Why does Akron have a strong southern influence (Cleveland, Youngstown: credit, live)

[AGuyFromCleveland18]

I feel that the Akron area has many folks from the south or Appalachia. Why is this, what is the history that contributed to this immigration? And why Akron and not areas to the north? Also is this one of the factors that separates Akron's culture from Cleveland's?

[Townes Van Zandt]

Originally Posted by AGuyFromCleveland18

I feel that the Akron area has many folks from the south or Appalachia. Why is this, what is the history that contributed to this immigration? And why Akron and not areas to the north? Also is this one of the factors that separates Akron's culture from Cleveland's?

That's a very interesting question. I've noticed the same thing. I think it has something to do with the influx of southerners when the rubber industry started exploding. Detroit and a few other Rust belt cities experienced the same things.

[CortlandGirl79]

Well, i don't know about Akron, but i'm sure it has a similar past to Detroit, Cleveland, and Youngstown, lots of european immigrants, west virginians, kentuckians, and blacks from the deep south came to these areas to find good paying jobs in our factories. Rubber is probably the reason in Akron.

[JR_C]

My father's parents moved north from WV in the early 50's for a better life. They happened to choose Canton. When my aunt came to visit last summer, she commented that they could have just as easily ended up in Youngstown. The way she described their journey, it sounded like the destination was almost chosen at random. Although, considering where they were coming from, they probably would have been too intimidated by a city as large as Cleveland, and wouldn't have considered it.

[YtownGuy]

Once upon a time, Akron was where the jobs were. People just came up US 23 (before I-77 was around), so Akron was a bit closer than some other cities.

[htlong]

The four r's were taught in WV ......reading, ritten, rithmatic, & rt 21 to Akron.......everyone who lives in Akron has some WV blood in them....except for me......... my family were all flatlanders!!!!!!!

[Traveler87]

It is quite interesting how West Virginians and Kentuckians influenced so many of Ohio's cities.

[CortlandGirl79]

Most of the people in the Youngstown/Warren area are from Pennsylvania, WV, and Europe. Well, our grandparents and parents were.............

[5Lakes]

When I lived in Akron it was not uncommon to come across people with straight up WV accents. I particularly noticed this around Kenmore, Barberton, Ellet, and Springfield. It does not have the strong Italian and Eastern European influence that Cleveland has, even though I know those groups are also in Akron. I have jokingly heard Akron referred to as "the capital of West Virginia," mostly by older generations.

[Caleb Longstreet]

Several things influenced the move. One in particular was the move of Southern African Americans to escape a depressed and limited future agrarian society in the Southern States. That, coupled with the treatment of blacks from the somewhat recent Civil War led most to believe life was better up North than down South and to some extent, that was true.

Also, the nickname you heard (Akron, the capital of WVA) is relatively true. In those days, one didn't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that life in a Rubber Plant was better than a life in a Coal Mine (ergo the Kentuckian influence as well). I think those that worked in the Rubber plants in the day might wonder that point but, to a coal miner whose life was literally at risk every day/season, it was no wonder. I believe under that context, most of us would have/did follow suit.

Couple this with the massive immigrant influx and voila, you had a reasonably affordable labor pool. Didn't need to be too educated, just have the ability to work hard for slightly better pay.

As always, it comes down to jobs. Blacks fleeing the South for a better life is not all that much different than those that left European countries for similar reasons. The Irish came in droves a few decades earlier after the English all but staved them off.....people will seek better opportunities no matter the geography....

It's ironic that now that I live back in the South having left Akron 30 some odd years ago you hear the complaints of those "damn yankees" to this day to which I chuckle.....as I tell them, politely, you should have seen the influx of Souterners going North to find jobs back in the day. And to the North's credit, they never gave so much as a crack about it.....Looking at Akron's demographic, you can see the mostly WVA influence in the Southern and Eastern Parts of Akron with the North/NE going squarely to the Italians......Communities stick together. Look no further than Cleveland for a textbook example of similar peoples locating in one particular area......

The only question I now have is how many people are leaving Akron and where are they primarily going in this decade?