Speaking at the Reservoir Park Community Center in the Goodyear Heights neighborhood of Akron, the Mayor said that the 2008 project will renew residents’ interest in learning about the history of the place where they live.

"Our 21 neighborhoods didn’t happen by accident," said the Mayor. "Each one has a distinct flavor based on when it was founded, who its earliest residents were, and how it developed over the last 183 years."

The brochure again contains a "passport"--- 21 printed blocks in which travelers can have imprinted the name of each of 21 neighborhoods as they visit them. The passport concept was introduced in the 2006 History Trails project that focused on the city’s museums and historic homes; and continued in 2007 with a focus on historic monuments and markers around Akron.

More than 200 individuals have completed every one of the passport stops over the last two years, and won history prizes for their achievement.

"We have discovered a tremendous interest among families who enjoy exploring our local history," said Plusquellic.

The brochure will be distributed free at 21 locations around the city. In 2007, 15,000 History Trails brochures were distributed free through the co-sponsor of the project, the Summit County Historical Society. In 2006, more than 10,000 free maps of Akron’s historic museums and homes were distributed, along with blue history passports.

The project was completed with the collaboration of the Akron-Summit County Public Library. The principal writer and editor of the booklet is Cheri Goldner, a member of the library’s staff in the Special Collections Division, which houses the library’s holdings in local history.     

The free brochure and passport stamps will be available at the following locations:

Branches of the Akron-Summit County Public Library

• Main branch on South Main Street
• Firestone Park on Aster Ave.
• Northwest on Shatto Ave.
• Goodyear Heights on Goodyear Blvd. 
• Highland Square on West Market
• Maple Valley on Copley Road
• Kenmore on Kenmore Blvd.
• Odom Boulevard branch.

Other locations where brochures and passport stamps will be available:

• Akron Fire Station #2 on E. Exchange St.
• Fire Station #4 on Thornton Ave.
• Summit Lake Community Center
• Hower House
• West Point Market
• DeViti’s Italian Market
• Mustill Store
• Mud Run Golf Course
• East Akron Cemetery
• Ellet Community Center
• West Side Bakery
• Freshway Market in Merriman Valley
• Mr.Bulky’s at Chapel Hill

Headquarters for History Trails is the Akron History Exhibit at Lock 3 Park, where visitors can pick up the stamps during any Lock 3 summer concert. (www.lock3live.com)

The exhibit and the publication are part of the outreach efforts of the Summit County Historical Society (SCHS) with underwriting provided by the City of Akron.

Copies of the new History Trails guide will be available at Lock 3 over the city’s July 3-4-5 "Rib, White & Blue" Festival, and at the free Lock 3 performance of the Akron Symphony on Sunday, July 6.

Collaborating on the project with the city and SCHS were 16 history-minded organizations: Akron A.A. Archives, American Toy Marble Museum, Akron Fire and Police  departments, Akron-Summit County Public Library, Cascade Locks Park Association, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Downtown Akron Partnership, Hower House, the Dr. Shirla R. McClain Gallery of Akron’s Black History, Metro RTA, Metro Parks Serving Summit County, Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, the TV Dinner Club Museum, and the University of Akron’s Archival Services.

The 32-page color brochure (3,634k pdf) was designed and printed by Akron Publishing Company.