The Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society and Museum

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The Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society and Museum Understanding and learning from our past creates a strong foundation for our future.

Another blast from the past from the archives of the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum Here’s the next in a conti...
10/17/2026

Another blast from the past from the archives of the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum

Here’s the next in a continuing series of posts from the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum, 2083 Cook St. Hope you enjoy them!

October is Fire Prevention Month. In that spirit, we searched our archives and found several images related to the history of the Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department.

The first, undated image, depicts several men posing proudly with a fire engine in front of the old City Hall, which was located at Front Street and Broad Boulevard.

The second is a card showing the various alarm signals used to indicate which ward reported a fire.

The final item is a document related to the formation of the first fire department in our city in 1837. (Double-click on images to enlarge for easier viewing.)

Since most communities didn’t have the types of water lines and fire equipment that we use today to battle blazes, everyone had to do their part to keep the community safe. This early ordinance required everyone who owned a home, business, mill or workshop to have a fire bucket at each of their buildings – in case it was necessary to form a bucket brigade to bring water from a nearby pond or the Cuyahoga River to extinguish the fire. Failure to have a bucket would result in a fine of at least $5 – quite a sum for that time.

Other ordinances appointed the mayor and each member of the town council as fire wardens. In this capacity, they were given a badge of office, a six-foot staff and “speaking trumpet” (megaphone). Woe be to anyone at the scene of a fire who failed to heed the instructions of the fire warden. Those individuals could face a stiff fine and up to 30 days in jail!

Did you have any neighbors or relatives who served in the Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department? Please feel free to share your memories here.

Thanks, as always, to the wonderful curatorial staff at the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum for providing these charming images.

The Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum is open Mondays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon (except for holidays.) The museum is also open by special appointment.

Admission is free, but the memories are priceless!

It’s almost here - Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society meeting is Tues., Sept. 8The Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society will...
09/07/2026

It’s almost here - Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society meeting is Tues., Sept. 8

The Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society will hold its next meeting on Tues., Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Natatorium, 2345 Fourth Street, Cuyahoga Falls.

September’s speaker will be Richard Best, who will give a presentation regarding how medicine was practiced in the 1860s.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Hope to see you there!

Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society Museum closed Monday for Labor Day Just a quick heads-up … the Cuyahoga Falls Historic...
09/03/2026

Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society Museum closed Monday for Labor Day

Just a quick heads-up … the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum, 2083 Cook St., will be closed Mon., Sept. 7 in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

In the meantime, in the spirit of Labor Day, please enjoy this charming view of the hard-working folks at Vaughn, Taylor & Parks – an early predecessor of Vaughn Machinery, which operated at Front Street and Broad Boulevard for many years.

Look how proudly they are displaying their machinist tools.

The “Taylor” of Turner, Vaughn and Taylor was William Taylor, whose family made Taylor Memorial Library (now the Cuyahoga Falls Library) possible.

Speaking of people who work hard … Many thanks, as always, to the marvelous team at the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum, who have continued to provide a wealth of amazing images from the museum.

Coming next week - Next Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society meeting is Sept. 8The Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society will h...
09/01/2026

Coming next week - Next Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society meeting is Sept. 8

The Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society will hold its next meeting on Tues., Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Natatorium, 2345 Fourth Street, Cuyahoga Falls.

September’s speaker will be Richard Best, who will give a presentation regarding how medicine was practiced in the 1860s. Best learned that many physicians of that time became doctors by reading medicine with a practicing physician. In many ways, this is what he did.

Not only did our speaker read physician’s manuals of that period, but he also conferred with physicians, surgeons, a pharmacist, and Jim Edmanson, curator of the Dittrick Museum of Medical History.

Best will talk about surgical instruments, splints, and medicines of that time and will demonstrate pill rolling. He will also discuss some of the medical theories of that era and share some interesting anecdotes.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Hope to see you there!

Another blast from the past – from the archives of the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museumHere’s the next in a cont...
08/27/2026

Another blast from the past – from the archives of the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum

Here’s the next in a continuing series of posts from the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum, 2083 Cook St. Hope you enjoy them!

Aug. 26 is National Dog Day. In that spirit, today’s post is about a dog that was often “spotted” throughout Cuyahoga Falls.

I am talking about Smokey, a Dalmation that accompanied Cuyahoga Falls Fire Fighters on many runs in the 1940s. According to an old newspaper article, in his first year and a half with the fire department, Smokey rode the fire truck to more than 1200 calls.

The tradition of having Dalmations serve as fire dogs goes back to the 1700s, when the breed was prized for its ability to run long distances alongside the horse-drawn fire wagons, as well as the ability to calm the horses that became frightened by flames and loud noises.

They often ran ahead of the fire wagons and barked to warn people to get out of the way. While the firefighters were battling fires, the Dalmations also guarded the horses and equipment.

After motorized trucks became commonplace in the early 1900s, the need for Dalmations diminished, although many fire houses continued to keep Dalmations as a mascot or symbol of loyalty.

Many thanks, as always, to the marvelous members of the curatorial team at the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum, who have continued to provide a wealth of amazing images and information from the museum. Aren’t you glad we have such a marvelous resource in our community – with such dedicated volunteers? I sure am!

Coming soon - Next Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society meeting is Sept. 8For those of you who like to plan ahead … The Cuy...
08/24/2026

Coming soon - Next Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society meeting is Sept. 8

For those of you who like to plan ahead … The Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society will hold its next meeting on Tues., Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Natatorium, 2345 Fourth Street, Cuyahoga Falls.
September’s speaker will be Richard Best, who will give a presentation regarding how medicine was practiced in the 1860s.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Hope to see you there!
In the meantime, this seemed like a good time to share a post about a Cuyahoga Falls physician from the Victorian era.

Wayland S. Hough, MD, physician and surgeon, was the oldest physician in Cuyahoga Falls (some said even the oldest in Summit County) in the latter 1800s.

He was born 1844 in Atwater, Ohio, the son of a druggist.

During his youth, he studied at the Atwater Academy, where he trained to be a potter.

His career took a turn, when he enlisted for service in the Civil War at the age of 17. He served a year and a half in Battery D, First Ohio Regiment of Light Artillery. Later, he served as a surgeon’s steward for 20 months at Camp Nelson, Ky. He was in the battles of Pittsburg Landing and Corinth and was taken prisoner for several days at Munfordville, Kentucky.

After being honorably discharged from military service in October 1864, he attended the Charity Hospital Medical College in Cleveland, where he graduated in the Spring of 1866.

Soon afterward, he began practicing medicine in Mogadore with Dr. J.C. Ferguson. In 1876, he came to Cuyahoga Falls, where he served the community for decades, along with his partner John M. Crafts. His office was located in the Loomis Block, on the northeast corner of Front Street and Portage Trail, where he built a lucrative practice.

He was a member of the Ohio State Medical Society and National Medical Society and was appointed a trustee of the Cleveland State Hospital during the McKinley administration.

According to one biographer, “He is a patron of the leading medical periodicals of the day and has accumulated an excellent professional as well as literary library. He is a constant student, keeps well posted and fully abreast of the modern advances made in the science of medicine. He is also a constant reader and of the better class of literature of all the ages …. Dr. Hough is a very unassuming man but wields a strong influence for good.”

He died July 4, 1925 in Cuyahoga Falls. He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery.

Another blast from the past – from the archives of the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museumHere’s the next in a cont...
08/19/2026

Another blast from the past – from the archives of the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum

Here’s the next in a continuing series of posts from the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum, 2083 Cook St. Hope you enjoy them!

Since this is back-to-school week for many local students, we thought this would be a good time to spotlight a special nostalgic school exhibit that the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society has created on Front Street. (Double-click on pictures to enlarge for easier viewing.)

Thanks to the generosity of local business owner Jim Mothersbaugh, who donated window space in his business (Circle Prime Manufacturing, 2114 Front Street – formerly the location of Woolworth’s), the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society has created a display of vintage memorabilia from various Falls schools. Items include school beanies, yearbooks, the costume for the Black Tigers mascot, grade school milk tokens, band uniforms and concert albums, letter jackets and more!

If you’re looking for something fun to do after dining and/or shopping on Front Street, or want to share memories of your school days with your children, stop by our exhibit. It will be available for the next several weeks. Many thanks to Liz Royer, Marge Walker and Doug McGivern of the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society for creating this nostalgic window display. And thank you to Jim Mothersbaugh for donating use of the space that made our display possible.

Have any of you seen the display? Did it spark any memories from your school days? If so, please feel free to share your memories here.

Another blast from the past – from the archives of the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museumHere’s the next in a cont...
08/15/2026

Another blast from the past – from the archives of the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum

Here’s the next in a continuing series of posts from the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum, 2083 Cook St. Hope you enjoy them!

This summer sure has been flying by, hasn’t it? Since so many of you enjoyed our recent post featuring past images from Water Works Park, we thought you might enjoy seeing more photos of Fallsites enjoying various summer programs and activities provided through the City’s Parks and Recreation department.

The majority of the images are from the 1960s-1980s.

Do any of you remember these activities or have fond memories spending summer afternoons at neighborhood parks in Cuyahoga Falls? If so, please feel free to share your memories here.

President James A. Garfield presentation to be held Weds., Aug. 12 in TallmadgeOur friends at the Tallmadge Historical S...
08/08/2026

President James A. Garfield presentation to be held Weds., Aug. 12 in Tallmadge

Our friends at the Tallmadge Historical Society would like to invite you to attend a special presentation regarding President James Garfield. The presentation will be held Weds., Aug. 12 at 6 p.m. at the historic church on the Tallmadge Circle.

The presenter will be a historical re-enactor who will portray President Garfield speaking about being an American and Living the American dream. This is part of the City of Tallmadge’s America 250 celebrations.

I don’t think the presenter will be talking about the following subject, but President Garfield had ties to a highly respected Cuyahoga Falls educator named Almeda Booth. In fact, he was so impressed by her intellect, character and teaching skills that he travelled to Cuyahoga Falls for her funeral, and wrote a eulogy praising her accomplishments.

Almeda was born in 1823, to early Western Reserve settlers Ezra and Dorcas Booth.

For the first 12 years of her life, she lived in Nelson, Ohio, where she soon impressed teachers and faculty with her keen mind and scholarship. In fact, historical accounts indicate that she quickly became known for posing challenging questions to her teachers and diplomatically noting their mistakes. One early teacher, irked by her corrections, was told by the superintendent to appreciate and encourage Almeda’s innate knowledge and curiosity. Later, that teacher found Almeda to be a tremendous help in his own research and scholarship.

In 1835, Almeda and her family moved to Mantua, Ohio, where she quickly became known as an amazing scholar and the best speller in the school district.

To give you an idea of how serious a scholar she was, as a 12-year-old, while her other schoolmates were playing games, she amused herself by reading Rollin’s “Ancient History” and “Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.”

Following completion of her education, she taught English, Classics and Mathematics and served as principal of the Ladies Department at Western Reserve Eclectic College (later known as Hiram College) from 1851 to 1866.

It was while she was at Hiram that she met future U.S. President James A. Garfield, who was a fellow teacher and Hiram principal (the equivalent of today’s college president).

Around 1865, she moved to Cuyahoga Falls from Hiram to care for her elderly parents, who had health issues.

The following year, she became assistant principal of the old Union School (also known as East Side School) in Cuyahoga Falls. She also taught there for four years, then became superintendent for the then village of Cuyahoga Falls school district. She served in that role for three years, then later withdrew from those duties to provide private lessons in French, German and advanced studies.
Garfield thought so highly of her teaching skills that he asked her to consider schooling his own children.

Unfortunately, in 1874, she was diagnosed with a painful, but unspecified disease and eventually travelled to Cleveland, Ohio, for treatment.

She died in Cleveland on Dec. 15, 1875 at the age of 52, and was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Cuyahoga Falls.

According to her obituary, in total she spent nearly three decades in the teaching profession, including 42 terms at (now) Hiram College, 21 terms in the Cuyahoga Falls school system and 2 years in private instruction.

In June of 1876, James A. Garfield – who at that time was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives – traveled to Hiram to deliver (and later published) a eulogy, chronicling Almeda Booth’s character and accomplishments.

He wrote, “I venture to asset that in native powers of mind, in thoroughness and breadth of scholarship, in sweetness of spirit, and in the quality and quantity of effective, unselfish work done, she has not been excelled.”

Likewise, newspapers lauded Booth as being “one of the foremost teachers of her time.”

Another blast from the past – from the archives of the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museumHere’s the next in a cont...
08/08/2026

Another blast from the past – from the archives of the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum

Here’s the next in a continuing series of posts from the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum, 2083 Cook St. Hope you enjoy them!

Do you think that home delivery services such as DoorDash and Instacart are a relatively new thing?

Think again!

In the early 1900s, Cuyahoga Falls residents were able to have a variety of foods and other items delivered to their home.

According to late Falls historian Eric Thompson, a number of horse-drawn wagons crisscrossed the town offering a variety of foods and other items. (One Kent historian said drivers of their town’s delivery wagons announced their presence by blowing on a tin horn. That would be the signal for interested customers to meet the wagon on the street and buy their produce.)

One popular offering in Cuyahoga Falls was ice cream. Customers would take a dish to the wagon and take as many “dips” of the tasty cold confection as they wished. Fruits, vegetables and fresh milk were also delivered in a similar fashion.

Goat milk, in particular, was the freshest item available. According to Thompson, the milk delivery man carried a goat in his wagon and milked it on demand to fill customers’ containers. In later years, milk was delivered to homes in bottles and left on the porch, and a monthly bill followed.

In the early 1900s, local liveryman Fred Post offered delivery service for all local stores. According to Thompson, he served 12 routes in town, twice a day. Thompson wrote, “The wagons were walk-through, rear-end step and were built special for the services that included grocery, hardware and anything you could order by phone to have delivered.”

Have you ever strolled along the riverfront walkway in downtown Cuyahoga Falls, near the Broad Boulevard bridge and Sheraton Suites, and seen an old brick and stone wall with openings where windows used to be? You are looking at the remains of the old Fred Post livery stable.

The Post livery, which was previously Adams’ livery, was one of about a half dozen liveries that operated in Cuyahoga Falls over the years and provided horses and carriages to business owners who needed to transport merchandise or to area residents who needed to travel to local destinations.

The Post livery building was once one of the oldest structures in Cuyahoga Falls.

Over the years, the building housed a number of businesses, including the Holbruck & Stanley Lard Oil Co. After that business moved to Cleveland, the building became Fred Bill’s machine shop. It later became a corn-crushing business, where farmers took their corn to be cracked. And at one point It was also owned by Josiah Brown and served as his furniture and coffin factory.

In its later years, it became the Post livery – until it was destroyed by an early morning fire on July 10, 1923. Sadly, eight horses lost their lives in the blaze.

Do any of you recall seeing the remains of the Post livery? If so, feel free to share your memories here. In the meantime, enjoy this early B&W photo of the Post livery from the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society, a pencil sketch of the livery (on left) in the days when Broad Boulevard had a covered bridge, and several photographs I took of the old remains of the livery several years ago.

Many thanks, as always, to the marvelous members of the curatorial team at the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society museum, who have continued to provide a wealth of amazing images and information from the museum. Aren’t you glad we have such a marvelous resource in our community – with such dedicated volunteers? I sure am!

Address

2083 Cook Street
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
44221

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 12pm
Saturday 10am - 12pm

Telephone

+13305101162

Website

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