Take A Look Back At Cleveland's Era Of Automobile Manufacturing Through These 11 Photos
×
Nikki Rhoades
Author
Detroit may be Motor City, but Cleveland has an identity that is intertwined with the automotive industry. Cleveland played a huge role in leading the nation to embrace the era of automobiles, thanks largely to the ingenuity of local residents. To this day, icons like the Guardians of Traffic remind us of our tie to the early automotive history… and, fortunately, much of this is also preserved in local museums like the Cleveland History Center. Though the Cleveland automotive industry may have taken on its own personality today, pictures preserve just how this explosive industry impacted the region in previous years. Check it out:
If you wanted to take a "short cut to big pay," you might consider going to "auto school." Students could work on real cars for roughly two months without any need for boring lectures or note-taking. At the end of the course, the young mechanics could work reasonable hours and make a more comfortable living. This particular group of students attended Auto School in January of 1919.
Cleveland's love of cars reached a peak in the 1950s and 1960s, as more people were buying cars than ever before. Local plants were bustling, and they'd continue to do so through the 1970s. Also bustling were local service centers. Do you remember Datsun cars, manufactured by Nissan? Between 1958 and 1986, these cars weren't uncommon in the American market.
Advertisement
Count your cash, because you could have owned a Winton Touring Car for only $3,000 back in the day. Alexander Winton came to the United States when he was barely an adult, and after a few years he settled in Cleveland at the age of 24. This sharp-minded man established the Winton Bicycle Co. in Cleveland. However, his heart was in the automobile industry. After establishing the Winton Motor Carriage Co., Winton himself set on on a nine-day journey to New York City. This 800-mile trek from Cleveland proved the reliability of his car to investors. After this, he'd sell the first American-made standard-model gasoline automobile and make a shorter five-day drive between the two cities. The age of this ad is not specified, although the car it displays was produced toward the end of Winton's era of automobile production, as it produced its first six-cylinder car in 1908.
Advertisement
Did you know that Cleveland hosted its own World's Fair in the 1930s? The Great Lakes Exposition offered the city an opportunity to showcase local thinkers as well as international achievements... something that international exhibitions of the era loved to do. The White Motor Company was one of many local brands to flex its muscles at this summertime event, having just re-established its identity following a temporary merger with Studebaker. Eventually, its locals plants would assist with the manufacture of military vehicles during World War II.
Cars require fuel to run, and this is a fact that was every bit as true decades ago. What has clearly changed, however, is the size of standard gas stations. You can see what appears to be just two gas pumps in front of the building on the left. How many locally manufactured vehicles do you think fueled up at this gas station in Lake County?
Related Stories
The Magnificent Countryside Airbnb Near Cleveland That Is Perfect For A Spring Retreat
This Enchanting Garden Restaurant In Cleveland Will Transport You To Another World
Huge Things Actually Happened In These 5 Small Towns Near Cleveland
During the 1950s, the nation's leading auto brands set their sights on Cleveland. Ford established local plants as well as a Brook Park foundry. In this image, engines should be in production... however, machinery is motionless due to a strike.
To be fair, this image was not taken in Cleveland... however, it was too cool to not include in this article. Pictured here is famous Clevelander and Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens. According to sources from the era, Adolf Hitler was infuriated by Owens' success, as he had hoped that German athletes would dominate the games. While making an impression on Nazi Germany was certainly one of Owens' most incredible accomplishments, he first came into the national spotlight when setting records at East Technical High School in Cleveland. Owens also worked in the employment division for Ford Motor Co.
Unfortunately for the White Motor Company, sales plummeted during the Great Depression... a reality that impacted many industries. In the half-decade following the moment this image was snapped, workers would go on strike and Robert Fager Black was appointed President of White Motors. Black provided baseball equipment to the strikers and would frequently talk to them, welcoming anyone into his office for a human-to-human conversation. He learned people's names and connected with customers, eventually empowering the company to bounce back from its Depression-era decline by the time World War II was in swing.
Advertisement
Local plants and factories didn't just give area adults a source of income... it also benefited local youth. Here, General Motor Chevrolet Division Plant Manager
Howard E. Holmes presented a $15,000 check to the Lake Erie Girl Scout Camp Development Fund. Marilyn Duffy accepts the check while Molly Donley (left) and Rozelle Hill (center) look on.
The Fisher Body plants in Cleveland and Euclid had the capacity to turn out hundreds of car bodies each day thanks to its ingenious assembly lines. The Cleveland Fisher Body Division on Coit Road was closed in 1982, and the Euclid plant on Euclid Avenue closed its doors in 1993.
Believe it or not, there was a time when Cleveland's streets were lined with both cars and carriages... as well as horse doo-doo and exhaust fumes. It would take decades after the introduction of the car before roadways would enter a "horseless age."
The Cleveland automotive industry has changed significantly over the years, but it remains a fascinating aspect of our identity as a community. From providing jobs to revolutionizing how we go about our daily lives, the automotive industry in Cleveland is a tale that grows more fascinating with time.
Did you or a family member work at a local car factory or service center back in the day? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.