Cleveland, the second city of Ohio in population and general importance, and the tenth, in 1890, in the United States, is situated at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, on the south shore of Lake Erie, 255 miles by rail NE. of Cincinnati, 183 SW. of Buffalo, and 350 E. of Chicago. The city is built mainly upon a plain from 60 to 150 feet above the lake, and is divided into two great divisions, the east and west sides, by the tortuous valley of the Cuyahoga. The 'flats,' about half a mile wide, along the river are occupied by vast lumber-yards, numerous factories, iron, flour, and other mills, coal-yards, ore docks, ship-yards, &c. A wide and massive viaduct, 3211 feet long, constructed mainly of stone, and completed in 1878 at the cost of $2,250,000, crosses the valley at the height of 50 to 70 feet; and another viaduct of iron (1888), 100 feet above the river and 3931 feet long, makes a second broad level highway between the two divisions of the city. The river is the harbour, and is spanned by numerous bridges. An outer harbour, safe and commodious, is completed by the construction of an immense United States breakwater, about 2 miles long and half a mile from the shore, opposite the mouth of the river, where there is a large opening for vessels. The business centre of Cleveland extends east from the lower part of the river-valley, for three-fourths of a mile along Superior Street, which is 132 feet wide, and the chief shopping thoroughfare. It embraces several parallel and intersecting streets. In this district is the Public Square, 10 acres in area. The custom- house and post-office, a large stone structure, is situated on the east side of the square, upon which front also a court-house, the fine old 'Stone' (first Presbyterian) Church, a theatre, an hotel, banks, and many business blocks. This attractive breathing spot contains fountains, a stone speakers' stand for public meetings, and a statue of Commodore Perry, the hero of the battle of Lake Erie in 1813. From the south-east corner of the square, Euclid Avenue, the most famous street in the city, and, according to Bayard Taylor and other travellers, the most beautiful in the world, extends nearly east through the best residence quarter of Cleveland. Four and a half miles from the square it passes Wade Park, a beautiful tract of about 65 acres, containing a lake for boating, a deer paddock, fountains, and groves of noble forest-trees.
A mile farther east, just beyond the city limits, is Lake View Cemetery, one of the finest in the country. Here, on a commanding site, 250 feet above Lake Erie, stands the stone monument to the late President Garfield, built by subscription at a cost of about 130,000. The monument is 125 feet high, and surmounts the president's grave. Euclid Avenue is lined with stately mansions upon a gentle eminence, 200 to 500 feet from the Avenue, in a park-like stretch of shade-trees, smooth lawns, flowers, shrubbery, and winding walks and drive-ways. The same wealth of gardens and shade-trees is noticeable in a less degree throughout the 'Forest City,' except in the poorest quarters. Few houses are built in blocks, and tenements are virtually unknown. At least 20,000 families, it is believed, own the houses in which they live, and the area of the city, 26½ sq. m., is about 20 per cent. greater than that of Manhattan Island, on which New York is mostly built. About 19.5 sq. m. lie east of the river and 6.8 miles west. The soil is light and sandy, the drainage excellent, and the water supplied from Lake Erie by a tunnel, two pumping stations and standpipes, and two large reservoirs, is pure and abundant. The climate is temperate, the average yearly rainfall being 37.6 inches, and the mean annual temperature 50° F. Naturally the death-rate is low, averaging about 18 in the thousand of population. Cleveland has a music-hall capable of seating 5000 persons, 4 fine theatres and 6 of less importance, 150 churches, 8 colleges—3 of which are medical schools—7 hospitals, and many asylums and other benevolent institutions. There are two large circulating libraries, one, containing about 52,000 volumes, being free. The schools number about 100; and 60 periodicals, daily, tri-weekly, weekly, and monthly, are published in the city. Cleveland's rapid growth is due mainly to the fact that nowhere else can the rich iron ores of Lake Superior, the coal of Northern Ohio, and the limestone of the Lake Erie islands, be brought together so cheaply. The chief industries of the city are the various manufactures of iron, including steel rails, forgings, wire, bridges, steel and iron slips, engines, boilers, nails, screws, sewing-machines, agricultural implements and machinery of all kinds, the refining of petroleum, wood-work, and other manufactures of endless variety. In 1880 the value of manufactured products was 48,600,000, the number of persons employed 21,700, and the capital invested 19,430,000. At the census of 1890 the annual value of products was 105,500,000, and 50,000 hands were employed.
In 1880-90 the vessel tonnage constructed in Cleveland, nearly all in steamships of 1500 to 2500 tons burden, exceeded that built in the entire state of Maine. The city has a commanding commercial situation, due, primarily, to its position at the north terminus of the Ohio Canal, connecting Lake Erie with the Ohio River at the mouth of the Scioto. The start obtained when the canal was opened in 1834 has been maintained. Seven railroads terminate in the city, and two pass through it from east to west. Cleveland's lake commerce is very great, the total tonnage entered and cleared annually exceeding 3,000,000 tons. Cleveland is the greatest iron ore receiving point in America, one of the largest lumber markets in the country, and the mercantile centre of an extensive and productive region. In 1796 a party under General Moses Cleveland laid out the site of a town where Cleveland now stands, and in 1830 the population of the town was 1076. In 1836 the city of Cleveland was incorporated. Since then its growth has been very rapid. In 1840 the Federal census showed a population of 6071; (1850) 17,034; (1860) 43,417; (1870) 92,829; and (1880) 160,146. A police census in 1886 returned the number of inhabitants at 214,013, and on the census of 1890 it was 261,353.