Cleveland Vintage Blog — History
Led Zeppelin, the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, and Cleveland's Connection
The Musicarnival is one of the many long-gone Cleveland rock institutions, a summer tent theater that operated on the grounds of Thistledown Race Track from 1954 to 1975. All types of major rock acts would make their way through the Musicarnival, including Led Zeppelin on one particularly big night for the world. Now, if you're a fan of rock and roll history or Cleveland music history in general I would highly recommend Smoky, Sweaty, Rowdy and Loud: Tales of Cleveland's Legendary Rock & Roll Landmarks by Mike and Janice Olszewski. It's a fantastic, in-depth history of Cleveland's rock and roll scene...
USS Cleveland Commissioned Into Active Service in City Namesake
Our great city has yet another reason to proudly stick out its chest, thanks to the commission into naval service of the fourth vessel to proudly carry the name USS Cleveland. The ceremony to make it official took place on May 16th after a week-long celebration, as the vessel sat docked at North Coast Yard. What makes the event even more special is that this is the first naval vessel to be put into service in the state of Ohio in the 250-year history of the United States, a true honor for not only the city, but for those who...
History of the Richfield Coliseum, an Arena Ahead of Its Time
Nick Mileti’s vision for building "The Palace on the Prairie" - The Richfield Coliseum - was two-fold. He aimed to build one of the largest indoor seating capacity facilities in the country - 20,273 for basketball and 18,544 for hockey - while at the same time increasing the fan base potential for both his Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Crusaders, strategically placing his arena between Cleveland and Akron at the Route 303 exit off Interstate 271. Initially, the vision worked beautifully. From the very first event, a concert by none other than Old Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, on October 26th,...
'The Deer Hunter' and the Movie's Cleveland History
If you are a fan of the iconic film The Deer Hunter, which currently sits at number 78 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest films ever, you might also know that many of the most memorable scenes in the movie were filmed in Cleveland and other areas nearby. The Deer Hunter Films in Cleveland: The Why and Where For starters, a unique thing about the film was the fact that every single scene was filmed on location; no sound stages were used at all. This is considered rare for any film and in rewatching The Deer Hunter, it's easy...
The USS Cod: How This WWII Submarine Found Its Way to Cleveland
There is a true Cleveland treasure that sits permanently anchored off North Marginal Rd. downtown, right next to Burke Lakefront Airport. If you're a WWII buff, you might have already guessed that we're talking about the USS Cod. The USS Cod and the Submarine's Role in World War II For starters, you might be wondering how the vessel got its name. It's simple, really: The Cod got its name to honor a very popular food choice found in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. The USS Cod is a Gato-class fleet submarine that measures 312 feet long and weighs...