Whose birthday am I celebrating today?
July 22, 2014
Cleveland and its three tall(ish) buildings
Cleveland obtained its name on July 22, 1796 when surveyors of the Connecticut Land Company laid out Connecticut’s Western Reserve into townships and a capital city they named “Cleaveland” after their leader, General Moses Cleaveland. Cleaveland oversaw the plan for what would become the modern downtown area, centered on Public Square, before returning home, never again to visit Ohio. The first settler in Cleaveland was Lorenzo Carter, who built a cabin on the banks of the Cuyahoga River. The Village of Cleaveland was incorporated on December 23, 1814. In spite of the nearby swampy lowlands and harsh winters, its waterfront location proved to be an advantage. The area began rapid growth after the 1832 completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal. This key link between the Ohio River and the Great Lakes connected the city to the Atlantic Ocean via the Erie Canal and later via the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River. Growth continued with added railroad links.Cleveland incorporated as a city in 1836. More here.
Reproduction of Lorenzo Carter’s cabin nestled under the Detroit-Superior (Veteran’s Memorial) Bridge
The Connecticut Western Reserve was an area in the Northwest Territory held, sold and distributed by the State of Connecticut in the years after the American Revolution.
Connecticut was one of several states that had land claims in the Ohio Country going back to the colonial period. Connecticut gave up most of its claims to the federal government so that the Northwest Territory could be created. However, it reserved the northeast corner of the territory for itself. This area came to be known as the Connecticut Western Reserve. More here.
Putting Ohio together.
Gunsmoke and Knitting 
…and a capital city they named “Cleaveland” after their leader, General Moses Cleaveland.
So… what happened to the first “A” in Cleaveland? Where did it go? Enquiring Minds™ wanna know.
It would seem that the extra A in Cleaveland left with the General, never to return. It’s easier to spell now, anyway.
Our Town.
How very Thornton Wilder of you 🙂