History of Cleveland, OH
The first settler landed on the banks of the Cuyahoga River in 1797. Within five years, there were 100 people calling the area home. Fur trappers, farmers, and even a few store owners started moving in and setting up businesses. The businesses grew as ships came in and the docks became a hub of activity for the area. The village of Cleaveland wasn't incorporated until 1814. The extra a was dropped from Cleaveland and it turned to Cleveland because there was only a limited number of spaces on a newspaper header at the time. So, in 1831, Cleveland was the new way to spell the city's name. When the Ohio and Erie Canal was completed in 1832, then the area began to grow by leaps and bounds. The city of Cleveland became incorporated in 1836 and had a population of close to 18,000 people. The lakefront helped the city grow to industrial prominence. Coal was shipped up from the mines in Pennsylvania and loaded on boats headed to Minnesota or back out around the St. Lawrence seaway and down the East Coast. Steel from the plants in Pennsylvania and Ohio were also loaded on steamers that docked in Cleveland. Since Cleveland is halfway between the end destination of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence seaway opening in to the Atlantic Ocean, it was a hub for shipping activity. Automobiles, livestock, timber, building materials and even machinery parts were sent from the docks in Cleveland. Since shipping was so close, manufacturers set up shop within the limits of Cleveland. There was car manufacturers such as Jordan, Peerless, Winton and even People's. The most famous company to come out of this era was probably Standard Oil, created by John D. Rockefeller. The company headquarters were later moved to New York. Another famous company out of Cleveland was the Sherwin Williams paint company. Lifesavers Candies were also produced within Cleveland's city limits. In 1888, the first electric street car carried riders up and down the streets of the city in a faster and more efficient method. Industry continued to grow and develop many new products within the manufacturing industry. An exposition center called the Great Lakes Exposition was built in honor of the city's 100th anniversary in 1936. These grounds on the shore of Lake Erie drew millions of visitors annually and helped the slumping economy once manufacturing of the Industrial Revolution died down. This land is now home to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, the Great Lakes Science Center and an airport. The 1960s were rough for Cleveland as unemployment grew as well as racial uprisings. There were race riots in the 1960s and even in to the early 1970s. Cleveland has worked hard to clean up its image, gain manufacturers back to the city and remain one of the largest cities in Ohio and the United States. Cleveland is also important to the medical research community and holds some of the most renowned clinics for diseases in the US.
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