Akron was founded by Simon Perkins in 1825 and developed into a canal town on the Ohio & Erie Canalway. As railroads replaced the canal system, the rubber industry grew under the entrepreneurship of Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich, F.A. Seiberling and Harvey Firestone. The presence of B.F. Goodrich Tire, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Firestone Tire and General Tire led Akron to become the Rubber Capital of the World. Great cereal mills, such as the Quaker Oats Company, were also located in Akron. Situated south of Cleveland, along the Ohio-Erie Canal, Akron was the fastest growing city in America during the teens and 20s. The rubber industry attracted people from all over the world to work here. From 1910 to 1920, Akron’s population went from 69,000 to 210,000. By the mid 20s, Akron’s population was in the 300,000s.

The City of Akron strives to offer programs and services to our older adults that connect them to their community and promote a healthy, equitable, and safe environment in which to live, work and play. The City of Akron’s Recreation Bureau offers social, cultural, educational and active programs for adults of all ages with the goal of offering engaging activities to residents of all ages to foster intergenerational engagement and provide an environment where adults will continue to be active and thrive as they age. Current programs and services include an affordable fitness class program that offers a range of classes to safely challenge and meet the interests and needs of each individual participant, conversational Spanish classes, planned trolley trips that provide a safe way to experience new places and learn about what our city and the surrounding area has to offer, art and dance classes, card games, special interest gatherings like book and garden clubs, and dynamic weekend retreats for women. There are also several self-governing senior clubs that are supported by the City of Akron and meet regularly in our Community Centers with activities, entertainment and travel for their members and guests.