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WIKI for the History of Brooklyn Centre

Origins

BROOKLYN TOWNSHIP (TIME SPAN - 1816-18??)

Organized 1 June 1818, Brooklyn Township was the area of Cuyahoga County west of the Cuyahoga River prior to being annexed by Cleveland. Brooklyn's northern boundary was Lake Erie, it's eastern boundary was the Cuyahoga River, it's southern boundary was Parma and Independence, and it's western boundary was Rockport. Brooklyn was township number 7 of range 13. [see the article on the Western Reserve for more information on how townships were numbered.] The early settlers had actually considered calling it Egypt because of the fertile land so suitable for growing corn.

CITY OF OHIO (aka OHIO CITY) (TIME SPAN - 1836-1854)

The area from the southern shore of Lake Erie to Walworth Run.

BROOKLYN VILLAGE (TIME SPAN - 1867-1894)

Organized in 1867. It comprised an area roughly from Daisy Avenue to Big Creek.

First mayor: Bethuel Fish

Annexed by Cleveland: 1890 (area north of Daisy Ave.) Remainder annexed in 1894.

Brooklyn Centre was located in the vicinity of the intersection of Denison Avenue and West 25th St. (Pearl Street)

SOUTH BROOKLYN (TIME SPAN - 18??-1906)

Pioneers

The westside was known as the Lord and Barber allotment. All settlers would have purchased their land from Samuel P. Lord and Josiah Barber.

The first permanent white settler of Brooklyn was James Fish.

Property

The primary landowners of Brooklyn Centre were brothers, Ebenezer FISH Jr. and Moses FISH

Measurements

Schools

East Denison Elementary School Cuyahoga OH 41.451 N 81.695 W
West Denison Elementary School Cuyahoga OH 41.451 N 81.705 W
St. Barbara Elementary School Cuyahoga OH

Transitions

1836 -

The residents of the northern part of Brooklyn incorporated their area as "The City of Ohio" later more commonly known as Ohio City. (See page 304 of Griswold, S. O., The corporate birth and growth of the city of Cleveland : an address to the Early Settlers' Association of Cleveland Cleveland: Western Reserve and Northern Ohio Historical Society, 1884, 32 pgs.)

1837 -

That part of Ohio City that lay south and west of the Barber & Sons allotment became known as Willeyville. Named, no doubt, for John W. Willey, Ohio City's first mayor. It was here that a riot almost occurred over the bridge built across the river at Columbus Street. (See page 305 of Griswold, S. O., The corporate birth and growth of the city of Cleveland : an address to the Early Settlers' Association of Cleveland Cleveland: Western Reserve and Northern Ohio Historical Society, 1884, 32 pgs.)

1864 -

Cleveland annexes that part of Brooklyn township that lay north of Walworth Run.

1867 -

Cleveland annexes another part of Brooklyn township south of the original "City of Ohio".

1872 -

Cleveland annexes more of Brooklyn township.

Cemeteries

Riverside Cemetery

Denison Cemetery

Street Names

Ever wonder how some streets came to be named what they were? In many cases, streets were named for the property owner or for a member of their family.

Many street names were lost forever in 1906 when the city of Cleveland decided to rename all north-south running streets with numbers.

Old Version vs New Version:

Botany Avenue - Between W.14th St. and W.16th St.

Bridgeview Avenue - West 23rd St. (south of Denison Ave)

Clayton Avenue - South of Denison Ave

Denison Avenue

Foster St. - West 14th St. (between Redman Ave and Denison Ave)

Gertie St. - West 15th St. (north of Denison Ave)

Grandview St. - West 22nd St. (south of Kenneth Ave)

Hapgood St. - West 16th St. (south of Denison Ave)

Hazelwood St. - West 20th St. (south of Denison Ave)

Howard St. - West 17th St. (south of Denison Ave)

Jennings Avenue

Kenneth Avenue - South of Denison Ave

LaSalle St. - West 18th St. (south of Denison Ave)

Lookout St. - West 13th St. (between Redman Ave and Denison Ave)

Lyle Court - West 22nd Place (north of Denison Ave)

Petty St. - West 15th St. (between Denison Ave and Botany Ave.)

Pixley Court - West 21st St. (south of Denison Ave)

Pixley St. - West 19th St. (south of Denison Ave)

Redman Avenue - Between W.13th St. and W.15th St.

Selzer Avenue - Between W.21st St. and W.25th St.

Wieland St. - West 24th St. (between Denison Ave and Seltzer Ave.)

For specific rules for street naming, see Cleveland city code - Section 305

Utilities

1833 - Attempt by Philo Scovill to create the Cleveland Water Company.

1846 - Cleveland Gas Light & Coke Company. Laid gas lines to provide gas for lighting.

1854 - An act is passed to build a water reservoir in the "City of Ohio"

Railroads

1834 - All of the following railroad companies were incorporated:

• Cleveland and Newburgh Railroad Company

Officers: Aaron Barker, David H. Beardsley, Truman P. Handy, John W. Allen, Horace Perry, Lyman Kendall, and James S. Clarke.

From the harbor at Cleveland to the eastern terminus near the corner of four townships, Newburgh, Warrensville, Cleveland, and Euclid.

Rails made of wood. Train powered by a tandem team of two horses.

• Ohio Railroad Company - crossed the state through the lake counties.

• Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad - destination the state line in the general direction of Pittsburgh.

• Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinatti Railroad - destination Cincinatti.

• Cleveland and Warren Railroad - destination Warren.

• Cleveland and Erie Railroad - destination Ravenna and Portage County.

1851 -

• Cleveland, Painseville, & Ashtabula Railroad

• Junction Railroad - from Ohio City to Toledo

The above two merged to form the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad

1861 - As the need to move around the city became more necessary, several street railways were formed.

• West Side Street Railway - Detroit Street to Superior Street.

1863 -

• St. Clair Street Railroad -

1869 -

• Brooklyn Street Railroad - A streetcar rather than a true railroad. Two miles in length.

1872 -

• Broadway and Newburgh Street Railroad - A streetcar rather than a true railroad.

• Southside Railroad - From Union Depot through Bank Street, Seneca Street, Scranton Avenue, and Jennings Avenue (modern name W.14th St.)

1874 -

• Superior Street Railroad - From Public Square to Willson Avenue (modern name E.55th St.)

1891

• Cedar and Jenning Line - From Lake View Cemetery to Brooklyn Bridge

Waterways

• Big Creek
• Cuyahoga River

External Links

Aerial view from Terraserver

Street map from Yahoo Maps

References

• "The World's" history of Cleveland : commemorating the city's centennial anniversary, Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland World, 1896, 445 pgs.