[PRCo] Re: CVSR--Quaker Square

[Herb Brannon]

Quacker Square was bought out (like everything in East/Central Akron) by
Akron State University (ASU). The hotel (formerly Quaker Oat Company grain
elevators) is now a large dormitory, the old Railway Express Agency
buildings are now ASU facility maintenance offices, a couple restaurants
remain but more for the enjoyment of ASU faculty, staff and students and
much of the area is (what else) a parking lot, albeit a good looking parking
lot. When I used to walk the one mile from home to Spicer Elementary
Demonstration School every weekday in the 1950s I never dreamed that today
that the one square block Akron University and it's supporting
businesses would some day take up all the land from that one square
block, past my elementary school, to just a block short of where my old
house used to stand. Even more melancholy is that I never thought that the
wonderful smell of Quaker Oats being toasted in the Howard Street plant
(after being released from the elevators up the Mill St hill to travel, by
gravity, through large pipes under the street) would also disappear.
Cuyahoga Valley Railroad (CVR), of course, uses the old B & O North Howard
Street station. There are several moderate and high priced restaurants
within walking distance along North Main Street. Also, the public transit
provider in Akron (Akron Metro) operates a free bus from the train station
running in a very large loop and hitting some of the points of interest in
Akron. Namely, the Mustill Store & Mill, Akron Zoo, the Restaurant & Bar
area (like a very small Carson Street) around South Main & Exchange Streets,
the Spaghetti Warehouse in Goodrich Commons, the Akron Metro Downtown Bus
Station (focal point of all Metro bus routes, Cantons' Stark Area Regional
Transit Authority , Portage Area Regional Transit Authority
 and Greyhound Lines), the Civic Theatre, Lock 3 area and then back to the
train station. Akron always seems to have plenty of things going on any time
of the year and the people returning from the attractions seem to be happy.
During the Summer months, upon request, a stop can be made at what is called
the "Big Bend Metro Park Area" where a small bus will take passengers to
Stan Hywet Hall, the mansion built by Frank A. Sieberling, Sr around 1915
(+-). The manor house and gardens are a real gem in Akron and are worth
seeing.

During the Summer when CVR runs Canton service the same thing is
available there. A Stark Area Transit bus runs a route stopping at local
Canton points of interest such as the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the First
Ladies Museum, President McKinley's house and gardens and a couple other
things.

Like I said, there is always something going on here and the railroad has,
fortunately, changed with the times and has become a part of the character
of this region.

On Tue, Apr 26, 2011 at 20:52, Dwight Long <dwightlong at verizon.net> wrote:

>
>  Herb   I just learned that Quaker Square in Akron has closed and that all
> the railway memorabilia are being auctioned off this Saturday.   A few
> years
> ago I spent a pleasant afternoon there between the inbound and outbound
> trains of your railway.  What will it now use as an attraction in the Akron
> area?   Do you know what caused the demise of the Quaker Square?   Dwight
>
>
>
>


-- 
Herb Brannon
In Cuyahoga Valley National Park