Akron, 1943
Orchestra and big band music swelled through Summit Beach Park’s Wisteria Ballroom in the early- to mid-20th century. Featuring a 28,000-square-foot oak floor with a suspended orchestra pit, the dance hall packed in crowds to hear tunes played by renowned musicians, such as Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw and this band, pictured here on Aug. 20, 1943. The dance hall drew local performers — including Portsmouth, Ohio, native band leader Clyde McCoy, who played the park four times from 1937 to 1946 with his orchestra. Classic songs from the era included “Sugar Blues,” “Sentimental Journey,” “When You’re Smiling” and more. Opened in 1917, Summit Beach Park closed in 1958. In 2022, Canton native Joseph Rubin and his orchestra performed a tribute concert to McCoy and the music of Summit Beach Park. Rubin’s American Musical Productions nonprofit re-creates U.S. music from 1890 to 1949. On July 9, the nonprofit performs “McKinley’s Own” Canton Grand Army Band concert in Canton.
Summit Memory / Akron-Summit County Public Library
