Summit County Took to Sleighs

AKRON & SUMMIT COUNTY

Karl H. Grismer,

Summit County Historical Society,

Akron, Ohio c. 1950 Chapter 5 p 162-163

Fair week was not the only time people managed to have fun during the lean years of the last half of the 1850s. During the winter of 1855-56 they outdid themselves.

That winter was most severe and snow remained on the ground until past the middle of March. Everywhere throughout the Western Reserve people went sleigh riding in a big way. First there were neigh­borhood sleighing parties, then village and town sleighing parties, and finally county contests were held to see which could turn out the largest number of sleighs.

The village of Solon started the rivalry by driving through other communities with seven four-horse teams. Not to be outdone, Twins­burg followed with 16 teams and Bedford with 32.

Then, to make things more interesting, a banner was prepared to be given to contest winners as a prize. It was made of common muslin on which was painted a Negro boy thumbing his nose and saying "Take Me If You Can!"

Marshalling a parade of 40 sleighs, Brecksville took the banner away from Bedford. Then Royalton swept into Brecksville with 63 sleighs and triumphantly took the prize. But Boston got it the next day with 66. In­dependence won it next, then Hudson, and finally Richfield became the victor.

By this time the rivalry had become so keen, and the excitement so great, that the sleigh enthusiasts arranged for a grand contest between

When the society's five-year lease on Summit Grove expired in 1864, King offered to sell the grounds to the society for $5,000. The directors of the organization considered the price too high and leased for five years a 30-acre tract at S. Maple and Balch from P. D. Hall. Fairs were held at that location until 1875. In that year the society purchased from the Austin Powder Company a 45-acre tract known as the "powder patch" in the Little Cuyahoga valley. For this tract the society paid $5,000 in cash and a 30-acre farm west of Akron it had purchased previously for $6,000. At its new location, the society established Fountain Park. The first fair there was held in October, 1875. Later, Fountain Park was greatly beautified, a fine race track built, and many buildings constructed. Fairs were held there annually until the mid-1920s.

Summit, Medina and Cuyahoga counties, to be held at Richfield on Saturday, March 15. Only four and six team outfits were to be counted.

On the big day, 462 sleighs came into Richfield, with horses pranc­ing, bells ringing and horns blowing. Summit County, with 171 teams, joyfully won the honors, Medina having only 140 teams and Cuyahoga 151. In high glee, the Summit County sleighers carried the banner to Akron. It was estimated that 12,000 persons turned out to witness the contest.

Summit's triumph was short lived. Medina launched a surprise attack and on Tuesday, March 18, drove into Akron with 182 four and six-horse teams. Akron suspected Medina had bolstered her forces with outside "ringers" but relinquished the banner nevertheless. Mother Na­ture helped the Akronites get revenge. The Medina crowd paraded through the streets to celebrate and while they celebrated, the sun came out and the snow melted. So the Medina sleighs had to slosh back home through a sea of mud.

That ended the sleighing season. The contests were never repeated. Perhaps to this day that old "Take Me If You Can" banner, yellowed with age, is still held by some Medina County family as a treasured relic.