Our city, The name is derived from the Greek, “high” . Its location at the continental divide separating the Lake Erie watershed from the Mississippi River watershed made the Akron site one of those considered for the Ohio Canal. General Simon Perkins lobbied strongly for, and got the Ohio & Erie Canal route to pass through this site. Joshua Henshaw was employed to make the town plat. His completed work was recorded in December 1825, at Ravenna, the county seat.