41 Facts About Akron

1.

Akron is the fifth-largest city in the U S state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County.

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2.

Episodes of major civil unrest in Akron have included the riot of 1900, rubber strike of 1936, and the Wooster Avenue riots of 1968.

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3.

Akron suggested to General Simon Perkins, who was surveyor of the Connecticut Land Company's Connecticut Western Reserve, that they found a town at the summit of the developing Ohio and Erie Canal.

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4.

Akron replaced Cuyahoga Falls as its county seat a year later and opened a canal connecting to Beaver, Pennsylvania, helping give birth to the stoneware, sewer pipe, fishing tackle, and farming equipment industries.

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5.

Philanthropist Lewis Miller, Walter Blythe, and architect Jacob Snyder designed the widely used Akron Plan, debuting it on Akron's First Methodist Episcopal Church in 1872.

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6.

Research is focused at the University of Akron, which is home to the Goodyear Polymer Center and the National Polymer Innovation Center, and the College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering.

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7.

Akron is located in the Great Lakes region about 39 miles south of Lake Erie, on the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau.

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8.

Akron has the only biogas facility in the United States that produces methane through the decomposition process of sludge to create electricity.

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9.

Akron has a humid continental climate, typical of the Midwest, with four distinct seasons, and lies in USDA hardiness zone 6b, degrading to zone 6a in the outlying suburbs.

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10.

Akron's suburbs include Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls, Fairlawn, Green, Hudson, Mogadore, Montrose-Ghent, Munroe Falls, Norton, Silver Lake, Stow, and Tallmadge.

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11.

Akron formed Joint Economic Development Districts with Springfield, Coventry, Copley, and Bath townships.

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12.

Akron is part of the larger Cleveland-Akron-Canton Combined Statistical Area, which was the 15th largest in the country with a population of over 3.

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13.

In 1999, Akron ranked as the 94th-most-dangerous city on the 7th Morgan Quitno list.

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14.

Akron'storically, organized crime operated in the city with the presence of the Black Hand led by Rosario Borgio, once headquartered on the city's north side in the first decade of the 20th century and the Walker-Mitchell mob, of which Pretty Boy Floyd was a member.

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15.

Akron has experienced several riots in its history, including the Riot of 1900 and the Wooster Avenue Riots of 1968.

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16.

Distribution of methamphetamine in Akron greatly contributed to Summit County becoming known as the "Meth Capital of Ohio" in the early 2000s.

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17.

Akron has won economic awards such as for City Livability and All-American City, and deemed a high tech haven greatly contributing to the Information Age.

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18.

Many University of Akron scientists became world-renowned for their research done at the Goodyear Polymer Center.

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19.

Akron has designated an area called the Biomedical Corridor, aimed at luring health-related ventures to the region.

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20.

Akron Children's Hospital is an independent entity that specializes in pediatric care and burn care.

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21.

Akron was awarded with the City Livability Award in 2008 for its efforts to co-purpose new school buildings as community learning centers.

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22.

The Akron Zoo is located just outside downtown, and was an initial gift of property from the city's founding family.

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23.

Akron founded the Empire Barley Mill and German Mills American Oatmeal Company, which would later merge several times with other companies, with the result being the Quaker Oats Company.

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24.

Akron Marathon is an annual marathon in the city which offers a team relay and shorter races throughout the summer and fall.

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25.

Akron had 2 teams who won the National Basketball League in the '30s and '40s, before the foundation of the NBA.

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26.

Akron hosted some of the events of the 2014 Gay Games including the marathon, the men's and women's golf tournaments at Firestone Country Club, and softball at Firestone Stadium.

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27.

University of Akron's Akron Zips compete in the NCAA and the Mid-American Conference in a variety of sports at the Division I level.

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28.

Major parks in Akron include Lock 3, Firestone, Goodyear Heights, the F A Seiberling Nature Realm, and part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

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29.

From 1877 to 1952, Akron graduated students semi-annually instead of annually.

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30.

Akron has no native news broadcast, having lost its only news station when the former WAKC became WVPX in 1996.

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31.

Akron has served as the setting for several major studio and independent films.

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32.

The Akron Armory is used as a venue for a female wrestling team in.

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33.

Akron was in the spotlight on the television show Criminal Minds "Compromising Positions" Season 6, Episode 4.

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34.

Primary terminal that airline passengers traveling to or from Akron use is the Akron-Canton Regional Airport, serving nearly 2 million passengers a year.

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35.

Akron Executive Airport is a general aviation airport located in and owned by the City of Akron that serves private planes.

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36.

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

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37.

Akron is served by two major interstate highways that bisect the city.

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38.

Akron has produced and been home to a number of notable individuals in varying fields.

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39.

Former NFL linebacker James Harrison was born in Akron, as was current Tennessee Titans head coach, Mike Vrabel.

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40.

Akron's went on to become the first African-American United States Poet Laureate.

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41.

Akron's was previously provost and interim president of Dartmouth College.

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