Local history: North Hill Viaduct opened with grand parade in 1922

A century ago, Akron celebrated.

One of the most magnificent parades in the city’s history commemorated the formal opening of the North Hill Viaduct on Oct. 12, 1922.

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For sheer spectacle, the event was unparalleled. More than 150,000 spectators lined the streets to watch the 3-mile parade that took two hours to pass. Divided into eight sections, it featured thousands of marchers, 300 floats, 17 bands, six drum corps and three orchestras.

The Akron Press heralded it as “the greatest outburst of civic display ever seen in the city.” The Evening Times called it “a holiday in which all Summit County united.” The Beacon Journal declared: “In the opinion of spectators, it will be difficult in years to come for another celebration planned on the same lines to equal it.”

The gargantuan viaduct, which bridged the Little Cuyahoga Valley between North Hill and downtown Akron, cost more than $2.5 million to build. The Kansas City architectural firm of Howard, Harrington & Ash designed the structure while Chicago’s James O. Heyworth Construction Co. served as the main contractor.

Made with 100,000 tons of concrete and 2,500 tons of steel, the viaduct was 2,800 feet long, 72 feet wide, 135 high and had 16 main arches.

Factories shut down, stores closed early and schools canceled classes so everyone could attend the big event.

The parade began on North Hill at 2 p.m. on a crisp, sunny day. Civil War veterans in blue uniforms rode at the front of the procession, followed by veterans of other conflicts, fraternal organizations, county groups, city clubs, neighboring cities, African Americans, foreign divisions, pioneer industries and other businesses.

The awestruck crowd cheered and applauded.

Flags fluttered in the breeze and a Goodyear balloon drifted overhead. Crossing the viaduct, the parade continued south on Main Street, east on Exchange Street, north on High Street, east on Market Street and north on Prospect Street before disbanding at Grace Park.

Hundreds of scouts marched, pedaled bicycles or rode floats. Workers on a bakery truck threw small loaves of bread into the crowd. An ice cream truck tossed free samples to children.

The Cuyahoga Falls float featured the Big Falls with real, running water. The Klages Coal & Ice Co. float had a coal miner on one side and an ice maiden on the other. A replica of the First-Second National Bank building rolled down the street.

About 150 members of the Ku Klux Klan marched in white robes and high-peaked hats. Women of the Klan rode on the back of a white-draped truck. In the 1920s, Akron’s chapter of the Klan had more than 52,000 members, including former Mayor D.C. Rybolt and four school board members.

Black residents of Akron built six floats depicting African American history. “We had 244 years of this,” read one banner on a float depicting slaves picking cotton and being punished by slave drivers. Another float had an actor dressed as President Abraham Lincoln breaking the chains of slavery. The final float featured a giant black vessel symbolizing “the Negro ship of progress.”

Beauty queens, firefighters, acrobats, mail carriers, bagpipers, factory leaders.

Italians, Germans, Poles, Irish, Greeks, Turks, Slovaks, Indians.

Flags, flags and more flags.

Tires, tires and more tires.

Everyone was tired when the parade ended.

“Summit County’s big celebration, Thursday, on the occasion of the formal opening and dedication of the North Hill Viaduct will go down in the county’s history as the greatest holiday event witnessed in this section of the great Western Reserve,” the Beacon Journal reported.

The celebration concluded with a giant fireworks display shot from the North Hill bluff overlooking the bridge.

The viaduct never lived up to the promise of that great day. It began crumbling over the next few years, its concrete structure ill-suited for Ohio weather. Concrete debris plunged onto the roofs of homes below. Gaping holes emerged on the surface of the road.

The city shut down the bridge as a safety hazard in February 1977.

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About 10,000 people attended a farewell party in May 1978. Some of those present had attended the opening parade in 1922. A demolition crew tore down the viaduct that summer.

On Oct. 31, 1981, Akron opened the $25.7 million All-America Bridge, a Y-shaped span that rerouted traffic from Main Street to High and Broadway.

The city celebrated with a 60-unit parade.

Mark J. Price can be reached at mprice@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: North Hill Viaduct opened with grand parade in 1922