In every town, there is a center of activity, where the main roads come together to bring the community its commerce and its life. In Uniontown, Cleveland Avenue and Edison Street cross to pound out the heartbeat of history.
Coming to the square every day, it might seem commonplace, but the years that have gone by saw a different town altogether. Here are a few glimpses at what Uniontown Square looked like in past times.
Flag Dedication
Facing the southeast corner of Uniontown Square, this is what the crossroads looked like on July 4, 1918. The people are on the square to celebrate the dedication of the U.S. flag as well as the holiday. The building in the background is an old hotel that used to be on the southeast corner, which was later torn down to build the Uniontown Savings & Loan.
Uniontown Streetcar
A streetcar runs in the winter right through Uniontown Square, connecting Akron and Canton. The little town was large enough to warrant its own stop along the streetcar line, which was run by the Northern Ohio Power and Traction Co. at the time. In the spring, the car line was hemmed in on either side by rows of trees. Tickets for the streetcar were sold from Bledsoe's. The streetcar line itself ran through Uniontown from 1902-1929.
L.D. Myers
L.D. Myers ran this store, which sat on the southeast corner of the square. It operated as a dry goods and grocery store around 1900, and was eventually taken over by his son, H.N. Myers. Besides supplying dry goods, this building served as a post office for the area, depending on which political party was in office. The building is still standing today and is known better as Bledsoe's.
Bodemer’s Groceries
Just on the edge of the square in the northwest corner, Bodemer's Grocery. The store was originally run by W.H. Nees, and supplied both food and tools to Uniontown in the 1920s. The streets are being paved with asphalt, directly covering the brick underneath, which sometimes comes through when a pothole goes deep enough. Families often worked together to run shops like these.
Uniontown Bus
When the streetcar line was shut down in the area in 1929, transportation between the cities became more difficult. J.B. Cox Transportation Co. ran the first bus route through Uniontown in 1930. On the nearby northeast corner, two buildings once stood with front room shops. Eventually, one was moved to Grange Street and the other was razed when the Sohio station was built.
Noel Confectionary
On the northwest corner of the square, Charlie Linninger ran the town drug store. From the 1930s through the 50s, the store was known as Noel Confectionary, a drug store and soda fountain. As a Halloween prank, high schoolers would often transport a buggy cart up on top of the porch. The porch itself was removed in 1955, and the building has housed several businesses since.
