Reading through this book is akin to cracking open a family scrapbook. Each page brings a new feeling of nostalgia for readers familiar with the area. It’s a lovingly written time capsule, but instead of Rubik’s Cubes, troll dolls and eight-tracks, you’ll find long-gone buildings and businesses captured in their prime. Authentic fashion of the late 1800s and early 1900s is displayed against a backdrop of Progressive Era America.
A Cuyahoga Falls native herself, Holland experienced the historic value of the local parks from a young age, and that passion for the history of her hometown comes from her mother. “Every park in the Falls has some kind of history behind it,” she says. “Our national park here has the history of the canal era, the Native Americans, the logging towns. I always got into that sort of thing and tried to learn the history behind it,” says Holland.
This led to a career in history writing with the Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society, where Holland continued to learn more of her hometown’s history. “I started embedding myself in the library and learning the various history about buildings and events,” she says.
Readers tour the beginnings of the town through its culture and people. Urban legends, famous accidents, abandoned buildings, and key players of the town are represented with historic postcards and photographs. "Cuyahoga Falls" brings to life the history of the town with authentic visuals and engaging facts. Holland says her own family heritage plays its part in the town’s opening stage as well, and the book’s first chapter covers its development.
“ The very beginning was important to me and one of my favorites because my family was involved with it,” Holland says. “My own personal family came here in 1809, and they helped first develop Cuyahoga Falls before going back to farming.”
For Holland, the process is more than just writing a book. When researching the interesting stories of Cuyahoga Falls, like the first car owner in town or the bleachers collapsing during the 1912 centennial celebration, she speaks with local historians so future generations can benefit from their accumulated knowledge. “I go back to our local historians, and get these tidbits from them,” Holland says. “I just like to share them because otherwise they’re going to get lost and no one is going to hear them. So I like to dig [them] up and keep them going.”
The book contains real-life characters every bit as interesting as fictional ones, from gun-toting barber George Walker to the devious Russell Palmer who faked his own death. Perplexing old laws just might make sense after reading this book, such as the prohibition against daisies in Oakwood cemetery. When Holland explains that horses would be distracted by daisies during funeral processions and wander off to eat them, the reasoning becomes clear.
You may find a new view of a familiar road, park, or river after reading Holland’s book. Areas, roads and buildings still standing—such as Ernest Angley’s Grace Cathedral, originally called The Cathedral of Tomorrow—connect the past to the present. Holland shows the reader notable spots around town in their formative years as Cuyahoga Falls grows and expands with each turn of the page.
Holland still loves living in her hometown. “The sense of community is my favorite part, and of course the national park,” she says. “The beauty of Cuyahoga Falls, our wacky seasons, and we have some great history here.”
The book is a relaxed, comfortable stroll through the many years of history in Cuyahoga Falls. Readers of all ages can enjoy and feel engaged with Holland’s selection of fascinating and historic photography.
“ Cuyahoga Falls,” $21.99, Arcadia Publishing. Available at local retailers, online bookstores, or through Arcadia Publishing and The History Press at www.arcadiapublishing.com or 888-313-2665.
