Browse Exhibits (62 total)
The Cuyahoga River: Flowing Through Time
A Chronological History of the Cuyahoga River as it applies to economic, social, and political characteristics.
Man continually shapes and reshapes the environment in which we live. The Cuyahoga River basin is no different. The river has provided water resources and a waterway that man has used and manipulated to suit his needs over time. As you proceed through the exhibit, think about how you might answer the following questions:
1. How has the river changed over time?
2. How have different generations of people used the river?
3. Why has the river been instrumental in the development of Cleveland as a major city in the United States?
Economic Boom or Environmental Bust? The Perry Nuclear Power Plant
In his 1864 book titled Man and Nature, George Perkins Marsh asserted that great civilizations decline because they adversely affect the environment in which they grow. Once the Silicon Valley of American's industrial period, Northeast Ohio now lies at the center of the so called "Rust Belt" and the region's population has been hemoragging since the 1950s. Is it possible, as George Perkins Marsh suggested, that the abuse of the natural environment is what led to Northeast Ohio's decline? The steel, oil, and chemical plants that were celebrated as the engines of Cleveland's industrial revolution also caused environmental harm as evidenced by the Cuyahoga River fires and brownfield that occupies the former Diamond-Shamrock facility on the Lakefront near Fairport Harbor.
The Perry Nuclear Power Plant rises dramatically on the the North Coast. Once heralded as the answer to the economic problems confronting the rural community that it calls home, it has also been the target of environmental protests and criticisms since plans were first announed in 1971. The economic impact of the plant has resulted in several tangible benefits for the residents of Perry Village, North Perry, and Perry Township. However, critics contend that the environmental impact has tarnished the landscape and increased health risks for the people and animals that live nearby. Will Perry follow the same path of decline as Cleveland, Painesville, and Fairport Harbor? Or will Perry be able to sustain the economic and population growth it has enjoyed since the 1970s.
William Plato Cuyahoga County Administrator Files, 1967-1985
This exhibit was created from the files of Cuyahoga County Administrator William Plato. He was a part of the county governmental organization from 1977 to 1985. The collection can be found at the Cuyahoga County Archives and features many interesting letters, documents, drawings, memos, and files that came across his desk. This exhibit showcases only a small sample of them.
National Fallout Shelter Survey
This exhibit was created with the Cuyahoga County Archives National Fallout Shelter Survey Collection. This collection features information dealing with the National Fallout Shelter Survey. The 13 boxes contain correspondence between Civil Defense administrators, fallout shelter diagrams, blueprints, records, individual shelter booklets, and census tract information pertaining to the survey.
The National Fallout Shelter Survey was a program from 1948-1986. During the Cold War, nuclear destruction was a threat that was a constant concern to the American people and administration alike. Existing buildings and new construction were designated as fallout shelters. These were reinforced structures with the capacity to provide some protection from the radioactive fallout that would occur after a nuclear exchange. These facilities were surveyed, sketched, and blueprinted, and many different measurements were used to define each shelter's protection value, and the number of people each shelter could protect.
This survey was done in two phases, Phase 1, which took place from 1948-1964, was the identification and preliminary survey of structures eligible for fallout shelter status. Individual buildings were inspected and licensed as facilities for fallout shelters. Phase 2, from 1963-68, consisted of a more detailed survey of the structure, and attention to supply issues, such as potable water on hand, ventilation, and sewer capacity. An updating survey of these shelters was performed in the 1970s, and for a final time in the 1980s. With the end of the Cold War, these facilities were no longer necessary.
Cleveland and Great Lakes Shipping
This exhibit will look at some of the boats, tools, and men who have been influencial in Great Lakes shipping and have connections to Clevealand, Ohio. Many of the ships shown are from the Cleveland-Cliffs fleet which was one of the major companies in the iron ore industry.
Good Clean Fun: The Rise and Fall of Cleveland's Bathhouses, 1900-1950
Between 1900 and 1950, bathhouses existed in the city of Cleveland in various locations throughout the city. These public spaces served many recreational and civil purposes for Cleveland's citizenry during the decades that they stood in the city. This exhibit traces the lifecycle of the bathhouse movement in Cleveland and demonstrates how the history of these public spaces reflected the changes that took place in Cleveland during their existence and decline.
Moving Along: The Path of Transportation
Miles Heights Village
On August 16, 1927, a 2.66 square mile area in the Warrensville Township and southeast of the city of Cleveland incorporated as the Village of Miles Heights (Hts), Cuyahoga County Ohio. The emergence of such suburbs as Miles Hts. was common during the earlier part of the twentieth century. In fact, suburbanization in the United States began to proliferate, so much so, that by the mid-twentieth century, suburban growth outnumbered that of city growth. The suburban populations outside of cities like Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Detroit, Buffalo, and Cleveland quadrupled. However, before the 1850s, the “suburb” or areas just outside the city were sparsely populated and generally considered slums and “socially and economically inferior to cities.” Only the truly destitute chose to live outside the city or in the “suburb.” The city was the desirable and practical place to be with the “the most fashionable and respectable addresses” located near the center of town, where all business and leisure activities took place. Everyone lived in the city – African Americans, immigrants, and the poor – and only one or two blocks away from each other. However, by the late nineteenth century, people who once lived in the “most fashionable addresses” began to move to these areas of squalor and destitution located outside of the city.
Medina Square: Consumption through Commerce Past and Present : The American Hotel, The Phoenix Bank/Block, The Courthouse
This exhibit is an exploration in commerce (the production or distribution of goods or services, public or private) on the square in Medina, Ohio since its' establishment. Specifically, it will examine the landscape of the square regarding three specific locations over time. These locations are: The Medina Courthouse, The Phoenix Bank, and The American Hotel.
The intention of this exhibit is for the visitor to look at locations on the square and how they have changed over time.
In what ways did the American Hotel, the Phoenix Bank, and the Courthouse serve the community?
How did these buildings change over time?
How were they used by the Medina consumers?
Did the locations change? Why or why not?
Are these businesses still in use in present day Medina? Why or why not?