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103-733: The Law Building (formerly known as the Second National Bank Building and the Key Building ) is a high-rise office building located at 159 South Main Street in the city of Akron, Ohio . Construction of the building began in 1910 and was completed in 1911. The building stands at a height of 150 feet, making it one of the tallest buildings in the city. The elaborate brickwork and delicate ornamentation of its facade and rigid-frame structural system are prime examples of characteristics that define neoclassical architecture. KeyBank moved out of

206-507: A log cabin in the forest in 1810, and became the region's first citizen. In June 1811, Spicer sent for his family, who came that same year by ox teams accompanied by Capt. Amos Spicer and Paul Williams. In 1811, Paul Williams settled near the corner of what is now Buchtel Avenue and Broadway. He suggested to General Simon Perkins , who was surveyor of the Connecticut Land Company 's Connecticut Western Reserve , that they found

309-507: A building or structure in Ohio is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Akron, Ohio Akron ( / ˈ æ k r ən / ) is a city in and the county seat of Summit County, Ohio , United States. At the 2020 census , the city proper had a total population of 190,469, making it the fifth-most populous city in Ohio and 136th-most populous city in the U.S. The Akron metropolitan area , covering Summit and Portage counties, had

412-534: A female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.8% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age in the city was 35.7 years. 22.9% of residents were under age 18; 12.4% were between 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 12.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of

515-543: A historic 1939 British Supreme Court decision, President-General Francis was recognized as the rightful administrative heir to the huge Sir Isaiah Emmanuel Morter (DSOE) Estate in Belize . The organization's administrative headquarters were shifted to Belize in 1941 when the President-General relocated there from New York. Upon Francis's death in 1961 during Hurricane Hattie , the presidency shifted back to New York under

618-409: A lab to treat burn victims, making Akron Children's Hospital the first hospital in the world to achieve such a feat. Akron City and Akron General hospitals are designated Level I Trauma Centers . According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the principal employers in the city are: Akron is home to E. J. Thomas Hall , one of three Akron performance halls. Regular acts include

721-572: A mill in 1856, and the following decade mass-produced oat bars for the Union Army during the American Civil War ; these continued to sell well after the war. Akron incorporated as a city in 1865. 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. Numerous Congregational , Baptist , and Presbyterian churches built between

824-494: A name was born, a movement created, and a man became known. Originally from Saint Ann's Bay , Jamaica , Marcus Garvey left at 23 and traveled throughout Central America and moved for a time to England . During his travels he became convinced that uniting Blacks was the only way to improve their condition. Towards that end, he departed England on June 14, 1914, aboard the SS Trent , returning to Jamaica on July 15, 1914. He founded

927-497: A new world headquarters in the city. The project, Akron Riverwalk, will feature a large retail and commercial development area. The project began in 2007, but was put on hold because of the Great Recession . Bridgestone built a new technical center with research and development labs, and moved its product development operations to the new facility in early 2012. The Eastern Ohio Division of KeyBank , which has six branches in

1030-610: A part in two of Akron's major riots, the Riot of 1900 and the Wooster Ave. Riots of 1968. Others giving speeches on race in the city include W. E. B. Du Bois (1920) and President Bill Clinton (1997). In 1971, Alpha Phi Alpha Homes Inc. was founded in Akron by the Eta Tau Lambda chapter, with James R. Williams as chairman. The centerpiece, Henry Arthur Callis Tower , is located in

1133-597: A population of 702,219. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau in Northeast Ohio about 40 miles (64 km) south of downtown Cleveland . After being first settled by Miner Spicer in 1810, the city was founded by Simon Perkins and Paul Williams in 1825 along the Little Cuyahoga River at the summit of the developing Ohio and Erie Canal . The name is derived from

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1236-590: A restaurant. Later that year the Association organized the first of its two steamship companies and a separate business corporation. Incorporated in Delaware as a domestic corporation on June 27, 1919, the Black Star Line, Inc. (BSL) was capitalized at 10 million dollars. It sold shares individually valued at five dollars to both UNIA members and non-members alike. Proceeds from stock sales were used to purchase first

1339-447: A severe blow to the UNIA's African repatriation program and inspired speculation that the actions were linked. After Garvey's conviction and imprisonment on mail fraud charges in 1925 and deportation to Jamaica in 1927, the organization began to take on a different character. In 1926, George Weston succeeded Garvey in a UNIA Convention Election, becoming the second elected President-General of

1442-560: A significant collapse in population having lost over one third (34.4%) of its population between 1960 and 2020. Although Akron is in northern Ohio, where the Inland North dialect is expected, its settlement history puts it in the North Midland dialect area. Some localisms that have developed include devilstrip , which refers to the grass strip between a sidewalk and street. As of the census of 2020, there were 190,469 people living in

1545-554: A town at the summit of the developing Ohio and Erie Canal . The name is adapted from the Greek word ἄκρον ( ákron ), meaning summit or high point. It was laid out in December 1825, where the south part of the downtown Akron neighborhood sits today. Irish laborers working on the Ohio Canal built about 100 cabins nearby. After Eliakim Crosby founded "North Akron" (also known as Cascade) in

1648-871: Is "Africa for the Africans, at home and abroad!" The broad mission of the UNIA-ACL led to the establishment of numerous auxiliary components, among them the African Legion (a paramilitary group), the African Black Cross Nurses , plus businesses such as the Black Star Steamship Line and the Negro Factories Corporation . In an article entitled "The Negro's Greatest Enemy", published in Current History (September 1923), Garvey explained

1751-540: Is 41.57 inches (1,056 mm), falling on an average 160 days. Monthly precipitation has ranged from 12.55 in (319 mm) in July 2003 to 0.20 in (5.1 mm) in September 1960, while for annual precipitation the historical range is 65.70 in (1,669 mm) in 1990 to 23.79 in (604 mm) in 1963. Akron consists of 21 neighborhoods, with an additional three that are unincorporated but recognized within

1854-497: Is home to a historic 1920s atmospheric movie palace , the Akron Civic Theatre . One of the building's features is a starry sky with clouds that drift over it when the lights are dimmed. Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League The organization was founded to work for the advancement of people of African ancestry around the world. Its motto is "One God! One Aim! One Destiny!" and its slogan

1957-606: Is now a museum on Broadway Street near the corner of Exchange. When the Ohio Women's Rights Convention came to Akron in 1851, Sojourner Truth extemporaneously delivered her speech named " Ain't I A Woman? ", at the Universalist Old Stone Church. In 1870, a local businessman associated with the church, John R. Buchtel , founded Buchtel College, which became the University of Akron in 1913. Ferdinand Schumacher bought

2060-542: Is recognized as having one of the best orthopaedics programs in the nation with a ranking of 28th. Akron General Health in affiliation with the Cleveland Clinic operates Akron General Medical Center, which in 2009, was recognized as one of "America's Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report . Akron Children's Hospital is an independent entity that specializes in pediatric care and burn care. In 1974, Howard Igel and Aaron Freeman successfully grew human skin in

2163-518: Is the Akron Civic Theatre , which opened in 1929 as the Loew's Theater. This atmospheric-style theater was designed by John Eberson and built by Marcus Loew. The theater contains many Moorish features including arches and decorative tiles. It features elaborate wood carvings, alabaster statuary, and European antiques. The theater seats 5,000. Behind it on the canal is the Lock 3 Park amphitheater , which annually host

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2266-749: Is water. Akron has a humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ), typical of the Midwest , with four distinct seasons, and lies in USDA hardiness zone 6b, degrading to zone 6a in the outlying suburbs. Winters are cold and dry but typically bring a mix of rain, sleet, and snow with occasional heavy snowfall and icing. January is the coldest month with an average mean temperature of 27.9 °F (−2.3 °C), with temperatures on average dropping to or below 0 °F (−18 °C) on 3.3 days and staying at or below freezing on 40 days per year. Snowfall averages 47.2 inches (120 cm) per season, significantly less than

2369-485: The Akron Symphony Orchestra , Tuesday Musical Club, and Children's Concert Society. World-class performances events include Broadway musicals, ballets, comedies, lectures, entertainers, attracting 400,000 visitors annually. The hall seats 2,955, divided among three tiers. To maintain top-notch acoustic sound, the counter-weighted ceiling is adjustable, altering the physical dimensions of the hall. Located downtown

2472-572: The Akron, Bedford and Cleveland Railroad , began service. On August 25, 1889, the Boston Daily Globe referred to Akron with the nickname "Summit City". To help local police, the city deployed the first police car in the U.S. that ran on electricity. The Riot of 1900 saw assaults on city officials, two deaths, and the destruction by fire of Columbia Hall and the Downtown Fire Station (now

2575-558: The Akron-Summit County Public Library , and John S. Knight Center are considerably newer. The library originally opened in 1969, but reopened as a greatly expanded facility in 2004. The Knight Center opened in 1994. The First Methodist Episcopal Church first used the Akron Plan in 1872. The plan later gained popularity, being used in many Congregationalist , Baptist , and Presbyterian church buildings. The city

2678-555: The Environmental Protection Agency , began in 1987 and concluded in 2000. The area remains restricted with regular reviews of the site and its underground aquifer. City founder Simon Perkins negotiated a treaty with Native Americans to establish a mail route from the Connecticut Western Reserve to Detroit in 1807, an early example of historic humanitarian affairs in Akron. Aside from being part of

2781-477: The Firestone Rubber Company's agreement with Liberia for a 99-year lease of one million acres (4,000 km ) of land. It was extracting and processing rubber for the world market. This land deal had been assisted by American and European governments. Originally Liberia had intended to lease the land to UNIA at an unprecedented dollar an acre ($ 247/km ). The commercial agreement with Firestone Tire dealt

2884-676: The First Night in Akron. The Akron Art Museum also downtown, features art produced since 1850 along with national and international exhibitions. It opened in 1922 as the Akron Art Institute, in the basement of the Akron Public Library . It moved to its current location at the renovated 1899 post office building in 1981. In 2007, the museum more than tripled in size with the addition of the John S. and James L. Knight Building, which received

2987-446: The Glaciated Allegheny Plateau . It is bordered by Cuyahoga Falls on the north and Barberton in the southwest. It is the center of the Akron metropolitan area which covers Summit and Portage Counties, and a principal city of the larger Cleveland–Akron–Canton Combined Statistical Area . Located on the western end of the plateau, the topography of Akron includes rolling hills and varied terrain. The Ohio and Erie Canal passes through

3090-684: The Goodyear Heights neighborhood for employees. Likewise, Harvey S. Firestone built the Firestone Park neighborhood for his employees. During the 1910–1920 decade, Akron became a boomtown , being America's fastest growing city with a 201.8% increase in population. Of the 208,000 citizens, almost one-third were immigrants (also Clark Gable ) and their children from places including Europe and West Virginia. In 1929 and 1931, Goodyear's subsidiary Goodyear-Zeppelin Company manufactured two airships for

3193-486: The Greek word ἄκρον ( ákron ), signifying a summit or high point. It was briefly renamed South Akron after Eliakim Crosby founded nearby North Akron in 1833, until both merged into an incorporated village in 1836. In the 1910s, Akron doubled in population, making it the nation's fastest-growing city. A long history of rubber and tire manufacturing, carried on today by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company , gave Akron

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3296-562: The Information Age . Current Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the city include Goodyear and FirstEnergy . In addition, the city is the headquarters to a number of other notable companies such as GOJO , Advanced Elastomer Systems, Babcock & Wilcox , Myers Industries, Acme Fresh Market , and Sterling Jewelers . Goodyear, America's biggest tire manufacturer and the fifth-largest private employer in Summit County, recently built

3399-596: The Kelly-Springfield Tire Company in 1935. Lasting five weeks and consisting of roughly 5,000 strikers including union sympathizers from other factories and neighboring states, the Akron Rubber Strike of 1936 successfully used the "sit-down" tactic to force recognition of the United Rubber Workers . During the 1950s–60s Akron surged as use of the automobile did. The historic Rubber Bowl

3502-698: The K–12 system ; the popularization of the church architectural Akron Plan , the foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous , the Akron Experiment into preventing goiters with iodized salt , the 1983 Supreme Court case City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health ; and portions of the 2014 Gay Games . A racially diverse city, it has seen noted racial relations speeches by Sojourner Truth in 1851 (the Ain't I A Woman? speech), W. E. B. Du Bois in 1920, and President Bill Clinton in 1997. In 1914, Marcus Garvey founded

3605-676: The New Negro World started publishing out of Cleveland. After the 1942 International Convention in Cleveland, a rehabilitating committee of disgruntled members was held in New York during September. Stewart moved to Monrovia , Liberia, in 1949. He took Liberian citizenship and moved the Parent Body of the UNIA there. He continued to lead the Association as President-General until his death in 1964. Stewart and his entire family relocated deeper into

3708-672: The SS Yarmouth and then the SS Shady Side . The Shady Side was used by the association for summer outings and excursions, as well as rented out on charter to other organizations. The BSL later purchased the Kanawha as its third vessel. This small yacht was intended for inter-island transportation in the West Indies and was rechristened the SS Antonio Maceo . Also established in 1919

3811-583: The Underground Railroad , when active, John Brown was a resident, today having two landmarks (the John Brown House and the John Brown Monument) dedicated to him. During the 1851 Women's Rights Convention, Sojourner Truth delivered her speech entitled " Ain't I A Woman? ". In 1905, a statue of an Indian named Unk was erected on Portage Path, which was part of the effective western boundary of

3914-601: The Universal Negro Improvement Association in Kingston, Jamaica; its Akron branch opened in 1921. Episodes of major civil unrest in Akron have included the riot of 1900 , rubber strike of 1936 , the Wooster Avenue riots of 1968 , and the 2022 protests surrounding the killing of Jayland Walker . The first settler in the Akron area was Major Miner Spicer, who came from Groton, Connecticut . He built

4017-591: The White and Native American lands from 1785 to 1805. The Summit County chapter of the Ku Klux Klan reported having 50,000 members, making it the largest local chapter in the country during the 20th century. At some point the sheriff, county officials, mayor of Akron, judges, county commissioners, and most members of Akron's school board were members. The Klan's influence in the city's politics eventually ended after Wendell Willkie arrived and challenged them. Race played

4120-529: The red, black and green flag as the official banner of the African race. (Beginning in the 1960s, black nationalists and Pan-Africanists adopted the same flag as the Black Liberation Flag.) UNIA-ACL officially designated the song " Ethiopia , Thou Land of Our Fathers" as the official anthem of "Africa and the Africans, at home and Abroad". Under the provisions of the UNIA constitution, Gabriel Johnson

4223-522: The snowbelt areas closer to Lake Erie . The snowiest month on record was 37.5 inches (95 cm) in January 1978, while winter snowfall amounts have ranged from 82.0 in (208 cm) in 1977–78 to 18.2 in (46 cm) in 1949–50. Springs generally see a transition to fewer weather systems that produce heavier rainfall. Summers are typically very warm and humid with temperatures at or above 90 °F (32 °C) on 10.7 days per year on average;

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4326-539: The "Crossroads of the Deaf". On Easter Sunday 1913, 9.55 inches (243 mm) of rain fell, causing floods that killed five people and destroyed the Ohio and Erie Canal system. From 1916 to 1920, 10,000 schoolgirls took part in the successful Akron Experiment, testing iodized salt to prevent goiter in what was known as the "Goiter Belt". Rubber companies responded to housing crunches by building affordable housing for workers. Goodyear's president, Frank A. Seiberling , built

4429-485: The 1870s and World War I use it. In 1883, a local journalist began the modern toy industry by founding the Akron Toy Company. A year later, the first popular toy was mass-produced clay marbles made by Samuel C. Dyke at his shop where Lock 3 Park is now. Other popular inventions include rubber balloons, ducks, dolls, balls, baby buggy bumpers, and little brown jugs. In 1895, the first long-distance electric railway,

4532-617: The 1980s and 1990s, an influx of new polymer companies came to the region. In 2001, more than 400 companies manufactured polymer-based materials in the region. Many University of Akron scientists became world-renowned for their research done at the Goodyear Polymer Center . The first College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering was begun by the university. In 2010, the National Polymer Innovation Center opened on campus. Akron has designated an area called

4635-634: The 2005 American Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum while still under construction. Built between 1912 and 1915 for Frank A. Sieberling , Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens is the seventh-largest historic house in the United States . Located within the Sand Run Metro Park, the 104 acres (0.42 km ) F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm features a visitor center, hiking trails, three ponds, gardens, and an array of special programs throughout

4738-701: The Akron Police Department (APD) received a grant to help continue its work with other agencies and jurisdictions to support them in ridding the city of meth labs. The APD coordinates with the Summit County Drug Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration, forming the Clandestine Methamphetamine Laboratory Response Team. Many industries in the United States either began or were influenced by

4841-597: The American field after his ouster to Jamaica. She was a fiery orator and spoke both Spanish and English, helping with the spread of the organization through Latin America and the Caribbean . The UNIA, Inc., after Garvey's departure, continued to operate out of New York until 1941. After Weston's 1926 election to President-General, he was succeeded by Frederick Augustus Toote (1929), Clifford Bourne (1930), Lionel Antonio Francis (1931–34), Henrietta Vinton Davis (1934–40), Lionel Antonio Francis (1940–61), Captain A. L. King (1961–81) and Milton Kelly, Jr. (1981–2007). In

4944-408: The Biomedical Corridor, aimed at luring health-related ventures to the region. It encompasses 1,240 acres (5.0 km ) of private and publicly owned land, bounded by Akron General on the west and Akron City on the east, and also includes Akron Children's near the district's center with the former Saint Thomas Hospital to the north of its northern boundaries. Since its start in 2006, the corridor added

5047-436: The Channelwood Village area of the city. In 2008, 91-year-old Akron native, Addie Polk, became the poster child of the Great Recession , after shooting herself. In 2022, Akron resident Jayland Walker was killed by police after shooting at them while fleeing, sparking days of protest and the institution of a police review board. Akron is located in the Great Lakes region about 39 miles (63 km) south of Lake Erie , on

5150-445: The City Building since 1925). The American trucking industry was birthed through Akron's Rubber Capital of the World era when the four major tire companies B.F. Goodrich (1869), Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (1898), Firestone Tire and Rubber Company (1900), and General Tire & Rubber Company (1915) were headquartered in the city. The numerous jobs the rubber factories provided for deaf people led to Akron being nicknamed

5253-404: The Negro Peoples of the World" on August 13, 1920, and elected the leaders of the UNIA as "leaders for the Negro people of the world". The organization put forth a program based on this declaration, marking the evolution of the movement as one promoting black nationalism. It sought the uplift of the black race and encouraged self-reliance and nationhood. Among the declarations was one proclaiming

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5356-465: The Polymer Valley which consists of 400 polymer-related companies, of which 94 were located in the city itself. 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. Because of its contributions to the Information Age , Newsweek listed Akron fifth of ten high-tech havens in 2001. In 2008 "City of Invention"

5459-567: The UNIA headquarters on West 135th Street, went uptown as far as 145th and downtown as far as 125th Street, taking it beyond the boundaries of black residence into white areas. Four mounted policemen, and the heads of Black Star Line and Negro Factories Corporation, led the parade, followed by cars carrying Garvey and Mayor of Monrovia, capital of Liberia, and other UNIA officials, then the Black Star Line Choir, on foot, and contingents from throughout US and Caribbean, Canada, Nigeria, carrying banners, and including 12 bands, with about 500 cars bringing up

5562-449: The UNIA in Kingston later that month, intending to unite all of Africa and its diaspora into the organization. After traveling through the United States beginning in March 1916, Garvey inaugurated the New York Division of the UNIA in 1918 with 13 members. The Negro World was founded on August 17, 1918, as a weekly newspaper to express the ideas of the organization. Garvey contributed a front-page editorial each week in which he developed

5665-400: The UNIA purchased the first of what would be numerous Liberty Halls . Located at 114 West 138th Street, in Harlem , New York City , the building had a seating capacity of 6,000. The single-level hall with low ceilings had previously been home to the Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle. It was dedicated on July 27, 1919. On Sunday evenings, it was the site of the weekly UNIA meeting; it also housed

5768-548: The UNIA, Inc. Many Garvey supporters were angered, and split off into rival entities such as the "Garvey Clubs" and other organizations, based on members' differing interpretation of the original aims and objects of the UNIA. But the UNIA continued to be officially recognized as the "Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League". A rival "UNIA-ACL August 1929 of the World" emerged, headed by Marcus Garvey after his deportation to Jamaica. Garvey appointed Maymie de Mena as his official representative to head

5871-481: The US, Canada, Costa Rica, Belize, Panama, Java, and other countries. UNIA also purchased farms in Ohio and other states. It purchased land in Claremont, Virginia with the intention of founding Liberty University. By 1920 the association had over 1,900 divisions in more than 40 countries. Most of the divisions were located in the United States, which had become the UNIA's base of operations. There were, however, offices in several Caribbean countries, with Cuba having

5974-504: The United States Navy, USS Akron (ZRS-4) and USS Macon (ZRS-5) . Goodyear built a number of blimps for the Navy during WWII and later for advertising purposes. Akron again grew when Kenmore was annexed by voter approval on November 6, 1928. Found hiding under a bed at one of his hideouts in the city, notorious bank robber Charles Arthur " Pretty Boy " Floyd was arrested under the name "Frank Mitchell" in March 1930. Goodyear became America's top tire manufacturer after merging with

6077-460: The affairs of the UNIA from New York until a successor to Garvey could be formally installed to complete his term as President-General. During an emergency commissioners' conference in June 1940, James R. Stewart , a commissioner from Ohio and graduate of the course of African philosophy, was named the successor. In the months to follow, the Parent Body of the UNIA was moved from its temporary headquarters in New York to Cleveland . In October 1940

6180-399: The age of 18 living with them, 27.3% were married couples living together, 23.8% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 39.8% had a female householder with no spouse present. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16, and the average family size was 2.86. 22.1% of

6283-414: The aims of your organization as outlined by you, have no hesitancy in assuring you that they will afford the Association every facility legally possible in effectuating in Liberia its industrial, agricultural and business projects. About two months later, however, the Liberian President unexpectedly ordered all Liberian ports to refuse entry to any member of the "Garvey Movement". This action closely followed

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6386-456: The annual count has been as high as 36 days in 1931, while the most recent year to not reach that mark is 2023. July is the warmest month with an average mean temperature of 73.9 °F (23 °C). Autumn is relatively dry with many clear warm days and cool nights. The all-time record high temperature in Akron of 104 °F (40 °C) was established on August 6, 1918, and the all-time record low temperature of −25 °F (−32 °C)

6489-399: The blanket of University Park, this term is used frequently to describe the student-centered retail and residential area around East Exchange and Spicer streets, near the University of Akron. West Hill is roughly bounded by West Market Street on the north, West Exchange Street on the south, Downtown on the East, and Rhodes Avenue on the west. It features many stately older homes, particularly in

6592-406: The building in 2011 and opened a new branch and regional headquarters a block away. White Hat Management, one of the state's largest for-profit managers of charter schools, also vacated the building in 2011. After that, 40% of the building was left unoccupied. 41°04′51.4″N 81°31′07.7″W  /  41.080944°N 81.518806°W  / 41.080944; -81.518806 This article about

6695-411: The city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female. In 1999, Akron ranked as the 94th-most-dangerous city (and the 229th safest) on the 7th Morgan Quitno list. Preliminary Ohio crime statistics show aggravated assaults increased by 45% during 2007. Historically, 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

6798-439: The city was 62.2% White , 31.5% African American , 0.2% Native American , 2.1% Asian , 0.8% from other races , and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites were 61.2% of the population, down from 81.0% in 1970. There were 83,712 households, of which 28.8% had children under age 18 living with them, 31.3% were married couples living together, 19.5% had

6901-405: The city's population were under the age of 18, 61.6% were 18 to 64, and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.5. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. According to the U.S. Census American Community Survey , for the period 2016-2020 the estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $ 45,534, and the median income for a family was $ 52,976. About 24.4% of

7004-399: The city, built a regional headquarters downtown. The city has a free WiFi corridor centered in downtown. Neighborhoods in range include Goodyear Heights, East Akron, North Hill, Firestone Park, Kenmore, and West Akron. Northeast Ohio's Polymer Valley is centered in Akron. The area holds forty-five percent of the state's polymer industries, with the oldest dating to the 19th century. During

7107-508: The city, for a population density of 3,075.40 people per square mile (1,187.42/km ). There were 92,517 housing units. The racial makeup of the city (including Hispanics in the racial counts) was 54.7% White , 31.4% African American , 0.3% Native American , 5.3% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , 1.6% from some other race , and 6.6% from two or more races. Separately, 3.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 85,395 households, out of which 28.7% had children under

7210-401: The city, separating the east from west. Akron has the only biogas facility in the United States that produces methane through the decomposition process of sludge to create electricity. According to the 2010 census, the city has a total area of 62.37 square miles (161.5 km ), of which 62.03 square miles (160.7 km ) (or 99.45%) is land and 0.34 square miles (0.88 km ) (or 0.55%)

7313-413: The city. After beginning the tire and rubber industry during the 20th century with the founding of BFGoodrich , Firestone , General Tire , and also the Goodyear merger with The Kelly-Springfield Tire Company , Akron gained the status of "Rubber Capital of the World". Akron has won economic awards such as for City Livability and All-America City , and deemed a high tech haven greatly contributing to

7416-476: The city. The neighborhoods of the city differ in design largely because of expansions such as town merging, annexation, housing construction in various time periods, and rubber era. Maple Valley covers the west end of Copley Road, before reaching I-77. Along this strip are several businesses using the name, as well as the Maple Valley Branch of the Akron-Summit County Public Library . Spicertown falls under

7519-486: The conversation to my cabin, all day and the following night I pondered over the subject matter of that conversation, and at midnight, lying flat on my back, the vision and thought came to me that I should name the organization the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities (Imperial) League. Such a name I thought would embrace the purpose of all black humanity. Thus to the world

7622-587: The first decade of the 20th century and the Walker-Mitchell mob, of which Pretty Boy Floyd was a member. Akron has experienced several riots in its history, including the Riot of 1900 and the Wooster Avenue Riots of 1968 . The distribution of methamphetamine ("meth") in Akron greatly contributed to Summit County becoming known as the "Meth Capital of Ohio" in the early 2000s. The county ranked third in

7725-578: The general condition of the country from the standpoint of UNIA members interested in living in Africa . By 1924 the Chief Justice J. J. Dossen of Liberia wrote to UNIA conveying the government's support: The President directs me to say in reply to your letter of June 8 setting forth the objects and purposes of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, that the Government of Liberia, appreciating as they do

7828-408: The headquarters of companies such as Akron Polymer Systems. Akron's adult hospitals are owned by two health systems, Summa Health System and Akron General Health System. Summa Health System operates Summa Akron City Hospital and the former St. Thomas Hospital, which in 2008 were recognized for the 11th consecutive year as one of "America's Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report . Summa

7931-632: The interior of the country, establishing themselves in Gbandela , Bong County , Liberia . There they established a hospital, school and farm. When Stewart died from cancer in 1964, the Parent Body was moved from Monrovia to Youngstown , Ohio, where James A. Bennett took the reins. In 1968 Bennett was succeeded by Vernon Wilson. After President-General Wilson's death in 1975, Mason Harvgrave became next President General. Hargrave testified during United States congressional hearings in August 1987 in relation to

8034-509: The leadership of Captain A. L. King, formerly president of the Central Division of the UNIA in New York. After his death in the early 1980s, longtime Garveyite organizer Milton Kelly, Jr. assumed the administrative reins and continued to head the association until 2007. The UNIA 1929 headed by Garvey continued operating in Jamaica until he moved to England in 1935. There he set up office for

8137-635: The locks, the city has a path paved with rubber. Akron was awarded with the City Livability Award in 2008 for its efforts to co-purpose new school buildings as community learning centers. In 2009, the National Arbor Day Foundation designated Akron as a Tree City USA for the 14th time. Many of the city's government and civic buildings, including City Hall and the Summit County Courthouse are from pre-World War Two, but

8240-412: The median income for a household in the city was $ 34,139. The per capita income for the city was $ 17,596. About 26.7% of persons were in poverty. The population of the Akron metropolitan area was 702,219 in 2020. Akron is also part of the larger Cleveland-Akron-Canton combined statistical area , which was the 15th largest in the country with a population of over 3.5 million residents. Akron experienced

8343-830: The most. Divisions also existed in Central and South America: Panama , Costa Rica , Nicaragua , Ecuador , and Venezuela ; in Africa: Gold Coast (now Ghana ), Sierra Leone , Liberia , Nigeria , South West Africa (now Namibia ), and the Union of South Africa ; and in India and Australia . For the entire month of August 1920, the UNIA-ACL held its first international convention at Madison Square Garden in New York City . The 20,000 attending members promulgated "The Declaration of Rights of

8446-460: The nation in the number of registered meth sites. During the 1990s, motorcycle gang the Hells Angels sold the drug from bars frequented by members. Between January 2004 and August 2009, the city had significantly more registered sites than any other city in the state. Authorities believed a disruption of a major Mexican meth operation contributed to the increase of it being made locally. In 2007,

8549-403: The new facility in early 2012. The city also continues to deal with the effects of air and soil pollution from its industrial past. In the southwestern part of the city, soil was contaminated and noxious PCB -laden fumes were put into the air by an electrical transformer deconstruction operation that existed from the 1930s to the 1960s. Cleanup of the site, designated as a Superfund site by

8652-507: The nickname "Rubber Capital of the World". It was once known as a center of airship development. Today, its economy includes manufacturing, education, healthcare, and biomedical research; leading corporations include Gojo Industries , FirstEnergy , Huntington Bank , and Charter Spectrum . Notable historic events in Akron include the passage of the Akron School Law of 1847, which created

8755-427: The northern portion of what is now downtown Akron in 1833, "South" was added to Akron's name until about three years later, when the two were merged and became an incorporated village in 1836. In 1840, Summit County formed from portions of Portage , Medina , and Stark Counties. Akron replaced Cuyahoga Falls as its county seat a year later and opened a canal connecting to Beaver, Pennsylvania , helping give birth to

8858-459: The organization's position on different issues related to people of African ancestry around the world, in general, and the UNIA, in particular. Eventually claiming a circulation of 500,000, the newspaper was printed in several languages. It contained a page specifically for women readers, documented international events related to people of African ancestry, and was distributed throughout the African diaspora until publication ceased in 1933. In 1919,

8961-497: The organization: "Universal Negro Ritual" and "Universal Negro Catechism". For these he drew from his interest and knowledge of religion and race history. In Philadelphia , where he had earlier been the rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church , McGuire had been an early member of the American Negro Historical Society. The opening parade was one of the most striking features of the 1920 convention. It began outside

9064-542: The origin of the organization's name: Where did the name of the organization come from? It was while speaking to a West Indian Negro who was a passenger with me from Southampton , who was returning home to the West Indies from Basutoland with his Basuto wife, I further learned of the horrors of native life in Africa. He related to me in conversation such horrible and pitiable tales that my heart bled within me. Retiring from

9167-524: The parent body of the UNIA 1929 and maintained contact with all its divisions. UNIA 1929 conventions were held in Canada in 1936, 1937, and 1938. The 1937 sessions were highlighted by the introduction of the first course of African philosophy conducted by Garvey. Garvey became ill in January 1940, and died on June 10, 1940. UNIA members worldwide participated in eulogies, memorial services and processions in his honor. Secretary-General Ethel Collins briefly managed

9270-537: The path of man but with love, faith and charity towards all the reign of peace and plenty will be heralded into the world and the generations of men shall be called Blessed. Although UNIA was not solely a "Back to Africa" movement, the organization did work to arrange for emigration for African Americans who wanted to go there. In late 1923, an official UNIA delegation that included Robert Lincoln Poston and Henrietta Vinton Davis traveled to Liberia to survey potential land sites for possible purchase. They also assessed

9373-530: The population were living below the poverty line , including 35.0% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over. About 57.1% of the population were employed, and 24.8% had a bachelor's degree or higher. As of the census of 2010, there were 199,110 people, 83,712 households, and 47,084 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,209.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,239.3/km ). There were 96,288 housing units at an average density of 1,552.3 per square mile (599.3/km ). The racial makeup of

9476-581: The proposed exoneration of Marcus Garvey on charges of mail fraud. The findings of the Judiciary Committee were: Garvey was innocent of the charges against him. Although the Committee determined he had been found guilty earlier due to the social climate of America at the time, they had no legal basis upon which to exonerate a person who had died. After President General Hargrave died in 1988, all his papers and other Parent Body material were turned over to

9579-466: The rear. Similar dramatic parades were featured in the 1922 and 1924 conventions. Many photographs survive of the 1924 Convention Parade, as Garvey employed noted photographer James Van Der Zee to record the event. Even after Garvey had left Harlem (he was imprisoned in 1925 and deported to Jamaica in 1927), the UNIA paraded each August throughout the 1920s, with the place of honour given to portraits of their absent leader. The crowds were transfixed by

9682-428: The recently recognized Oakdale Historic District. Akron's suburbs include Barberton , Cuyahoga Falls , Fairlawn , Green , Hudson , Mogadore , Montrose-Ghent , Munroe Falls , Norton , Silver Lake , Stow , and Tallmadge . Akron formed Joint Economic Development Districts with Springfield , Coventry , Copley , and Bath (in conjunction with Fairlawn) townships. According to census data from 2010 to 2014,

9785-418: The spectacle of uniformed UNIA members, particularly the African Legion and Black Cross Nurses. According to the preamble of the 1929 constitution as amended, the UNIA is a social , friendly, humanitarian , charitable, educational, institutional , constructive and expansive society , and is founded by persons desiring to do the utmost to work for the general uplift of the people of African ancestry of

9888-552: The stoneware, sewer pipe, fishing tackle, and farming equipment industries. In 1844, abolitionist John Brown moved into the John Brown House across the street from business partner Colonel Simon Perkins , who lived in the Perkins Stone Mansion . The Akron School Law of 1847 founded the city's public schools and created the K–12 grade school system , which currently is used in every U.S. state. The city's first school

9991-533: The world. And the members pledge themselves to do all in their power to conserve the rights of their noble race and to respect the rights of all mankind, believing always in the Brotherhood of Man and the Fatherhood of God. The motto of the organization is 'One God! One Aim! One Destiny!' Therefore, let justice be done to all mankind, realizing that if the strong oppresses the weak, confusion and discontent will ever mark

10094-513: The year. The Akron Police Museum displays mementos including items from Pretty Boy Floyd , whose gang frequented the city. Akron is home to the American Marble and Toy Museum. As a result of multiple towns merging, and industry boom, Akron's architecture is diverse. Originally a canal town, the city is divided into two parts by the Ohio and Erie Canal , with downtown being centered on it. Along

10197-560: Was added to the seal when the All-America City Award was received for the third time. Some events of the 2014 Gay Games used the city as a venue. In 2013, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company opened its new global headquarters on Innovation Way, further cementing the company's relationship with the city. Bridgestone built a new technical center with state-of-the-art R&D labs, and moved its product development operations to

10300-445: Was elected Supreme Potentate; G. O. Marke, Supreme Deputy Potentate; J. W. [H]. Eason, leader of the fifteen million "Negroes" of the United States of America; and Henrietta Vinton Davis , International Organizer. Garvey was elected "Provisional President of Africa", a mostly ceremonial title. George Alexander McGuire , an Episcopal priest, was elected as the first chaplain-general of the UNIA. McGuire wrote two important documents for

10403-424: Was set on January 19, 1994. The most precipitation to fall on one calendar day was on July 7, 1943, when 5.96" of rain was measured. The first and last freezes of the season on average fall on October 21 and April 26, respectively, allowing a growing season of 174 days. The normal annual mean temperature is 51.7 °F (10.9 °C). Normal yearly precipitation based on the 30-year average from 1991 to 2020

10506-509: Was the Negro Factories Corporation , with a capitalization of one million dollars. It generated income and provided around 700 jobs by its numerous enterprises: three grocery stores, two restaurants, a laundry, a tailor shop, a dressmaking shop, a millinery store, a printing company, and doll factory. However, most went out of business by 1922. With the growth of its membership from 1918 through 1924, as well as income from its various economic enterprises, UNIA purchased additional Liberty Halls in

10609-583: Was used by the National Guard of the United States as a base during the racial Wooster Avenue Riots of 1968 . Like many other industries of the Rust Belt , both the tire and rubber industries experienced major decline. By the early 1990s, Goodyear was the last major tire manufacturer based in Akron. Despite the number of rubber workers decreasing by roughly half from 2000 to 2007, Akron's research in polymers gained an international reputation. It now centers on

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