Mary Hickox Bronson, along with her husband, embarked upon a project, which many would not dream to assume. Bronson and her husband independently formed the Episcopal Church in Akron.
All expenses, including the erection of the building, as well as other administrative costs were funded by the Bronsons.
After the dedication, Bronson lent her services to the church as an active member of the congregation. In 1889, the church was renamed the Bronson Memorial Church to recognize the commitment and support of Bronson and her husband.
Photo from Emily Bronson Conger’s book, An Ohio Woman in the Philippines (1904)
Mary Ingersol Tod Evans, a pioneer in philanthropic service to the Akron area, was decades ahead of her time.
Born in Youngstown, Mary Ingersol Tod was the daughter of a judge. She was married twice. Her marriage to John McCurdy of Warren produced three children. Her first husband died in 1830. She then married Dr. Dana D. Evans of Akron. He died in 1849.
Evans became a leader and role model in 1851 through her involvement with the Young Men’s Association Women’s Committee. A year later in 1852 she served on the Ladies Committee of the Fireman’s Festival.
During the Civil War, she was active in Akron’s Soldiers Aid Society, although never an officer in the organization Affiliated with Cleveland’s Sanitary Commission, the Akron Soldiers Aid Society contributed literally thousands of dollars worth of food and clothing to soldiers away fighting the Civil War. These Akron women spent evenings knitting mittens and socks for soldiers. They also packed food and other goods to be used in Army hospitals in a small room above a store on South Howard Street. The food and goods were shipped to Cleveland’s Sanitary Commission and then onto the hospitals that cared for the wounded. In addition, the organization raised much money by holding “dime parties,” socials and dinners.
Evans also served as the matron of the Northern Ohio Hospital for the Insane. Evans is best known for establishing the Ladies Cemetery Association. Evans believed that the Akron Rural Cemetery deserved to be as beautifully kept as the rest of the city. A live-in groundskeeper seemed to be the solution.
She enlisted the help of her sisters, Julia Ford and Grace Perkins, as well as many community women. Together, they sponsored concerts and other events, raising funds to build a residence for a groundskeeper. Evans submitted what seemed to be an early press release, encouraging the Akron Daily Beacon to promote the event.
A woman dedicated to the preservation and success of the Akron community, Elizabeth Abbey contributed much of her life to helping her neighbors before, during and after the Civil War.
She was born Elizabeth Smith in Connecticut in 1807, married Henry S. Abbey in 1830 and settled in Akron with her husband in 1835. Her husband was the owner of prosperous jewelry store in the city.
She was affiliated with the Congregational Church, at the time the denomination of some of the most affluent and most community-minded women in the city. Abbey was also recognized for her participation as a member of the Ladies Committee of the Fireman’s Festival in 1852.
A decade later in 1862, Abbey was president and founding member of Akron’s Soldiers Aid Society. Affiliated with Cleveland’s Sanitary Commission, the Akron society contributed literally thousands of dollars worth of food and clothing to the hospitalized wounded and sick soldiers. These women spent evenings knitting mittens and socks for soldiers. They also packed food and other goods for the Army in a small room above a store on South Howard Street. The food and goods were shipped to Cleveland’s Sanitary Commission and then onto the hospitals that cared for the wounded. In addition, the organization raised much money by holding “dime parties,” socials and dinners.
Abbey also served as secretary, as well as original member of the Ladies National Covenant, an organization opposed to the import of goods during the Civil War. In 1865, she also collected clothes for freedmen.
Even until her death, Abbey remained active in the community, backing the Ladies Cemetery Association.
