Chima Travel History
Our family-owned travel agency has grown a lot since 1918.
4 generations later we're excited to share that history with you.
1904
In 1904 Peter Chima sailed to the US from Romania at the age of 19 and settled in Newark, Ohio.
He was the first generation of Chima Travel.
1910s
In 1912 Peter returned to Romania and married 14-year-old Mary Lancea.
Unfortunately, we don’t know who the dog is.
Between 1912 and 1917 Peter and Mary helped their Romanian friends by expanding into foreign exchange and selling steamship tickets.
Technically 2020 could've been Chima Travel's 108th year in business.
In 1916 the Chimas earned their U.S. citizenship.
1918
In 1918 the Chima family moved to Akron, Ohio.
They set up shop at 1132 S. Main Street, where they would remain until 1967.
1926
Peter and Mary had 6 children - Cornel, Nick, Virgil, George, Mary, and Helen.
This photo was taken in 1926 during the family's first vacation to Romania on a steamship.
Here is everyone, except Cornel, with Grandpa Lancea. (Guess where Lance got his name.)
1940s
Cornel, Nick, and Virgil joined the Air Force, and George joined the Infantry. Virgil was killed in action and George was wounded in Germany.
Peter worked on the Selective Service board for 7 years. There was no travel so he added insurance and real estate to his business.
1950s
Mary, Helen, Cornel, and George joined the family business as the second generation of Chima Travel. All but Helen married and started having children of their own.
1960s
George’s wife Jean decorated the windows and won a third place prize of $50 in an ASTA contest.
During the second generation of Chima Travel the agency began a long-lasting partnership with the University of Akron.
In 1960 the first New York Thanksgiving Theatre Tour was co-sponsored by the Akron Beacon Journal. The tour ran for 44 consecutive years.
Every weekend George ran buses to the 1964 / 1965 New York World's Fair.
Some weekends he had 5 full buses.
In 1967, after 49 years on S. Main Street, Chima Travel moved to the Wallhaven Building at
1650 W. Market Street.
1970s
When Peter and Mary finally traveled somewhere other than Romania, they chose Hawaii.
Chima Travel's second generation hobnobbing with celebrities in NYC.