Cascade Valley in Akron in Summit County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Ferdinand Schumacher's Cascade Mills Stood Here

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 24, 2025

1. Ferdinand Schumacher's Cascade Mills Stood Here Marker

Inscription. Buried beneath your feet are the foundation stones of the Cascade Mills, a flour mill built in 1840. When Ferdinand Schumacher purchased the mill in 1868, its history became part of an early American big business, known today as Quaker Oats.

Access to power and transportation benefited the mill. The Cascade Race powered the mill. The Ohio & Erie Canal provided the means to ship flour from the mill to markets in Ohio and as far away as New York and New Orleans.

Judge King, along with William B. Mitchell, purchased Cascade Mills in 1840. King also brought the Pennsylvania & Ohio Canal to Akron the same year.

Erected by Summit Metro Parks.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1868.

Location. 41° 5.436′ N, 81° 31.035′ W. Marker is in Akron, Ohio, in Summit County. It is in Cascade Valley. It is on West North Street west of North Howard Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 57 W North St, Akron OH 44304, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker

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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 Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Wheel Power (here, next to this marker); The Oatmeal King (here, next to this marker); Made in Ohio, Produced for America (here, next to this marker); Becoming an American Company (here, next to this marker); The Legacy of Schumacher (here, next to this marker); Schumacher's Cascade Mills (here, next to this marker); The Cascade Race (a few steps from this marker); Generations of Power (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Akron.

Cascade Mills image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 24, 2025

2. Cascade Mills

The former site of Cascade Mills, which would eventually become part of the company that would comprise Quaker Oats.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 24, 2025

3. Ferdinand Schumacher's Cascade Mills Stood Here Marker

The marker is located on the left of this structure in Cascade Locks Park.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 21, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 245 times since then and 82 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 21, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.