Cuyahoga County was created in 1808 and organized in 1810. It is named for the Cuyahoga River, whose name comes from a Native American word often translated as crooked river.
In 1796 Moses Cleaveland led a survey party for the Connecticut Land Company to the mouth of the river, and the settlement that grew there became Cleveland. Canals, railroads, and Great Lakes shipping turned the city into an industrial powerhouse, and John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil there in 1870.
In June 1969 a fire on the polluted Cuyahoga River drew national attention and added momentum to the environmental movement and the Clean Water Act. Today the river is cleaner and lined with parks, trails, and restaurants.
Places to Explore
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the West Side Market, the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, and the Cleveland Metroparks.
Did You Know?
The city spells its name Cleveland, without the first a found in founder Moses Cleaveland’s name.
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