The history of Akron begins with the building of the great Ohio and Erie Canal. The financial incentives offered to workers building the canal brought men from all over to build the great "ditch," and as they and their families settled in Akron, they also began to build magnificent churches and cathedrals that became the heart of their communities. With roots stretching back to the early 1800s, many of the churches that stand today are more than a century old and in many instances are the second or third church to be built by their congregations. Each successive church more grand than the...