"Mistake on the Lake? You be the Judge!" Top 5 Page for this destination Cleveland by CoAir13

Cleveland Travel Guide: 604 reviews and 886 photos

Downtown - From West Bank of the Cuyahoga River

Western Reserve

Cleveland was the first settlement founded in the Connecticut Western Reserve (the Western Reserve is the land that is now referred to as Northeast Ohio. In 1662, a royal charter granted all of the land from the Eastern border of Pennsylvania to the Western sea - now the Pacific Ocean - to Connecticut. After the Revolutionary War, most states gave up their western lands received under old royal charters. Connecticut insisted on keeping this part of Northeast Ohio, becoming "Connecticut Western Reserve" until it was sold to a group of investors for $1.2 million in 1795).
It was named after General Moses Cleaveland and because of a spelling error on a map, it became known as "Cleveland". The first survey of the area was completed in 1796, but lots were hard to sell because they were being sold for $50. As late as 1800, a company representative reported only 3 men lived in Cleveland. Ten years later...there were only 57 residents. The population didn't grow until after the War of 1812, when the threat of Native American attacks diminished and money was being invested in the harbor (Lake Erie) and roads. During the 1820's the city experienced a population boom due to new forms of transportation which connected Cleveland with other parts of Ohio as well as the East Coast. The Erie Canal connected Cleveland with the Atlantic Ocean and the Ohio & Erie Canal connected it with the Ohio River in the South. In the 1850's, railroads were connecting Cleveland with the rest of the country and within 40 years, the population grew from under 1,000 to more than 40,000.

Cuyahoga River

Cuyahoga Today

In the early part of the 1900's, John D. Rockefeller made it possible for oil companies to call Cleveland home. Oil refineries were a big business here. A dirty river was a "sign of prosperity".
In June 1969, the Cuyahoga River caught fire. This wasn't the first time, but it was the most famous. There was so much oil in it, it was flammable and at this time was considered to be a "dead" river, meaning there was no oxygen in it to sustain plant and animal life.
Since then, the Cuyahoga has made a remarkable recovery. In 1972, the Clean Water Act set forth regulations regarding what could and could not be dumped in the river. It is known as a success story and sets an example for other polluted rivers.

Downtown from Edgewater Park

Pros and Cons

Pros:Low cost of living...
Cons:Where shall I begin.....

Intro Updated Oct 29, 2006
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Reviews (47)

Ecclectic American-Italian Restaurants (7)

Set in the trendy Tremont neighborhood in a nondescript "house" on a corner, Fat Cats is, by far, a Cleveland favorite.... more travel advice

Crawford Auto/Aviation Museum Things to Do (17)

This museum exhibits more than 130 antique and classic automobiles, motorcycles, and aircraft. It is part of the Western... more travel advice

Children's Museum of Cleveland Things to Do (17)

The target audience is 18 mos. to 7 years, but can be anjoyed by all. A favorite is the permanent water exhibit in which... more travel advice

James A. Garfield Monument/Tomb - Cleveland

James A. Garfield Monument/Tomb Off The Beaten Path (7)

James A. Garfield was the 20th President of the United States. He was born November 19, 1831 near Orange, Ohio. He... more travel advice

Travelogues (5)

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Comments (68)

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Nemorino Dec 13, 2008 at 8:16 AM

Happy birthday, Jen. I've just been looking through your many updates to this page since my last visit on Dec. 22, 2005. Over here Cleveland is known for Severence Hall & the Cleveland Orchestra, but not much else. Nice to see there are other attractions.
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Razmataac Sep 10, 2008 at 4:56 PM

Ohh, I see what you mean. Let's hope it doesn't get to that.
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nora_south_africa Apr 8, 2008 at 12:56 PM

great tips love the birds..at zoo
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RickinDutch Dec 13, 2007 at 9:53 AM

Spent spring break in Cleveland when my HS sweetheart moved there many years ago. Looks a lot better. Birthday greetings from Alaska!
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emilienoelle Oct 9, 2007 at 6:25 PM

I bet they make PINK Indians hats, too. Oh and I just got Red Sox earrings for the playoffs, but they're not PINK.
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Imaniac Apr 1, 2007 at 11:14 AM

Oh %@#@ that, I don't swear !!!
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mvtouring Feb 25, 2007 at 9:34 PM

excellent page, was really nice to read ;-)
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goingsolo Sep 28, 2006 at 5:36 PM

I liked Cleveland. Then again, I only visited Cuyahoga Falls really. Looks like there's a lot to do here. And some great drinking spots. :)
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Tom_In_Madison Sep 21, 2006 at 4:32 PM

Ouch! You weren't kidding about your town! But I did find some nice things here....cheers :)
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Kaspian Sep 6, 2006 at 12:53 PM

Hahaha... Of course I do. You asked for a nanny, I wondered if *that* type of err... feeding was a prerequiste.