Title
South Euclid: City of Beauty and Contrast
Description
Incorporated as a village in 1917 and later into a city in 1941, South Euclid is a community that is situated in the Northeast corner of Cuyahoga County, Ohio (see Google map). The area was originally part of Euclid Township, which, in 1796, stretched from Lake Erie south to current Cedar Road, and from current E. 140th St. east to the Mayfield Township line. South Euclid was recognized as a population center by 1828, when it became one of Euclid Township's nine school districts.
South Euclid's economy began with agriculture and, in the 1860s, expanded to include the quarrying of the area's sandstone beds. Circa 1860s-1910s, the northern portion of the town grew around quarrying and was called, Bluestone, after one of the two major beds. South Euclid's bluestone became a favorite material for use in the sidewalks in Cleveland and beyond. However, the invention of cement decimated sandstone quarrying and Bluestone village was absorbed into the rest of South Euclid when it became a village in 1917.
The village experienced great growth after its incorporation in the early twentieth century. However, the Great Depression of the 1930s caused the town great economic damage. In 1941, South Euclid officially became a city. This new found city united together and worked as a community to support the war effort. Directly after WWII, the city experienced a tremendous amount of growth and prosperity. This rapid development continued until the mid-1970s when the city reached almost full development. Since that time, South Euclid has undergone major geographical and demographic changes, resulting in a city that contains a unique mixture of the historical and the modern, the old and the new, and allows residents to enjoy all aspects of mainstream American culture.
With a current population of close to 23,000 residents, South Euclid is a unique city that is a microcosm of the entire Cleveland area. South Euclid, along with its sister city, Lyndhurst, are cities of beauty and contrast.
Date Created
2011
Publisher
Cleveland Memory Project
What is Cleveland Memory?
The Cleveland Memory Project is a freely searchable online collection of digital photos, texts, oral histories, videos and other local history resources, built by the Michael Schwartz Library at the Cleveland State University in collaboration with a host of community partners around Northeast Ohio.
