Browse Exhibits (70 total)
The Shaker Heights Highway Fight
This exhibit analyzes the interconnectedness of the Doan Brook Watershed, Shaker Heights (Shaker Lakes), and the proposed Clark-Lee Highway of 1963. Three specific questions are posed through this exhibit: (1) Why is the Doan Brook Watershed important to Northeast Ohio? (2) What were the positive and negative implications of constructing the Clark-Lee Highway? (3) How did the Shaker community re-claim nature?
Dissection and analysis of primary and secondary sources show that the fight to block the construction of the Clark-Lee Highway through Shaker Heights was more than just the grassroots efforts of local garden clubs and their "tennis-shoe-wearing" members. At it's essence, this is a story of political power, social class, and how environmental issues became the crux of one community's struggle to stop urbanization.
Collinwood School Fire: March 4, 1908
The fire at Lake View Elementary School in Collinwood, Ohio on March, 4, 1908 cost the lives of 172 students, 2 teachers, and 1 rescuer. Though the school was newly constructed, the fire safety precautions of the time are thought to be the major contributors to the tremendous loss of life.
Tragedies like this often bring about change. The Collinwood School Fire, like the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in 1911, and the Cuyahoga River Fire in 1969 led to sweeping progressive reforms to prevent similar circumstances from happening, ultimately saving lives and improving urban enviornments.
Not only did the Collinwood School Fire take the lives of 175 people, it destroyed families, and ultimately cost the village of Collinwood its autonomy.
200 Years of the Ohio Canals
How the use of the canals has changed because of the industrial needs of Ohio and how that has also changed the landscape of Northeast Ohio.
You can view an interactive timeline and read the memories of Captain Pearl R. Nye.
With the completion of New York's Erie Canal in 1825 and as the canals opened in Ohio, Ohio became less isolated from the rest of the country. Prices for agricultural produce, wages and canal construction costs rose. For 25 years the canals were the principal means of transportation of both freight and passengers within Ohio.
Growth of The Cuyahoga River: The Ebb and Flow of the River
Cuyahoga River catches fire! Prior to the sixties incidents when the Cuyahoga burned, Cleveland was seen as a city on the move. Due in part to those incidents, however, Cleveland once again became the butt of the nation's jokes. The great demise of the Cuyahoga River began with the Europeans settling near it in the 1600 through the 1700's.The Cuyahoga River was known for its great game and great trading posts. This started the "end of innocence" for the river, making it more popular for industry.During the last 200 years, the river has changed dramatically. The northern part became the point of the river's settlement. It was a site for warehouses and its banks used for ship building. Pollution has been the main factor in the Cuyahoga River. It was very prevalent in the early 1800's as well as now. Industry and population have made the river become a "flowing dump". The Cuyahoga is by no means perfect, but is an example of what could be done to save a very important river.
Are We Being Attacked? The East Ohio Gas Co. Explosion
The East Ohio Gas Company Explosion and subsequent fire took place on Friday, 20 Oct. 1944, when a tank containing liquid natural gas equivalent to 90 million cubic feet exploded, setting off the most disastrous fire in Cleveland's history. This exhibit will focus on the impact of that event on the people and city of Cleveland.
Cleveland Central Market
The Cleveland Central Market played an important role in the history of Cleveland. The market created a space for people to sell their products. It also created a safe and controlled area to purchase food. The Central Market was very beneficial to the city but for most of its existence the market was seen as an eyesore. The city constantly fought to close the Central Market even though it was used by many people.
Cleveland National Air Races
The National Air Races came to Cleveland in 1929. From then on the city and its municipal airport experienced many benefits and growth. The races kicked off with a parade in 1929 and have become a tradition for the city. With the success of the National Air Races came much success for its Municipal Airport. Over time the success was so great that expansion of the Municipal Airport and the need for another airport to be built, Burke Lakefront Airport, came about.
The West Side Market
The West Side Market is Cleveland's single remaining public market. This market has provided Clevelanders with life's basic necessities since 1912, when it was erected to replace the Pearl Street Market which had become outdated. As a commercial center, the market has indeed demonstrated its ability to generate revenue while providing jobs and feeding a population. However it is quite evident that this market is cherished for reasons beyond just this.
The West Side Market is a Historic National Landmark and is one of the most prominent architectural structures in all of Cleveland. Along with this, the West Side Market is also a locus for social activity. This diverse institution continues to foster an unparalled social atmosphere between its' vendors and patrons. This is something which remains unmatched in any food distribution store. This particular public market is also cherished deeply for its investment in tradition and unwavering manner of operation. Most vendors prepare and sell their food in the very same way one would have found in the early 1900's.
In this exhibit we will explore the market's unique history, examine its survival in the midst of several threatening factors, and delve into its' significance to the surrounding community.
Lakeview Terrace: Democracity in Action
It was during the New Deal that the government, for the first time, began to take a direct role in the design and construction of housing for its citizens. The first three projects approved under this new policy were located in Cleveland, Ohio, with Lakeview Terrace being the last of the three original housing projects to be completed. Lakeview Terrace became, for a time, a symbol of enlightened modernity and its influence on urban planning reached far beyond the borders of Cleveland. The culmination of its influence may have been at the New York World's Fair that was held from 1939 until 1940. It has been recognized that world's fairs, by involvement with local planning agencies have evolved into planning mechanisms for development of new land, new communities, and civic improvement. It is very possible that this process was inverted at the 1939 New York World's Fair and that Lakeview Terrace had a strong influence on the planning of the Theme Center of the Fair.
Coal to Culture: Functions of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Railroad
The Cuyahoga Valley National Park Railroad began transporting freight and passengers from Canton to Cleveland in 1880. Approximately 1 million tons of freight was moved via the railroad every year.
Although the railroad has struggled to stay in existence, today the train still runs a route in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park that is used for leisure and education.
The scenic railroad offers various excursions and events for adults and children to enjoy the natural beauty of the park. The Railroad also offers numerous educational programs for schools.
Questions arise as to the purpose of the railroad and its lack of use to carry passengers and freight from Canton to Cleveland. Our society expects products and technology on demand.