Cleveland History
Date of Birth: 7/22/1796
Population including suburbs: 2.2 million
Population in the city limits: 360,000
The eastern part of Lake Erie was inhabited by the powerful Cat Nation, the Erie Indians. Lake Erie is named after these hunters of the raccoon. The
principle domain of the Cat Nation extended from Niagra Falls to the Cuyahoga River basin.
The French helped wipe out the Erie Indians by intensifying their rivalry with the Iroquois Indians.
The Iroquois owned the land known as the Western Reserve, starting at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, the Crooked River. It forms a U in the State of Ohio.
Moses Cleaveland a representative of the Connecticut Land Company and a 50 man expedition were led by Joseph Hodge into the Western Reserve and negotiated it's purchase. The Iroquois Indians sold the Western Reserve the right of land along the Cuyahoga River to Moses for:
500 Pounds of New York Currency
2 Beef Cattle
100 Gallons of Whiskey
Does this sound like a good deal?
It depends on what kind of whiskey they got. Right?
Historians say, the city of Cleveland was founded by Moses on July 22, 1796. He stayed long enough to survey the land, name the city after himself and have a few drinks. He stayed here less than 60 days. The spelling of Cleaveland dropped the "a" some-where down the line.
Lorenzo Carter arrived in May 1797 (in the Spring what a coincidence). He settled on the West Bank of the Flats set up a farm and built a still. There were 13 saloons on this plot of land and it became known as Whiskey Island!
Whiskey Island is really a peninsula surrounded by water on 3 sides. Today it is occupied by a Yacht Clubs and of course a bars.
