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  Disasters in Cleveland History

  Images of the fires, explosions, floods, and other calamities that have left their mark on the city over the years.

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  Each in Their Own Voice: African American Artists in Cleveland 1970-2005

  Kiffany Francis

  The exhibition, Each in Their Own Voice: African-American Artists in Cleveland, 1970-2005, presented a survey of the work of 23 prominent African-American artists between 1970 and 2005 — a time in recent past characterized by breathtaking technological, cultural, social, and artistic changes. For the exhibition, artists were interviewed and allowed to speak about their work and their lives. These interviews document the artists, their lives, and the challenges and success they experienced.

  The exhibition was on display at the Cleveland State University Art Gallery from January 23 to March 7, 2009. Each in Their Own Voice is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture as well as the Ohio Arts Council and an anonymous funder.

  The exhibition was a sequel to 1996’s Yet Still We Rise: African-American Art in Cleveland 1920 to 1970.

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  Early Synagogues of Cleveland

  The Early Synagogues of Cleveland Collection Includes the photographs used in Jeff Morris's documentation of Cleveland's Orthodox Jewish Community known as Haymarket to the Heights, along with other related photographs.

  Many of the photos provide a cross reference to the original owner and or the current owner.

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  East Liverpool, Ohio: A Glimpse of the Past

  Ashley Madish

  Located in the eastern part of Ohio as well as right at the Pennsylvania and West Virginia border, East Liverpool is the largest city in Columbiana County, with a population of about 12,600. The city’s location along the Ohio River and the abundance of yellow clay both attributed to how East Liverpool earned its nickname, “Crockery City”.

  Between 1840 and 1940 East Liverpool and the surrounding areas were home to over 100 potteries. Two potteries depicted in this collection are the Knowles, Taylor & Knowles Pottery – the largest pottery manufacturing facility in the 1880’s and the Homer Laughlin China Company – the largest pottery in the world in the twentieth century. Even in the 21st century pottery remains an important part of the East Liverpool industry.

  East Liverpool is also known for the “Point of Beginning” historical marker located on the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line. Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785, which defined the size of a township. Near this monument was the first surveyor's marker from which all surveys west of this point, except Texas, radiate.

  What would an East Liverpool Collection be without the inclusion of gangster, Pretty Boy Floyd and Rock Springs Park, once located in nearby Chester, West Virginia. Enjoy the familiar scenes and homes from the late 19th and earlier 20th century. Many scenes like the Diamond historic district have changed or disappeared with the times.

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  Editorial Cartoonists and Their Work

  Cecilia Hartman and O. Lauren Felder

  Due to a strong publishing and artistic tradition, Cleveland has been blessed with many talented graphical artists, including some who worked for the city's major newspapers. Use this page as a pathfinder to resources about some of the area's more notable editorial cartoonists of the last century.

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  Ethnic Women of Cleveland

  Sofia Vassenovitch

  In 1986, Dr. Jeanette Tuve of Cleveland State University conducted a series of interviews with 29 women of eastern European birth or heritage. Many of these conversations were with women who remembered World War II or the Great Depression.

  Sponsored by the The Mareyjoyce Green Women's Center and the History Department and funded by the George Gund Foundation, the project focused on the women's experiences building homes and communities in America while retaining their ethnic traditions.

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  Euclid Beach Park & the Humphrey Glass Negative Collection

  Kieth Peppers

  A Cleveland icon for more than 70 years, Euclid Beach Park can trace its origins to the golden age of amusement parks. Multitudes of similar venues appeared near the nation’s cities and along rail lines around the turn of the twentieth century. Seeking to relieve the expanding middle-class of their newly-gained free time and disposable incomes, the Humphrey Family began operating the park in 1901 with great success.

  The family, headed by brothers Dudley, Harlow, and David, took over ownership of Euclid Beach Park in what is now North Collinwood, Ohio. Euclid Beach Park would continue to operate until its demise in 1969. Offering free entry, a safe atmosphere, and a morally safe haven, Euclid Beach thrived throughout the first half of the twentieth century while many others collapsed under the financial strains brought on by the Great Depression and white flight. Much of this continued success can be attributed to the aforementioned reasons as well as to convenient transportation to and from the park, to its scenic shores, and to keeping an eye on the competition.

  That is not to say that Euclid Beach was without its problems; accidents occurred and a race riot unfolded during the 1946 season. In spite of their continued success, Euclid Beach would eventually lose its appeal to larger, more grandiose parks such as Cedar Point and Kennywood. After five years of financial losses, the amusement park, once the destination for all seeking an escape, surrendered to the changing times and closed its gates permanently on September 28, 1969.

  Time would soon erase the remnants of Euclid Beach from its location along the lakeshore. Many of the smaller rides and fixtures were sold off and moved elsewhere; much of what remained fell victim to vandals, fire, and the ravages of the weather. Today, apartments and trailers stand in the place of rollercoasters and popcorn stands. Only the entry arch stands as a reminder of what once was Euclid Beach Amusement Park.

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  Feeding Cleveland: Urban Agriculture

  Carolyn L. Hufford

  A recurring theme in 20th century Cleveland that continues to the present day is that during difficult economic periods communities of people have come together to raise food crops on city land. The working men’s farms during the Great Depression, the victory gardens during World War II, community gardens established during the years of urban renewal, and the present day market gardeners of the local food movement, all provide examples of revivals of urban agriculture as a response to economic difficulties.

  During this same time period the innovative Cleveland Public Schools Horticulture Program (CPSHP) began training the first of many generations of student gardeners. Although the system-wide CPS horticulture program ended in 1978, some of these former school garden sites called tract gardens, became community garden sites. The most significant legacies of the Cleveland Public Schools Horticulture Program were the gardeners themselves. On the commercial front, greater Cleveland was home to America’s largest concentration of farming acreage under glass. (Rose, 1950)

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  Fenn College On-Line

  William G. Becker

  On September 1, 1965 Fenn College became Cleveland State University. This exhibit, our vision of what an early Fenn College Web site might have looked like had the Internet been around in the 1960s, is in recognition of the many contributions of Fenn College and its graduates to the Greater Cleveland community.

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  German Americans of Cleveland

  Dale Lambert

  German Americans of Cleveland is third in a series of websites developed or planned by the Cleveland State University Library to explore the ethnic influence that helped shape the history and development of Cleveland.

  German-Americans of Cleveland contains 273 images selected from the Special Collections Department of the Cleveland State University Library and others provided by outside institutions. Links to websites of contemporary German-American organizations and culture will help acquaint you with German-Americans today.

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  Greater Cleveland Print Collection

  Beth Owens

  "The Greater Cleveland Print Collection" features images of Cleveland in non-photographic format. They are often of the 19th century era, before photography was widespread, but also include more artistic renderings in the early 20th century.

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  Great Lakes Industrial History Center

  The Great Lakes Industrial History Center is a collection of digital resources highlighting the history and development of the Great Lakes as a vital transportation network and an important component in the production and shipping of much of North America's industrial output. These resources also cover some of the contributions and innovations of the leaders in business and industry who made this development possible.

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  Hanna Theater Curtain

  Lesley Jorbin

  Founded in 1921, the Hanna Theater, in Cleveland, Ohio "served as the mecca of legitimate theater in Cleveland for over 60 years, providing Clevelanders with a source of quality theatrical entertainment rivaling Broadway" (Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, 1987).

  The Hanna Theater Curtain is a unique part of Cleveland's theater history. It was common practice for traveling companies to leave their mark backstage on theater curtains; it might be a shirt or poster stitched to the lining; an original drawing by the scene designer; signatures of the cast; anything which proclaimed "we were here!" Over the years, the Hanna Theater Curtain accumulated hundreds of such posters, T-shirts, colorful, whimsical drawings, signatures of legendary names in the theater, and miscellaneous objects such as dolls and balloons. In time, the Hanna Curtain itself became a legend within the performing arts community of Northeast Ohio--a unique, unsurpassed collage of theater memorabilia.

  Today, all that remains of the elegant Hanna Theater Curtain is the canvas liner. By 2002, badly worn and in need of substantial restoration, the curtain liner was rescued from destruction by faculty members in the Dramatic Arts Department of Cleveland State University. It is now housed in the Special Collections Department of the University Library, awaiting restoration efforts. A unique treasure of Cleveland's theatrical past, the Hanna Theater Curtain has inestimable educational value for today's theater arts students, and for the broader performing arts community.

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  Hungarian Americans of Cleveland

  Carol T. Zsulya and Judit Gerencser

  Hungarian Americans of Cleveland is one of a series of websites developed or planned by Cleveland State University Library to explore the ethnic influence that helped shape the history and development of Cleveland and the website is also supported by the Cleveland Hungarian Heritage Society. Cleveland is, and has been, a destination of immigrants from all over the world. The Hungarian community is one such ethnic group, resulting in the second largest Hungarian group in the world, second only to Budapest, Hungary. Currently, there are over 130,000 Hungarian-Americans in the Cleveland area.

  Hungarian Self-culture ClubThis website is the result of the cooperation between Cleveland State University Library and the Cleveland Hungarian Heritage Museum. The Cleveland Hungarian Heritage Society's mission is to preserve Hungarian culture and the experience of Hungarians in Northeast Ohio, and to provide information to all Hungarians about their culture, history and literature. To carry out its mission, the Society operates a museum and a library as a Hungarian historical, cultural and artistic center which offers resources mainly in Hungarian and English languages about history, literature, tradition of Hungarians in Hungary and in the USA. But with the help Cleveland State University Library and the Cleveland Memory Website there is now an opportunity to provide information about the Hungarians through Internet to all the world. This website is a link between the Museum’s collection and other existing resources at the Library which are related to Hungarian-American history and culture.

  This Hungarian-Americans of Cleveland website is a tribute to all the struggles, sacrifices and accomplishments of the Hungarian-Americans.

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  Industrial Rayon Corporation: Celebrating a Special Workplace

  Sally Malone

  Industrial Rayon Corporation in Cleveland manufactured rayon yarn, the world’s first synthetic fiber, which found use in items ranging from undergarments to tires. Rayon production using an innovative continuous spinning process at the West Boulevard plant and the Painesville plant reached high levels during WWII. The company weathered the Depression, labor strikes and environmental complaints, but in post-war years demand for rayon fell. The company became a division of Midland-Ross named IRC Fibers.

  This collection of photographs and other materials was inspired by the many employees of "the Rayon" who smiled as they recounted memories of their employment at the Painesville plant. It was spurred on by the donation of four scrapbooks compiled by Rayon hourly employee Ed Rabbitt to Painesville's Morley Library.

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  Irish Americans of Cleveland

  Lynn M. Duchez Bycko

  Irish Americans of Cleveland is one of a series of websites developed or planned by Cleveland State University Library to explore the ethnic influence that helped shape the history and development of Cleveland.

  Irish Americans of Cleveland contains over 200 images selected from the Special Collections Department at Cleveland State University Library. We've also provided a sketch of Irish American life with excerpts from The Irish Americans and Their Communities of Cleveland by Nelson J. Callahan and William F. Hickey. Links to websites of contemporary Irish American organizations and culture will help acquaint you with Irish Americans today. And finally, to help you grab a piece of the past, we've selected artifacts found in an archaeological dig at the "Angle", or the old Irishtown Bend neighborhood.

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  Journalism in Cleveland

  Michael Skor

  2018 marks the bicentennial anniversary of journalism in Cleveland. On July 31, 1818, the Cleveland Gazette and Commercial Register was founded marking the beginning of Cleveland's rich tradition of news reporting. After several decades of small, partisan papers, the Plain Dealer and Cleveland Press battled one another for Cleveland's readers for more than 100 years. Louis B. Seltzer, editor-in-chief of the Cleveland Press for nearly four decades, reflected on his role in the newspaper business: "The Press strives to be with the people, always at their side, always beating with their hearts, always fighting for what is good and against what is bad. The Press' address is, has been, and always will be—Greater Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A." (The Years Were Good).

  This webpage has pulled together web resources from the Cleveland Memory Project and elsewhere in celebration of photojournalists, journalists, columnists, and editorial cartoonists with particular emphasis on works since the end of World War II.

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  Karamu House and Theatre

  Natalie Jemiola-Wilson and Lynn M. Duchez Bycko

  Karamu Theatre, listed as the "oldest black theater company in America" by the African American Registry, began in 1917 with a series of plays with interracial casts, which were produced by Russell and Rowena Jelliffe in the Neighborhood Association settlement they founded two years earlier on East 38th Street in Cleveland, Ohio.

  The name Karamu, Swahili for "a place of joyful meeting," was applied to a new theater constructed in 1927 and became the name for the entire settlement in 1941. When a fire destroyed the original complex in 1939, it was rebuilt a decade later at East 89th and Quincy, where it remains as a vibrant part of the community.

  This is a collection of Karamu House photographs from the Cleveland Press Collection and others, showcasing the settlement's activities, including the theatrical productions, as well as a collection of WPA art produced at Karamu and collected by Russell and Rowena Jelliffe.

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  King Iron Bridge & Manufacturing Co.

  The King Iron Bridge Co. played an important role in the development and construction of metal truss bridges, a product of American engineering and construction technology, nationwide during the later part of the Nineteenth Century. The King Iron Bridge & Manufacturing Co. was organized under that name in Cleveland in 1871 by Zenas King, who had started his career in building bridges in 1858. King came to Cleveland from Cincinnati around 1861, and by 1865 had established his works on Wason (East 38th St.) between St. Clair and Hamilton Avenue. The Company moved to a larger plant on Ruskin Ave.(East 69th St.) around 1888.

  The Company's business at first was confined to manufacturing iron arch and swing bridges. By 1878 it was building all types of truss, combination, and wooden bridges, including King's patented tubular arch, as well as iron roof trusses, fencing, and jail cells. During the 1880's the Company was the largest highway bridge works in the country, having built bridges in Topeka, KA., Santa Rosa, CA., Binghamton, NY., Bowling Green, KY., Ft. Laramie, WY., and Macon, Ga.

  Upon King's death in 1892, the Company's name was changed to the King Bridge Company. The Company built bridges in Cleveland that include the Central Viaduct in 1888; the Center Street swing bridge in 1901, Cleveland's last remaining swing bridge; and the 591 ft. steel arch of the Detroit-Superior (Veteran's Memorial) bridge in 1918. The Company disbanded in the 1920s.

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  League Park: Cleveland's Original Ballpark

  Donna Stewart

  League Park, Cleveland's original ballpark was located at E. 66th and Lexington Ave. in Cleveland (see Google map). Cy Young pitched the first game there on May 1, 1891 for the National League Cleveland Spiders. Other famous players who appeared at League Park include Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Sachel Paige, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio.

  Built in the late 1800s, the ballpark was the site of numerous historic sports moments, including:

  • the 1920 World Series
  • the first grand slam in World Series history (1920 series)
  • first unassisted triple play in baseball history (1920 series)
  • Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller's first game (1936)

  The park, now a playground, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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  Lorain, Ohio: A Collection of Historic Snapshots of One of Cleveland's Neighbors

  Pam Coghlan and Donna Stewart

  More than 10,000 years ago glaciers carved the Great Lakes and the surrounding lands that through the passage of time and pioneering efforts of many people became the lakeside cities of Cleveland and Lorain. Linked geographically, these two cities share parallels in their development as industrial ports and centers of commerce.

  During the 1880s, when industry began to impact many U.S. cities, Lorain began a growth spurt that would define it for many years to come. The Nickel Plate Railroad, Hayden Brass Works, and the Lorain Thew Shovel Company began the evolution of a small town into an industrial center known worldwide.

  The 1890s ushered in even more industry when the Johnson Steel Rail Company and the American Stove Works began building in Lorain. Several years later the American Ship Building Company made the significant commitment of building a yard that launched hundreds of ships during peace time and war. Lorain continued to grow and prosper, reflecting the trends of its eastern neighbor and the nation, and while industry declined in later years, Lorain remains today a congenial friend to Cleveland.

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  Madison Public Library Collection

  Katy Farrell and Madison Public Library

  In partnership with the Madison Historical Society, Madison Local Schools, and the greater community (Madison Village, Madison Township, and Unionville), Madison Public Library has created the Madison Library Collection. This is a collection of materials relating to the history of Madison Public Library, the Madison community, and the broader Arcola Creek region.

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  Mansfield/Richland County Public Library Collection

  MaryAnne DiAlesandro, Boyd Addlesperger, and Shannin Bailey

  Located some 70 miles southwest of Cleveland, the area now known as Richland County was, 200 years ago, the western edge of the Ohio frontier. The first settlers named their settlement after Jared Mansfield, a government surveyor of the Northwest Territories. Eventually, the Delaware Indians that inhabited the area were pushed westward with the vacuum filled by farms and villages.

  In 1846, a railroad line connecting Mansfield with the lake shore at Sandusky began operation. With the railroad, came industry. With the industry, came wave after wave of immigrants. Germans, followed by Irish, eastern Europeans, Italians and, from the American south, African-Americans, all looking for their own piece of the American dream.

  Mansfield became a center for the manufacture of steel, agricultural implements, stoves and later for washers, dryers, toasters and all manner of electrical appliances. As industries grew, the town grew. In the 1950’s General Motors opened a stamping plant in nearby Ontario. It was the crown jewel in the area’s industrial development.

  But as time passed, older factories like Westinghouse, Ohio Brass and Tappan were replaced by newer facilities in the American south or overseas. General Motors finally shut down in 2010, one of the last of the factories that had transformed Mansfield into an industrial powerhouse. But Mansfield is not without energy or hope. It is a city both proud of its past and confident of its future.

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  Mapp v. Ohio

  Lauren Kutik and Jacqueline McCloud

  In May 1957, Cleveland Police forced entry into Dollree Mapp's home without a warrant. They were looking for a bombing suspect and during the search found a gun, some policy (i.e., gambling) paraphernalia, and obscene literature. Though Mapp claimed that the illegal materials belonged to a former boarder, she was arrested on a felony charge for possession of obscene materials under the Ohio Revised Code section then in effect, which stated: "No person shall knowingly have in his possession or under his control an obscene, lewd or lascivious book, magazine, pamphlet, paper, writing, advertisement, circular, print, picture, photograph, or pictures and stories of immoral deeds, lust or crime." OHIO REV. CODE §§2905.34-.35 (Supp. 1958).

  The course of Mapp's defense, which successfully made its way to the Supreme Court of the United States, is notable because it changed as the case progressed. What began as a case about First Amendment rights, i.e. freedom of speech, became a case about Fourteenth Amendment rights, dealing with both the due process of law and equal protection. Yet, the case was ultimately resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court based on Fourth Amendment rights. The Court held that evidence obtained without a warrant could not be admitted at criminal proceedings.

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  Messing About in Boats: The Amazing Adventure of Robert Manry

  Cecilia Hartman

  On June 1, 1965 Robert Manry, a copy editor for the Plain Dealer and a Willowick, Ohio resident, left Falmouth, Massachusetts aboard his 13.5-foot sailboat, Tinkerbelle, to begin his voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. He arrived in Falmouth, England seventy-eight days later on August 17, 1965. At the time of the crossing Tinkerbelle was the smallest boat to have ever crossed the Atlantic.

  This website is a compilation of materials related to the events that led up to that journey, the trip itself and the events following. It includes an e-book version of Manry's book Tinkerbelle, approximately 150 photographs from the Cleveland Press and William Ashbolt collections, as well as editorial cartoons, excerpts from his log book, magazine articles and footage related to the journey.