Cleveland Vintage Blog — History

Cleveland’s Boy Mayor Battles with Default in 1978 Most Clevelanders are aware of the city's most infamous embarrassments, such as the many times the Cuyahoga River caught fire, making the city the butt of many a joke nationwide. However, as we all know, Cleveland has worked long and hard to change its image from the dark, disparate look of the 60s and 70s to what has become the shining destination city it is today, one that attracts Hollywood productions, political conventions, Rock Hall inductions, and more. And who can forget the revival the city has enjoyed because of the successes our professional sports...

Cleveland may not be the biggest market media-wise for professional sports, but what we have truly been blessed with over the years is ownership across all the major sports that not only gave us excitement on the field or court, but a commitment to the community as well. Whether it was investments in youth sports leagues, field/facility improvements, or players themselves involved with various charitable endeavors, fans have always felt a deep personal attachment to the teams and the players. It is probably why, despite the fact that athletes come and go more quickly these days in any sport, the...

The Richfield Coliseum had quite a rich history in Northeast Ohio, hosting all types of events throughout its run, including so many different sporting events and concerts. And on October 26, 1974, Frank Sinatra christened the Coliseum as the first event at the new venue, a sold-out concert. Opening its doors for the first time to Old Blue Eyes, the Coliseum began a twenty-year, ultimately ill-fated journey as an arena built in a tough location (though Larry Bird sure loved it). But the Coliseum's demise would be something to worry about later; the arena would get to play host to some of...

We have used the phrase, "If you're a native Clevelander of any length” in many a posting, but this time we need to add “and a die-hard music fan," because we will be revisiting the World Series of Rock, which ran in Cleveland from 1974 through 1980.   The easiest thing to do to report on these amazing events would be to simply list the who’s who of artists that performed for over 80,000 music fans of all ages on any given year the shows ran, but we felt this event deserved a more personal approach. As it was truly a...

It's safe to say that any lifelong Clevelander is somewhat familiar with Cleveland’s notorious crime family history. Many even may have had a closer or personal connection to the history through a friend or relative. Loosely organized crime family activities first established themselves in Cleveland around 1900 and led to a particularly violent period in the 1970s that many believe ended Cleveland’s mafia legend. Whether organized crime in Cleveland has truly been vanquished or not, it is still well worth a look at some of the prominent figures within that 70+ years of activity. The key players throughout this time...