The Cool History of Cleveland

Forty-five years ago this month one of the most amazing feats of human endeavor centered on a middle-aged copy editor and a 13.5 foot sailboat that sailed the ocean blue. On June 1st, 1965 – Robert Manry, a copy editor for the Plain Dealer left Falmouth, Mass for Falmouth, England on the smallest craft to ever sail across the Atlantic Ocean (at the time) in a 13.5 foot wish and a prayer called Tinkerbelle. Talk about daunting odds. Talk about an herculean tale of man versus nature.

Photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project (www.clevelandmemory.org).

Manry was a most interesting fellow. He was born in Landour, India as the son of Presbyterian missionaries. After World War II he became a reporter for a series of newspapers and in 1953 was hired by the Plain Dealer as a copy editor. His love of sailing began on the Jumna River in India during his youth. Manry purchased the tiny Tinkerbelle in 1958 and sailed it all over Lake Erie. He eventually modified the boat significantly for longer water voyages. By 1965, he firmly believed he could take the tiny craft across the Atlantic Ocean – which has made victim of many a larger craft. As noted in a Time magazine article, “Having told no one except his wife and a few friends what he planned to do, 47 year old Robert Manry took his 13.5 foot sloop Tinkerbelle out of Falmouth, Mass, on a Sunday June morning and sailed right across the ocean to England. His splendid feat kindled admiration in men everywhere and secured for Tinkerbelle a place in the bravest annals of the sea.”

Photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project (www.clevelandmemory.org).

The Falmouth, Mass to Falmouth, England journey was over 3,200 miles. The voyage took 78 days to complete. The Tinkerbelle was knocked over six times during the trip and at one particularly critical juncture in the trip Manry had to repair a broken rudder at sea. The trip was covered by many press services and the Plain Dealer. But when Manry entered the Port of Falmouth in England – euphoria!

Photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project (www.clevelandmemory.org).

Manry was received in England as the hero he was. An amazing journey the few men have attempted much less successfully completed. How jealous I am of that journey, how proud I am of the same. Upon this return to Cleveland, Manry was hailed as a modern day hero and the Cleveland crowds came out in abundance.

Photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project (www.clevelandmemory.org).

Look at the crowds! Amazing. This is a wonderful photo of Manry and his wife Virginia waving to the crowds in front of Tower City and Higbee’s Department Store. Tinkerbelle is in tow. Upon his return, Robert wrote a book about his experiences and donated the Tinkerbelle to the Western Reserve Historical Society – where it remains on display today. It is stunning how small this strong craft really is when seen live. Manry lived a global life, a rich life a heroes life. He passed away too early in February 1971 and was buried in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

I have always been fascinated by the lore – the myth and legend – of the fabulous shopping that once graced the street level space along Euclid Avenue. The names alone – Higbee’s, Halle’s, May, Bond, Richman, Taylor & Sons, Sterling-Linder – conjure the thought of quality and sophisticated style. And all made their home in Cleveland. One department store in Cleveland, that was quite famous during the day, unfortunately does not inspire the same sentiment but clearly it should. It was a majestic building – almost a castle. Welcome to Bailey’s Department Stores.

Photo provided courtesy of Cleveland Press Archives (www.clevelandmemory.org)

Bailey Department Stores (officially incorporated as Bailey Company) opened originally as a small goods store on the corner of Ontario and Prospect in 1881. It had grown to 11 employees by 1899 and expanded its retail selections to include home furnishings and clothing. The company focused on customer service and a ever widening selection of goods and by 1903 – Bailey Company built a seven story structure (again on the corner of Ontario and Prospect) and in 1910 added a 10-story addition.

Photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Press Archives (www.clevelandmemory.org)

I find the above photo fascinating as it shows the Bailey Department Store and the May Company buildings (both on Ontario) before the construction of the Terminal Tower complex and the Republic Steel Building. You can see the Midland Bank Building in the upper left portion of the photo. This building has since been torn down and is now the BP Building. The photo was taken from the banks of the Cuyahoga River. In my mind it shows a new, glistening city literally rising from its industrial base. A striking photo.

Bailey was one of the first department stores to invest in additional brach stores. In 1929, Bailey Department Stores opened an east side store at 10007 Euclid Avenue and in 1930 opened a store in Lakewood. The Lakewood Bailey store was located on Warren Rd and Detroit Avenue – and was a welcomed addition to the growing Lakewood downtown. (In fact, this building still exists and is under going a significant renovation. It is great to see old buildings being given new life.)

Photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Press Archives (www.clevelandmemory.org)

I love old school retail. I can almost feel myself walking through these aisles picking up a new shirt and tie. Who wouldn’t love to shop at this?

Photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Press Archives (www.clevelandmemory.org)

Expansion continued for Bailey’s Department Stores with the opening of the City of Euclid store in 1951 and the Mayfield Heights store in 1960. Around this time the chain was sold to Century Food Market Company (I not making this up) and – surprise – the sales of the stores started to stumble. The first Bailey’s store was closed in 1961. The Lakewood store closed in 1965 (although it was part of the Nevilles Department Store chain for a period of time). And by 1968 the entire chain met its demise.

Photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Press Archives (www.clevelandmemory.org).

The downtown store, in particular, was a dynamic building and rested regally as mentioned on the corners of Ontario and Prospect. Unfortunately, the structure was torn down and made into a parking garage (what is it with Cleveland and parking garages). The retail level of the new garage for a time was a service station for cars but was eventually built out to be the Fat Fish Blue restaurant. But when Cleveland was king – Bailey’s was part of the royal family.

Photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Press Archives (www.clevelandmemory.org).

I believe few sports venues in Cleveland hold the mystic of the old Cleveland Arena. Sure Municipal Stadium had a rich history and League Park, too. Yet, nothing speaks to the blue-collar, sweat on the brow approach to professional sports as the Cleveland Arena. And a spectacular building too.

The arena was opened in 1937 with an Ice Follies show. It was built on the hollowed ground of the old Brush Mansion estate. In 1935, Albert C. Sutphin – president of the Braden-Sutphin Ink Company purchased the land with the grand idea of building a modern arena for his other love (and ownership) the famed Cleveland Barons. It was an old school 10,000 seat facility that no doubt smelled like blood, sweat and tears. (I love in the photo above the “Club 3700″ sign in the left foreground. Must have been a swank place. Wished I could have raised my glass there.)

Photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Press Archives. (www.clevelandmemory.org)

By the early 1940’s the Arena was doing over 330 events and shows a year including professional hockey (Cleveland Barons and the Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Association), bicycle races, high school basketball, professional basketball (Cleveland Rebels of the Basketball Association of America, the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League and even the Cleveland Cavaliers), rodeos, professional wrestling and various concerts.

One famous concert at the old Arena was the famous “Moondog Coronation Ball” held by Alan Freed a famous Cleveland disc jockey and man who joined the term “rock and roll.” The first Coronation Ball was shut down after the first song by the Cleveland Fire Department due to overcrowding. It seems that while 10,000 tickets were sold nearly 20,000 thought they should join the party. Another famous, yet tragic, event at the Cleveland Arena was the death of boxer Jimmy Doyle during the 1947 championship bout.

Nick Mileti bought the Arena and the key tenant – the Cleveland Barons – in 1968. However, Mileti moved the Barons and his Cavaliers to the Richfield Coliseum in 1974. The Arena, vacant save for a few uninspiring shows, was demolished in 1977. It is now the site of the Red Cross Building on Euclid Avenue. But during the day, Cleveland, the Arena was a symbol of how great and cool this city once was and inspires to be again.

One of the more spectacular buildings in Downtown Cleveland is tucked away off Prospect Avenue and East Fourteenth offers an interesting view of Cleveland’s great past. I am, of course, talking about Gray’s Armory home of the Cleveland Gray’s. The building is a massive five story sandstone castle that stands tall and protects the southern flank of Downtown. And it holds a wonderful history. During the 19th century – most major cities sponsored their own militias. Complete with their own uniforms, flags, weapons and if you can believe it – their own marching bands.

This photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project.

Yes, that is the actual Cleveland Gray’s marching band. The Cleveland Gray’s were formed in 1837 but did not build their own armory until 1893.

This photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project.

The Armory actually stands on Bolivar Avenue and offers a 10,000 square foot ballroom, a basement shooting range, a wood-paneled library and an extension collection of military memorabilia. The Gray’s, themselves, were a successful military unit. The unit served proudly in the Civil War (with battles at Manassas and First Bull Run), the Spanish American War, the Mexican Punitive Expedition (with General Pershing) and World War I. In fact, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive on the Western Front in 1918 was the last active service of the Unit. The building has been transformed from an actual fort to a museum. Yet, the building remains a dynamic venue.

This photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project.

The building was the site of the first Cleveland Orchestra concert and is legendary of having a few ghosts. But if ever in Downtown and can spare a few moments, don’t be afraid to visit this wonderful old structure.

A few days past I was walking around Downtown Cleveland and happened to notice the banal Federal Building on corner of Lakeside Avenue and East Ninth. I started to wonder what had been on that spot prior. Certainly, something horrible had to be positioned on that corner for the City and the Federal Government decided to build perhaps the most boring building on the planet. Well, I was dumfounded after doing some research and realizing that the structure on that spot was none other than the Central Armory. And she was a “gothic beauty.”

Photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project.

The Central Armory was built in 1893 by Cuyahoga County to house the local units of the National Guard. It played a central role in the Industrial Exposition of 1909 when it has connected by a temporary walking bridge to a exhibition hall on the north side of Lakeside. The Exposition was a massive industrial show that highlighted the growing importance of Cleveland as the center of the manufacturing universe.

Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project

Coupled with City Hall the Central Armory was an iconic symbol of Cleveland might and power.

Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project.

The Armory was essentially a large constructed hall with a balcony suspended from the roof. It was the venue for many meetings, concerts, gymnastic exhibitions and a popular floral exposition. The Central Armory offered the rapidly expanding City a sense of safety and progress. It certainly didn’t hurt when the cavalry was around either!

Mounted police near the Central Armory.

The building was, unfortunately, demolished in 1965 for the Urban Development project now known as the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Office Building. A real shame, the Central Armory was that rare gem of architecture that made Downtown Cleveland alive. I cannot say the same of its replacement.

I love playing amateur archeologist in the Big City. For example, for years while walking on the north side of Euclid Avenue near the Statler Apartments I noticed a part of a stage or lobby embedded into the Statler Parking Garage. Turns out it actually was part of the old Stillman Theater on Euclid. It really is a shame that the theater is now lost, part of parking garage. But it is cool to see this random vestige from the old Stillman Theater. Perhaps, the greatest archeological “ruin” in Cleveland has to be the remnants of the Superior Viaduct. For those of you who now live in StoneBridge  Apartments or Condos you live on top one of the most historic bridges in Cleveland.

The bridge was originally conceived as a northern connector between then competing cities Cleveland and Ohio City. Ne’er did these two cities see eye to eye on the development and, in fact, the two cities had a “bridge war” where eight individuals were slightly wounded and few other rioters taken to jail. Cleveland then annexed Ohio City in 1854 making it possible to now control both sides of the Cuyahoga River and thus build the Viaduct.

Construction of the viaduct began in 1875 and was completed for a tidy sum of $2.2 million on December 28th, 1878. It was a graceful structure. The photo below was taken from the west side of the viaduct where the Stonebridge Apartments would be today.

Photo provided courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project.

According to the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, “Because of the center drawspan, traffic still had to halt approximately 300 times each month for an average of 5 minutes to permit river vessels with tall superstructures to pass. These delays became increasingly annoying, and the procedure itself began to take a toll on the bridge structure. Voices were raised once again for a new bridge that would be completely high-level.” Essentially, the center bridge span rotated to allow the ships using the Cuyahoga to pass. Simply put the bridge wasn’t high enough for river traffic and people had to wait to get across.

Photo courtesy of Cleveland Memory Project.

The photo above offers a great view of the west side of the viaduct and of the Flats. The second smokestack you see in this picture is still standing and part of the Powerstation Development on the West Bank of the Flats. However, due to the growth of the City and the importance of moving traffic across the bustling hubs of Cleveland and Ohio City a second bridge was constructed nearby in 1918 – that being the Veterans Memorial Bridge or the Detroit-Superior Bridge. It is a bit odd to see the two bridges together and still in use.

Photo courtesy of Cleveland Memory Project.

If you have ever sat at the light on West Ninth and Superior you were probably curious of why there is such a funky look to the north side of the Veterans Memorial Bridge – truth is both bridges at one time were connected!

Photo courtesy of Cleveland Memory Project.

The Superior Viaduct was closed in 1920. Most of the bridge was demolished in 1922 with some additional arches on the west side of the viaduct demolished in 1939 as the City had to expand the river for boat traffic. The viaduct still remains a fascinating reminder of the industrial might of this cool city.

The Great Lakes Exposition, in 1936 and 1937, was a celebration of Cleveland’s centennial as well as a venue to demonstrate the industrial power of the Great Lakes. It was a powerful show and in the two previous posting the Cool History of Cleveland detailed the various cool expositions available to all Clevelanders for those two years. In this final post we are going to focus on perhaps the wildest component of the Exposition which was the Marine Theatre, then rebuilt in 1937 as Billy Rose’s Arcade. Essentially you have to see it to believe it.

Military Boat Show at Marine Theatre.

A little dinner and a military model boat parade. This is cool stuff. Look at all the dancers and singers on the stage. This is insane entertainment. Unfortunately, we only see this type of entertainment in old movies. Speaking of old movies check out the next picture.

A Beautiful Swim Show at the Marine Theatre

Stunning just stunning. How cool would it still be to see aquacade show’s at the lakefront event today? I know I would show up. In fact, the Marine Theatre displayed “Aurora Borealis” lights, moving beams projected into the sky and radiating from a center. A most impressive and stimulating visual display.

The Aurora Borealis at the Great Lakes Exposition.

I know the above post card looks a bit incredible but it is in fact a colored photograph. Truth is it doesn’t do the Exposition justice in scope of beauty and architecture. In any case, in 1937 Billy Rose, a world-renowned, showman took over the Marine Theatre and named it, of course, Billy Rose’s Aquacade.

Billy Rose's Aquacade

The Aquacade had numerous shows and dinner. Truly an impressive scene and a wonderful part of the Great Lakes Exposition. If only Cleveland had maintained this gem. Some of this amazing infrastructure should have been maintained and kept for future generations. I will always consider this show and the next 15 years in Cleveland history as its Golden Age.

It always amazes me how much participation the Cool History of Cleveland site gets from its readers. This tells me that there is great passion about Cleveland – and many people simply needed aa venue in which to brag eloquently about their beloved City. Back in January of this year, Cool History of Cleveland did a story on a large number of buildings that were designed, announced and yet never built in the City of Cleveland. Take a peak here. The responses are still coming in – after almost seven months! Cool.

Recently, Brian Cook of Bridge Partners sent in the following email detailing a slew of buildings that never saw the light of day in Cleveland:

“Proposed Hotel at the current park at the NW corner at Jacob’s field fronting on E. 9th street c. 1996 Tony Milan’s proposed office building/resort hotel just west of the new Federal Courthouse c 1999

The twin of the former Medical Mutual/One Cleveland Center on the Jogging track on E. 12th.  Now proposed to be residential as part of Zaremba’s project there. There was another World Trade Center  proposed on the Waterfront line around 2000 I believe. Does the abandoned Eaton/Port project qualify, probably not?

Love this stuff!”

I love this stuff, too. I do not remember the second tower being contemplated for the One Cleveland Center. That would have been a pretty robust development in my opinion. And can you imagine if the second tower of the Old Ameritrust Building had been built on Euclid? Cleveland would have had two twin towers! Thanks, Brian for the email. If there are any additional buildings anyone is aware send over to Cool History of Cleveland today.