|
The North and South
Broadway neighborhoods, originally part of Newburgh
Township, formed one of the earliest settlements in
Cuyahoga County, with New Englanders first arriving in
the area in 1796. Newburgh's early growth resulted from
its location on high ground, away from the
mosquito-infested lowlands of the Cuyahoga River valley,
as well as from its proximity to the fast-flowing Mill
Creek, which provided the fresh water and power
necessary to support development of the area's first
industries.
The
construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal, the Sault-St.
Marie Canal and the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad in
the first half of the 19th century led to industrial
growth and increased commercial trade in the Broadway
area, including the establishment of several steel
mills. By the mid-1870's, most portions of the original
Newburgh Township had been annexed to Cleveland.
The arrival
of heavy industries was accompanied by the addition of
numerous rail lines, which divided the Broadway
neighborhood into several distinct sub-areas. These rail
lines and their many spurs also contributed to the
establishment of a development pattern characterized by
incompatible mixtures of housing and industry.
The 1870's
also brought a large influx of Czech and Polish
immigrants to work in the nearby iron and steel mills.
The Czech immigrants constructed the small working-class
cottages that are typical of North Broadway. Commercial
development occured primarily during the late 19th and
early 20th centuries along Broadway, which was a major
travel route that served a stage coach line connecting
Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Years later, Broadway served
as the route of a streetcar line connecting southeast
Cleveland to Downtown. At its peak in the early 1920's,
the intersection of East 55th and Broadway was one of
the City's most active retail districts. The Poles
formed their own settlement near Tod Street (today East
65th Street) and Fleet Avenue in the area now known as
"Slavic Village." These large residential areas north
and south of Fleet Avenue developed after the turn of
the century to house the growing Polish population.
Fleet and Broadway Avenues, as well as East 65th and
East 71st Streets, developed at that time as the main
commercial streets in the neighborhood. The neighborhood
reached its peak population during the 1920's.
During the
1950's and 1960's, North and South Broadway experienced
substantial out-migration, following the general trend
toward suburbanization in Greater Cleveland. As a
result, in the 1970's, business activity also decreased,
particularly along the secondary retail districts on
Broadway, East 65th and East 71st Streets. Along
Broadway, the focus of the retail district shifted from
East 55th to Aetna Road, where a modern discount
department store and supermarket were located but closed
in 2001.
One of the largest housing developments in the City's
recent history is being developed on the site of the
former State of Ohio Developmental Center on Turney
Road. "Mill Creek" is a 200+ unit subdivision designed
to fit into the existing neighborhood by respecting
Cleveland's traditional architecture and acknowledging
the surrounding natural environment. The houses are in
the $139,000 range.
| 
