Cleveland History
Date of Birth: 7/22/1796
Population including suburbs: 2.5 million Population in the city limits: 430,000
We know for a fact the American Indians were in Cleveland in the 17th Century. We don't know if they played baseball... Settler's Landing - East Bank of the Cuyahoga River
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 Currency2 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.
Now you know why the American Indians protest the Chief Wahoo "smiling" Indian. They think it should be replaced by a picture of Moses smiling after he got the Indians drunk and purchased their land. I guess now we know why they call alcohol Evil Spirits !
I'm wearing a politically correct hat. It has an "I" on it instead of the smiling Chief Wahoo.
What you can't see is the American Indian smiling on front of my shirt...Oooops.
