On July 28th, during my expedition across the USA, I visited the city of Akron in Ohio and learned about the "All-America City Award" The All-America City Award is a community recognition program in the United States conducted by the National Civic League. The award honors communities for their work in fostering inclusive civic engagement to solve critical issues and strengthen connections between residents, businesses, non-profits, and government leaders. At one time, the organization referred to this prize as the "Nobel Prize for Constructive Citizenship." Every summer, an awards ceremony for the winners takes place in Denver, Colorado. I visited Akron completely by accident while traveling from New York to Cleveland. On the way out toward Rochester, our bus broke down, which forced us to take a taxi to Buffalo and purchase a new ticket to Cleveland with a layover in Akron. I had never heard of this city before. In the Russian Premier League, there is a football club named "Akron" from Togliatti, which is named after the identically-named industrial-metallurgical holding company. This association helped me get acquainted with the city and its history more quickly. Akron is known as the "Rubber Capital of the World": it was once home to the primary headquarters of rubber manufacturers B.F. Goodrich, Firestone, General Tire, and Goodyear, which closed down in 1982. It was also known as a center for airship development. Today, Akron hosts the only biogas plant in the US that produces methane by decomposing sludge to generate electricity. The first settler in the Akron area was Major Miner Spicer, who arrived from Groton, Connecticut. In 1810, he built a log cabin in the forest and became the region's first resident. In June 1811, Spicer sent for his family, who arrived the same year via oxen accompanied by Captain Amos Spicer and Paul Williams. Akron was founded in 1825 by Simon Perkins and Paul Williams at the crossing point of the Ohio and Erie Canal. Its name derives from the Greek word akron (ἄκρον), meaning "summit" or "high place." The canal facilitated the city's rapid growth by connecting it to regional and national markets. Today, Akron's economy includes manufacturing, education, healthcare, and biomedical research. The University of Akron is located here, specializing in polymer science and relying on the region's industrial heritage. Akron is also a regional medical hub. Cultural and public institutions include the Akron Art Museum, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, and a network of parks forming the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area. There is also a football club called "Akron City FC" in the USA. It was founded in 2021. Since 2025, it has competed in USL League One — the third-strongest American division. Akron City FC completed its inaugural season in USL League One with a record of 5 wins, 5 draws, and 2 losses, finishing third in their division. Despite having to compete against more experienced clubs, the team showed strong results and maintained chances for victory throughout the entire season, which many consider a successful debut in USL League One. The club also set a single-match attendance record, gathering over 1,700 fans for a home game against Cleveland Force, indicating growing community support and heightened interest in the club following its promotion to USL League One. Perhaps the example of Togliatti's "Akron"—the youngest team in the Russian Premier League—will inspire its American counterparts to make a swift move into the MLS, where two clubs from the state of Ohio already play: Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati. My transfer to the bus heading to Cleveland was very quick, so I was only able to take photos while leaving the city. My first encounter with Akron was spontaneous and brief. I hope that in the future I will return to this city to explore its culture and history more closely. David Polyakov (Special Correspondent for API TV from Akron, USA). Photo by author. MORE: Cleveland Marks the 70th Anniversary of the Council for International Programs (CIP) A Bridge Across Space: How a Bronze Gagarin Spoke to Cleveland Древние люди из Сунгиря. Экспедиция Андрея Полякова «По Пути Афанасия Никитина» #ДавидПоляков #USA #Clevelend #CIP #наука #Экспедиция #АндрейПоляков #APITV #ЭкспедицияАндреяПолякова #Путешествия #Туризм #Авто | |
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