| Akron, Ohio is a small city with a big history. It was | | | | Alcoholics Anonymous in Akron in 1935, where the first |
| founded in 1825 near the Erie Canal and, with its "twin | | | | meetings took place. |
| city" of Canton, became an important American | | | | Akron is also known as the City of Invention. Other |
| Midwest manufacturing center that continues to thrive | | | | "first" fun facts: the first automobile tires made in the |
| to this day. In fact, Akron is known as "The Rubber | | | | U.S., the first balloon tire, first synthetic rubber tire, and |
| Capital of the World". Long before the invention of the | | | | first rubber wound golf ball all came from Akron, Ohio. |
| automobile, B.F. Goodrich started the first rubber | | | | The first zeppelin built in the U.S. was there, which also |
| company there in 1869. General Tire was later | | | | had the first U.S. toy company, the first automobile |
| founded in 1915 with the rise of the automobile industry, | | | | police patrol wagon, first U.S. space suits and first |
| and then the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company | | | | trans-active science museum, the National Inventors |
| became America 's top tire manufacturer, giving the | | | | Hall of Fame. This city had the first long distance |
| city a very important place on the country's map. | | | | electric railway in the world; the first National League |
| Once the boom of heavy manufacturing declined in | | | | Football champions (the mighty Akron Professionals of |
| the 1970s and '80s, the city redefined itself as a center | | | | 1920). The first high volume boxes of breakfast cereal |
| for financial, high tech and research sectors. | | | | (Quaker Oats) were manufactured there as was the |
| But, it's also a city of many firsts, some respectable, | | | | first artificial fish bait. |
| some notorious. Sojourner Truth delivered her famous | | | | Given first place in the City Livability Award |
| "Ain't I a Woman?" speech in 1851 at Akron 's Ohio | | | | competition by the United States Conference of |
| Women's Rights Convention. In 1885 two of the city's | | | | Mayors in 1999, it is also a three-time All-America City |
| brothers, Frank and Charles Menches, invented the | | | | winner and a world-renowned center of polymer |
| hamburger at the New York State Fair and would also | | | | research and development. It's the home of the Soap |
| later go on to create the ice cream cone. In 1920, the | | | | Box Derby World Championships, the NEC Invitational |
| first meeting was held there to form the American Pro | | | | golf tournament and Stan Hywet Hall, one of the finest |
| Football League. One of the first organized crime | | | | examples of Tudor Revival Architecture in America. |
| operations was established in the Midwest when | | | | The world's largest model train display is at the Depot, |
| Rosario Borgio, an Italian-American mobster came to | | | | at Akron 's Quaker Square (former site of the Quaker |
| there in the early 20th century. Bill Wilson founded | | | | Oats Co. |