Business and Industry
Akron was once recognized as “the rubber capital of the world,” but rubber is not the only industry from Summit County to become famous nationally. The Akron-Summit County Public Library has many resources to find out more about the history of the businesses and industries that helped our area grow economically. The resources listed below support the Toys Then and Now lesson plan for the Ohio History Teachers site and serve as suggestions for research paper topics.
Mills and Milling
- Books about the milling industry in Ohio
- Books about Quaker Oats and Ferdinand Schumacher
- Images of mills from Summit Memory
- In Summit Memory you can find photographs of Quaker Oats, Schumacher Mills and oatmeal machine patents
- Take a look at the Cascade Locks Park Association website and learn more about the Schumacher Cascade Mills Park site http://www.cascadelocks.org/
- See information about other historic mills in Summit County, including Boston Mills Historic District, Jaite Mill, Loomis Mill , and Yellow Creek Mill
Lighter-Than-Air, Airships and Aviation
- Visit the Lighter-Than-Air Society of Akron’s webpage for information http://www.blimpinfo.com/
- Lighter-Than-Air Society book collection in Special Collections
- Images in Summit Memory of blimps and airships
- Images in Summit Memory related to aviation
- Bain E. “Shorty” Fulton archival collection in Special Collections
Marble and Toy Industry
- See the Toys Then and Now lesson plan from the Ohio History Teachers site.
- The online book A Spin on the Past: The Origin Story of the Modern American Toy Industry as it ocurred in Akron, Ohio.
- Books and videos about the marble industry in Akron from our library catalog
- See also this website for more sources about the marble industry online http://akronmarbles.com/main.htm
Rubber Industry
- Books about the rubber industry at the Akron-Summit County Public Library
- Articles and images about the rubber companies in Akron in Summit Memory.
- In Summit Memory you’ll find the Wingfoot Clan newsletters. These newsletters were published by the Goodyear Company in Akron for their employees. They contain information about scientific and manufacturing advances as well as the social news of the day. The Wingfoot Clan – Aircraft Edition (1941-1945) and the Wingfoot Clan – Akron Edition (1939-1946) . There are also additional years available on microfilm.
Trucking Industry
- You may want to search the archival collections related to the trucking industry in the archival in Special Collections:
- Images of trucks and trucking companies in Summit Memory
- See also our Teacher Resource page for Transportation Changes
Clay Industries
- Images in Summit Memory
- Books about potteries in Summit County
- Book about Robinson Clay Company that also made sewer pipes in Akron
Brewing and Breweries
- Books about the brewing industry in Akron and Ohio
- Visit http://www.ohiobreweriana.com/ for information about the history of different breweries in Akron and around Ohio.
Online Books
- Fifty Years and Over of Akron and Summit County by Samuel A. Lane on Internet Archive. This book can also be found on Google books.
- A Centennial History of Summit County, Ohio and Representative Citizens by William B. Doyle
- History of Summit County by Albert Adams Graham
- Historical Reminiscences of Summit County by Lucius V. Bierce
Other Online Sources
- When doing research on businesses and other topics relating to economics and industry, you’ll want to also check with our Business Labor and Government Division at the Akron-Summit County Public Library
- You can search for businesses from different time periods in Akron by browsing our the Akron City Directories online
- You can also search for information about early businesses in Akron by browsing our Akron Beacon Journal index online that covers the Beacon from 1841-1939
- Search our Local History Database for photographs and archival materials and biographical information on Summit County businesses and people
- Check the University of Akron Archives for resources about Akron’s rubber and plastic companies and other specialized industries that thrived in Akron.
