than 90 security cameras are also on site. Greyhound Bus services will also give bus transportation through the facility who currently operates out of its own terminal on Grant Street. Alternative to walking passengers can take a free loop bus running from downtown on Main Street to the terminal.

Sister cities

Akron has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

See also

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Further reading

  • Akron Chamber of Commerce Year Book, (1913-14)
  • The University of Akron Press
  • Dyer, Joyce, Gum-Dipped: A Daughter Remembers Rubber Town, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2003)
  • Endres, Kathleen, Akron's Better Half: Women's Clubs and the Humanization of a City, 1825-1925, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2006)
  • Jones, Alfred Winslow, Life, Liberty, & Property: A Story of Conflict and a Measurement of Conflicting Rights, The University of Akron Press: Akron (1999)
  • Russ Musarra and Chuck Ayers, Walks around Akron, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2007)
  • S. A. Lane, Fifty Years and Over of Akron and Summit County, (Akron, 1892)
  • S. Love and David Giffels, Wheels of Fortune: The Story of Rubber in Akron, Ohio, The University of Akron Press: Akron (1998)
  • S. Love, Ian Adams, and Barney Taxel, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2000)
  • F. McGovern, Written on the Hills: The Making of the Akron Landscape, The University of Akron Press: Akron (1996)
  • F. McGovern, Fun, Cheap, and Easy: My Life in Ohio Politics, 1949-1964, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2002).

External links

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