Wheels of Fortune is a recent publication about Akron and the rubber industry. I understand it is a compilation of a series which ran int the Akron Beacon Journal. It is an informative and interesting book. You might find it on Ebay. Your note about your grandmother working in a hook factory - and the fact that husband listed as rubber factory, not specifically named - gives rise to these thoughts The rubber industry in the early 20th C gave rise to experimentation in manufacturing many products. One of them was shoes. As a matter of fact my mother as a young woman in the '20s left PA for Akron to gain just such employment. From her stories, it is my understanding that this industry employed mostly women (probably because of the detail work). And - remember high topped womens shoes with hooks and eyes - or many buttons needing a button hook. Thinking about transportation at the time - think about the area where your grandparents lived and check out factories close by. Random thoughts, but I hope they help at least a little. Jan Leigh Strange, CCHT, RMT Ask me about hypnotherapy for enhanced self-esteem, pain management, self-healing, spiritual emergence, past life regression.