Cuyahoga Falls History

On August 22, 1923 Ellis Boso, corner of Stow and Fourth Streets, scaled the post office flag pole to install a new flag rope. * What is Falls Avenue, between 11th and 12th Streets was once known as Duncan's Woods. * Sixth Street was once known as Allen Street. * CF purchased a town clock in 1890. * In 1832 the first insurance company in Summit County was built in the Falls. The Mutual Insurance Company was in business for over 25 years. * CF's first hospital was birthed in the 1900's. The Elms Hospital was the old Babcock home and stood where St. Joe's is now. * The paper mill founded by Henry Wetmore on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River was just north of Portage St. produced the first paper made west of the Allegheny Mountains on December 30, 1830. * The Second Day Adventists proclaimed April 4, 1843 as Judgement Day, as on that day the world was coming to an end. *The summer of 1816 was the coldest summer in man's memory (due to a volcanic eruption), all crops were ruined or never even started growing, cattle starved and all food prices hit a staggering amount.*Total Eclipse of the sun in the Falls was on June 16, 1806.* The very first CF Strike was over too much whiskey being consumed. *After World War I there were many concerts that played in the bandstand on the Third Street side of Church Park that a great number of residents attended before going on to downtown.*Children of the 1930's collected pop bottles, copper wire, old newspapers, etc. to buy a matinees, model airplanes and pulp magazines.* The Falls Theater was also called The Alhambra.* First Birth in the "New Village" of Cuyahoga Falls is said to have been that of Edward Wetmore, a son of William Wetmore Jr. and Elizabeth Wallace Wetmore, in 1827. He lived the greater part of his life at Stow Corners and then later removed his house to the Hale Homestead Village in the Cuyahoga Valley.* First Owners of Phones in CF were Mary E. Cook and Laura Sill in 1882.* For several years the streets of the village were lighted by gasoline vapor lamps but as of October 1891 electric lighting was used. * The old stagecoach route from Pittsburgh heading out west was what is now called Northampton Road.* Brick Buildings were also known as 'Blocks'. i.e. Apollo Block * Record fish caught in the CF River within Cuy. Falls was a great northern pike that weighed 22lbs and was 42 inches in length.

Parker House/Inn circa 1920s, Lucinda Parker is standing in front (photo courtesy of Larry Perkins)

"Parker's Inn stood on the river's west bank where the Hudson Drive Bridge now crosses the river. It was a very popular attraction and served meals and liquor along with lodging until 1926, when it closed forever." -Eric Thompson

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