As Akron celebrates its bicentennial in 2025, we’re looking back at two centuries of headlines.

Visit BeaconJournal.com every Sunday morning throughout the bicentennial year for a look back at the week in Akron history.

Here’s what happened this week in local history:

1825: The Cleveland Herald reported that work had progressed on the Ohio & Erie Canal “with great spirit and success.” The path north of the future village of Akron had been “grubbed and cleared.” According to the Herald: “All who have viewed the route from the Portage Summit northwardly, and who are experienced in canalling, concur in stating that they have never known a canal line so conveniently and abundantly supplied with all the materials necessary for the works required to be erected.”

1875: A bolt of lightning

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