History of Cleveland

Cleveland has a proud history more than 200 years in the making
General Moses Cleaveland founded the City of Cleveland in 1796. The name changed to its current spelling in 1831 when the "a" was dropped in order to fit the city's name on a newspaper masthead. Originally a frontier village, Cleveland grew into a manufacturing and business center for northern Ohio. Today, the city is headquarters for both manufacturing and service industries, as well as a growing tourism and convention destination. It is the 16th largest metro area and 15th largest consumer market in the United States with 2.9 million residents in Greater Cleveland metro and nearly 500,000 in the City of Cleveland, making it the 30th largest city in the country.

For more Cleveland History, visit the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History and the Cleveland Memory Project.

Cleveland Timeline

1796 - July 22. U.S. General Moses Cleaveland from the Connecticut Land Company surveys the Western Reserve. 3.3 million-acre piece of land on the shores of Lake Erie is called the "Western Reserve."

1797 - May 2. Lorenzo Carter arrives at original town site as the city's first permanent settler. Built a log cabin on the East Bank of the Cuyahoga River that also served as the village's jail and inn.

1802 - First census of Cleaveland Township shows 76 males over the age of 21.

1809 - George Peake arrives in what is now Lakewood/Rocky River, Ohio as the area's first African American settler.

1813 - Cleaveland begins to develop into a port city. Walk-in-the-Water, the first steamship on Lake Erie serves Cleaveland.

1814 - December 23. Cleaveland receives its charter as a village. Lorenzo Carter dies.

1820 - Population of Cleaveland is 606 people. The population of Cuyahoga County is 6,328.

1825 - Construction on the Ohio and Erie Canal begins.

1831 - January 6. The Cleveland Advertiser changes the spelling of the village's name to Cleveland, dropping the first "a" in order to fit the General's name upon the newspaper masthead.

1832 - Ohio and Erie Canal completed to the Ohio River.

1836 - Cleveland incorporated as an official city. John Willey elected first mayor of Cleveland.

1842 - January 7. The Cleveland Plain Dealer begins publication.

1850 - Population of Cleveland is 17,034 people. The population of Cuyahoga County is 48,099.

1853 - April 9. The Aliened-American, the first African American newspaper, begins publication.

1855 - The Sault Canal opens and the arrival of railroad strengthens Cleveland as a transportation center.

1863 - July 1. First home delivery of mail takes place. First mailman's uniform is created by Joseph Briggs.

1868 - September 6. First "blow" of Bessemer steel made at the Cleveland Rolling Mills.

1869 - First professional baseball game in Cleveland played by the Forest City team. Cleveland Public Library established. Lake View Cemetery opens.

1870 - January 10. Standard Oil Company established by John D. Rockefeller. February 3. Sherwin Williams Company established. Cleveland's population - 92,829 (15th largest city in nation).

1879 - April 29. First electric streetlight installed on Public Square by Charles F. Brush. Forest City, Cleveland's professional baseball team, joins the National League.

1884 - July 26. First electric streetcar run in the city.

1888 - Statue of Moses Cleaveland dedicated on Public Square.

1890 - Cleveland is the 10th largest city in the nation with a population of 261,353 people. The Arcade, the nation's first indoor shopping center, opens. First cable cars run in Cleveland.

1891 - May 1. League Park opens. Life Savers candy is created.

1894 - Soldiers and Sailors Monument dedicated on Public Square.

1901 - The Cleveland Blues, predecessor to the Cleveland Indians, are established as a charter member of the new American League. Tom L. Johnson elected mayor of Cleveland. Serves four terms (1901 - 1909) and helps Cleveland gain its reputation as a reform city.

1915 - Playhouse Settlement, forerunner to Karamu House, is found by Russel and Rowena Jelliffe.

1916 - Cleveland museum of Art opens. First production by the Cleveland Play House.

1917 - Cleveland Metroparks created.

1918 - December 11. The world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra performs its first concert.

1920 - Cleveland is the 5th largest city in the nation with a population of 796, 841 people. The Cleveland Indians win their first World Series.

1925 - Cleveland Airport (now Cleveland Hopkins International Airport) opens. Shaker Square, nation's second oldest outdoor shopping center, opens.

1931 - Cleveland Municipal Stadium opens with the Schmeling-Stribling boxing match. Severance Hall dedicated.

1933 - Clevelanders Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster create the comic book character Superman.

1935 - Elliott Ness becomes Safety Director of Cleveland.

1936 - Clevelander, Jesse Owens wins four gold medals at Berlin Olympics. Cleveland Barons hockey team established.

1937 - Cleveland Rams begin play in the National Football League (NFL).

1945 - Cleveland Rams win NFL championship then move to Los Angeles.

1946 - Cleveland Browns begin play in new All-American Football Conference (AAFC). Win all four championship titles in conference history. (1946-1949).

1948 - Cleveland Indians win their second World Series.

1950 - Cleveland Browns join the NFL and win the NFL championship. Browns also win titles in 1954-1955 and 1964 (their last NFL title). Cleveland's population reaches 914,808 (highest ever).

1952 - Alan Freed, Cleveland radio deejay, coins the term "Rock n' Roll." First rock n' roll concert, The Moondog Coronation Ball, is held in Cleveland.

1967 - Carl B. Stokes elected mayor of Cleveland. He is the first African American mayor of a major U.S. city.

1970 - Cleveland Cavaliers enter the National Basketball Association (NBA) as an expansion team.

1978 - December 15. Cleveland suffers financial default. The beginning of Cleveland's comeback.

1982 - 45-story Sohio (BP Building) breaks ground on Public Square.

1986 - Cleveland selected as site of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

1987 - Cleveland emerges from default.

1990 - March 29. The Avenue at Tower City Center opens.

1991 - Key Tower is completed on Public Square. At 948 feet, it is the tallest building between New York City and Chicago.

1993 - Cleveland named All-American City for fifth time. All-American City in 1949, 1982, 1984, 1986.

1994 - Gateway Sports Entertainment Complex (Jacobs Field and Gund Arena) opens.

1995 - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opens. Cleveland Indians win their first American League pennant in 41 years and make their 4th World Series appearance. Cleveland Browns play their last game in Cleveland and move to Baltimore.

1996 - Cleveland celebrates its Bicentennial. Great Lakes Science Center opens.

1997 - Cleveland Indians win the American League pennant and return to the World Series. Cleveland hosts the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

1999 - August 21. The new Cleveland Browns Stadium opens with the historic return of the Cleveland Browns.

2001 - Cleveland Indians set a Major League record by selling out 455 consecutive games.

2002 - Cleveland citizens elect Jane L. Campbell as the first female mayor of Cleveland.

2005 - Gund Arena (home of the Cleveland Cavaliers) is renamed Quicken Loans Arena.

2006 - The Economist names Cleveland one of "America's Most Liveable Cities" and "The Best City for Business Meetings in the Continental U.S."

2007 - The American Public Transportation Association names Cleveland's mass transit system the best in North America. Cleveland Chef Michael Symon is named "Iron Chef" by the Food Network.

2008 - Cleveland RTA completes the evironmentally friendly rapid transit "Healthline" which runs along Euclid Avenue from downtown through University Circle. Jacob's Field (home of the Cleveland Indians) is renamed Progressive Field and ranked as Major League Baseball's "Best Ballpark" by a Sports Illustrated fan poll.

2009 - Cleveland once again hosts the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Cleveland's signature cultural event, "Parade the Circle" celebrates its 20th anniversary. Positively Cleveland, one of the nation's longest running convention and visitors bureaus, turns 75.

Cleveland Firsts

From the extraordinary to the commonplace, many innovations recognized around the world had their genesis in Cleveland. Here are just a few of the inventions created by Clevelanders:

U.S. newspaper for African Americans (The Aliened American) - William Howard Day - 1853

Free home delivery of mail and first mailman's uniform - Joseph Briggs - 1862

Electric streetlight and electric streetcar - Charles F. Brush - 1879

Indoor shopping center (The Arcade) - 1890

LifeSavers candy - Clarence Crane - 1891

Padded bicycle seat - Arthur Lovett Garford - 1892

Whole-body scanner and x-ray machine - Dayton C. Miller (Case School of Applied Science) - 1896

Modern golfball - Cobuern Haskell, Joseph Mitchell, Bertram Work - 1899

American League baseball team (Cleveland Indians) - 1901

American-made standard gasoline automobile - 1898 and American Diesel engine - 1913 - Alexander Winston

Ongoing forum for free speech (The City Club of Cleveland) - 1912

African American Cultural Center (Karamu House) - 1915

Gas mask - Garret A. Morgan - 1916

Automatic windshield wiper - Fred & William H. Folberth - 1921

Municipal airport (Cleveland Hopkins International Airport) -1925 and air-traffic control tower - 1927

Superman comic - Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster - 1933

Public housing - Earnest Bohn - 1960s

U.S. college to admit students regardless of race, sex, creed or color (Oberlin College) - 1834

The phrase "Rock 'n' Roll" - Alan Freed - 1952

Rock and Roll concert (Moondog Coronation Ball) - 1952

African-American mayor of a major city (Carl Stokes) - 1967

Rapid transit rail service from airport to downtown - Greater Cleveland Rapid Transit Authority - 1968

NFL "Monday Night Footbal" game (Cleveland Municipal Stadium with the Cleveland Browns defeating the New York Jets, 31-20) - 1970

The first city to be awarded five All-American City Awards (1949, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1994)

Famous Clevelanders

Halle Berry (born August 15, 1968) - Actress/producer - Appeared in "Jungle Fever," "Bullworth" and "Die Another Day." She won a Golden Globe, Emmy, SAG and NAACP Image Award for "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge." She is the first African American actress to win the Oscar for best actress in "Monster's Ball."

Drew Carey (born May 23, 1958) - Creator/producer and star of ABC-TV's "The Drew Carey Show" and host of "The Price is Right"

Ben Curtis - Graduate of Kent State University and the 2003 PGA British Open Champion

Dorothy Dandridge (born November 9, 1922) - Actress - First African American woman to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress

Phil Donahue (born December 21, 1935) - Talk show host and winner of 19 Daytime Emmys

Alan Freed (born December 15, 1922) - D.J. who coined the phrase "Rock n' Roll"

Arsenio Hall (born February 12, 1955) - Comedian/Actor - The first African American host of a national televised late night talk show

Bob Hope (born May 29, 1903) - Actor/Comedian - Winner of 5 Special and Honorary Oscars

Sammy Kaye (born March 13, 1910) - Band leader - Kaye had more than 100 hit records from 1937-1953

Don King - Boxing promoter

Henry Mancini (born April 16, 1924) - Composer of "Moon River," "The Pink Panther" and many more memorable melodies. Winner of 20 Grammys and four Oscars

Toni Morrison (born February 18, 1931) - Winner of 1993 Nobel Prize for literature

Paul Newman (born January 26, 1925) - Actor, director, race car driver and Oscar Winner for Best Actor in "The Color of Money"

The O'Jays (Eddie Levert & Walter Williams) - Popular R&B group with hits "Back Stabbers," "Love Train," "For The Color of Money," and "Use ta be My Girl"

Jerry Siegel (born October 17, 1914) & Joe Shuster (born July 10, 1914) - Creators of Superman

Molly Shannon (born September 15, 1965) - Actress and castalumni member on NBC's Saturday Night Live

Joe Walsh (born November 20, 1947) - Singer, songwriter, guitarist and member of the "James Gang" and the "Eagles"

Ray Anthony, Musician

Jim Backus, Actor

Bobby Womack, Musician and Rock Hall inductee

Jim Brown, Football player/actor

Traci Chapman, Singer/songwriter

Tim Conway, Comedian/actor

Wes Craven, Film director

Ruby Dee, Actress

Mike Douglas, Talk Show host/actor

Joseph Eaton, Founder Eaton Corp.

Bob Feller, Baseball player

Dorothy Fuldheim, Reporter/newscaster

James A Garfield, 20th US President

Lillian Gish, Actress

Joel Grey, Dancer/actor

Margaret Hamilton, Actress

Steve Harvey, Comedian/actor

Patricia Heaton, Actress

John Heisman, Football player/coach

Anne Heche, Actress

Langston Hughes, Poet

Ross Hunter, Movie producer

Burgess Meredith, Actor

Jesse Owens, Olympic track star

Monica Potter, Actress

John D. Rockefeller, Standard Oil founder

Henry Sherwin, Founder, Sherwin Williams

Don Shula, Football coach

Tris Speaker, Baseball player

George Steinbrenner III, Former owner, NY Yankees

Carl Stokes, First African American mayor

Vernon Souffer, Founder, Stouffer Foods

Archibald Willard Artist, painted "Spirit of '76"

Tom Wilson, Cartoonist, Ziggy/Calvin & Hobbes

Debra Winger, Actress

Cy Young, Baseball player

Cleveland in the Movies

Did you know that Greater Cleveland is a prime location for major motion pictures? Numerous movies have been filmed in Cleveland Plus, including The Deer Hunter, The Fortune Cookie, A Christmas Story, Light of Day, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Antwone Fisher, Major League, Shawshank Redemption, Men In Black, Double Dragon, Air Force One, Proximity, American Splendor, Welcome to Collinwood and Spiderman 3.