Are you a true Clevelander? Doesn't matter how long you've lived in Cleveland, you need to know these unique facts of the city. Let's put your Cleveland knowledge to the test with the list below.
1. The city's original name was Cleaveland
Cleveland, Ohio (not to be confused with Cleveland, Yorkshire, England), was named after Moses Cleaveland. He founded the city of Cleaveland, which was named after himself, in 1796 while surveying the Connecticut Western Reserve and the name of the city remained until 1831.
The Cleveland Advertiser felt that Cleveland was less superfluous than Cleaveland (it couldn't fit on the newspaper's masthead), consequently the first 'a' was dropped, and the new spelling soon became the norm.
2. The first city to be lit by electricity
While, Wabash, Indiana, is officially the "first electrically lighted city in the world", Cleveland is the first to successfully demonstrate electric lighting after the discovery of electricity and the invention of the light bulb.
Twelve arc lamps — the first electric lights — were lit on 29 April 1879 around the Public Square road system. This first public demonstration of public lighting was conducted by Cleveland inventor Charles Brush.
3. The home of rock 'n' roll
The Moondog Coronation Ball is widely accepted as the world's first true rock 'n' roll concert. It was held in Cleveland on March 21, 1952. The venue was packed as an arena with a capacity of only 10,000 had to host an estimated number of 20,000-25,000 fans.
4. Superman's birthplace
The true birthplace of the Man of Steel we all know and love is from Cleveland. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were the ones who created Superman in 1933 on Cleveland's East Side. In 1938, the first Superman issue was sold to DC comics for $130.
5. The first indoor shopping center
The Arcade Cleveland was built in 1890 for $875,000 and became the first indoor shopping center in the US. It was given the nickname Cleveland’s Crystal Palace and was designed by John M. Eisenmann and George H. Smith.
John D. Rockefeller, Steven V. Harkness, Louis Severance, Charles Brush and Marcus Hanna were among those who financed the establishment of the mall.
Well, did you know all the facts above? If the answer is yes, then congrats! For you are a true citizen of Cleveland. If no, then it's never too late to learn more about interesting facts that built the city.