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The city got its name on July 22, 1796 when surveyors of the Connecticut Land Company named an area in Ohio "Cleaveland" after Gen. Moses Cleaveland , the superintendent of the surveying party, a month after white settlers had signed a treaty with local Indians to acquire the land. Cleaveland laid out the plan for the modern Public Square area before returning home. He never visited the area again (The spelling of the city's name was changed to "Cleveland" in 1831Events February- March Revolts in Modena, Parma and the Papal States are put down by Austrian troops February 20 Battle of Grochow. Polish rebel forces divide a Russian army. March 1 Democrat Samuel Smith becomes President Pro Tempore of the United States when an "a" was dropped so that the name would fit a newspaper's masthead.)
Though not initially apparent - the city was surrounded by swampland and the harsh winters did not encourage settlement - the location proved providential. The city began to grow rapidly after the completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal in 1832Events February 12 Ecuador annexes the Galapagos Islands February 12 serious cholera epidemic begins in London from the East London. It is declared officially over in early May but deaths continue. At least 3000 victims March 24 In Hiram, Ohio a group of, turning the city into a key link between the Ohio RiverThe Ohio River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, 981 mi (1,579 km) long in the eastern United States. Of great significance in the history of North America dating from the time of the Native Americans, the river was a primary transportati and the Great LakesThe Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States- Canadian border. They are the largest group of fresh water lakes in the world, and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence system is the largest fresh-water system in the world. They are s, and particularly once the city railroad links were added. In 1837Events January 10 DePauw University founded in Greencastle, Indiana January 26 Michigan is admitted as the 26th U. State February 8 Richard Johnson becomes the first Vice President of the United States chosen by the United States Senate February 11 Americ, the city, then located on the eastern banks of the Cuyahoga River, nearly erupted into open warfare with neighboring Ohio City, OhioOhio City is a village located in Van Wert County, Ohio. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 784. Ohio City is not to be confused with a previous Ohio City in modern-day Cuyahoga County that was annexed by Cleveland in 1854. Geogr (since annexed) over a bridge connecting the two. As a half-way point for iron ore coming from Minnesota across the Great Lakes and for coal and other raw materials coming by rail from the south, the site flourished. Cleveland also enjoyed its position as the major break-in-bulk center for Ohio.
Cleveland became one of the major manufacturing and population centers of the United StatesThe United States of America also referred to as the United States U. America ¹ or the States is a federal republic in central North America, stretching from the Atlantic in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. It shares land borders with Canada in, home of numerous major steelSteel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. Carbon acts as a binding agent, locking the otherwise easily-moved iron atoms into a rigid lattice. Varying the amount of carbon and its distribution in firms. John D. Rockefeller made his fortune there. By 1920, it was the 5th largest city in the country. The city was also one of the centers of the national progressive movement, locally headed by Mayor Tom L. Johnson.
The city began to suffer in the post- World War II period, however, as industries began to slump and the city suffered from serious white flight. The city suffered from racial unrest in the 1960s, culminating in the 1968 riots in the Hough neighborhood. The city's nadir is often considered to be its default on its loans on December 15, 1978, when it became the first major American city to enter bankruptcy since the Great Depression. It subsequently became clear, however, that the city had been forced into default by an attempt by local banks and the local electric provider to force the city to sell off Cleveland Public Power.
The metropolitan area began to recover thereafter. The recovery in the city has been uneven, however, with the strongest growth in the downtown area near the Gateway complex - consisting of Jacobs Field and Gund Arena - and near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Many of the residential neighborhoods remain troubled, and the public school system has suffered serious problems. Economic development, retention of young professionals, and capitalizing upon its Lake Erie waterfront are current municipal priorities.