Since the 1800s, the Cuyahoga Valley has served as a retreat from urban life, and citizens later worked tirelessly to preserve what is now Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Created in 1974, the park protects open countryside, a canal that helped build the nation, and the river that helped spark Earth Day and the Clean Water Act. The village of Boston was once a busy community of nearly 1,000 people and supported industries including canal boatyards, hotels, and mills. Though smaller today, Boston remains vibrant as local residents live alongside visitors who hike and bike the Towpath Trail, get park information, buy refreshments, or rest.
