The area that became Cuyahoga County was inhabited as early as 2000 BC. Between 800 BC and 1000 AD, the Adena and Hopewell Mound Builders flourished here. Much later, the Wyandot, (Huron), Shawnee, Miami and Delaware tribes lived in the area, leaving evidence of their cultures that still remains. It was their word for "crooked" that gave the Cuyahoga River its name.
As Europeans began to settle North America and move West, the land on the southern shore of Lake Erie was given to Connecticut by King Charles II of England. Perhaps it was the inability of the English to envision the vastness of the New World that lead to some curious division of property. The Warwick Pact of 1635, for example, was a land grant to English colonists for an area from Narragansett Bay to the Pacific Ocean. The strip of land, however, was merely 73 miles wide. Although the charter for the land granted to Connecticut ensured self-government, Connecticut declared its independence in 1775 and, after the American Revolution, gave up its claim to all western lands except for the Western Reserve, a strip of land that ran for 120 miles along the shore of Lake Erie from the Pennsylvania border to what is now Sandusky.
In 1796 Connecticut began to sell land in the Western Reserve for 40 cents an acre. The money was to be used for a school fund. General Moses Cleaveland was hired to lead a group of 50 men and two women to survey the area. After arduous travel, the group reached Buffalo where they encountered Native Americans who had been living along the Lake shore. For the toll of $1000, two beef cattle and 100 gallons of whiskey, the party was allowed to proceed safely.
They reached the Conneaut River on July 4,1796, the 20th birthday of the United States. Cleaveland and a few others then took to canoes to explore the coastline to the West. When they came to the "crooked river," they knew they had found a place where a city could be planned and planted. They mapped a village, New England style, around a green common - the present Public Square. The map drawn by Amos Spafford included Superior, Ontario and Huron streets, though Euclid Avenue was still a narrow trail.
When the survey was completed, Cleaveland returned to Connecticut. Only the Stiles family from the original group remained. Later they were joined by the Carters, Doans and Nortons. Amos Spafford returned with his family.
In 1803, Ohio became the 17th state. In 1807, the County of Cuyahoga was established by the State Legislature with the City of "Cleveland" as its seat. The story is that although the county seat was to be named for Moses Cleaveland, a newsman left the "a" out of his name so that it would fit into a headline. County business was first conducted in 1810 in a general store on the northwest corner of Public Square. In 1813, a two story frame building was erected nearby. The building served as administration.
The Ohio Canal brought a burst of prosperity to the area starting in 1825. By 1850 railroad connections were made with Columbus and Cincinnati to the South, Chicago to the West and the eastern seaboard cities. The presence of these water and land links made Cleveland's future as an industrial center certain. In 1870, John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil and the city became a hub for the flow of oil products. In 1879, Charles Brush invented the arc light and Cleveland became the first city in the country to have electric streetlights.
Such growth demanded the expansion of facilities in the County. New courthouses were built in 1828, 1858, 1875 and 1912. A new Administration buidling was erected in 1955 and a new Justice Center in 1976, but County business continued to overflow into additional rented office space.
Like other industrial cities, Cleveland experienced difficulties during the depression of the 30's and a boom in production during World War II. Today, the city struggles to maintain a healthy economy. The conception of wealth and assets has expanded from the City to include the County and surrounding municipalities. Now the 38 cities, 19 villages and two townships that make up Cuyahoga County are realizing the need to work together to ensure growth and opportunity. County government is faced with the challenge of meeting complex regional needs rather than providing services for a local area.
