The Cool History of Cleveland

I was walking down Euclid Avenue a few days past when I was struck by a few thoughts…the first being, it really does not feel like Christmas or the Holiday Season downtown this year. I don’t believe I am the only one who feels this way. Despite the beautiful decorations in Playhouse Square and the annual Festival of Lights at Public Square - the rest of Euclid Avenue just doesn’t seem to have the spirit of years past. Which got me to thinking - what was the Christmas Season like in years past in Cleveland? I found some very spirited photos showing what Christmas used to be like in Cleveland and they are marvelous. And next year I promise to do some more research on Christmas on Euclid Avenue - because I have a sneeky suspicion that are some great photos I did not get to uncover year.

Hey - are you ready for a Christmas Parade?

Where did all these people come from? This photo was taken in 1955 moments before Cleveland’s annual Christmas Parade along Euclid Avenue. This particular shot was at the Cole Shoe Store on the south side of Euclid between East Fourth and Euclid pointing towards Public Square. Very near where House of Blues would be today. The crowd is crazy large.

This photo was snapped very close to where the above photo was taken - East Fourth and Euclid albeit from a different vantage point and different year - 1966. But what a gorgeous street scape. Look at all those signs and Christmas decorations!

The next shot is one of my favorite photos in the bunch - it was taken in 1967 under the canopy of the Sterling Linder Store (which would be on the corner of E. 13th and Euclid again looking west toward Public Square).

Look at all these shoppers! Crazy. Look how bright Euclid Avenue looks with the Halle Building across the street. Very exciting.

Speaking of Sterling Linder - it was a Cleveland tradition to take the family to visit this gorgeous department store to view the large Christmas tree that was set up in the lobby.

What a magnificent lobby! With the tiered floors looking down on the large Christmas tree. It is a shame that half of this store was torn down to make a surface parking lot. Just doesn’t seem fair to destroy this beautiful building for a few cars, does it? In my next column I will be reviewing some old photos offering a wonderful view of Christmas displays in some of Cleveland’s finest Department Stores.

Okay Cleveland, check this photo out.

Is this not the most spectacular sports mural you have ever seen? This was a Kenneth Bates mural created specifically for the lobby of the new Campus Sweater Company building at 3955 Euclid Avenue. Campus Sweater Company was launched in 1922 by entreprenuers Samuel Kaufmann and Loren Weber originally in the Warehouse District. The Company specialized in casual clothes, sportswear and sweaters. At one time it was the largest manufacturer of men’s clothing in the U.S. (Wasn’t everything in Cleveland once the “largest in the U.S.?) The Company was eventually acquired by Interco in 1968 and enjoyed good fortune in Cleveland until 1982 wehn the plant was closed ending any presence of Campus Sweater in Cleveland. The building became an office for the county. I cannot tell what happened to this mural.

What I find fascinating about the mural (outside of its gorgeous look) was that it was placed in front of a large “picture window” on Euclid Avenue so that everyone walking along the street could see this magnificant piece of art. Kenneth Bates, too, was a world renown artist who was based out of the Cleveland Institute of Art. The building this piece was a part of, I believe, is now gone - but I would love to know what happened to this great piece of art. Does anyone have any ideas? Please, please, please let me know.

Is the building above not the coolest thing you have ever seen? Do you know where this building used to be in Downtown Cleveland? It was one of the last art moderne buildings to reside in the City - it is the home of the Bond Clothing Company. And it was located on the northwest corner of East Ninth and Euclid Avenue (think National City Tower today). The Bond Clothing Company was started in the Hickcox Building on the same corner in the 1920’s. Charles Bond founded the firm and it quickly became the largest retail chain for men’s clothing in the United States and was well known for its two piece suit collection for men. Anyway, the Bond Company decided to tear down the Hickox building in 1946 and erected this beautiful monument soon thereafter.

Many stories have been told about the majestic interior including an open terrace and illuminated mirrored columns that extended from the first floor up to the third floor. There was a large curved staircase that allowed patrons to casually walk through the department store and get a great feel about all four floors and the merchandise offered to patrons. I believe that Walker & Weeks was the architect of record. Unfortunately, the store was torn down in 1978 to make way for the National City Tower.

 

The Bond Store Slideshow
http://www.slide.com/r/rBDV_D134z-Gq4G7lC5HVZNsq0s6ETu4?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

We consider ourselves to be very lucky today with the reemergence of Playhouse Square (and the theaters - Hanna, State, Ohio, Allen and Palace) as the second largest theater district in the United States. Truth is these theaters were under threat of being torn down in the early 1980’s - and that would have been a great tragedy. However, what is rarely thought about is how many other theaters Cleveland once had in its history. Few people ever talk about the Alhambra Theater (Euclid Avenue and E. 105th), Alpha Theater (Central and E. 33rd), The Colonial Theater, Garden Theatre, Embassy Theater (was located on the site where the National City Tower is today), The Grand Vaudeville, The Castle Theater (Wade Avenue), The Stillman (next to the Statler Hotel and now a parking garage) and, of course the grand-daddy of them all the Hippodrome Theater.

The Hippodrome (or the “Hipp” as everyone called it) was built in 1907 and was located at 720 Euclid Avenue next to the Taylor & Sons department store (we know this building now as 668 Euclid - one of the most embarrassing buildings in Downtown, although there are some discussions about its renewal).  The theater was part of an 11-story office building and had entrances on both Euclid Avenue and Prospect Avenue. Today the area is a parking lot.

But in the day, the opening of the Hipp achieved national prominence by none other than The New York Times - article seen below.

CLEVELAND, Ohio, Dec. 30. — The Hippodrome, said to be the most beautiful and largest theatre in America, west of New York, was opened to-night in this city. The fifty-one boxes were occupied by municipal, county, State and Government officials, while the remaining 4,500 seats were taken by society, representative of Northern Ohio.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B06E4DD153EE733A25752C3A9649D946697D6CF

It was the largest theater west of New York and was able to accomodate 3,458 theater-goers. Some of the most famous performers of the day - including Sarah Bernhardt, Al Jolson, W.C. Fields, and Will Rogers - held court on the Hippodrome stage. The auditorium had private boxes, two balconies (with elevators) and the second largest stage in the U.S. able to hold large-scale productions and operas. The theater also offered an 80-ft water tank for “water spectacles!” Insane. Before you got to the theater you could dine in the appropriately named - Hippodrome Inn.

After a tasty meal - you could enter the theater through an impressive lobby.

Can you imagine walking through this today? I can!

If you had mezzanine seats, then you would walk up these steps.

Of course as they say in the theater, “the stage is the thing.” (Do they really say that in the theater?)

This place was massive! And so beautiful. It is a shame that it does not exist anymore. The theater was purchased by Alvin Krenzler in 1972 and by that time was the last movie house in Downtown Cleveland. Unfortunately, the building was torn down in 1981 and replaced by a damn parking lot. It just isn’t fair for such a beautiful theater not to exist anymore.

“The Hipp” Slideshow
http://www.slide.com/r/oGU56aRVkz9kwYF-Dnm2×6n7ywZXkwkd?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

The beautiful picture seen above is the first May Company in Cleveland. It was actually the E. R. Hull & Dutton Company until May Company bought Hull & Dutton in 1899. Interesting note…the building you see is actually on Ontario Street. It was not until 1901 that the May Company expanded onto Euclid Avenue at the site that you would see today. The building on Euclid Avenue went through many expansions until 1931, when the Cleveland May Company store was the largest department store in the state of Ohio. Mind-boggling considering the condition of the building today.

I can only imagine the majestic view of Euclid when May held court as the King of Department Stores along Euclid. A great view of the southeast corner of Public Square can be seen here.

One can clearly see the May Company as the center piece of this photo with the Park Building to its right. Also, note the Williamson Building (with a Marshall’s Drug Store at the steet level) to the left of May Company - where now you would see the  BP Building. For my money - this view is much, much better than the one we have today. This is a gorgeous view.

The store was a leader in customer perks and amenities offering Eagle Trading Stamps, one of the first parking garages in the U.S., and a children’s indoor playground. I love the picture below that shows the women’s hat shop.

Look how large this department was!  Beautiful design.  There was also a very famous restaurant inside the May Company as well.

Anyway, the department store - like Cleveland - began to have some difficulties in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.  In 1980, May Company subleased a number of floors to a local bank. What is still fascinating is that this store was still producing revenues in the $200 million range in 1983. Yet, with the redevelopment of Tower City and the Galleria in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s - the store’s revenues began to falter. This beautiful store closed in 1993. More stories on the May Company to follow.

The May Company Slideshow
http://www.slide.com/r/rKBDCDxK2D_Xlu9B7mRLgReR-dhNi3sU?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original