Cleveland history

10 10, 2019

The Cuyahoga: A River Reborn

By admin|2019-10-10T06:00:13-04:00October 10, 2019|

Follow the history of the Cuyahoga River during a special program at Mentor Public Library.

The Cuyahoga River is a lynchpin of Northeast Ohio.

However, it’s most commonly known for the times it caught fire – 13 times, specifically, from 1868 to 1969. It’s this final conflagration, along with an article about the blaze in Time magazine, which transformed the river into a national punchline.

But Cuyahoga’s story has as many twists as the river itself. Both the river’s quality and its reputation have enjoyed a renaissance since then. People can learn about the river’s history and future during a special program we’re hosting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct 22, at the Concord Community Center (7671 Auburn Road, Concord Township.)

Bruce Orendorf, director of artistic productions and operations at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, will take everyone on a tour of the crooked river’s remarkable history.

This program is free to attend and open to all. We only ask that you register beforehand. You can register by calling the Concord Community Center at (440) 639-4650.

07 28, 2019

Travel to the Lake County’s posh, Gilded-Age past

By admin|2019-07-28T06:00:36-04:00July 28, 2019|

Did you know that Lake County used to be the preferred vacation destination for the wealthy in the 19^th century?

Specifically, Little Mountain Road in Mentor and Concord Township used to be dotted with grand hotels, bath houses and extravagant amenities for the millionaires who visited.

Travel back more than a century and learn about the hotels of Little Mountain during a special program at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13, at our Main Branch.

The talk is presented by the Lake County History Center and will feature vintage photos of the opulent hotels.

The program is free to attend and open to all. We only require that you register to attend beforehand. You can sign up online or call us at (440) 255-8811 ext. 247.

By the way, local history lovers should also check out our program about Eliot Ness at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 12, with renowned Ness expert Rebecca McFarland.

06 18, 2019

Celebrate Baseball in Cleveland

By admin|2019-06-18T06:00:30-04:00June 18, 2019|

Celebrate the history of baseball in Cleveland during a special panel discussion on Monday, July 1, at Mentor Public Library’s Main Branch.

We’re celebrating the All-Star Game in Cleveland by hosting a trio of baseball historians, authors and fans for a special panel discussion.

Scott Longert, Ken Krsolovic and Bryan Fritz will talk about the history of the Indians and baseball in Cleveland at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 1, at our Main Branch.

Longert has written a quartet of books about Indians’ history: Addie Joss: King of the Pitchers; The Best They Could Be about the World Series-winning 1920 team; Bad Boys: The Cleveland Indians and Baseball in the Prewar Years; and No Money, No Beer, No Pennants: The Cleveland Indians and Baseball in the Great Depression.

Meanwhile, Krsolovic and Fritz wrote League Park: Historic Home of Cleveland Baseball, 1891-1946, which tells the story of the Indians’ original home park.

5 fascinating facts about League Park

The program is free to attend and open to all. Come share your memories and celebrate one of America’s great baseball cities. Afterward, the authors will have their books available for sale and signing.

Due to space limitations, we do ask that you register for the program beforehand. You can sign up by calling us at (440) 255-8811 ext. 247.

03 25, 2019

Revisit the bad old days of the 1937-1942 Indians with Scott Longert

By admin|2019-03-25T06:00:32-04:00March 25, 2019|

Author, historian and Cleveland Indians fan Scott Longert is guiding us through the history of his beloved Tribe.

He’s written books about:

Addie Joss—a contemporary of Cy Young who was such a dominant pitcher that they changed the Hall of Fame’s rules to induct him.
the 1920s Indians who won the team’s first World Series.
and the Depression-era Indians in No Money, No Beer, No Pennants.

Now, he’ll discuss the Cleveland Indians from 1937 through the beginning of World War II during a special program at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 8, at our main Branch.

His newest book — Bad Boys, Bad Times — revisits the talented but ultimately underperforming teams of the pre-World War II era. But just because they didn’t win a championship doesn’t mean that they lacked for stories.

Longert has spent years researching the history of the Cleveland Indians, and he’ll share some of his favorite Tribe stories during this program. Everyone is welcome to attend. We only ask that you register beforehand. You can sign up online or call us at (440) 255-8811 ext. 247.

Afterward, copies of Bad Boys, Bad Times will be available for sale.

5 fascinating facts about League Park

03 15, 2019

Learn about this history of Painesville railroads

By admin|2019-03-15T06:00:00-04:00March 15, 2019|

Learn about the history of the Painesville Railroad during a special program at Mentor Public Library.

Learn about the history of the railway in Painesville and how a group of dedicated volunteers are working to preserve it during a special program at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, at our Main Branch.

The first Painesville station was built in 1850 and replaced with the current brick and sandstone station in 1893.

The Painesville Railroad Museum is in the process of restoring the station back to its glory. These volunteers have spent more than $60,000 for the restoration in the last four years.

Tom Pescha, the museum’s vice president, will present a short history of the Painesville Depot and the railroads it served at the library. His talk is free to attend. We only ask that you register beforehand. You can RSVP online or call us at (440) 255-8811 ext. 247.

By the way, if you’re interested in trains or their history, we have plenty of books on the subject that you can borrow.

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