Akron is celebrating its 200th birthday this year.
The first map of what we now know as Akron was drawn and recorded on Dec. 6, 1825, according to the city's bicentennial website. Akron was incorporated as a city in 1865, according to the website.
Akron 200, the organization planning Akron’s bicentennial, has been engaging with residents in all of Akron’s neighborhoods to hear what they would like to highlight in the yearlong celebration.
“I think it was really important for us not to just have a bicentennial that occurs in Downtown but one that really tangibly touches all 24 Akron neighborhoods," Executive Director Mark Greer said.
Older residents especially wanted to focus on preserving their history, he said.
“We’re going to be going to a lot of these neighborhoods working to record oral histories," he said.
And people can learn more about these histories during events throughout the year, he said.
“We’ll have tons of neighborhood history hikes, neighborhood tours, bike tours," Greer said.
The organization will also be hosting monthly forums on forgotten histories, he said.
"We'll have one on women trailblazers in Akron history. We'll talk about urban renewal. We'll talk about Native American history," Greer said. "One will be on the history of theater here in Akron. One will be on the history of sports and athleticwear."
Bicentennial events also include film screenings, concerts and a kickball tournament.
"We're also going to be bringing back [Richard] Rodgers and [Lorenz] Hart's first show that actually received its world premiere here for the 1925 Akron centennial," Greer said.
That show, titled "Dearest Enemy", will be performed June 21 at the Goodyear Theater, according to the bicentennial's website.
There’s even a wellness challenge in partnership with the Akron Marathon inspiring residents to complete 200 wellness activities throughout the year.
Throughout the year, Akron 200 will also be hosting events to take care of the city itself, Greer said.
"We're targeting neighborhoods that have been a little neglected on the beautification front," he said. "We'll be doing neighborhood plantings ... neighborhood cleanups."
The official bicentennial magazine will go out to all residents and businesses this month, Greer said. The magazine will highlight the city’s history and events that are part of this year’s celebration, he said.
"This is going to be, we hope, a bicentennial year of really discovery and enlightenment," Greer said.
