Your Guide Through Cleveland's History

It's the people! In Cleveland, it's the very people who offer you a milkshake at Swensons Drive-In, winter surf on Lake Erie and wander through Downtown's street art scene. Cleveland's culture is a confluence of its gritty past and its refreshing Midwestern character. 

Let's start with the history. Originally populated by Erie, Seneca, and Lenape Nations, what we now call "Cleveland" was formally founded in 1796. The city sits along Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River, which made it a major center for Great Lakes trade in the early 1800s.

An important Union city during the Civil War, Cleveland grew into a major industrial metropolis and a gateway for European and Middle Eastern immigrants, as well as Black American migrants, seeking jobs and opportunity.

The Civil War vaulted Cleveland into the first rank of American manufacturing cities and fueled unprecedented growth. It became home to numerous major steel productions and became the home base for John D. Rockefeller’s company, Standard Oil.

The spirit of the Progressive Era had a lasting impact on Cleveland. The era of the City Beautiful movement in Cleveland architecture, the period saw wealthy patrons support the establishment of the city's major cultural institutions. 

The most prominent among them were the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), which opened in 1916, and The Cleveland Orchestra, established in 1918. From its formation, the CMA offered admission free to the public "for the benefit of all the people forever."

Cleveland was one of America's largest cities in the 20th century, but after World War II, it suffered from post-war deindustrialization and suburbanization. The city has pursued a gradual recovery since the 1980s, becoming a major national center for healthcare and the arts.

Cleveland has become an exciting destination for performing and fine arts: as the birthplace of rock'n'roll with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and homebase to top institutions like The Cleveland Orchestra and The Cleveland Museum of Art, among many others.