Statement of Purpose:
This website intends to serve as a guide to the history of Cleveland's Industrial Valley. All information was compiled by Stephen Parrino, Jonas Baird, Samuel Mather and Gabriel Nestlerode and is licensed to Dobama Theater.
Soo Locks
The Soo Locks are four canal locks in two separate canals on the St Mary’s River. They allow for travel between Lake Superior and Huron which previously wasn’t possible due to the 21 foot drop in elevation. [36] Before this, the St. Mary’s river was always an important waterway for trade, but after a mining boom in the 1840s, the need to have a more efficient route to Lake Superior became necessary. The canals were built, along with tandem locks in 1855. [36] Some time later, another lock was built to support larger ships in 1881. [36] Overall, the Soo Locks allowed for transportation of materials such as iron and copper by decreasing the time it took to cross that area from a few days to mere hours.
Arcelormittal/Cliffs Info
The only remaining steel mill in Cleveland was, as of 2016, the ArcelorMittal Mill, [3] which has since merged with Cleveland Cliffs. [2] In 2016 the company was described by an article on Cleveland.com as being home to “the shooting flame that can easily be seen from I-77 [which] comes from a stack atop the No. 1 Steel Producing building. The flare is a pollution-control device, burning off gases from the steelmaking process so they don't enter the atmosphere. ArcelorMittal Cleveland is considered the most productive steel mill in the world.” [2]
Since then, the forces at work in the steel industry and in Cleveland have continued to evolve. Currently, there is only one active steel mill in Cleveland, Cleveland Cliffs, which bought out Elise’s plant for half a billion dollars in 2020. This plant continues to be one of the most efficient plants in the world, and remains an iconic fixture of the industrial skyline in Cleveland.
Neighborhood Progress Inc.
Being a city in decline, Cleveland always has the need for development and rebuilding. Neighborhood Progress INC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to diverting the necessary resources to coordinated development projects. It was formed in 1988 by multiple other organizations, those being Cleveland Tomorrow, Cleveland Foundation, George Gund Foundation, and Standard Oil of Ohio. [28] In its early years, its central focus was to support community development corporations, also known as CDCs. [28] They work with city governments, communities, and development corporations to achieve their goals. Neighborhood Progress is based on Shaker Blvd in Cleveland.
The focus of Neighborhood Progress shifted during the Great Recession, the largest economic collapse in the US since the Great Depression. The housing prices during these times plummeted and unemployment rates were through the roof. In Cleveland neighborhoods, property values that the corporation was working to grow had a sharp decrease. In order to combat the negative effects of the recession, Neighborhood Progress worked with communities to make use of vacant land for things such as side yards and gardens. [28] They also partnered with local governments to address and deal with the falling property values and increased vacancy.
The Columbus Street Bridge War
Throughout the play there are allusions to the cultural competitiveness between the West Side and the East Side of the Cleveland area, divided by the Cuyahoga River. There does indeed exist a longstanding cultural rivalry between the two sides of the city, a conflict which may stem from historical conflicts in the area. In 1836, the City of Cleveland existed only on the east side of the river. The west side was a different city entirely: Ohio City. While the two would go on to merge in the 1850s, at the time they were distinct cities, which led them into conflict with one another. [33]
The notable climax of the competition between these two cities was the Columbus St. Bridge War of 1836. The Columbus St. Bridge was built over the Cuyahoga River to provide a more direct route from the nearby Medina & Wooster turnpike into Cleveland. [9] Ohio City residents resented this bridge because it bypassed their market district while providing a funnel for resources to enter Cleveland, which was a far more prosperous city than Ohio City already. Previously, in order to enter Cleveland from the west, it was most convenient to pass through Ohio City to do so, but the construction of the Columbus St. was accompanied by the destruction of another bridge which had linked Ohio City to Cleveland more directly.
In retaliation to the construction of the bridge, a mob of angry Ohio City residents stormed the bridge carrying a plethora of weapons, intent on destroying the bridge in protest. Cleveland residents, led by the mayor, met Ohio City with a retaliatory force, and a riot ensued. The county sheriff resolved the conflict, and the cities agreed to build multiple bridges over the river. Though Cleveland would later annex Ohio City, the echoes of this competition have shaped the cultural divide of the city’s sides in the ensuing centuries.
Cleveland’s Industrial Valley
The Cleveland area was first settled in the 1700s. Initially, there were some settlements on the northern parts of the industrial valley, but it was quickly recognized as an unattractive residential area due to its marshy, insect-ridden conditions. By the early 1800s most people in the valley had moved to the modern-day warehouse district in the east, and Ohio City on the west. [10] Industry quickly filled the remaining space. Due to its easy access to the Cuyahoga River and therefore Lake Erie, Cleveland was a strategic place to both import and export goods. The Erie Canal opened in 1825 [15], increasing the number of docks and warehouses along the river as shipping on Lake Erie increased. The canal allowed Cleveland to more easily ship to the Atlantic, and to the south via the Ohio & Mississippi Rivers. [21]
Due to the flat nature of the Cleveland Flats, by the 1850s railroads operated to further connect the industry and by the late 1800s the Flats were covered with all sorts of mills, refineries, ship/rail yards, lumber yards, factories, and furnaces. Despite the Flats' prominent role in north/south connectivity, this region was still affected by an east/west divide. More bridges across the river, easing this divide, helped to turn the industrial valley into the powerhouse of industry Cleveland would become. In the 20th industry, as businesses become less dependent on rail and water, the valley lost some of its industry, with the Flats neighborhood being hit especially hard, however the steel industry and metal making broadly stayed much stronger until later in the 1980s.
In the last part of the 20th century, the Flats, especially the northern end, saw much growth in the food industry, with new pubs, eateries, and live music venues. Since then the Flats have seen revitalization through the arts, opening studios and attracting artists [39] to the area as well as large investments in public spaces such as Wendy Park. Nowadays the valley is a mix of old industrial facilities and railroads, trendy communities, and local tourism with varying degrees of gentrification in and around the valley.
Renting
Renting in “Rust Belt” cities such as Cleveland has historically harbored some challenges, with Cleveland and nearby cities generally having older, poorly maintained rental housing stock. Some challenges faced by rental properties include inconsistent or poor long term maintenance and the presence of lead paint. Such troubles were exacerbated by the great recession, as financial strains further complicated the abilities of renters and landlords to care for their properties. [39]
The Recession
The largest economic downturn, which took place from 2007-2009, was called the Great Recession. This recession caused financial problems for many Americans. It was the result of decreased interest rates that were set in stone by the Federal Government [25] to combat the negative economic effects of the Dotcom Bubble and the September 11th attacks. [12][20] It caused housing prices to drop 18% and put 30 million people out of employment. [25] It hit many industries hard, including the steel industry. [1]
1852
Cleveland was a new and developing city during this time. The population increased from 6,000 people in 1940 to 17,000 in 1950. [40] Commerce was a major part of the city's economy, with canals bringing in produce and other goods. Construction of railroads around this time, like the Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati railroad connected the city to even more of the country, and allowed for year-round transport of goods and people. [5] A year after this map, construction of the Soo Locks began, which allowed for easier shipment of ore from the Lake Superior region. [38]
1927
From the 1860s to the 1920s, Cleveland's population increased from around 40,000 to almost a million, making it one of the largest cities in the United States at the time. Cleveland’s transportation network helped it grow, with railroads and ships connecting it to new markets and resources. Cleveland also experienced immense industrial growth in this period. By 1930 Cleveland had the second highest percentage of citizens employed in industry, at one point employing as many as 223,000 workers, or about half of the city’s workforce. [5]
Works Cited
1 “ArcelorMittal Cleveland Halts Steel Operations, Leaving 250 Workers to Maintain Plant - Cleveland.Com.” n.d. Accessed April 16, 2025. https://www.cleveland.com/business/2009/03/arcelormittal_cleveland_closes.html.
2 “ArcelorMittal Cleveland Makes Steel, Here’s How They Do It - Cleveland.Com.” n.d. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.cleveland.com/business/2016/10/arcelormittal_cleveland_makes.html.
3 “ArcelorMittal Completes Sale of ArcelorMittal USA to Cleveland-Cliffs | ArcelorMittal.” 2020. December 9, 2020. https://corporate.arcelormittal.com/media/press-releases/arcelormittal-completes-sale-of-arcelormittal-usa-to-cleveland-cliffs/.
4 Brant, George. 2025. Rust A Story of Steel and Grit (Draft 5.0).
5 “CLEVELAND: AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW | Encyclopedia of Cleveland History | Case Western Reserve University.” 2021. August 3, 2021. https://case.edu/ech/cleveland-historical-overview.
6 “Cleveland Cliffs Inc.” n.d. clevelandcliffs.com.
7 “Cleveland Historic Maps.” n.d. Accessed April 5, 2025. https://arcgis-content.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=ddb0ee6134d64de4adaaa3660308abfd&
extent=-81.7709,41.4488,-81.6061,41.5098.
8 cleveland.com, dir. 2025. Drone Tour of Cleveland’s Massive Industrial Valley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMUdQdMHNS0.
9 “COLUMBUS STREET BRIDGE | Encyclopedia of Cleveland History | Case Western Reserve University.” 2019. November 18, 2019. https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/columbus-street-bridge.
10 “CUYAHOGA VALLEY NEIGHBORHOOD | Encyclopedia of Cleveland History | Case Western Reserve University.” 2022. March 12, 2022. https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/cuyahoga-valley-neighborhood.
11 Dahlke, Erich. n.d. “The Soo Locks, Sault Ste Marie.” Sault Ste Marie CVB (blog). Accessed April 19, 2025. https://saultstemarie.com/attractions/soo-locks/.
12 “Dotcom Bubble.” n.d. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dotcom-bubble.asp.
13 “DOWNTOWN.” n.d. https://case.edu/ech/articles/d/downtown.
14 Eliese Colette Goldbach. 2020. RUST a Memoir of Steel and Grit. First edition. Flatiron Books.
15 “Erie Canal - Commercial Artery, National Symbol | Britannica.” 2025. March 21, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Erie-Canal.
16 “Great Recession: What It Was and What Caused It.” n.d. Investopedia. Accessed April 28, 2025. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/great-recession.asp.
17 Hampton, Shane. 2014. “60 Years of Urban Change: Midwest.” The Institute for Quality Communities (blog). December 12, 2014. https://iqc.ou.edu/2014/12/12/60yrsmidwest/.
18 “HIGHWAYS.” n.d. https://case.edu/ech/articles/h/highways.
19 “Https://Web.Archive.Org/Web/20131123141334/Http://Www.Steelstrong100.Com/Who-We-Were/.” n.d. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20131123141334/http://www.steelstrong100.com/Who-we-were/.
20 “Impact of 9/11 on Business.” n.d. https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0911/the-impact-of-september-11-on-business.aspx.
21 “Industrial River Valley Historical Marker.” n.d. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=147878.
22 “Industrial Valley.” n.d. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://planning.clevelandohio.gov/cwp/districts.php?dt=dist3&dn=ind.
23 “INDUSTRY | Encyclopedia of Cleveland History | Case Western Reserve University.” 2018. May 11, 2018. https://case.edu/ech/articles/i/industry.
24 “IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY.” n.d. https://case.edu/ech/articles/i/iron-and-steel-industry#:~:text=Location%20has%20been%20
Cleveland's%20potent,for%20iron%20ore%20
and%20coal.
25 KALLEBERG, ARNE L., and TILL M. VON WACHTER. 2017. “The U.S. Labor Market During and After the Great Recession: Continuities and Transformations.” The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences : RSF 3 (3): 1–19. https://doi.org/10.7758/rsf.2017.3.3.01.
26 Kenward, LLoyd. 1987. “The Decline of the US Steel Industry: Why Competitiveness Fell against Foreign Steelmakers.” Finance & Development 24 (004). https://doi.org/10.5089/9781616353711.022.A009.
27 “LABOR | Encyclopedia of Cleveland History | Case Western Reserve University.” 2022. July 20, 2022. https://case.edu/ech/articles/l/labor.
28 “NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRESS INC. | Encyclopedia of Cleveland History | Case Western Reserve University.” 2019. September 10, 2019. https://case.edu/ech/articles/n/neighborhood-progress-inc.
29 Olivera Perkins, The Plain Dealer. 2016. “Why ArcelorMittal Succeeds Where LTV Failed: Heart of Steel (Photos, Video).” Cleveland. October 16, 2016. https://www.cleveland.com/business/2016/10/why_arcelormittal_succeeds_whe_1.html.
30 “Penpot | Design Freedom for Teams.” n.d. Accessed April 24, 2025. https://design.penpot.app/#/workspace?team-id=76c3be65-dd38-80a3-8006-140efe815a94&file-id=76c3be65-dd38-80a3-8006-1411dfa4eb52&page-id=76c3be65-dd38-80a3-8006-1411dfa4eb53.
31 “Reframing the ‘Rust Belt’ Narrative through the Humanities.” n.d. Ideastream Public Media. Accessed April 5, 2025. https://www.ideastream.org/show/sound-of-ideas/2025-04-03/reframing-the-rust-belt-narrative-through-the-humanities.
32 Rich’s Roads and Rails, dir. 2020. Cleveland, Ohio Industrial Valley Street Tour. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWvy4Oczn-E.
33 Rotman, Michael. n.d. “Columbus Street Bridge.” Cleveland Historical. Accessed April 16, 2025. https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/74.
34 Roy, Chris. n.d. “Central Viaduct - An Overpass with a Sad Past.” Cleveland Historical. Accessed April 16, 2025. https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/512.
35 Schweitzer, Mark E. n.d. “Rust and Renewal: A Cleveland Retrospective.” Accessed April 8, 2025. https://www.clevelandfed.org/regional-analysis/cleveland-retrospective.
36 “Soo Locks.” n.d. Great Lakes and Ohio River Division. Accessed April 24, 2025. https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects/Article/3641904/soo-locks/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lrd.usace.army.mil%2
FMissions%2FProjects%2FDisplay%2FArticle%
2F3641904%2Fsoo-locks%2F.
37 “The Infamous Bridge Wars of 1836 with Judy MacKeigan – Artists Archives of the Western Reserve.” n.d. Accessed April 16, 2025. https://www.artistsarchives.org/event/the-infamous-bridge-wars-of-1836-with-judy-mackeigan/.
38 “The Soo Locks, Sault Ste Marie.” n.d. Accessed April 28, 2025. https://saultstemarie.com/attractions/soo-locks/.
39 Tighe, J. Rosie, and Stephanie Ryberg-Webster. 2019. Legacy Cities: Continuity and Change amid Decline and Revival. PIttsburgh, UNITED STATES: University of Pittsburgh Press. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/oberlin/detail.action?docID=5789179.
40 “Visual Cleveland | Decennial Census Data -- Cleveland Population Change, 1800-2020.” n.d. Accessed April 19, 2025. https://visual.clevelandhistory.org/census/.
41 “Which Groups Suffer Most in the Labor Market During Recessions?” n.d. NBER. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.nber.org/digest/jul12/which-groups-suffer-most-labor-market-during-recessions.
42 Writer, Staff. n.d. “Obama to Visit Cleveland Steelmaking Company on Thursday.” Columbus CEO. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.columbusceo.com/story/business/2013/11/13/obama-to-visit-cleveland-steelmaking/22892825007/.