Boston, Summit County, Ohio facts for kids

Boston is a small place in Summit County, Ohio. It's called an unincorporated community, which means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a town or city with its own local government.

What is Boston, Ohio?

Boston is located in the northeastern part of Ohio, a state in the United States. It's a quiet area known for its natural beauty and connection to a large national park.

A Look Back: Boston's History

The area where Boston is located has a rich history. It was named after Boston Township, which is a larger area nearby.

Early Days and First Settlers

The first people to settle in Boston arrived around 1820. Just a year later, in 1821, they built a sawmill there. A sawmill is a place where logs are cut into lumber, which was very important for building homes and other structures back then. For a while, the community was also known as Boston Mills, likely because of this sawmill.

A post office was opened in Boston in 1825. This was a big deal because it made it easier for people to send and receive mail. The post office served the community for many years, finally closing in 1957.

Becoming a National Park Area

A big change came to Boston in 1974. A large part of the land near Boston was chosen to become part of what is now the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This park is a beautiful place with forests, rivers, and trails.

When the park was created, the United States government bought many private homes and buildings in the area. However, it took a long time for all the plans to be completed. Because of these delays, some of the houses bought by the park service stood empty for many years. These vacant buildings were eventually taken down in 2016. This period of change and the empty houses led to some local stories and the area sometimes being called "Helltown" by people in the region.