I came across several pictures of buildings constructed in the 1910's and 1920's.  While many still stand I'm sure there are many that do not exist anymore.  I don't know where most of these are but the company names with some of the photos are the original company occupying the building.  There are some interior shots as well.

 

 

God- I would do anything to walk around the streets of Cleveland back then for a month.  Take the streetcars downtown and experience all the cultures and neighborhoods...irks me.

Awesome pictures

God- I would do anything to walk around the streets of Cleveland back then for a month.  Take the streetcars downtown and experience all the cultures and neighborhoods...irks me.

Yeah that could be said for many cities.  Its heart breaking.  I wonder what Cleveland would be like today without the innerbelt and I-90

 

You should seriously consider contacting clevelandmemory.org with these images - they're absolutely amazing and I've never EVER seen them before. The L.N. Gross building is at the southwest corner of West Third and Lakeside.

 

This is at the intersection of Cedar-Fairmount - standing on Cedar, looking north. The Alcazar is still there, as is the Best & Co. building (houses Jillians and a few other businesses):

 

This building is still there (vacant I believe) at Broadway and Harvard. According to the planning department's listings it was demolished but in Live.com's aerial map, it's very visible? It was the first of a chain of J.L. Goodman furniture stores. The building adjacent with the pediment isn't there but was replaced with another commercial building:

 

I'm guessing this was Goodman's second store on Pearl Road in Parma Heights - definitely demolished:

Beautiful.

Very impressive pictures indeed.

i'm having a hard time believing parma hts ever had anything as 'urban' as this

This is what there aren't enough of out there; old streetscape photos from the surrounding neighborhoods.  I would do anything to walk from Public Square down Broadway back then.  Through Downtown, past the bruting steel mills, through the city's second largest concentration of retail (E55th & Broadway) and then to the Harvard/Broadway passenger rail station.  How was all of this traded for the parking lagoons and strip malls of the suburbs?

This is what there aren't enough of out there; old streetscape photos from the surrounding neighborhoods.  I would do anything to walk from Public Square down Broadway back then.  Through Downtown, past the bruting steel mills, through the city's second largest concentration of retail (E55th & Broadway) and then to the Harvard/Broadway passenger rail station.  How was all of this traded for the parking lagoons and strip malls of the suburbs?

 

Now if that aint the 50 million dollar question, I don't know what is!

You should seriously consider contacting clevelandmemory.org with these images - they're absolutely amazing and I've never EVER seen them before.

 

Never thought of contacting them since we just found the pictures.  These have been collecting dust in my deceased former boss' basement for the past 50 years so not many have seen them.  I probably only scanned maybe 1/4 of the total pictures.  My favorites are the Bingham construction photos shown in another post.  There are probably another 10-15 of those...although some are in poor shape.

You should seriously consider contacting clevelandmemory.org with these images - they're absolutely amazing and I've never EVER seen them before.

 

Never thought of contacting them since we just found the pictures.  These have been collecting dust in my deceased former boss' basement for the past 50 years so not many have seen them.  I probably only scanned maybe 1/4 of the total pictures.  My favorites are the Bingham construction photos shown in another post.  There are probably another 10-15 of those...although some are in poor shape.

 

Well get'ta scanning and calling.  Finding stuff in the basement is the coolest thing in the world.

all those working people and structures -- it's amazing.

 

thx so much for the scans. please post more when you get a chance.

 

yes, these must most definately be preserved!

Another great photo thread!  I LOVE old pics of the city!

These are awesome! Thank you for posting.

These photos are knock-my-socks-off wonderful. In this machine shop, notice how all the machines are powered by belts from overhead line shafts. A big electric motor near the top of the nearest column drives all the shafts, providing one central power source for all the machines on the floor.

When I was a whippersnapper, there were still a few old machine shops that operated this way. Delightfully full of moving stuff and a wonderful mixture of machinery noises, and everything smelled of grease and oil and old leather belts.

 

Re this photo:

Willard made automobile batteries (lead-acid storage batteries) in Cleveland. It looks like they had an auto service station at the factory.

http://ech.cwru.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=WSBC

 

i'm having a hard time believing parma hts ever had anything as 'urban' as this

 

http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=JLGFC

 

I guess MayDay was correct on the Parma Hts. location

Well according to the site you posted:

 

"In addition to its store at 8358 Broadway Ave., J. L. Goodman opened its first branch store at 6282 Pearl Rd. in Parma Hts. in July 1966. "

 

These cars don't look like the '66 Malibu I used to own!

Good point - I'm guessing both of those images are from the Broadway site, but there's no mention anywhere that they rebuilt/expanded on Broadway, so maybe that's just been omitted from local history sites.

Wow, a fantastic find.  thanks for sharing.  Now off to see the Bingham thread!!

Good point - I'm guessing both of those images are from the Broadway site, but there's no mention anywhere that they rebuilt/expanded on Broadway, so maybe that's just been omitted from local history sites.

 

Looking at it now, it is the same building, reskinned and with additions off both sides.  The buildings on the left and right of the additions are the same in both pictures.

Impressive!

You should seriously consider contacting clevelandmemory.org with these images - they're absolutely amazing and I've never EVER seen them before.

My favorites are the Bingham construction photos shown in another post. There are probably another 10-15 of those...although some are in poor shape.

 

Ummm try 38 more Bingham construction pictures...not 10-15!  Not to mention the tons of other building and streetscape pictures.  I have a lot of scanning to do.  In do time...hang in there guys.  A historic Cleveland gigantapost forthcoming.

I'm drooling just thinking about it.  :P

Loving the brick streets.

 

After 100 years of so-called "advances" our streets currently look crappier than ever.

Loving the brick streets.

 

After 100 years of so-called "advances" our streets currently look crappier than ever.

 

Yeah.  I agree, all of our streets are in the shitter!  ::) ::)

Loving the brick streets.

 

After 100 years of so-called "advances" our streets currently look crappier than ever.

 

I always wonder when I see those old photos if the streets are red brick or if they're cobblestones.  The remaining brick streets in town definitely do add a certain allure to certain blocks.

Good point, maybe they are cobblestones. Either way, I think of places like German Village in Columbus. The streets look just awesome. 

 

Out of curiosity, I'm thinking of doing a little extra curricular excavation on one of the numerous potholes in my hood.  I'm fairly certain the asphalt surface was added on top as recently as the 80's.

 

Loving the brick streets.

 

After 100 years of so-called "advances" our streets currently look crappier than ever.

 

I always wonder when I see those old photos if the streets are red brick or if they're cobblestones. The remaining brick streets in town definitely do add a certain allure to certain blocks.

Good point, maybe they are cobblestones. Either way, I think of places like German Village in Columbus. The streets look just awesome.

 

Out of curiosity, I'm thinking of doing a little extra curricular excavation on one of the numerous potholes in my hood. I'm fairly certain the asphalt surface was added on top as recently as the 80's.

 

 

Not sure if they followed through, but the City of Cleveland has considered in recent years ripping off the asphalt top on some streets to daylight the intact brick surface; only if residents on the street requested it, I believe.  Good luck with your urban archeology- street cross sections are way cool.

Not sure if they followed through, but the City of Cleveland has considered in recent years ripping off the asphalt top on some streets to daylight the intact brick surface; only if residents on the street requested it, I believe.

 

I think that is a great idea, but didn't know if it was feasible.  Hopefully they do follow through on it.

 

 

Good point, maybe they are cobblestones. Either way, I think of places like German Village in Columbus. The streets look just awesome. 

 

Out of curiosity, I'm thinking of doing a little extra curricular excavation on one of the numerous potholes in my hood.  I'm fairly certain the asphalt surface was added on top as recently as the 80's.

 

 

Not sure if they followed through, but the City of Cleveland has considered in recent years ripping off the asphalt top on some streets to daylight the intact brick surface; only if residents on the street requested it, I believe.  Good luck with your urban archeology- street cross sections are way cool.

 

A couple of streets over here by us (127 & 128) are Red Brick.  A lot of streets in Glenville are brick as well.

maybe there is a hidden city below street level.  Lets bring in History Channel's "Cities of the Underworld"

MTS, how do they handle snow removal on those brick streets? I'm wondering what the effect of the plows are on that surface.

 

Would love to see a cost/benefit analysis of how the original brick, cobblestone surfaces hold up. To me, they just appear far more durable.

 

Regardless, I just think they look so much better than the asphalt!! 

 

Good point, maybe they are cobblestones. Either way, I think of places like German Village in Columbus. The streets look just awesome. 

 

Out of curiosity, I'm thinking of doing a little extra curricular excavation on one of the numerous potholes in my hood.  I'm fairly certain the asphalt surface was added on top as recently as the 80's.

 

 

Not sure if they followed through, but the City of Cleveland has considered in recent years ripping off the asphalt top on some streets to daylight the intact brick surface; only if residents on the street requested it, I believe.  Good luck with your urban archeology- street cross sections are way cool.

 

A couple of streets over here by us (127 & 128) are Red Brick.  A lot of streets in Glenville are brick as well.

Only one way to find out lol.

 

maybe there is a hidden city below street level.   Lets bring in History Channel's "Cities of the Underworld"

I've always prefered brick streets, they force you to drive a little slower and it gives the whole street a different feeling of home. Maybe that's because I grew up on a street with bricks and old street car tracks though.

 

Awesome pictures by the way.

MTS, how do they handle snow removal on those brick streets? I'm wondering what the effect of the plows are on that surface.

 

Would love to see a cost/benefit analysis of how the original brick, cobblestone surfaces hold up. To me, they just appear far more durable.

 

Regardless, I just think they look so much better than the asphalt!! 

 

Good point, maybe they are cobblestones. Either way, I think of places like German Village in Columbus. The streets look just awesome. 

 

Out of curiosity, I'm thinking of doing a little extra curricular excavation on one of the numerous potholes in my hood.  I'm fairly certain the asphalt surface was added on top as recently as the 80's.

 

 

Not sure if they followed through, but the City of Cleveland has considered in recent years ripping off the asphalt top on some streets to daylight the intact brick surface; only if residents on the street requested it, I believe.  Good luck with your urban archeology- street cross sections are way cool.

 

A couple of streets over here by us (127 & 128) are Red Brick.  A lot of streets in Glenville are brick as well.

 

Honestly, I don't know as I dont work for the city!  :-P 

 

Those are old streets, I just know whenever I've driven on them, it's a must to drive slower as they are "bumpier" and slick in rain/snow.

8-)

I'm pretty sure this was at Lorain and West 110th. Note the streetcar tracks in the foreground. The next picture says its on West 110th. The only other possibility is it's at West 110th and Madison which also had a streetcar line. Either way it's gone. If this is on Lorain, as I suspect, then thee neighboring Sears & Roebuck store was also demolished, since replaced with the suburban-looking Westown Plaza....

 

 

 

Isn't this the building that ODOT just demolished next to the Inner Belt?

 

 

 

The LN Gross Co. still stands, at the SW corner of West 3rd and Lakeside. It is the home of the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission and many other offices...

 

 

 

The Willard service station Factory branch shown below is fascinating. Willard was a huge car battery franchise, with more than 700 locations nationwide before the Great Depression. They had 19 factory branch locations like this one, but I don't know where this branch is. The first one was built in about 1900 located on Sheriff Street (East Fourth Street) south of Huron Road. But this looks too large and not high-density enough for that area back then...

 

 

 

The Telling-Belle Vernon Co. ice cream and "sanitary dairy" was located about 3800 Carnegie Avenue. It was Ohio's largest dairy at the time and later became one of the first headquarters for the Sealtest Corp...

 

 

Ward Baking Co. Building #4 was torn down a few years ago. It sat empty for many years on Chester Avenue just west of East 55th and the railroad tracks. Homeless lived in the building and advocates for the homeless argued the building shouldn't be torn down else the homeless would have nowhere to go...

 

 

While the name "Pearl" on this building doesn't necessarily mean "Pearl Street" or what became West 25th Street after 1915, I think it does. And the addresses on the building, 1939 & 1943, suggest this is what is today the National City Bank on West 25th Street just north of the West Side Market and on the same side of the street. The building looks a little different today but the basics of the building are the same. Tell me if you agree...

 

 

 

I can't say for sure, but this reminds me of some of the warehouses that got squeezed into the residential areas of St. Clair-Superior. This isn't a main road since there are no streetcar tracks on it, and that's a pretty long and narrow warehouse. I was using satellites to look around this area but came up goose eggs. I'll keep looking...

 

KJP.  You're my hero!

 

What would we do without you?! 

Excellent detective work, KJP! The Willard factory service building looks like 1920s design.

 

One of my uncles ran an auto electric service business from the early 1930s into the 1960s, and I think he may have sold Willard batteries at one time.

The building I thought was at Lorain and West 110th is probably too industrial for that area. It's probably at the other end of West 110th at Madison. Either way, I think the building is gone.

 

The Willard service station Factory branch is not on Sheriff/East Fourth Street, as that had a streetcar line on the portion south of Huron. The building looks like the kind that were built east of downtown in the warehouse area along Lakeside, Hamilton and St. Clair. Just guessing though. Note the houses at right. So whatever this location is, it's near a residential area that's turning industrial.

If I do a little detective work on a couple of these, I might be able to get the address by checking correspondence files from these projects.