Cleveland Vintage Blog — History

We all know Cleveland is home to some really great local breweries today, with Great Lakes, Market Garden, Sibling Revelry just to name a few. What Clevelanders may not be aware of, though, is Cleveland’s rich brewing history, so we're taking a nostalgic look back at some of the breweries that have called Cleveland home over the years. The Christian Schmidt Brewing Company in Cleveland First up will be the last to close shop in Cleveland in 1984, the Christian Schmidt Brewing Company. It should be noted that even though the brewery was not started in Cleveland, it still became a symbol...

Cleveland has quite a bit of history that has gone by the wayside, but one legacy that remains strong today is that of one Euclid Beach Park. Euclid Beach Park, situated on ninety-plus acres right on Lake Erie east of Cleveland at the end of E. 156th Street, began operations in 1895 and continued through good times and bad for 74 years until closing for good in 1969. Meant to be Cleveland’s answer to New York’s Coney Island, its storied legacy almost did not survive its first five years, losing around $20,000 per year, making its continued existence shaky at...

When it comes to Cleveland history, we would be willing to bet that even the heartiest of native Clevelanders would be hard-pressed to explain how the name Archibald Willard arrives on the list. However, as the old saying goes, you are never too old to learn something new, so here goes. Archibald Willard was an American painter who was born and raised in Bedford, Ohio, which was also the home to Cleveland baseball legend Elmer Flik. Who Was Archibald Willard? Willard's interest in art developed early, and he was known to draw his creations on anything at his disposal, including the...

When people think of Eliot Ness's time in Cleveland, they generally think of one of two things: his tireless pursuit of the "Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run," America’s deadliest unidentified serial killer, or perhaps his time in Cleveland as the Director of Public Safety, overseeing both the police and fire departments. One thing we are fairly certain of is that few will say that what they remember most about Ness's time in Cleveland is when he ran an ill-fated and disastrous campaign to become the city's mayor in 1947. Eliot Ness's Time in Cleveland, Ohio Because of things like Kevin...

The Variety Theatre is known today as one of the most haunted theaters in Northeast Ohio, but it's had a very rich history that deserves to be remembered beyond its current reputation as a haven for paranormal activity and ghosts. When the Variety Theatre Played Host to the Loudest Band in the World The venue played host to all sorts of shows and concerts over the years, and one of its most memorable was a Motörhead show on December 2, 1984.   During the show that Motörhead played at the Variety Theatre, the music hit 130 decibels, which was said to...