Thinking about what’s next can’t be done unless we also hold space to acknowledge what was there before.
As part of the Reconnecting Our Community initiative, we have created the Innerbelt History Archive, an effort to preserve and share stories of the neighborhood that was displaced by the Innerbelt. The archive includes a collection of audio recordings, video recordings, photographs and maps relating to the history of the neighborhood. It’s a digital collection housed in Special Collections of the Akron-Summit County Public Library.
To access the full collection, visit the Innerbelt History page on the Summit Memory website.
A sampling of some of the stories shared are included below. And if you have a story to share of the old neighborhood, let us know!
Annmarie Ford
Remembering the Neighborhood (7:33)
Innerbelt Construction (8:21)
Bishop Joey Johnson
Remembering the Neighborhood (8:57)
Innerbelt Construction (5:42)
Frank White
Remembering the Neighborhood (9:00)
Innerbelt Construction (5:19)
Malcolm Costa
Remembering the Neighborhood (12:25)
Robert DeJournett
Remembering the Neighborhood (8:28)
Innerbelt Construction (7:37)