Fueling Growth in a New Century

Fueling Growth in a New Century. . In 1888, the coal-fired Beech Street Powerhouse was built to supply power for Akron's new electric trolleys, which replaced the city's horse-drawn streetcars. Soon the plant was selling electricity to new businesses in downtown Akron, fueling rapid growth as the 20th Century began., Ohio's infamous 1913 flood quenched the boilers of the powerhouse, ending its operations. It lay dormant for fourteen years, until technology created a new use for the site-steam heat for downtown businesses., Did you know the Akron Steam Heating Company built a new plant on this site in 1927, which distributed steam through underground pipes to downtown businesses? By eliminating the need for individual boilers to heat each building, this development fueled another generation of growth in downtown Akron. The steam plant was demolished in 2005, 25 years after operations ceased., To learn more about the history of the Ohio and Erie Canal attend a Summit Metro Parks program or visit the Summit Lake Nature Center, the F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm Visitors Center or the Mustill Store Museum.