Description: The city of Akron was first a small canal town in 1825, but grew rapidly into a large city. The name came from a Greek word meaning "an elevation" or "point." Originally, the community was located slightly south of its present location, in modern-day South Akron. By the second half of the 1800s, railroads connected the community to other important cities in Ohio, and other industries emerged. There were a number of stoneware and cereal manufacturers, as well as a well-known sewer pipe industry. The Barber Match Company, later a branch of the Diamond Match Company, produced one-fifth of all the matches in the United States. The Buckeye Mower and Reaper Company, originally located in Canton, moved to Akron in 1863. Probably among the most famous companies established in Akron were the B.F. Goodrich Company and the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, both rubber and tire manufacturers that began to prosper after the advent of the automobile age. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B01F02_004_001
Subjects: Architecture--Ohio--Pictorial works.; Architecture, Domestic--Ohio--Pictorial works.; Neighborhoods--Ohio--Akron; Akron (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Akron (Ohio); Summit County (Ohio)
 

Description: Akron was originally laid out in 1825 and in 1841, became the seat of Summit County. Many of the town's earliest residents were Irish immigrants employed to build the Ohio and Erie Canal. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B01F02_013_001
Subjects: Architecture--Ohio--Pictorial works.; Architecture, Domestic--Ohio--Pictorial works.; Neighborhoods--Ohio--Akron; Akron (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Akron (Ohio); Summit County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows the business block in Akron, Ohio, located on the northwest corner of Howard and Market Streets. Akron was originally laid out in 1825 and in 1841 became the seat of Summit County. The name came from a Greek word meaning "an elevation" or "point." Originally, the community was located slightly south of its present location, in modern-day South Akron. Many of the town's earliest residents were Irish migrants employed to build the nearby Ohio and Erie Canal. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B02F01_004_1
Subjects: Hardware stores--United States; Akron (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works.
Places: Akron (Ohio); Summit County (Ohio)
 

Description: The Akron area YMCA was founded in 1896. The Akron YMCA Building was constructed in the 1920s to house the organization. As a Christian organization, the goal of the YMCA was to give those in need a place to stay, eat, and worship. The indoor pool at the Akron YMCA Building is pictured in the photograph. The building, including the pool, is still in use by the Akron YMCA, as one of their branch locations. The location now houses exercise and sports facilities, while the remodeled living quarters are now private apartments. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B01F02_024
Subjects: YMCA; Akron (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Swimming; Sports and recreation facilities; Diving for men; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Akron (Ohio); Summit County (Ohio)
 

Description: The Akron area YMCA was founded in 1896. The Akron YMCA Building was built in the 1920s to house the organization. As a Christian organization, the YMCA building was used to provide a place to stay, eat, and worship for those in need. Depicted in the photograph is the gym of the YMCA building. A caption on the back of the photograph reads, "Stow High." Most likely, this photograph is of a Stow High School event, such as a dance. Stow, Ohio is a city northeast of Akron. The Akron YMCA building is still in use by the organization and includes exercise and sports facilities. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B01F02_032
Subjects: YMCA; Akron (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Gymnasiums; Teenagers; Proms; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Akron (Ohio); Summit County (Ohio)