The county was named for it´s elevation. Akron is the county seat. Communities include Akron, Barberton, Bath ,Boston ,Boston Heights, Copley, Hudson, Twinsburg, Richfield, and Cuyahoga Falls.
Summit County Education
Colleges in Summit County include Ohio College of Massotherapy and the University of Akron School districts in Summit County include Akron Public Schools, Barberton, Copley-Fairlawn, Coventry, Cuyahoga Falls, Green, Hope Academy Brown St Campus, Hope Academy University Campus, Hudson, Manchester.
Summit County Media
Newspapers in Summit County include Akron Leader, Barberton Herald, Beacon Journal, Cuyahoga Falls News-Press, Hudson Hub-Times, Tallmadge Express, Twinsburg Bulletin .
The Akron area has long been a gathering spot. Entrepreneurs, abolitionists, immigrants and industrialists have all come together in this all-American city. Situated in the hills and valleys of the Western Reserve, the city of Akron began as one of the first canal towns on the Ohio & Erie Canal. The city grew around the canal; businesses sprang up to accommodate canalboat passengers who had to wait six hours for the boats to work through the lock system. The city quickly became a manufacturing center because goods could be easily delivered. The canal and a hefty loan lured B.F. Goodrich to relocate his small, burgeoning rubber company to Akron. In the late 19th century Akron boomed on the backs of Goodrich´s rubber factory and the clay, match, mower and reaper industries.
Summit County Economy
Today the city´s economy is centered more on polymers than on rubber, but it remains a vital heartland city. Nearly 1,500 of the country´s most important manufacturers make the Akron area home including more than 150 Fortune 500 companies with facilities in the Greater Akron area, four of which make Akron their headquarters. Akron´s contributions to the world have included oatmeal and fried chicken, gold-medal athletes and national champion coaches. Its products have flown around the world and to the moon.
Much of what brought such success to Akron was its location. Ohio´s fifth largest city has always been an extremely accessible community. By location alone, Akron is situated within a 500-mile radius of half the population of the United States. The city is positioned near four major interstates, the Ohio Turnpike and two major airports, making Akron a natural gathering spot.
Summit County Local Attractions
Some of Akron-area attractions include the Akron Art Museum specializing in modern art, Carousel Dinner Theatre, Hilarities Comedy Club, the Akron Civic Theater (reminiscent of the glory days of vaudeville and grand movie palaces), E.J. Thomas Hall and Blossom Music Center, the wooded outdoor amphitheater and summer residence of the Cleveland Orchestra.
Akron´s history is revealed at a number of key sites. The Cuyahoga Valley National Park's recently opened Mustill Store traces the development of the Ohio & Erie Canal. Also in the Cuyahoga Valley, Hale Farm and Village, a re-created Western Reserve village, examines the area's New England roots. The Summit County Historical Society has kept alive the roots of John Brown's bright flame at his former Akron residence.
For a look at the impact of rubber on Akron´s growth, visit the Goodyear World of Rubber with exhibits on the kitchen tinkerings of Charles Goodyear and the by-products of his discovery. Or to view the extravagance Goodyear´s invention brought to Akron, stop at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, the elaborate 65-room, 70-acre estate of Goodyear co-founder F.A. Seiberling.
Sports fans will find plenty of action in Akron. In April the Akron Aeros, the Cleveland Indians' AA affiliate, take to the field at Canal Park, their $31 million baseball stadium. Each year some of the world´s finest golfers put their putting and driving skills on the line during the World Golf Championship Bridgestone Invitational. In August, contestants take their dreams to Akron´s streets during the All-American Soap Box Derby. Equine enthusiasts can head to Northfield Park for a night at the races. Snowbirds hit the slopes at Brandywine and Boston Mills Ski Resorts during the winter.
Shoppers will love the West Point Market, a gourmet market; Don Drumm Studios, a nationally recognized art studio and gallery; Quaker Square, an old cereal factory turned into a unique shopping complex; and the many malls around the county.
And if all of these attractions haven´t completely filled the dance card, the Akron area also boasts the Akron Zoological Gardens; Harry London Candies, a chocolate factory to impress Willy Wonka fans; the 30,000-acre, scenic Cuyahoga Valley National Park; and the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Truly Summit county has a lot to offer for it´s residents
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