Cuyahoga Falls is rich in history, from its start in 1812 to the present. The town was originally named Manchester, but that was later changed to the present name at the request of the Ohio Postmaster General. The Cuyahoga River runs both north and south through the City due to the way the river bends. It is also one of only a few rivers in the northern hemisphere which runs predominantly northward. The Cuyahoga "Falls", which extend over about 2 miles, collectively drop farther than Niagara Falls. The Ohio and Pennsylvania and Ohio Canals linked the Cuyahoga and Lake Erie together between 1825 and 1832. Because of this, and its strategic location on the Cuyahoga, Cuyahoga Falls became an important stop on the underground railroad. Subsequent industrialization really put Cuyahoga Falls on the because of the convenient access to the Great Lakes. On January 1, 1986, Cuyahoga Falls and Northampton Township became the first two communities in the history of the State of Ohio to successfully merge by voter approval. The relatively rural character of the former township has added a balance to the more developed core of the old city.