Cleveland is rich with historical significance.
Alcoholics Anonymous. During the 1930s, Robert Smith founded a support group for alcoholics in Akron with his acquaintance Bill Wilson; it grew into Alcoholics Anonymous.
Sara Lucy Bagby. Sara Lucy Bagby, a slave who had escaped to Cleveland, was the last person in the US forced to return to slavery in the South under the Fugitive Slave Act.
Cardinal Mindszenty Plaza. The leader of the Catholic Church in Hungary from 1945-1973 and uncompromising opponent of fascism and communism visited Cleveland in 1974.
Charles Young. Charles Young was the third African-American graduate of West Point, the first black U.S. national park superintendent, first black military attaché, first black to achieve the rank of colonel, and highest-ranking black officer in the Regular Army.
The Cleveland Agreement. The Cleveland Agreement was the first major declaration of cooperation between Czechs and Slovaks in the US to support an independent Czechoslovakia. It was approved at the conference of the Slovak League of America and the Czech National Association in 1915 at the Bohemian National Hall on Broadway.
Cleveland Fire Fighters Memorial. Next to Cleveland Browns Stadium, this monument is to honor those firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Collinwood School Fire. 175 people lost their lives in the fire, making it the greatest loss of life in a fire of this type in a school in the United States to that date.
Cozad-Bates House. Part of the Underground Railroad to help slaves get to Canada.
First Modern Presidential Campaign. Republican US Senator Marcus Hanna from Ohio is credited with the invention of the modern presidential campaign. Used his money and business skills to successfully manage William McKinley’s presidential campaigns in 1896 and 1900.
Flag of Cleveland. Did you know that Cleveland has its own flag? The Flag of Cleveland consists of three vertical stripes, of equal width, in red, white and blue respectively. The center white stripe bears the American shield with the word “Cleveland” across its center, and the year 1796 in red, at its base, surrounded by a laurel wreath.
Oberlin–Wellington Slave Rescue of 1858. John Price was an escaped slave who was arrested in Oberlin, Ohio under the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. A group of men, both white and black and many from Oberlin, swarmed the hotel to rescue runaway slave John Price. The group returned Price to Oberlin where they hid him and then took Price to Canada. The events and trial received national attention, and kept the issue of slavery at the forefront of debate.
President James Garfield. The 20th president of the US, Garfield was from Cleveland and assassinated in office. The tomb of President Garfield is located inside a huge (180′ high) memorial at Lake View Cemetery that includes a 12′ tall marble statue of President Garfield.
Gray’s Armory. Grays Armory is a historic building in Cleveland that was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It was built by the Cleveland Grays, a private military company which was founded in 1837. It is one of the oldest standing buildings in downtown Cleveland.
Group Plan of Cleveland. The earliest and the most fully realized plan for a major city outside of Washington, D.C. and remains one of the best extant examples of the City Beautiful Movement
Hulett machine. The Hulett machine revolutionized iron ore shipment on the Great Lakes. It was recognized as “Historic Mechanical Landmarks” by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Hungarian Freedom Fighter. The young freedom fighter in the statue is holding a Hungarian Flag with the symbol of the Soviet Union cut out – symbolizing the anti-Communist revolution.
Maine Memorial. Remember the Maine! This relic from the USS Maine which mysteriously blew up and led to the Spanish–American War is in Slavic Village.
President William McKinley. The 25th President of the US was assassinated six months into his second term. McKinley led the nation to victory in the Spanish–American War which yielded Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. He was very closely tied to Canton Ohio, just south of Cleveland.
Mormon Church headquarters. Between 1831 and 1838, Joseph Smith and early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints established Church headquarters in Kirtland, built a temple, and laid a foundation of strength for the future.
Rear Admiral Kidd Historical Marker. Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. Kidd was killed on the bridge of the USS Arizona (BB-39) during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The highest ranking casualty at Pearl Harbor, he became the first U.S. Navy flag officer killed in action in World War II as well as the first killed in action against any foreign enemy.
Republican National Convention of 1880. It took 36 ballots! Senator-elect James Garfield from Cleveland gave the presidential nomination speech for Secretary of the Treasury John Sherman. When neither Sherman nor his rivals – Ulysses S. Grant and James G. Blaine – could get enough votes to secure the nomination, delegates chose Garfield as a compromise on the 36th ballot!
Republican National Convention of 1924 in Cleveland. The GOP nominated President Calvin Coolidge who took over for Warren Harding when he died. This was the first GOP convention to give women equal representation and the first to broadcast its proceedings through radio.
Republican National Convention of 1936 in Cleveland. The GOP nominated Alf Landon to run against the popular FDR. This convention was seen as moving Black voters from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.
Shaker Gristmill. This marker of the Shaker Gristmill site commemorates a 5-story gristmill created by the Shaker community. The Shaker community, which practiced celibacy, eventually dwindled.
Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument. The 125’ Cuyahoga County Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument is a monument on Public Square to Civil War soldiers and sailors from Cuyahoga County.
Spirit of ’76 Painting. The Spirit of ‘76, depicting a flag bearer, drummer boy, and fifer marching across a battlefield during the American Revolution, is perhaps the most famous painting produced in Cleveland. It hangs in City Hall.
Steamship William G. Mather. “The Ship That Built Cleveland” is a retired Great Lakes bulk freighter now restored as a museum ship just next to the Great Lakes Science Center in Lake Erie.
Amasa Stone. Amasa Stone was an American engineer, bridge builder, and railroad owner. He was a friend of Abraham Lincoln, colleague of John D. Rockefeller and his gift led to the foundation of what became known as Case Western Reserve University.
Carl Stokes. Carl Stokes was the first black elected mayor of a major U.S. city.
Sun Yat-sen in Cleveland. The first president and founding father of the Republic of China, visited Cleveland in 1911 and his statue is in Old Chinatown.
Terry Stop – Landmark Stop and Frisk Case. In the US, a “Terry stop” is a brief detention of a person by police on reasonable suspicion of involvement in criminal activity but short of probable cause to arrest. The landmark Supreme Court decision is based on a 1963 incident with Cleveland Police Detective Martin McFadden on a street corner at 1276 Euclid Avenue.
Thomas Edison. Born just west of Cleveland, Edison’s GE bought Cleveland’s National Electric Lamp Company.
Underground Railroad in Hudson. Hudson was founded by Abolitionists who formed an Underground Railroad station in the city just south of Cleveland. John Brown who led the raid on Harper’s Ferry leading to the Civil War came from Hudson.
Coming Soon
- City Club
- Euclid Beach
- Lakeview Cemetery
- Notorious – Anthony Sowell, Ariel Castro, Danny Greene
- President Garfield
- Sam Shepherd
- Soldiers and Sailors
- and many more
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