Akron in Summit County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Cascade Valley
⎯⎯⎯
The Mustill Site
Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 23, 2019
1. The Cascade Valley side of Marker
The Ohio & Erie Canal was completed from Cleveland to Akron in 1827. From the Mustill Site, the canal rose 15 locks to the summit in Akron. The Cascade Mill Race, built by Dr. Eliakim Crosby in 1832, paralleled the canal, creating a large manufacturing center of mills that derived water power from the Little Cuyahoga River. The canal carried products north to Lake Erie or south to the Ohio River reaching worldwide ports. In March 1913 flood ended canal operations in this area.
The Mustill house and store are survivors of Akrons canal era and date to the 1840s. Joseph and Sarah Mustill moved their family from England to Akron in 1833 and owned the store and Greek Revival house at Lock 15 on the Ohio & Erie Canal. Three generations of Mustills lived and worked the grocery business at Lock 15. first Joseph and Sarah, then son Fred with his wife Emma, and their children Maria, Frederick, Edwin and Franklin. A popular place to buy or barter goods, the store served canallers, farmers, craftsmen, and neighbors for many years.
Erected 2002 by the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, the Longaberger Company,
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1913.
Location. 41° 5.485′ N, 81° 31.078′ W. Marker is in Akron, Ohio, in Summit County. It is at the intersection of West North Street and Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, on the right when traveling west on West North Street. It is in the parking lot for the Cascade Locks Park Association Mustill Store Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 89 W North St, Akron OH 44304, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland and in the Western Reserve. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian
Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 23, 2019
2. The Mustill Site side of marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Freitag Garden (a few steps from this marker); Jack E. Gieck (within shouting distance of this marker); Robert Bruce Norton (within shouting distance of this marker); Lynn Rodeman Metzger (within shouting distance of this marker); When Flour was Power (within shouting distance of this marker); Dynamics of Change in Cascade Locks Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Preserving "The Jewel of the Canal" (within shouting distance of this marker); The Canal Basin (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Akron.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 23, 2019
3. The Cascade Valley / The Mustill Site Marker
Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 23, 2019
4. The Mustill House
Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 23, 2019
5. Ohio & Erie Canal Lock 15 at the Mustill Site
Credits. This page was last revised on July 19, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,071 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 21, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Photo of the Mustill Store • Can you help?
