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Images of America: Ohio
Cleveland's Flats
Cleveland is home to many fascinating neighborhoods and districts. Perhaps the most intriguing, however, is an area known as the Flats. Typically, the term "Flats" refers to the northern portion of the Cuyahoga River Valley. The Cuyahoga River ceases to be the idyllic flow of water seen to the south of Cleveland as it approaches the city's steel mills. The river is more man-made than natural where it meets the Flats, and a wide array of industries sit along its banks. The Flats have been a vital component and a reflection of Cleveland's rise, decline, and ongoing renaissance. Cleveland's Flats is a chronicle of this remarkable region. From the refineries of Standard Oil to massive ore boats carefully navigating the Cuyahoga, Cleveland's Flats treats the reader to scenes found in no other place.
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 12, 2025
Quick book giving highlights to the area around the Cuyahoga River otherwise known as the Flats. The small book covers many of the important highpoints of Cleveland’s signature river and area right around it is including Collision Bend, Whiskey Island, Sherwin-Williams, Rockefeller, Republic Steel, State Fish (starting in 1933), the Superior Viaduct (showing pictures in this book how this beautiful structure had fallen into disrepair in the 1960’s),
The book repeatedly mentioned about the times the river “caught on fire,” due to pollution. The author properly mentions that the summer 1969 fire led to action. Unfortunately, the author did not do enough research to learn that the fires – 13 different fires dating back to 1868 – led to the Clean Water Act. The river provided proof that more funds needed to be dedicated to cleaning our waterways and brought enough action to override President Nixon’s veto on the bill. How the author did not tie the various fires into a national law that created so much change is disappointing.
The author also spent no time sharing what it was like for people to work on or near the river, what Clevelanders did or more about how trade brought such havoc to our town. On a personal note, it was disappointing that the author did not mention Pickle Bills, a restaurant that was way ahead of their times, including bringing a restaurant boat to the river and having shown that filled the restaurant for years.
The book did mention many historical facts that many might not know, including:
• The town’s namesake, Grover Cleaveland, only surveyed the area while Lorenzo Carter was the first permanent white settler, arriving in 1797 and building a log cabin next to the river in the flats.
• The Rockefeller dynasty was created by Samuel Andrews, Maurice, Richard and James Clark and Rockefeller; he bought out the other owners. But the money was made by a waste product of creating kerosene – gasoline.
• Cyrus Eaton and William Mather founded Republic Steel in 1930.
• Sherwin-Williams started in Cleveland in 1866 and became bigger due to their 1875 invention of ready-mixed paints being sold directly to customers.
• Whiskey Island was the home of Irish immigrants but also a hospital, shipyards, a salt mine, iron ore unloading docs, a shanty town during the depression, and a distillery.
• For seven years, Republic Steel operated as a non-union shop. It changed in 1937 when the workers participated in the little steel strike. Workers marched to Cleveland’s Public Square and met with Mayor Harold Burton and Elliot Ness. The Steelworkers and CIO were not recognized until 1942.
• Texaco was also in our flats doing business with Standard Oil.
• It was surprising how long some of the huge hips continued in business. The William G. Mather was kept in business from 1925 until 1980 and is now a museum connected with the Science Museum.
• The author stated that foreign competition of steel started in 1964.
• The Flat Iron Café was started in 1910 and had been home to a four-story hotel that caught on fire and was then cut down to a two-story building.
• Republic and Jone and Laughlin merged in 1968 then became part of LTV Corporation in 1984.
• Today’s Powerhouse was created in 1892 as Woodland Avenue and Westside Railway Company’s powerhouse to provide electricity for the street cars; it was owned by Marcus Hannah. When it closed, it was vacant for decades until developers decided to make it resemble San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square or Seattle’s Trolley Square.
• There is a marker commemorating the 1940’s potato famine in Ireland.
This book was worth reading but missed nearly as much as it covered.
The book repeatedly mentioned about the times the river “caught on fire,” due to pollution. The author properly mentions that the summer 1969 fire led to action. Unfortunately, the author did not do enough research to learn that the fires – 13 different fires dating back to 1868 – led to the Clean Water Act. The river provided proof that more funds needed to be dedicated to cleaning our waterways and brought enough action to override President Nixon’s veto on the bill. How the author did not tie the various fires into a national law that created so much change is disappointing.
The author also spent no time sharing what it was like for people to work on or near the river, what Clevelanders did or more about how trade brought such havoc to our town. On a personal note, it was disappointing that the author did not mention Pickle Bills, a restaurant that was way ahead of their times, including bringing a restaurant boat to the river and having shown that filled the restaurant for years.
The book did mention many historical facts that many might not know, including:
• The town’s namesake, Grover Cleaveland, only surveyed the area while Lorenzo Carter was the first permanent white settler, arriving in 1797 and building a log cabin next to the river in the flats.
• The Rockefeller dynasty was created by Samuel Andrews, Maurice, Richard and James Clark and Rockefeller; he bought out the other owners. But the money was made by a waste product of creating kerosene – gasoline.
• Cyrus Eaton and William Mather founded Republic Steel in 1930.
• Sherwin-Williams started in Cleveland in 1866 and became bigger due to their 1875 invention of ready-mixed paints being sold directly to customers.
• Whiskey Island was the home of Irish immigrants but also a hospital, shipyards, a salt mine, iron ore unloading docs, a shanty town during the depression, and a distillery.
• For seven years, Republic Steel operated as a non-union shop. It changed in 1937 when the workers participated in the little steel strike. Workers marched to Cleveland’s Public Square and met with Mayor Harold Burton and Elliot Ness. The Steelworkers and CIO were not recognized until 1942.
• Texaco was also in our flats doing business with Standard Oil.
• It was surprising how long some of the huge hips continued in business. The William G. Mather was kept in business from 1925 until 1980 and is now a museum connected with the Science Museum.
• The author stated that foreign competition of steel started in 1964.
• The Flat Iron Café was started in 1910 and had been home to a four-story hotel that caught on fire and was then cut down to a two-story building.
• Republic and Jone and Laughlin merged in 1968 then became part of LTV Corporation in 1984.
• Today’s Powerhouse was created in 1892 as Woodland Avenue and Westside Railway Company’s powerhouse to provide electricity for the street cars; it was owned by Marcus Hannah. When it closed, it was vacant for decades until developers decided to make it resemble San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square or Seattle’s Trolley Square.
• There is a marker commemorating the 1940’s potato famine in Ireland.
This book was worth reading but missed nearly as much as it covered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2024
What a great look back at this important area for Cleveland's history. Would be great for people who love Cleveland history and lake boats!
September 15, 2008
I really liked all the info (and took notes) about the industry in this area, which I haven't visited yet. I was less interested in all the ships, but others would appreciate that, I guess! Read at the (beautiful!) Cleveland Public Library while a rainy day somewhat spoiled my trip there to photograph the city.
October 20, 2014
it's one of those arcadia books, with the sepia cover and general air of fast-to-market local nostalgia. but i thought this was well written and well researched, better than the usual fare for these titles. i also felt like author did a good job selecting images of the flats that aren't already pretty well-circulated.
May 15, 2013
An interesting look at the history of Cleveland's Flats
Read
February 11, 2018Great for my thesis assignment on reconstructing a map of relevant sites in the flats; If only they had one of these books specifically for the history of Republic Steel! I will say that the Pruitt Igoe one in this series was way meatier- captions in this one left a lot to be desired from a viable research standpoint.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews