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| Cleveland Apartment Locator Services : Cleveland Apartments |  | Contents | |
| History |
| The city obtained its name on July 22, 1796 when
surveyors of the Connecticut Land Company named an area in Ohio
"Cleaveland" after Gen. Moses Cleaveland, the superintendent
of the surveying party, a month after white settlers had signed
a treaty with local Native Americans to acquire the land. Cleaveland
laid out the plan for the modern Public Square area before returning
home. He never visited the area again. The spelling of the city's
name was later changed to "Cleveland" when, in 1831,
an "a" was dropped so the name could fit a newspaper's
masthead. |
| Though not initially apparent - the city was surrounded by
swampland and the harsh winters did not encourage settlement
- the location proved providential. The city began to grow rapidly
after the completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal in 1832, turning
the city into a key link between the Ohio River and the Great
Lakes, and particularly once the city railroad links were added.
In 1837, the city, then located on the eastern banks of the
Cuyahoga River, nearly erupted into open warfare with neighboring
Ohio City, Ohio (since annexed) over a bridge connecting the
two. As a half-way point for iron ore coming from Minnesota
across the Great Lakes and for coal and other raw materials
coming by rail from the south, the site flourished. Cleveland
also enjoyed its position as the major break-in-bulk center
for Ohio. |
Key Tower n downtown Cleveland |
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Downtown Cleveland,
Ohio, in winter, from the air. The Cuyahoga River winds
through the flats. December 1937. |
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| Cleveland became one of the major manufacturing and population
centers of the United States, home of numerous major steel firms.
Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller made his fortune there.
By 1920, it was the 5th largest city in the country. The city
was also one of the centers of the national progressive movement,
locally headed by Mayor Tom L. Johnson. |
| The city experienced a downturn in the post-World War II period,
as heavy industries slumped and residents sought new housing
in the suburbs; see white flight. The city witnessed racial
unrest in the 1960s, culminating in riots in Hough 1965 and
Glenville 1968. The city's nadir is often considered to be its
default on its loans on December 15, 1978, when under young
Mayor Dennis Kucinich it became the first major American city
to enter default since the Great Depression. Kucinich's administration
claimed that the city had been forced into default by local
banks and a local electric provider who attempted to force the
city to sell off Cleveland Public Power, the small city-owned
electric utility. |
| The metropolitan area began a recovery thereafter under Mayors
George Voinovich and Michael White. Redevelopment within the
city limits has been strongest in the downtown area near the
Gateway complex - consisting of Jacobs Field and Gund Arena
- and near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Cleveland Browns
Stadium. Many of the inner-city residential neighborhoods remain
troubled, and the public school system continues to experience
serious problems despite the highest level of per-student funding
in the state. Economic development, retention of young professionals,
and capitalizing upon its Lake Erie waterfront are current municipal
priorities. |
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