13 Rare Photos From Cleveland That Will Take You Straight To The Past
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Nikki Rhoades
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In July of 1796, Moses Cleaveland and a team of surveyors arrived at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River to begin establishing a settlement in the Connecticut Western Reserve. There, they established the settlement of Cleaveland, which was later renamed to Cleveland in 1831. With such a lengthy history, it should be no surprise that our predecessors have left us an interesting array of artifacts related to local history. Some of the most prized artifacts are preserved in pictures, and this collection of vintage photos will absolutely take you back in time.
In 1863, the 127th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry was the first complete African-American regiment in Ohio. During this organization’s service in the Civil War, 81 men died on the battlefield. More than double that amount succumbed to disease or died in accidents.
James A Garfield purchased this charming Mentor home in 1876, and he immediately added on 11 additional rooms. This photo was taken circa 1914, when First Lady Lucretia Garfield was still living in the home.
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This building had already aged when it was photographed in 1918 - it was built in 1881, and was one of the first colleges in the state to admit African-American students. It originally opened in 1882 as Western Reserve College, but was later renamed for the son of American Industrialist Amasa Stone, who donated to the institution. Today, Adelbert Hall looks somewhat different thanks to a fire in the 1990s that caused the building to undergo restoration.
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The National Air Races first came to Cleveland in 1929 and featured closed-course races and cross-country races. One cross-country race, the Powder Puff Race, brought Amelia Earhart to Cleveland. The wildly successful air race returned to Cleveland 11 more times, until 1949 when a WWII fighter plane crashed into a Berea home and resulted in three casualties. This photo comes from 1937, years before Cleveland-area municipalities passed laws prohibiting races in their airspace.
During its operation, eight strikes would affect the Cleveland streetcar system. In this image, young boys obstruct tracks with a large tree stump.
Alfred Boisseau was born in Paris in 1823, where he first found his love of painting and photography. He moved to the United States when he was in his 20s, and he would eventually make a living as a daguerreotypist, which involved developing photos using mercury vapor. This photo was taken in 1856, four years into Boisseau’s Cleveland career.
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Hall of Famer Joe Guyon is a reminder that the first Cleveland team in what would become the NFL was actually called the Cleveland Indians. It was short-lived, though, only operating from 1916 to 1921.
What we affectionately call "The Rapids" today actually has a long and fascinating history. It is descended from the Cleveland Interurban Railroad and the municipally-owned Shaker Heights Rapid Transit, which connected Shaker Heights with Downtown Cleveland. The former project was spearheaded by the Van Sweringen brothers, who founded Shaker Heights in the early 1900s and wanted to use transportation make the suburb more appealing. They would go on to construct the Cleveland Union Terminal in 1930, solidifying the role the railway would play in Cleveland. When the Regional Transit Authority was formed in the 1970s, the original Shaker Heights Rapid Transit lines became today’s Blue Line and Green Line.
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Do you recognize this street? On this June day in 1973, drivers stopped on East 9th Street watch as pedestrians scurry past traffic.
Built in 1885, this luxury hotel was the most glamorous hotel in Cleveland. With over 1,000 rooms featuring mahogany fittings and fireproof construction, it had a reputation of attracting celebrities. It was demolished in 1962, and its lot would eventually become the site of the Fifth Third Center Skyscraper.
Public Square has an extensive history serving as a hub of Cleveland activity. In this picture, traffic buzzes past a 55-year-old Old Federal Building and Post Office, which was one of the first Cleveland buildings constructed under the 1903 Group Plan, a response to the City Beautiful urban planning movement.
After experiencing the crowds that came with the 2016 Republican National Convention, it should come as no surprise that the first Republican convention held in Cleveland also drew thousands of curious spectators into the streets. Here, at the Public Auditorium, an interested crowd listens to the speeches broadcast over horn loudspeakers.
Back in the day, there was an amusement park at Euclid Beach. It was meant to be a respectable destination for families, and Dudley S Humphrey attracted them by waiving admission fees when he purchased the park in 1901. Though it closed in 1969, you can still enjoy the flavors of Euclid Beach popcorn by picking up a Humphrey Company popcorn ball.
Photos from “back in the day” prove that Cleveland has always been a hub of activity and life. Do you have any historic pictures of Cleveland or its residents? Upload your vintage pictures below!
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