A substance obtained primarily from the milky juice of tropical plants (Eg. Hevea brasiliensis) and usually characterized by its elasticity, though its properties vary widely, depending upon its source and preparation. The making of products from rubber was Akron’s leading industry from about 1900 to about 1970. It began when Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich moved his rubber firehose business to the area near lock 1 in Akron in l870. He was attracted by the abundant cooling water from the canal and inexpensive coal brought to the site by canal boats.
