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The Old Akron News, Akron, OH (2026)

08/26/2023

This tops the Creep Files!
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Parents of children with long hair in this city are deeply concerned about the appearance of a "Jack the Hair Cutter," who was active in Akron Sunday night. If the actions of this mysterious individual persist, braids may become deeply unfashionable.

Little Mary Wiesenger of 168 Lods St. was returning home from church at 8:30 Sunday night. As she descended North Howard St. hill, a man emerged from the shadows and grabbed her. He led her by the hand to a secluded spot near Lods St., where he proceeded to cut off her long hair close to the head.

The terrified young girl immediately ran home and informed her parents. The police have been notified.
---
Akron Daily Democrat - August 25, 1902
via Library of Congress

08/16/2023

Wanted: A good girl, a competent girl, a lady.

-

Akron Daily Democrat - May 28, 1901
via the Library of Congress' Chronicling America

10/31/2022

I've ghosted this page for too long. So on Halloween, stories of long-dead Akronites resume. Happy haunting! 👻

In April 1899, a train bound for Chicago derailed outside Rittman, plunging from a bridge into the River Styx and killing engineer Alex W. Logan. But in October of the same year, the Wayne County coroner reported seeing the train again.

On October 28, the Akron Daily Democrat reported that Dr. William Faber was “on a drive” with a friend the preceding Saturday at about 11 p.m. No word on whether this was in an automobile (first patented in 1886) or a horse-and-buggy situation.

Regardless, in the distance, the pair spotted a train chugging down a hill toward the river. Dr. Faber noticed its “glaring headlight and dense clouds of smoke” from the smokestack as it picked up speed. Then, shockingly, the doctor heard the loud noises of creaking timbers, breaking iron, and, at last, the tortured screams of passengers. Dust, smoke, and fire shot up as, presumably, the train crashed.

Expecting to find a catastrophe, Dr. Faber and his friend hustled down toward the rail bridge that crossed the River Styx. But when they arrived, all they encountered was the river's “placid surface.” The train had disappeared into the fog.

In the 1899 article, others in the Rittman area said they had seen the "phantom train," too. Over the next century, the story became local folklore. A 2019 article in the Akron Beacon Journal doesn't note whether sightings have continued in this century, but perhaps no one is looking.

Perhaps the phantom train is waiting on you to witness its final, firey moments for yourself.

Source (Library of Congress): https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84028140/1899-10-28/ed-1/seq-3/

2019 Akron Beacon Journal article: https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/2019/10/27/all-aboard-eerie-express/2432536007/

04/15/2022

A modern investigation might find a problem with this "verdict" from July 26, 1900. Complete article:

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A message to the Democrat from Doylestown says that the dead body of an unknown man was found hanging to a fence on the Wm. Ries farm along the B. & O. railroad southwest of Clinton early this morning.

The man had hanged himself to the fence with a slender cord and had been shot through the head, a revolver being found at his feet.

People living in the neighborhood had heard a shot fired at 10 last evening.

Squire J. J. Frase held an inquest this morning. His verdict will be that it was su***de.

The dead man was unknown, no paper being found upon him disclosing his identity. He was aged about 45 years, and was 5 feet, six inches tall. He was poorly clad and is believed to have been a tramp.

The shooting occurred near what is known as the Stoolmiller crossing.

---

Source:https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/data/batches/ohi_bravo_ver01/data/sn84028140/00237283661/1900072601/0172.pdf

09/29/2021

September 7, 1899: Was it the scene of a grisly crime or the remains of a giant bear's dinner?
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HUMAN Skeleton Found.
Bones Were Hidden In Dark, Deep Cave.
Ghastly Discovery Made by Workmen.
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A ghastly and mysterious discovery was made near the plant of the Akron White Sand company several days ago.

The Skeleton of a human being was found in the dark recesses of a cave that had been hid from mortal view for years, perhaps centuries.

In addition to the skeleton, a skull was found that undoubtedly belongs to another skeleton, that of a man of gigantic proportions. How long they had been there no one will venture to say.

The crevice in the rock was uncovered by men who were removing a high bluff near the sand works, west of the city on the line of the Northern Ohio railroad. The plant is located on the old Portage Path ...

It was in this cave that the bones were picked up. The men were dumbfounded. A hasty search was made and in addition to the skeleton and skull, they brought out a bear's claw, portion of the animal's hide, a pair of deer's antlers, an ivory tusk, an Indian skinning knife, an arrow head and a piece of pottery. They said nothing about the discovery, intending to make an investigation of the mystery themselves ...

A Democrat reporter visited the place last night. He was given the details of the find by Mr. George Hardy, the owner of the property. He took him over the ground and into the crevice or cave.

Mr. Hardy believes that the cave was the lair of the bear that the two human beings were victims of the animal, that they were killed and dragged into the place. It may have been the scene of a death struggle between the bear and the two human beings or there may be a horrible crime.

There is no doubt that the remains have been hidden for centuries in the deep dark cave, where they were found.

Unfortunately, every man in the part was allowed to carry away a portion of the skeleton. The other articles picked up were also distributed.
---
The Akron White Sand Co. was located on and near the property now occupied by Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens. Source: https://www.arrcinc.com/news/one-stone-time-workers-re-create-past-akron%E2%80%99s-stan-hywet-hall

Article Source: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84028140/1899-09-07/ed-1/seq-1/ =1777&sort=relevance&rows=20&words=23+Akron+September&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=4&state=Ohio&date2=1963&proxtext=akron+september+23&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

06/15/2021

Exactly 120 years ago, and long before our current child-support system, reports said an Akron woman wielded a horsewhip to demand help from her Baltimore-bound baby daddy. And, according to a writer in the latter city, she did it while looking hot.
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WHIPPED
By His Infuriated Wife.
Buckheimers In Trouble Again.

John F. Buchheimer, who figured in a sensational elopement and was found by his wife in this city, three years ago, was horse-whipped by the same woman in the streets of Baltimore Friday. The Buchheimers returned to Baltimore after an airing of their troubles in this city, he giving up the woman with whom he had eloped, and making up with his wife. While here he kept a tailor shop in the Odd Fellows' Temple.

A Baltimore dispatch says: Mrs. Buchheimer is a striking blonde and her husband, who is a cutter in a swell tailoring establishment, was fashionably dressed.

The cause of the fierce assault was Buchheimers refusal to give money to his wife for the support of herself and children, pending a non-support suit brought by her.

Mrs. Buchheimer, angered by his refusal, at first used both her fists and landed heavily on his face. Then she took his hat off his head and beat him with that. Buchheimer folded his arms and accepted the blows without a murmur.

Then she snatched a whip from a doctor's carriage and began a fierce onslaught. Buchheimer finally managed to get hold of the lash and then she beat him with the butt end until he got that also.

They were both arrested for disorderly conduct.
--
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2015/11/19/456632896/how-u-s-parents-racked-up-113-billion-in-child-support-debt
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84028140/1901-06-15/ed-1/seq-1/

06/14/2021

Happy Flag Day! We’d been honoring the stars and stripes for years before Woodrow Wilson made the observance official in 1916. Akronites first celebrated Flag Day on Saturday, June 14, 1902, alongside “manhood.”
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FLAG DAY
Was Delightfully Observed
"Manhood Has Made This Nation Great."
“Can Fight When Called on, But on Peace We Thrive.”

For the first time in the history of the city, Flag day was celebrated In Akron, Saturday, with a band concert and appropriate speeches In Grace park. The day was warm, sunshiny, perfect; and, though the attendance was not as large as might have been desired, still a great many people were assembled on the ground, there being a good representation of children.

Grace park is ever a lovely spot in summer with its velvety sward, drowsy shadowed under the trees, gleaming bright in the interspaces where golden sprays of sunlight shower down; it was more than lovely Saturday when to the beauty of inanimate things was added the beauty of glowing, pulsating life.

The Eighth Regiment band furnished the music and Mayor Doyle in a happy manner Introduced the speakers. Prof. S. P. Orth was the first speaker, and after explaining the intent of the day, gave a brief review of the history of our country. "It is not true," said he, " that it is the resources of a country which make it great. It is manhood that makes a nation great and our country has developed because of the manhood and character of the American people."

Judge N. D. Tlbbals made a speech which showed that neither has his patriotic ardor waned or his blood been cooled by age, and when with all the spirit of youth he called for three cheers for the flag, it was taken up by every person present from Gen. Dick, whose Panama was waved wildly in the air, to the boys and girls, whose little throats seemed like to split with the force which they put into the enthusiastic "hurrahs!"
--
One of Akron’s oldest parks, Grace Park is located at the intersection of Perkins and North Prospect streets. It served as the beautiful background for Akron’s first Flag Day, but was in the news as recently as May 10, when a homeless man was shot and killed there while sitting on a bench.
--
Sources:
https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/akron-canton-news/58-year-old-male-shot-killed-in-akrons-grace-park-saturday
https://historicakron.wordpress.com/2017/12/26/fall-from-grace-a-history-of-grace-park/
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84028140/1902-06-16/ed-1/seq-4/

06/13/2021

Today's forecast: High of 81. Mostly Sunny. Pure hops and other materials!
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As a hot weather beverage good, properly cooled and served beer is always a strong favorite. You try other drinks, but you come back to beer. Made of pure water, pure hops and other materials and manufactured by skilled workmen, Renner's Yellow Band Beer is hard to equal, impossible to excel.

THE GEO. J. RENNER
BREWING COMPANY
AIron,0.
---
FUN FACTS: The Renner Brewing company was established around 1862 at 247 N. Forge St. Renner beers increased to a peak of 65,000 barrels by 1917. Renner himself died of pneumonia in 1921. Sales of Souvenir Beer and other company brews started slipping after 1940. At the end of 1952, Renner stopped brewing. The building still stands today!
---
Sources: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84028140/1902-06-12/ed-1/seq-5/ and http://www.ohiobreweriana.com/library/holdings/renner-akron.shtml

06/12/2021

Introducing The Old Akron News! Every day, The Old Akron News republishes news, opinions, ads, photographs and more from a bygone area, as first captured in Akron, Ohio's newspapers. Prepare to have your mind blown!

The Old Akron News is sourced from The Library of Congress Chronicling America database of digitized newspapers from 1777-1963. Due to the historic nature of these texts, much of the content is racist, misogynistic, and generally antiquated.

It's important to note that posts here do not endorse the themes or philosophies of the original writers or the people they quoted, all of whom are now dead. Rather, they're a glimpse back in time and an opportunity to reflect on our progress, or lack thereof.

The other purpose of this page is to show the breadth of reporting that once guided public perceptions of fact and the "first draft of history."

Today, local reporting is suffering from a lack of funding that leads to small, over-worked teams that can't possibly do the type of investigative journalism necessary to keep the public fully informed. As a result, democracy and history are suffering, too.

You can learn how to support local journalism by visiting the Knight Foundation here: https://knightfoundation.org/features/localnews/

Thank you for reading The Old Akron News!

- Steven B.

The Old Akron News

08/26/2023

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10/31/2022

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09/29/2021

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