Akron

Images of Modern America

by Calvin Rydbom

Once known as the "Rubber Capital of the World," Akron now hails as the "City of Invention." As the fifth-largest city in Ohio, it has grown from an industrial center to a hub of culture and science. During this change, Akron's downtown went from a vibrant retail district to being somewhat empty; however, the city was reborn with a baseball stadium for the Akron RubberDucks (the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians), new restaurants, concert venues, and in its role as a host for national events such as the 2014 Gay Games. As recently as 20 years ago, rubber workers made up a large part of Akron's population, but the number of people employed in the rubber industry dropped by half between 2000 and 2007. In 2001, Akron was named among the country's 10 high-tech havens by Newsweek, and it is now considered the center of "Polymer Valley."

96 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 2015

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting look at the development of most aspects of Akron, Ohio. Most of the history showcased is from within the last 80-90 years. There are a few errors, which tripped me up in my reading -- one of these is on page 38 and is in regards to the number of passengers who flew through Akron-Canton Airport either in 2005 or in some other year that was three times the number as in 2005?

I was surprised that nothing was mentioned about Stan Hywet, the Summit County Historical Society / Perkins Stone Mansion, Hower House, the Mustill Store and Cascade Locks and Park Association.