Fairlawn man, 94, shares Depression-era tale of a wonderful birthday gift in...
Psssst. Hey, kids. Put down your cellphones. Turn off your televisions. Pause your video games. Dick Snader has a story that he’d like to tell to you.The World War II veteran marked two milestones this...
View ArticleLocal history: Akron residents considered atomic bombing of Korea in 1950
The Rev. Dallas F. Billington, pastor of Akron Baptist Temple, dropped a bombshell in 1950 when he preached that the United States should end the escalating Korean conflict with a nuclear blast.“I...
View ArticleLocal history: Flowers, cards and candy? Mother’s Day founder feared...
Ah, Mother’s Day. That sentimental day of lavish bouquets, fancy chocolates and store-bought greetings.It’s become just what Anna Marie Jarvis feared it might.When the special day’s founder visited...
View ArticleLocal history: Strange-but-true oddities in law and order
We’re doing some spring cleaning today at “This Place, This Time,” sweeping up some odds and ends from research into local history.These out-of-the-ordinary items were discovered during scans of...
View ArticleLocal history: Enjoy a free doughnut while honoring Salvation Army’s...
Behind every U.S. doughboy in World War I was a doughgirl holding a platter of doughnuts.The Salvation Army’s “doughnut lassies” — also known as “doughnut dollies” and “doughnut girls” — served on the...
View ArticleLocal history: So proudly Akron hailed Goodrich’s gigantic American flag
It was a grand old flag, but it wasn’t a high-flying flag. Most of the time, this star-spangled banner fluttered only a few feet off the ground.A century ago in Akron, the B.F. Goodrich Co. proudly...
View ArticleLocal history: Bicyclist’s daily commute was Akron novelty in 1950s and 1960s
He didn’t wear a bike helmet, kneepads or reflective vest — just a three-piece suit with impeccable tailoring.Dr. Joseph S. Lichty, a hospital administrator in Akron, endured a lot of teasing about his...
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Read the Beacon Journal’s first published account of Alcoholics Anonymous in...
Editor’s Note: As thousands of people converge June 9-11 on Akron, the birthplace of Alcoholics Anonymous, to celebrate Founders Day, we thought it would be interesting to reprint the Beacon Journal’s...
View ArticleLocal history: Rubber Bowl crowds gasped and shrieked at Jimmie Lynch’s Death...
When Jimmie Lynch’s Death Dodgers roared into Akron, it was like a circus on wheels. Stunt drivers delivered a full-throttle, high-adrenaline show that made audiences gasp and shriek.For 25 years, the...
View ArticleLocal history: Goodyear’s PeopleMover whisked Disney guests to Tomorrowland
The future of transportation arrived 50 years ago on a revolving platform where gleaming tram cars whisked passengers away on a fantastic voyage.The cars didn’t have motors, but the roads did.Goodyear...
View ArticleLocal history: Akron woman, 92, shares memories as family observes 100th...
Georgia native Edward Scrutchings arrived 100 years ago in Akron with the goal of finding steady work and building a better life for his family.He succeeded at both.Scrutchings and his wife, Lillian,...
View ArticleOld Akron relic found in sealed New York attic
No one knows how long it’s been up there, but more than 125 years is a good guess.Benjamin Harrison may have been U.S. president at the time. Or possibly Grover Cleveland.While doing remodeling work on...
View ArticleLocal history: Summit Beach Park, ‘Akron’s Fairyland of Pleasure,’ debuted...
With each passing year, the memories grow fainter along the sunny shores of Summit Lake.Only those of a certain age can still hear the calliope music, feel the rumble of the roller coaster, smell the...
View ArticleLocal history: Westgate Shopping Center welcomed ‘Store of the Century’ in...
“It’s New! It’s Modern! It’s Terrific!”Century Food Market promised big values and big savings when it opened in July 1952 as the anchor store of Westgate Shopping Center at West Market Street and...
View ArticleLocal history: Auto executive John DeLorean cut Chevrolet’s ties with Soap...
Pedal to the floor, John DeLorean couldn’t get out of Akron fast enough. The brash, flashy executive wanted nothing more to do with the All-American Soap Box Derby.In 1972, DeLorean, vice president and...
View ArticleLocal history: Here’s how Beacon Journal first reported Soap Box Derby in 1934
Editor’s note: Here is the first known article in the Akron Beacon Journal to mention the Soap Box Derby — back when the All-American race was held in Dayton. The Akron derby was held on East Tallmadge...
View ArticleLocal history: Boys only?!? Girl pleaded to race in Soap Box Derby in 1937
Boys only!No girls allowed!It took more than 30 years for the glass ceiling to shatter at the All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron. From the 1930s through 1960s, girls were prohibited from competing at...
View ArticleLocal history: Akron sailor’s rescue at sea in 1942 was nothing short of...
Bleeding from shrapnel wounds, Akron sailor Elgin Staples tried not to panic in the shark-infested water. He bobbed beneath the stars as the dark ocean swelled with the bodies of shipmates.When all...
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