If you have a relative's old diary in the attic, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens staff want to see it.
Curators of the historic house museum are asking residents in Akron and beyond for their help in collecting a wide array of historical documents, photos and film and personal stories for an exhibit to open in 2026 titled “The Families that Built Akron.”
“We are looking to highlight the families that lived in Akron, and the way to celebrate America’s 250th, with a concentration the everyday people that make America, and by extension, Akron, the nation and city that it is,” said Katrina Neff, Interpretative Specialist, Archives at Stan Hywet.
The exhibit is part of Ohio’s participation in the nation's 250th birthday celebrations, she said. Each state will choose a theme for each month to highlight its history, and Ohio’s March theme is 'Ohio Goes to the Movies', Neff said.
To correspond with the theme, Neff said she drew inspiration from videos taken of the Sieberling family, who co-founded Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and originally inhabited Stan Hywet. Neff considered how everyday families produce their memories through home videos and other documents.
For the exhibit, Stan Hywet is looking for photos, videos/films and other supplemental documents like diary and journal entries, letters and military or emigration records from the past to the present, Neff said.
“It’s doesn’t have to big important history moment. We are trying to tell a relatable story of the community,” Neff said. “Anything you have pictures of that you know occurred in Akron and has significance to your family that you would like to share would be very helpful for the exhibit.”
Staff are particularly interested in anything with ties to the Seiberling family and Stan Hywet but are calling on everyone in Summit County to consider submitting a piece of their family history, said Bailey Yoder, Interpretative Manager Curatorial at Stan Hywet.
“We are looking for the good and the bad, because we want to tell that cohesive story of the foundations of Akron and the surrounding communities, and that entails all different stories,” Yoder said.
Once submissions are gathered, they will be digitalized and edited into a monthly video series in addition to being a part of the exhibit. Episodes for the series will have a topical focus, such as Summit County businesses. Chosen submissions will be contacted for either an audio or on-camera interview for the series, Yoder said.
Going through submissions and material selections will take place from September until the beginning of January and it will be open for the public on April 1.
“Our hopes are that we get enough submissions to be able to create a lot of different engaging stories from different members of the community to be able to tell that unique and diverse history that Akron really is,” said Yoder.
Stan Hywet will accept submissions through Aug. 31, 2025.
