I’m currently reading Empire of Rubber by Gregg Mittman, about Firestone’s attempts to cultivate rubber in Liberia and transform it into a “banana republic” style American protectorate.

In the first part of the book, Mittman briefly notes Akron produced several other major rubber corporations. The author didn’t really go in depth as to why this city in Ohio, which has no natural rubber, became the cradle and headquarters of these massive rubber companies.