Cleveland was founded 223 years ago today

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Today, Cleveland is celebrating its 223rd birthday.

The city was founded on July 22, 1796 by the Connecticut Land Company, led by General Moses Cleaveland, whom the city is named after.

In 1831, the city dropped the “a” in “Cleaveland” after the newspaper Cleveland Adviser left it out to fit the name on the masthead.

Cleveland did not see population growth until after the Civil War.

The town became a manufacturing center because of its location on both the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie.

While manufacturing is still a big draw,

Cleveland has also become a hub for healthcare, financial services and higher education.

Today, Cleveland is the 52nd largest city in the United States and second largest in Ohio.

It has also become a travel destination. The New York Times listed Cleveland as one of the 52 Places to Go in 2015. In 2018, National Geographic named Cleveland one of the top cities to visit in 2018.

One draw for visitors is Cleveland’s roots in pop culture and entertainment.

Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Clevelander Alan Freed is credited with creating the term “rock and roll.”

Playhouse Square is the largest performing arts center in the U.S. outside New York City.

Cleveland is responsible for important firsts, too. Cleveland was the first major U.S. city to elect an African American mayor, Carl B. Stokes, in 1967.

Other lesser known firsts include the world’s first electric traffic signal being installed on Euclid and East 105th Street in 1914.

In 1933, Superman was first drawn by Clevelanders Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

In 1899, Clevelander Coburn Haskell patented the modern golf ball.