A busy and densely packed valley in its heyday, this area once housed an iron foundry, a furniture factory, a distillery, several grist mills, and two rubber plantsall within a half-mile stretch of the canal. Still remaining are several watered locks and wasteway structures, evidence of the Cascade Race and tunnel two canal-era buildings; Ace Rubber/Garro Tread (one of Akrons few remaining rubber plants); and two historic railroads. The entire Cascade Locks Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the Department of the Interior in 1992.Jack Gieck is a retired engineer. He is past-president of the Canal Society of Ohio and founder of Cinemark, Inc., a producer of technical and historical films including the award-winning video series Ohios Canal Era. He is the author of the popular A Photo Album of Ohios Canal Era, 18251913 (Kent State University Press, 1992) and Early Akrons Industrial Valley: A History of the Cascade Locks (Kent State University Press, 2008).
