Posted September 4, 20159 yr Found these very old whiskey bottles in a ceiling in a house I am renovating in Lakewood. Some have addresses placing the supplier on E 9th street and E 4th street. Couldn't find anything in Google about either of these brands. I'm thinking pre-prohibition based on the one having a date of 1906. House was built in 1915. Any info or worth about any of these would be appreciated! Hi, pgn711, I'm redirecting this from the Cleveland developments thread which is for construction projects (although the renovations to your house would certainly qualify!). But I thought we should have a general thread on Cleveland history..... I wasn't able to answer everything about your whiskey bottles. But I'm pretty sure they're in the 95-105 year old range. Here's how I figured that out.... The date on the Crisfield Rye Whiskey bottle isn't when the whiskey was produced. Instead, that date (June 30, 1906) was when the federal Pure Food & Drug Act went into effect. It was a landmark law that took decades to pass, and every producer of consumables in the USA wanted to be seen as complying with the new law. So they referenced it on their products' labels to reassure customers they no longer had to risk "buyer beware." So while it doesn't refer to the date in which the product was produced, the whiskey was probably distilled not long after 1906 otherwise they wouldn't still be proudly identifying their compliance with that law. So it could have been 1 day later or 5 years later, but I doubt much more than that. Turns out it was about 5 years later.... The "Crisfield Rye Whiskey" probably wasn't locally produced. It may have only been distributed locally in Cleveland by Superior Supply. I keep finding references to Crisfield and whiskey in Crisfield, Maryland. I thought Superior Supply might have morphed into Superior Beverage (a multistate company), but Superior Beverage wasn't started until 1922 in Youngstown. So I did some searching and found a Superior Supply was located at 211 Superior Ave NW (as shown on the bottle) from 1910-1912 and moved to 1917 East 9th NE (east side of street, between Chester and Euclid) where they remained in business from 1913-1919. They likely went out of business because of the National Prohibition Act (aka Volstead Act) that was passed in 1919 to prohibit the manufacture, sale or transport (but not consumption!) of intoxicating beverages. Their business address was obliterated by the purchase and demolition of properties for the Union Trust Building (later the Union Commerce Bank, Huntington Building and now 925 Euclid) which was built in 1923-24. The other names on the other bottles "Bohlken" and "Boehmke" likely refer to two people in the same business together -- Gerhard Bohlken and Henry Boehmke were partners in a grocery business called "Bohlken & Boehmke" in the late 1800s. But it's pretty apparent these bottles were from sometime between 1915 and 1919. The reason? First the timeframe involving Superior Supply and the first bottle. Secondly, Cleveland didn't start using numbered streets until 1915. So East 4th was called Sheriff Street and East 9th was Erie Street before 1915. And thirdly, we know it wasn't after 1919 because it was illegal to be making/selling/distributing liquor like this thereafter. Liquor continued to be produced/sold/distributed in the USA after 1919 but it was done illegally, so the last thing anyone would do would be to put the address of their illegal distillery on the bottle! That's all I got! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
July 14, 20168 yr I'm trying to piece together information about Weber's Frozen Custard and Ice Cream in Rocky River. Nibbles of info I've found online: "In 1929 Nathan Weber accepted an internship working for Soeder’s Dairy at their Euclid Beach Fresh Ice Cream (later called Dairy Whip) concession. He liked it. His family got permission, from Soeder’s, to open a “stand” as long as certain criteria were met. In 1931, Weber’s opened on Hilliard Rd. in Rocky River adding 5 new flavors to the original Vanilla. Two of those criteria were that, “…the product never be cheapened and be made on the same machines.” The Vanilla that was served at Euclid Beach is EXACTLY the same as that served by Weber’s today, and it is manufactured in those same machines built in 1931 on special order for the Weber family." "When Nathan Weber opened his first custard shop in Rocky River in 1931, chocolate malt was a hit flavor. Legend has it that someone at Higbee's department store stole the recipe but couldn't replicate the custard's firmness." "The store eventually gave way to Interstate 90. In the final days, the owners put up a sign saying "Custard's Last Stand." Then the Pattons reopened on Lorain Rd." I'm looking at a historical map: http://peoplemaps.esri.com/cleveland/ The 1920-1922 layer has a Hilliard Ave in Lakewood, but there is no bridge crossing the rocky river, and no Hilliard Ave road exists in Rocky River. The 1927-1937 layer does have a Hilliard Rd Bridge and there is now a Hilliard Road in Rocky River The 1951 layer shows some plots on Hilliard The 1979 layer shows that most of Hilliard Ave from the past is the same, but there is now I-90 and enter/exit ramps from Hilliard to I-90. Several plots on the North side of Hilliard are now gone, and the freeway is there. I'm guessing that Weber's Ice Cream would have been located on the north side of Hilliard between Wooster Rd and the bridge. The only thing on the north side of Hilliard between Wooster and the river are noise barriers. It would be interesting if someone had some further info on this ice cream shop, or area in Rocky River, perhaps info about the era. It would be interesting to see if a public mural could get drawn on the highway noise barrier that gave the appearance of the storefront, and add one of those bronze Ohio history markers. Tangent. Could a highway be reconstructed such that instead of having a sloping valley of grass/trees/land, you instead had a vertical concrete wall at the end of the shoulder, and then reclaim that land for redevelopment on the north side of Hilliard? This would be a tax generating use of the land as opposed to non-generating property / tax-suck of interstate. (Have to mow grass, and deer roam there).
September 11, 20168 yr Franklin Castle to be part of "America's Most Haunted" mini village collection! https://t.co/YRxaJKHVkP @ohiocitytweets @DetroitShoreway "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 8, 20196 yr This looks fascinating. Not sure where to post, so I’m putting it here. Unfortunately I can’t go tonight. http://www.musicboxcle.com/event/chris-ronayne/ Cleveland’s Plans from the Attic: A History of Cleveland City Plans Cleveland emerged as an important American manufacturing center, becoming the nation’s fifth largest city by 1920. Industrial jobs were attracting waves of people and businesses proclaimed that Cleveland was the “best location in the nation.” Cleveland was designed to thrive and be a world class city, but what happened? Chris Ronayne has all the answers and he is a driving force behind developing and improving our city. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
May 13, 20196 yr On 5/9/2019 at 3:25 PM, Terdolph said: What happened? It was called "the depression". Cleveland never really recovered from that. Cleveland never really recovered from chasing Rockefeller out of town. Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
May 13, 20196 yr Cleveland was much more than a Standard Oil town. It had a wide variety of diversified industries. But they were labor-intensive industries. Of all the politics and hand-wringing over businesses moving to the suburbs, to the southern states, and eventually to overseas locations, nothing weakened the local labor market more than technology/automation. Now, if we had diversified into more non-industrial sectors prior to the 1970s, then Cleveland might have enjoyed some of the boom times that former industrial cities on the other side of the lake have enjoyed. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 13, 20196 yr 22 minutes ago, KJP said: Cleveland was much more than a Standard Oil town. Rockefeller and Esso's departure damaged Cleveland's financial sector (loss of deposits), educational sector ($$ to Northwestern and others instead of Case and Western Reserve), and reputation as a Hqs town. This was worse in the long run than losing some industrial jobs (my opinion, of course). Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
May 13, 20196 yr Except Standard Oil's HQ relocation to New York occurred in 1885. That wasn't the end of Cleveland's industrialization and corporate incubation. It was the start. And the city attracted and lost more than "a few" industrial jobs thereafter. This is how Standard Oil's relocation impacted the city..... YEAR-USA RANK-POPULATION 1860 - 21 - 43,417 1863 Standard Oil predecessor founded 1870 Standard Oil founded 1870 - 15 - 92,829 1880 - 11 - 160,146 1885 Standard Oil leaves Cleveland 1890 - 10 - 261,353 1900 - 7 - 381,768 1910 - 6 -560,663 1920 - 5 - 796,841 1930 - 6 - 900,429 1940 - 6 - 878,336 1950 - 7 - 914,808 In 1950, Cleveland had 50 of the nation's Fortune 500 corporate HQs. SOURCE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK158814/ In 2018, only 8 Fortune 500 companies called Northeast Ohio home. SOURCE: https://www.wkyc.com/article/money/8-northeast-ohio-companies-ranked-in-the-2018-fortune-500/95-556651411 Edited May 13, 20196 yr by KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 14, 20196 yr 7 hours ago, KJP said: Except Standard Oil's HQ relocation to New York occurred in 1885. That wasn't the end of Cleveland's industrialization and corporate incubation. You make an air-tight case for me being wrong. I'm going by what my grandfather said, who wasn't around in 1885 either. His story was that the Rockefellers were socially shunned by the Cleveland "elite" which resulted in Esso (and eventually the Rockefellers) leaving. After the trust breakup Cleveland got the smallest of the Standard Oils and none of the chemical components of the company; he claimed the antitrust breakup might have gone very differently but for R's grudge. Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
May 14, 20196 yr 7 hours ago, Dougal said: You make an air-tight case for me being wrong. I'm going by what my grandfather said, who wasn't around in 1885 either. His story was that the Rockefellers were socially shunned by the Cleveland "elite" which resulted in Esso (and eventually the Rockefellers) leaving. After the trust breakup Cleveland got the smallest of the Standard Oils and none of the chemical components of the company; he claimed the antitrust breakup might have gone very differently but for R's grudge. I've heard similar - the cause of which was John D. Rockefeller's father being essentially a snake oil salesman in Greater Cleveland, with his base of operations in Strongsville. It's said that any time there was an outbreak of something in the area, Rockefeller's father would make thousands exploiting families by selling "miracle cures" which was really nothing more than lavender and water.
May 14, 20196 yr 16 hours ago, KJP said: 1950 - 7 - 914,808 Would still love to find out just how many full time employees the City of Cleveland had on payroll in 1950.
May 14, 20196 yr On 5/8/2019 at 12:09 PM, Boomerang_Brian said: This looks fascinating. Not sure where to post, so I’m putting it here. Unfortunately I can’t go tonight. http://www.musicboxcle.com/event/chris-ronayne/ Cleveland’s Plans from the Attic: A History of Cleveland City Plans Cleveland emerged as an important American manufacturing center, becoming the nation’s fifth largest city by 1920. Industrial jobs were attracting waves of people and businesses proclaimed that Cleveland was the “best location in the nation.” Cleveland was designed to thrive and be a world class city, but what happened? Chris Ronayne has all the answers and he is a driving force behind developing and improving our city. did they take the link down, it does nto seem to be working?
May 14, 20196 yr 3 hours ago, Brutus_buckeye said: did they take the link down, it does nto seem to be working? Maybe because the event already happened? The link doesn’t work for me anymore either. And I wasn’t able to find a recap - if someone can find a recap, or attended, I’d love to know more about how this session was. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
May 15, 20196 yr The event was last weekend. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 3, 20204 yr Hoping this is the right thread for discussion: I sent the Honorable Kerry McCormack an email suggesting that he sponsor the return of the old historic street names Erie, Michigan, and Champlain to the map of downtown to rejoin their old friends Ontario, Huron, Superior, and St. Clair. It would be a nice reminder that the city is lake-oriented, a cheap thing to do, and as uplifting as any other feel-good legislation. E9th (boring for such a major street) could again be Erie Street, Prospect (dull, down-market associations) become Michigan; and perhaps Rockwell-Frankfort could be Champlain. Just a thought, it's a slow day. At least it would generate some business for the stationery printers. Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
October 3, 20204 yr I like it. It's always sort of bothered me that we are missing some of the lake names.
October 4, 20204 yr 8 hours ago, Dougal said: Hoping this is the right thread for discussion: I sent the Honorable Kerry McCormack an email suggesting that he sponsor the return of the old historic street names Erie, Michigan, and Champlain to the map of downtown to rejoin their old friends Ontario, Huron, Superior, and St. Clair. It would be a nice reminder that the city is lake-oriented, a cheap thing to do, and as uplifting as any other feel-good legislation. E9th (boring for such a major street) could again be Erie Street, Prospect (dull, down-market associations) become Michigan; and perhaps Rockwell-Frankfort could be Champlain. Just a thought, it's a slow day. At least it would generate some business for the stationery printers. While I don't support any of these changes, I really hate the idea of changing a numbered street into a non-numbered street. E. 9 St. as a name has plenty of history too--and is a famous Cleveland street. There's nothing "boring" about E. 9 St. And what's so exciting about "Erie Street" and do really need MORE "Erie" Downtown? We already have Erieside Ave., a giant lake named "Erie", a cemetery named "Erie Street Cemetery" and Erie Ct. (running between E. 9 and E. 14).
October 4, 20204 yr It’s an interesting idea, but as someone who lives on one of these streets and has recently spent good money on some quality stationery, I politely decline! My hovercraft is full of eels
October 4, 20204 yr There is the theory that St. Clair Avenue was named after Arthur, and not the lake, but we'll ignore that. ? Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
October 5, 20204 yr 50 minutes ago, bjk said: Plenty of office tenants along E. 9th Street would like to vote No on this. There could be a 50-year phase-in period, as in New York with 6th Avenue/Avenue of the Americas. ? I don't really care which streets get renamed; I'd just like to see the missing lake names (which exist on old maps) restored. Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
October 14, 20204 yr So this is cool.... A novel set in 1837 Cleveland detailing the adventures of the protagonist, whose involved in the competition between Ohio City and Cleveland https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cuyahoga-pete-beatty/1136314370?ean=9781982155551
October 27, 20204 yr On 10/14/2020 at 2:59 PM, YABO713 said: So this is cool.... A novel set in 1837 Cleveland detailing the adventures of the protagonist, whose involved in the competition between Ohio City and Cleveland https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cuyahoga-pete-beatty/1136314370?ean=9781982155551 I'm reading it. It's very Ohio-flavored, plainspoken and yet almost poetic in its descriptions - in the way Faulkner is for Mississippi. At the same time, it's very funny, which maybe makes it more Mark Twain than Faulkner. In any case, I recommend it. Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
October 27, 20204 yr This guy chose an interesting time to write about! The canal had just opened less than a decade earlier, bringing an infux of Irish immigrants and all that tension, there was rampant real estate speculation (Cleveland Centre and the original Davenport Bluffs among them), the run up to the "Bridge War", and of course, the Panic of 1837 looming over it all to bring all those plans down. I have to get this book myself.
October 30, 20204 yr "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 30, 20204 yr ^ “The reader will perceive that we have omitted the a in the first syllable of our village name. This is agreeable to the wishes of many of our oldest and most intelligent citizens, who are of the opinion that it is the correct mode of spelling the name, and that the a is entirely superfluous.” The oldest and most intelligent citizens were correct. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
November 27, 20204 yr Neat University Circle history fact: 100 years ago today (Nov 27, 1920) Alabama Crimson Tide football played their first game north of the Mason-Dixon against Case at Van Horn Field in University Circle. Edited November 27, 20204 yr by MuRrAy HiLL
December 11, 20204 yr I'm reading the Andrew Carnegie biography and stumbled across something kind of interesting: Carnegie fought to have a railroad (or canal) built to Conneaut Harbor so he could ship his steel. So interesting to me that they chose Conneaut and not Cleveland, especially considering Carnegie's friendship with Hanna. I wonder what that would've done to the long-term growth of the Port of Cleveland if the shipments hadn't been directed to Conneaut.
December 11, 20204 yr 40 minutes ago, YABO713 said: I'm reading the Andrew Carnegie biography and stumbled across something kind of interesting: Carnegie fought to have a railroad (or canal) built to Conneaut Harbor so he could ship his steel. So interesting to me that they chose Conneaut and not Cleveland, especially considering Carnegie's friendship with Hanna. I wonder what that would've done to the long-term growth of the Port of Cleveland if the shipments hadn't been directed to Conneaut. Probably not much. Iron ore was transferred from ship to train at multiple Lake Erie ports, not just Cleveland and Conneaut. There were also ore docks at Buffalo, Erie, Ashtabula, Fairport Harbor, Lorain, Huron and Sandusky and all of them did a robust business. But no ore docks were busier than the multiple docks at Cleveland -- Whiskey Island north side (Cleveland & Pittsburgh, later Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central, Conrail and now Norfolk Southern); Whiskey Island south side (Cleveland Terminal & Valley Railroad, later Baltimore & Ohio); Riverbed--other side of old river channel from Whiskey Island (Cleveland & Mahoning Valley Railroad, later the Erie Railroad, Erie-Lackawanna), Downtown (Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad, later New York Central, Penn Central). "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 12, 20204 yr Incredible 1924 aerials in this old Illuminating Company video, truly mind blowing... https://youtu.be/7de8Z1x1LJc
December 12, 20204 yr 8 hours ago, w28th said: Incredible 1924 aerials in this old Illuminating Company video, truly mind blowing... https://youtu.be/7de8Z1x1LJc Great stuff! Incredible density--especially right up along the river. Adding an embedded link. Aerial footage starts about 9:50 for those interested:
December 12, 20204 yr Thanks Cleburger for adding the embedded link, I’m not the savviest of inter web users. How about the roller coaster next to the power plant? Or the density along Woodland south of Carnegie, also a quick glance at the old Haymarket/Big Italy neighborhood just prior to the New York Central building their freight terminal along Orange Avenue.
December 12, 20204 yr 1 hour ago, Cleburger said: Great stuff! Incredible density--especially right up along the river. Adding an embedded link. Aerial footage starts about 9:50 for those interested: This is great! The Hulett unloaders make an appearance at 22:43. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
December 12, 20204 yr Wonderful film! At 11:15 is that a rollercoaster next to the Lakeshore Power Station?? My hovercraft is full of eels
December 12, 20204 yr 24 minutes ago, roman totale XVII said: Wonderful film! At 11:15 is that a rollercoaster next to the Lakeshore Power Station?? Yes. If you check the Facebook group Cleveland - Our Architectural Legacy there is a discussion of the video and someone posted info on that theme park. Update: Chris Dawson posted: this is what the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History has to say: “Gordon Gardens was the final venture in the Cleveland area, built in 1922. The smallest in size with only 8 acres, the park was located on the west side of E. 72nd St. between the lake and the New York Central tracks. The operators hoped to attract the automobile traffic on E. 72nd, but the small park could not compete with its larger, better-equipped competitors. The 1927 burning of the dance hall closed the park. In 1996 the grounds were occupied by the Shoreway and Cleveland Lakefront State Park” Edited December 12, 20204 yr by Boomerang_Brian Added detail When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
December 12, 20204 yr Loved that Heart of Cleveland film. Thanks for the taste of time travel! BTW, the farmhouse shown at the start of the film is actually at 6607 Pearl Road in what is now Parma Heights. And the modern in-town estate appears to be 2480 Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 12, 20204 yr 59 minutes ago, KJP said: Loved that Heart of Cleveland film. Thanks for the taste of time travel! BTW, the farmhouse shown at the start of the film is actually at 6607 Pearl Road in what is now Parma Heights. And the modern in-town estate appears to be 2480 Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights. 6607 Pearl!!! I grew up in Parma Heights!
December 30, 20204 yr Tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of the Sly-Fanner murders by the early members of the Cleveland Mafia. It started out as a payroll robbery. It ended with the tragic deaths of two of Cleveland's notable industrialists and a huge effort to bring the criminals to justice. The story..... http://beingbutmen.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-sly-fanner-murders.html "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 30, 20204 yr ^ Completely unrelated to murder and occurring about 20 years prior...found a neat story (written in 1984 by Dartmouth College alum) talking about where Case School of Applied Science was the best football team in the state of Ohio (1902-1912)...and who would play Michigan and Ohio State annually. One thing I have not been able to track down is where the "Ohio State Award Trophy" sits on CWRU campus, mentioned in the article as created by the Buckeyes. Edited December 31, 20204 yr by MuRrAy HiLL
October 12, 20213 yr Cleveland Viaduct now a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark Taylor Haggerty - Ideastream Public Media - Oct. 11, 2021 "Cleveland’s Main Avenue Viaduct is now a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. ... The landmark designation does not include any restrictions or qualifications on how to maintain the property moving forward, but it is a significant honor for the structure, Gasparini said, as only 230 other projects have earned the title in the country. That includes iconic structures such as the Brooklyn Bridge. ... Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, the only other structure to have received this designation in the Cleveland area, was designated in 1979."
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