Used to ship flour and cereal from Akron mills. By 1880 the more than 500,000 used annually were made by 125 coopers employed by five leading barrel factories. In l925 a barrel factory in Akron … more →

An enlargement of the canal channel that gave boats access to canal-side industries. The field just south of North Street probably was the site of a large canal basin where boats tied up to load … more →

(Tilia americana ) Several large basswood trees are located northwest of the Wheeling and Lake Erie RR trestle. They are often called bee trees because the early summer blooms draw bees which produce especially delicious … more →

The building located near the Innerbelt and Lock 10 was built in l926 and operated as a steam plant that provided heat for buildings in downtown Akron for many years. The site was originally occupied … more →

Used in the form of blocks to build the canal locks and in the form of wheels to grind grain at mills like the Cascade Mill. For many years the stone was quarried in the … more →

(Sagina procumbens) A tiny weed which grows abundantly on byrophyte-covered boulders just south of Lock 11.

(Carya cordiformis) One of the most common hickory trees, often seen along the Cuyahoga Valley. The nuts are so bitter, few animals eat them.

(Ursus Americanus) A large carnivorous mammal with dense black fur, weighing in at about three hundred pounds. These were both a danger and a food source to early inhabitants along the canal.

(Prunus serotina) Large trees located at the back of the John Pfeiffer lot. Black cherry was the preferred wood for fancy furniture in the early nineteenth century. It was also used as framing timber for … more →

(Robinia pseudoacacia) Found along the canal. The strong, heavy wood was used for fencing.

Possibly malaria, typhus or diphtheria, struck the canal workers and the small Akron community in l827. Akron became almost deserted because so many died or fled.

(Juglans migra). The nut meat is difficult to obtain because of the hull which consists of a thick fleshy outer skin. The shell contains an oil that stains the hands and a tough inner shell … more →

(Rubus allegheniensis) Also called dewberry. Eaten by both humans, bears and other smaller animals and birds. The thicket provides protection for rabbits.

Ashleaf Maple Tree   (Acer negundo) Its common name is Box-Elder. Ashleaf Maple was brought to Europe and other countries. It is a medium-sized tree located at Indigo Lake. This tree was seen along a … more →

Rectangular building material made of fired clay, usually about 8” X 4” X 3” used for constructing buildings and in a slightly larger size for paving streets. Brick making was one of the earliest industries … more →

An early nickname for Akron because of its prominence as a brick making center. Later it became a nickname for the North side projects (Elizabeth Park, located off North Street near the canal) because of … more →

  Aesculus Glabra, also known as the Buckeye, or “Hetuck” by Native Americans. The Buckeye, a deciduous tree, could grow to heights of eighty feet. It develops a gray -green layering of thick rough bark. … more →

See wicket.