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New Portage Lakes book shows area’s unique qualities

2/2/2012 - South Side Leader
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By Kathleen Folkerth

Carolyn Vogentiz, of Coventry, compiled a new picture book on the Portage Lakes called “Portage Lakes.”
Photo courtesy of Carolyn Vogentiz
COVENTRY — Carolyn Vogentiz has called the Portage Lakes area home since just 1995, but she loves it so much she’s compiled two books about the region.

Vogentiz’s latest work is “Portage Lakes” and it is part of the Images of America series produced by Arcadia Publishing, a company that produces local history books across the country.

“I think it will be just another vehicle for people interested in the history of the community,” Vogentiz said of the new book.

Vogentiz said her husband is a Coventry native.

“He kept bringing me back here when we were looking for a retirement community,” said Vogentiz, who is a retired educator who worked in the Green and Waterloo school districts. “We finally decided to buy a home here before retiring.”

When she did retire, Vogentiz pursued her love of writing and put together “Portage Lakes: Then and Now,” a historical look at the communities surrounding the lakes, in 1999. She self-published the book through a local publisher and was thrilled when it sold out of its initial printing of 3,000 copies. She had another 3,000 made and today has just a couple of hundred left.

Book cover courtesy of Arcadia Publishing
“I think it was well received because there wasn’t anything written that was very comprehensive,” she said of the first book, which is more of a narrative. “It served as a vehicle for the community when they were wondering about this or that.”

After creating that book, Vogentiz often did presentations on the lakes at local meetings and libraries. When she appeared in Cuyahoga Falls, members of the historical society there asked her to do a similar book for that city. “Cuyahoga Falls: Then and Now” was published in 2004.

Arcadia contacted Vogentiz in 2010 and asked if she would be interested in compiling a picture book on the lakes. She agreed and spent about a year working to find photos that help tell the story of the area’s history.

“I have been able to borrow from people some old pictures that weren’t out in the community,” she said. “I did run across some really interesting pictures that people were willing to lend me. There’s about 220 pictures in the book.”

The book’s first chapter examines life in the area before the first white settlers moved in. Other chapters detail who the first residents of the area were, what businesses emerged in the area and how the area became a “summer playground” for Akronites looking to escape the city.

Vogentiz said the project helped her learn even more about her community.

“I continue to broaden my knowledge of what I know about the lakes area and hopefully put out some factual material not based upon rumors or old tales,” she said. “It’s a reference for people in the community to get to know the history of the community and enjoy some of the old photos.”

And she hopes the book will help her share her love of the Portage Lakes.

“It’s very unique,” she said of the area. “There are 2,000 waterfront homes here and the state park, and they say the Portage Lakes is one of the most used inland waterways for recreational activities in the state.”

Vogentiz will appear to sign copies of the book at Dusty’s Landing Feb. 11 from 4 to 7 p.m. The book is $21.99 and can be purchased there or from local retailers, online bookstores or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or 888-313-2665.

Vogentiz can be reached at 330-645-9928 or in care of Waterside Publishing, 3326 Waterside Drive, Akron, OH 44319.

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