The Cleveland Memory Project

Remembering Judge Jean Murrell Capers (1913-2017): Retired Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Jean Murrell Capers past away today at the age of 104. The first African-American woman elected to Cleveland City Council (1949), she was a trailblazer and an advocate for the poor who used her knowledge of the law to guarantee legal rights to people of all backgrounds. See photos of Judge Capers in Cleveland Memory. (Posted 07/18/17).

In the News: Record Rendezvous was founded in 1938 by Leo Mintz, who, along with Alan Freed, was instrumental in the development of rock 'n' roll. Originally located at 214 Prospect Ave. and in 1945 at 300 Prospect Ave., the legendary record store, now empty, is considered by John Petkovik in a recent Plain Dealer story to be the "cradle of rock 'n' roll." See photos of Record Rendezvous in Cleveland Memory. (Posted 07/11/17).

70 Years Ago on July 5th... Larry Doby became the first African American in the American League when he debuted as a pinch-hitter for the Cleveland Indians in a game against the White Sox at Comiskey Park. Though he struck out and the Indians lost that game 6-5, Doby himself went on to have a stellar career with the team. Read more about Doby or see photos of Doby in Cleveland Memory. (Posted 07/05/17).

Happy 100, South Euclid! Congratulations to South Euclid, which celebrated its centenniel on June 24th and 25th. Originally part of Euclid Township, South Euclid was officially incorporated as a village on October 13, 1917 and later as a city in June 1941. Find out more about South Euclid by visiting our web exhibit, South Euclid: City of Beauty and Contrast. (Posted 06/15/17).

120 Years Ago on June 7th... George Szell, world renowned conductor and music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, was born in Budapest, Hungary. Szell took up the baton with the Cleveland Orchestra in 1946, a position he continued until his death on July 30, 1970 at the age of 73. It was under Szell's leadership that the orchestra achieved international prominence. See photos of George Szell in Cleveland Memory. (Posted 06/08/17).

Remembering Former Cleveland Indian Jim Piersall (1929-2017): Former major league baseball player Jim "Jimmy" Piersall, who played for the Cleveland Indians from 1959 to 1961, died on Saturday, June 3 after a lengthy illness. Although a decent player, Piersall was best known for his unpredictable and often outlandish behavior. Read more about Piersall. (Posted 06/05/17).

New! The Euclid Fish Company: Browse photographs, donated by family members, of the Euclid Fish Company showcasing the company's development throughout the years, beginning from company founder John Comella's early experiences as a food vendor, to scenes of the company's famous clambakes. (Posted 04/27/17).

It's Maple Sugar Festival Time! Geauga County's 88th Annual Maple Sugar Festival runs April 27 - 30 on Chardon's town square. Founded in 1926, the festival was conceived by local merchant Art Carlson to market Ohio's syrup in competition with Vermont's. Read more about the maple sugar industry in northeast Ohio. (Posted 04/27/17).

Earth Day is April 22nd! Earth Day, first celebrated in 1970, is an annual, worldwide event that celebrates the planet's environment and raises public awareness of environmental issues. The first Earth Day in Cleveland had one of the largest turnouts in the nation. Read more about Earth Day and environmentalism in Cleveland or see Earth Day photos in CMP. (Posted 04/19/17).

New! The Browning Engineering Co.: CMP's newest collection includes photos of a variety of the Cleveland-based company's locomotive cranes, showcasing their use during early 20th century building projects, including the construction of the Panama Canal. The collection also features the company's early patents, dating from 1905 and 1908. (Posted 04/07/17).

April is National Poetry Month : Celebrate National Poetry Month by browsing through our d.a. levy Collection. As a poet, artist and publisher, d.a. levy was an important literary and underground figure in Cleveland's emerging poetry and small/alternative press scene in the early 1960s. The collection includes levy's artwork and poetry as well as video and audio of him reading his work. (Posted 04/03/17).

Remembering Bill Boehm : William (Bill) Boehm, founding director of Cleveland's world renown Singing Angels, passed away Saturday, March 18th at the age of 96. Bill Boehm was also a professional singer, director, producer and actor, appearing in many Cain Park productions. Read his obituary from the Plain Dealer. See photos of Bill Boehm in Cleveland Memory. (Posted 03/22/17).

St. Pat's Day Parade Turns 175: Cleveland's St. Patrick's Day Parade is marking its 175th annivesary this year on March 17th. According to the United Irish Societies of Greater Cleveland, the first such parade on record was organized by Rev. Peter McLaughlin in 1842 and consisted of members of the Catholic Temperance Society. Last year's parade drew an estimated crowd of 500,000. See CMP photos of past parades. (Posted 03/15/17).

March is National Women's History Month: Browse through photos of some of the women pilots who made history at the Cleveland Air Races. These pioneers of the sky include Amelia Earhart, Ruth Chatterton, Louise Thaden, Ruth Nichols, Jacqueline Cochran, Phoebe Omlie, and Blanche Noyes, a native Clevelander and the first woman pilot in the Cleveland area. Watch a short video from the 1929 Air Races. (Posted 03/01/17).

Celebrate National Engineers Week Feb. 19-25! EWeek is dedicated in part to raising public awareness of engineers' positive contributions to the quality of life. See how engineers of the past shaped the landscape and infrastructure of Cleveland today by browsing through CMP's Bridges of Northeast Ohio and the Cleveland Union Terminal Collection. (Posted 02/07/17).

NEW! The Darius Milhaud Society Collection- Search or browse through photographs, programs, books, articles, correspondence, scores, and other materials relevant to French composer Darius Milhaud (one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century) and the Darius Milhaud Society founded by Dr. Katharine Warne. (Posted 02/08/17).

Available for Purchase! - The History of the Veterans Memorial Bridge: 90th Anniversary Edition by William Byer documents the history of the original construction of the bridge and the two major rehabilitations. It contains hundreds of glossy photos that offer a unique opportunity to glimpse into previous eras in Cleveland. Find out how you can own a copy. (Posted 01/24/17).

The Plain Dealer Turns 175! Congratulations to The Cleveland Plain Dealer for celebrating 175 years in print. The P.D. was founded on January 7, 1842 as a weekly newspaper by Joseph William Gray, who described the newspaper as a "lens through which the Western Reserve could see themselves and the rest of the world." Read the whole story by Joe Frolik. (Posted 01/09/17).

60 Years Ago... Mr. Jingeling, the keeper of Santa's keys, first appeared at Halle's Department Store downtown and on T.V. to promote toys sold by the store during the holiday season. Conceived as a one-time promotion, Mr. Jingeling was so popular that he became an annual tradition. The role of Mr. Jingeling was assumed by several people over the years including Max Ellis and Earl Keyes and currently by Greg Benedetto. (Posted 12/20/16).

50 Years Ago Today... "Big Chuck" Schodowski made his debut with Bob "Hoolihan the Weatherman" Wells as cohost of WJW's Channel 8's "Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show." Interspersing the weekly viewing of sci-fi and horror "B" films with skits and schtick, Schodowski originated such memorable characters as the Kielbasa Kid and Ben Crazy. When "Hooli" left the show in 1979, "Little John" Rinaldi joined as cohost. Read the P.D. article. (Posted 12/16/16).

Remembering John Glenn 1921-2016 - Astronaut and former U.S. Senator John Glenn passed away at the age of 95. He was the first American to orbit the Earth and was the last surviving member of the original Mercury astronauts. Ohioans elected Glenn to the U.S. Senate in 1974 where he served four terms until his retirement in 1999. Listen to John Glenn's famous "Gold Star Mother" speech and photos of John Glen in Cleveland Memory. (Posted 12/9/16).

The Holiday Lighting Display at Nela Park has been delighting Clevelanders since 1925. This popular annual holiday display features thousands of lights that illuminate the Nela Park campus along Noble Road. Nela Park is the headquarters of GE Lighting and also provides the lights and ornaments for the National Christmas tree on the White House lawn in Washington, D.C.. (Posted 12/5/16).

Dick Goddard Retires- After 55 years as a weather forecaster in Cleveland, Dick Goddard gave his final forecast on WJW channel 8's 6 p.m. newscast on November 22nd. Always an advocate for the four-legged critters, Goddard will continue to appear in his pet adoption segments. See photos of Dick Goddard in Cleveland Memory. (Posted 11/25/16).

Remembering Eddie Carnett 1916-2016 - A former outfielder and pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, Eddie Carnett had been the oldest living major league player until he passed away Nov. 4th, two weeks after his 100th birthday and two days after the Tribe's loss to the Cubs in the World Series. Read more about Eddie Carnett by CMP staffer Vern Morrison. (Posted 11/16/16).

The Free Stamp - 25 years ago Nov. 15th, the "controversial" Free Stamp sculpture by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen was officially inaugurated in Willard Park as a gift from BP America to the City of Cleveland. Read more about the Free Stamp from the Plain Dealer. (Posted 11/9/16).

In the News: Bob Hope -One of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century, Clevelander Bob Hope will be remembered at an exhibit, Bob Hope: An American Treasure, at the Cleveland History Center, Western Reserve Historical Society. Read the P.D. Article about the exhibit. See photos of Bob Hope in Cleveland Memory. (Posted 10/10/16).

70 Years Ago: Last Indians Game at League Park -The Cleveland Indians played their final game at League Park on Saturday, September 21, 1946, losing 5-3 to the Detroit Tigers in 11 innings.  Dizzy Trout, the starting pitcher for the Tigers, pitched all 11 innings for the win. Read more about League Park. (Posted 9/21/16).