Audio
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Audio Tour – Southbound Narration #11 – Passing Big Bend
Transcript
Narrator 1: The parklands in this area are managed by Summit Metro Parks. It is hard to imagine that we are traveling through the city of Akron and will soon arrive at the southernmost station for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. During earlier stops on this tour, we saw how the canal and railroad impacted small towns in the Cuyahoga Valley. They had equally big impacts on cities like Akron. You know, more people live in Akron today than lived in the entire state of Ohio back during the canal era. It’s the Ohio & Erie Canal you can thank for launching it as a city. See, remember how we told you that Akron sits up high on a continental divide? In the days before railroads, canal boats had to somehow get themselves to the top of that divide in a matter of just a couple of miles. That’s where the Cascade Locks come in. It’s a series of locks, one right after the other, like a staircase. We’ll be passing them as we get closer to Akron Northside Station. Anyway, it’d take about six hours to get through all of them. Passengers had nothing to do, so they would get off their boats and mill about on foot, shopping and visiting. Stores and taverns began to cluster around the locks. Pretty soon – you got Akron. Akron’s first industries began at Cascade Locks. The canal provided transportation. The Cascade Race, a waterway that ran parallel to the canal, provided power. Entrepreneurs built waterwheels, grist mills and forges. One of the most successful was a German fellow named Ferdinand Schumacher, who produced flour at his Cascade Mill lock at Lock 14. He is best known for introducing Americans to oatmeal. During the Civil War, he sent barrels of it to the front lines to feed hungry Union soldiers. And that was the start of America’s cereal industry and Quaker Oats.
Narrator 2: The Valley Railway opened in 1880. It followed the route of the canal between Akron and Cleveland and generally became the preferred mode of transportation. On the railroad, you could carry more weight and move much faster than on the canal. And trains could travel year-round. You didn’t have to worry about flooding, or chunks of ice blocking your way. Railroad companies literally bought the rights to the canal beds themselves and built their railroads right where the canals were. The canal boats could not compete with the train’s awesome power. They revolutionized transport and shipping. There was a complete change in the way people lived. The same thing has happened today due to the internet. While transportation modes changed due to the railroad, it was the canal boats that had paved the way. From Akron Northside Station, you can follow a connector over to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. Heading north will take you along the staircase of locks. You can see remnants of the mill race, explore Cascade Locks Park to learn more about Akron’s industrial heritage, and visit Mustill Store adjacent to Lock 15. Mustill Store is small museum in a preserved grocery from about the year 1850, where the Mustill Family sold food like cheese, molasses, and ham. They also sold supplies like brooms, boots, matches, and ice.
Narrator 1: We’re now approaching the southern end of our journey through the Cuyahoga Valley. We hope you enjoyed the train ride and appreciated the views from the train window. Both people and wildlife have traveled through and made their homes here. Today, it is a place where people return to time and time again for outdoor recreation and to reconnect with nature and history. We were able to see how the valley has provided opportunities for people and how many of these opportunities were made possible by transportation. Looking out the window during this ride, you had the opportunity to see how many of these stories left their mark on the landscape. Many of the stories today are hard or impossible to see on the landscape. What forces shape the land where you live? What stories are left on the land you call home? We also heard stories that may help us see parts of the landscape that we may tend not to notice or think about. Transportation choices have a huge impact on our daily lives and communities. Does this tour make you think about the influence of transportation in your community any differently? If you’re getting off here, thank you for riding with us. Be sure to check out the many special excursions the train offers throughout the year. If you’re returning with us, stay tuned for our northbound tour, where you’ll hear more stories of the Valley as it changed over time.
Description
This narration is part of an audio tour for riders on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Southbound Narration #11 is intended for the ride between Big Bend and Akron Northside Station.
Credit
NPS
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