Botzum was a
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
in
Northampton Township, Summit County, Ohio
Northampton was one of the 16 original townships in Summit County, Ohio. It was in the middle of Summit County, bordering Akron and Cuyahoga Falls. No incorporated areas were formed within the township but Akron and Cuyahoga Falls expanded into ...
around what is now the intersection of Bath and Riverview Roads in
Akron
Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city ...
and
Cuyahoga Falls
Cuyahoga Falls ( or ) is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 51,114. The second-largest city in Summit County, it is located directly north of Akron and is a suburb of the Akron metropol ...
.
History
Botzum began as a community along the
Ohio and Erie Canal
The Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed during the 1820s and early 1830s in Ohio. It connected Akron with the Cuyahoga River near its outlet on Lake Erie in Cleveland, and a few years later, with the Ohio River near Portsmouth. It also ...
where the canal spread out to form the Yellow Creek Basin near Yellow Creek. This was thought to be a good place for business. There were two warehouses, a store, and a hotel there in 1827, set up by
Nathaniel Hardy.
Botzum was platted in 1836 on 100 acres (0.4 km) as Niles by Peter Voris and some of his associates.
The village was never actually built, though, due to the
Panic of 1837. Eventually the lots were sold off, one of them to
George Botzum. In 1866 the Buckeye post office opened up. In spite of this name, though, the railroad depot in town was called Botzum. The name of the post office was also changed to Botzum in 1893 to match the name of the depot.
In the 1920s the city of
Akron
Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city ...
purchased 800 acres (3.2 km) of land at Botzum to build a sewage treatment plant, which opened in 1928 and remains there to this day. There is no longer any sign that there was a community there. Along with the sewage plant it is known for a viewing station for
great blue herons to the east where Bath Road crosses the Cuyahoga River. There is also a sign on the
Ohio and Erie Canal
The Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed during the 1820s and early 1830s in Ohio. It connected Akron with the Cuyahoga River near its outlet on Lake Erie in Cleveland, and a few years later, with the Ohio River near Portsmouth. It also ...
Towpath with a photograph of Botzum from 1875.
See also
*
Botzum station
References
*
* Cuyahoga Valley National Park (2004)
Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail Tour: Niles and Botzum Retrieved May 2, 2005.
*
*
Unincorporated communities in Ohio
Geography of Summit County, Ohio
Populated places established in 1836
1836 establishments in Ohio
{{SummitCountyOH-geo-stub