Cuyahoga Falls

By Jeri Holland

VIew images of a quintessential American town in this treasure trove of Cuyahoga, OH postcards.

Welcome to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, a small American town that epitomizes America itself. With a history dating back to the rough decades when the land was a deep wilderness inhabited by natives and adventure-seeking Europeans, the town grew into an industrial juggernaut, weathered disasters, embraced inventiveness, and spearheaded progress. Between these covers readers will find a treasure trove of postcards from a colorful past. From grand old buildings and daily town life to the natural beauty and resources of the Cuyahoga River, the images in Postcard History Series: Cuyahoga Falls reflect memories of Americana and times long since past.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Apr 4, 2016
• ISBN: 9781439655818

Jeri Holland

From family photos to important historical events about her hometown of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Jeri Holland has dedicated passion, time, knowledge and immense effort in the pursuit of compiling and documenting the treasured past. She has also spent many hours studying what goes bump in the night, be it in the dark woods or run-down sanitariums. Jeri has also organized community events such as haunted scavenger hunts and hikes. Imparting the fact that the world is far more mysterious than what we see and hear every day is Jeri's goal--the goosebumps aren't bad either.

Book preview

Society.

INTRODUCTION

Cuyahoga Falls is a piece of land hugging the swift, babbling waters of the Cuyahoga River deep in the primordial Western Reserve. A hinterland tract was bought and sold based only on the hope that, one day, civilization might spread to its borders and its land might yield plentiful harvests. Despite the hardships of carving a path through forest, marsh, and ancient glacial rocks; the uncertain temperament of the natives; and disease and death, newly minted Americans struck out for this land where only Indians and fur trappers had traveled. The promise of freedom and hope of success drove them—like their forefathers on the Mayflower—into a wilderness where they thrived.

Wheat, turnips, and cucumbers were planted, and trade in these goods was established with the natives for meat. Little timber homes were constructed, parcels of land were sold to other enterprising New Englanders, and later, industrial machines for river-powered mills were installed. Eventually, native trails and crudely beaten paths became roads, and on those roads sprouted businesses like stationers and bookmakers, haberdasheries, and buggy dealerships. Proper homes with flower beds and front walks popped up within walking distance, so residents could make their way to work, school, church, or a friend’s house with ease, even if the snow was waist-high. Rules were established, organizations founded, and societies organized to fill what little free time there was between the exertions of child rearing, farming, milling, cooking, logging, and building. The little settlement was commenced and expanding.

Businesses thrived in the freedom of wilderness as more settlers brought money and demand. That money funded an expanse of the entrepreneurial spirit, paying for amusement parks, hotels, baseball teams, and fairs, as well as industry improvements, bigger schools, stone sidewalks, and policemen and firefighters. The town also offered a water-powered industry to rival the greatest cities. Cuyahoga Falls prospered as a destination known for its amenities and natural beauty.

Here is where our pictorial narrative begins. People visiting Cuyahoga Falls needed keepsakes, and what better way to provide this—and advertisement—than the venerable postcard? Citizens could boast of their city to distant friends and family without seeming too pompous, while visitors could document their stay. This era brings us vistas of the river with its lush vegetation and rushing waterfalls, and the rock walls and caves of its deeply cut gorge. We get to glimpse Victorian attempts to master nature with bridges spanning that river and dams to harness it. Drawings encapsulate the rustic splendor of the countryside surrounding the bustle. Then, 20 years after the Civil War, photography improved by leaps and bounds. Casual and candid snapshots were more frequent, and everyday life began to appear on postcards. There was a strong civic pride as a tourist destination, and prominent fixtures in town were featured front and center. The postcards seem to say: This is what the best of America looks like, and it’s all right here.

The toot of the occasional automobile, paved roads, and a modestly increasing population accompanied the dawn of the 20th century in Cuyahoga Falls. It also brought the ability to take quick photographs with portable cameras at a cost unrestrictive to most people. Any old street upon which rolled one of Mr. Ford’s automobiles—sporting tires made right in town—could be the subject of a postcard. Floats at the Independence Day parade, firemen, bands, baseball games, and any and every business building, church, or organization found itself a little piece of the spotlight. Whatever the townspeople found interesting could be immortalized.

The trend continued into the century as cameras became commonplace. Cars were no longer unattainable dreams, buildings went up and came down in the blink of an eye, and motion pictures gave way to radio, which gave way to television. Air conditioners came in cardboard boxes to cool one room at a time, microwave ovens could heat your TV dinner in a fraction of the time it took your oven, VCRs could play movies and record television shows at will, and camcorders preserved memories in living motion and sound. The industry and amusement resorts left Cuyahoga Falls, which became another suburb of quiet, shady, tree-lined streets.

In this book, you will find this indelibly branded history, shaped by a love for Cuyahoga Falls. What American city didn’t have stone bridges, tall church steeples, shady streets, and bunting on the Fourth? Not many, but there is something different about your hometown. Every fence pictured had a grandfather remember running his hands along