This strange, silent film “The Portage Trail” probably dates to 1915. The film tells the story of a romance between a minister’s son and a banker’s daughter, but the narrative also pays attention to the city of Akron, Ohio. It’s highly possible that the film was made in an attempt to clean up that city’s reputation, since in the 1910s there was a deadly outbreak of typhoid fever caused by a bad water supply. To whit, the film has a segment, inserted into the middle of the romance, explaining how the city now has a new “five million dollar water treatment plant”. (Incidentally, this treatment plant was highly successful and ended the outbreak in the city.) Interestingly, the way the narrative unfolds in “The Portage Trail”, a modern viewer gets the sense that the romantic story may have been a familiar one — perhaps one told in a play or book that predates this film. So far, we haven’t identified any fictional counterpart, although a book with the same title was published in 1924 (but doesn’t seem to be similar to the movie in terms of content). The film stars Miriam Good, Neal Handy, George Bates, Newton S. Noble, Jr., Hulda Jacob, and others (credits at :13).

The Portage Trail aka Portage Path is an old Indian trail, which runs between Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and the Tuscarawas River. The Trail is a route the Indians blazed from Lake Erie to Chautauqua Lake, and represented the western boundary of the United States in 1785.

The film begins with images of a church social at Cuyahoga Falls circa 1915, with the local minister explaining that his son William is soon to depart for Akron, where he will be working in the rubber factory. At 1:07, a steam locomotive pulls a passenger train; the minister’s son boards it. At 1:30, WIlliam is shown at the rubber factory with co-workers. At 1:49, he receives a notice that he’s been fired for operating machinery carelessly. At 2:14, William witnesses an attempted robbery of a woman named Dorothy. William manages to break it up. He helps the victim board a trolley car 2:26. William is rewarded with a job at a local bank. At 3:50, William receives a letter from the Akron Rubber Works informing him that he was blamed for something he didn’t do, and that his old job awaits if he wants it. At 4:27, William and Dorothy become better acquainted. At 4:33, interesting shots of downtown Akron, Ohio. At 4:52, shots of the city’s recreational park with its broad lake, skyscrapers, and industrial factories. At 6:60, the springtime Children’s Playground Pageant is shown. At 7:04, a five million dollar water plant is dedicated by the Mayor. (Note: in 1915, 126 people in Akron became sick with Typhoid; the situation was alleviated by 1925 when a new water treatment plant [probably the one shown in the film] was built.) At 7:57, Dorothy and William arrive at the Portage Path Tablet, now known as the Portage Path Monument, located Perkins Park Drive in Perkins Wood, Akron. The monument was erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1914. At 8:47, a re-enactment of Native Americans with canoes, congregating on the banks of the river. At 9:55, “a romance grows in the moonlight” between William and Dorothy. At 11:07, the “heartless” father discourages their romance. At 11:36, the Portage Country Club, which opened in 1906. At 12:09, Dorothy throws a house party which ends disastrously in a huge fire at 13:28. Dorothy is rescued by William and the two become betrothed. The film ends with their wedding.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com