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

Jack E. Gieck

Photographed by Craig Doda, May 10, 2026

1. Jack E. Gieck Marker

Inscription. Although trained as a chemical engineer, Jack's great passions were the Ohio canal system and photography. Jack and his wife, Vicki, walked the entire length of all of the canals in Ohio. Author of A Photo Album of Ohio's Canal Era, 1825 – 1913 and producer of the filmstrip Ohio's Canal Era, Jack was also the president of The Canal Society of Ohio, co-founder of the Akron Physics Club, and was a trustee emeritus of the Summit County Historical Society, the Cascade Locks Park Association, the Canal Society of Ohio, and the Eldred World War II Museum. He was the author of numerous books, historical films and videos, magazine articles, and technical papers. He received the inaugural Buchtel Award in Humanities, as well as awards from the International Film and TV Festival of New York, the Columbus International Film and TV Festival, among many others.

He was described as warm, friendly, energetic, and curious about everything.

Jack and Vicki lived temporarily in Akron, shortly after their marriage in 1947. Fascinated by Akron's canal history, he made a 16mm film, The Ohio Canal, in 1948. Jack and Vicki again lived in Akron

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from 1966 until their deaths in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Known to their four grandchildren as Grandpa Jack and Nana, and to their great-grandchildren as Great Grampa Jack and Great Nana; they were just Dad and Mom to us.

- Anne and John

Erected by Cascade Locks Park Association.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Ohio and Erie Canal series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1825.

Location. 41° 5.504′ N, 81° 31.113′ W. Marker is in Akron, Ohio, in Summit County. It is in Cascade Valley. It is at the intersection of West North Street and Hickory Street, on the right when traveling west on West North Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 234 Ferndale 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

Photographed by Craig Doda, May 10, 2026

2. Jack E. Gieck Marker

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: Robert Bruce Norton (here, next to this marker); Lynn Rodeman Metzger (here, next to this marker); Freitag Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); Preserving "The Jewel of the Canal" (within shouting distance of this marker); The Cascade Valley / The Mustill Site (within shouting distance of this marker); When Flour was Power (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Dynamics of Change in Cascade Locks Park (about 400 feet away); The Canal Basin (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Akron.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 13, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 13, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.