Cuyahoga Valley National Park Handbook (review)

The Cuyahoga Valley National Park, situated between Akron and Cleveland, provides an environmental sanctuary between these industrial centers. Through chronological narrative and beautiful photographs, Carolyn Platt provides a cultural geography of the landscape of today's national park. The site of the park has undergone a series of transformations over the years. The former American Indian settlement has experienced European agriculture, canals, railroads, and the sprawl of suburban industrialization.

With sixty pages of text and photos, the story of this region is told simply and with scholarly sources that make the text accurate and easily readable. The geologic history of this region is the starting point of the story because the exposed rock formations are one of the main attractions for visitors. Archaeologists use the area for site excavations of the Woodland tribes and of farmers and European settlers.

Outsiders introduced one-fourth of the park's wildlife and fauna into the region. Creating a delicate balance between native and foreign species presents a challenge to the park's caretakers. The use of the valley land for agricultural pursuits faded at the end of the nineteenth century when family farms began to fail. The second- and third-growth forest reclaimed many of the pastures and buildings, some of which are being restored. In addition, park officials plan to support some small-scale farming to cater to tourists and local buyers seeking fresh produce.

One of the attractions at the park is the Ohio and Erie Canal. Visitors can use a refurbished lock and towpath for recreational space. In the 1820s and 1830s this canal, along with the many mills and factories along the waterway, helped Akron and Cleveland expand rapidly. Today some of these buildings act as visitors' centers and museums. When railroads emerged as the favored method of transportation, the valley became a thoroughfare for main lines. In the 1880s trains transported city dwellers to the region for a pastoral break from urban life. One train operates today, taking visitors through the scenic areas of the park.

The transition to a national park did not occur smoothly. During the early 1970s area residents fought against highway development, illegal dumping, and urban sprawl. Local volunteers worked hard to restore buildings, remove dump sites, and reclaim areas previously developed as parking lots and sports arenas. In 1976 the area became a recreation area, and in 2000 a national park. Today these reclaimed sites bear no resemblance to their previous uses and exist as wildlife sanctuaries. This book provides a glimpse into the development of a region that changed concurrently with the state of Ohio. The park illustrates the multiple stages of settlement before enthusiasts returned the landscape to a natural haven for residents of the urbanized eastern section of the state.