A History of Cleveland's Central Neighborhood


German immigrants were among the first settlers of the area known as the Central Neighborhood in the mid 1800s, but other ethnic groups arrived soon after including Italians, Hungarians, Poles , Russians and Jewish settlers. The Germans came to farm, the later groups quickly found jobs in the local foundries and steel mills

Central Neighborhood’s early history was one of expansion and opportunity. But there were omens even then of tougher times ahead.

Central Neighborhood’s early history was one of expansion and opportunity. But there were omens even then of tougher times ahead.

The neighborhood had one of the earliest markets in the city which opened in 1856, where farmers and others brought their wares to the bustling neighborhood. The market was located at the intersection of Ontario, Woodland and Broadway.
 
But the market was allowed to deteriorate over the years and was later deemed by the city of Cleveland as a traffic, safety and health hazard. A $1.4 million plan to build a new market in 1946 stalled by the mayor with the money later diverted to renovate the Westside Market. The Central Market was destroyed in a fire in 1949.

Central also had the first public high school in the city, opening in 1846. At the time, high school education wasn't considered something the public should pay for. Among the students that attended Central are among the biggest names in Cleveland including John L. Severance, John D. Rockefeller, Marcus Hanna, Samuel Mather and Langston Hughes.

Central High School moved several times and in 1952, it was merged with East Technical High School while its old site on East 40 Street became a junior high school.

Settlement houses, including Friendly Inn Social Settlement were established in Cleveland neighborhoods including Central, to help the newly arriving immigrants get established in the neighborhoods. But the houses also tried to help with the ills created by rapid industrialization including overcrowding and the public health problems that resulted.

Friendly Inn, established in 1874, expanded to three and then five with all of them ultimately consolidated in Central Neighborhood in 1888. Mothers clubs were offered, bathing facilities for men and playgrounds and kindergarten were available to the children.

The neighborhood was changing, with those residents able moving away from the overcrowded and industrial neighborhood and fewer immigrants were moving in. By 1924, more than one third of the Inns clients were African Americans.