The 1909 Cleveland Industrial Exposition Helped Cleveland Establish Its Legacy Of Manufacturing
By Nikki Rhoades|Published December 06, 2020
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Nikki Rhoades
Author
Nikki is a lifelong Ohioan with a love for literature. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Akron and has enjoyed publishing her written work since 2007. She has a love of travel and does so frequently, though she believes that home is where the heart is — she continues to work in and around Cleveland as a digital content specialist to this day, working on everything from commercial scripts and social media posts to grassroots marketing initiatives.
What is the Rust Belt, and why is Cleveland considered to be a part of it? The Rust Belt is a nickname for the stretch of former manufacturing powerhouses between New York and the Midwest. After industry hit its peak, many of these areas began to experience a population decline and, in turn, a decline in manufacturing. However, in its heyday, Cleveland easily wowed the world with its ingenuity, particularly when it came to early automobiles.
So how did Cleveland rise to this status as an industrial powerhouse, you ask? Well, every good story starts with an impressive amount of PR, and Cleveland’s is no exception. By hosting events like the Cleveland Industrial Exposition in 1909, the city cemented its status as a birthplace of big ideas. This event in particular was an impressive show of industry dominance, and it has been preserved in all sorts of postcards and advertisements. Check it out:
1909 was an interesting year in the United States, and big things were happening in Cleveland, too.
On a national scale, culture was in an interesting place in 1909. President Theodore Roosevelt was leaving the White House, and Ohio-born President William Howard Taft was on his way in. The Smithsonian-Roosevelt African Expedition was underway soon after, and within a few months, the U.S. celebrated another milestone when the first military airplane was born. Locally, attention was on the Cleveland Naps after Neal Ball carried out an unassisted triple play. Locals were also buzzing about an interesting event happening in Cleveland that year...
Two years before construction started on Cleveland City Hall, the site was occupied by a temporary building hosting the Industrial Exposition.
The Industrial Exposition was an opportunity for Cleveland to showcase its industrial advancements, particularly when it came to the manufacturing of steel. Taking on the spirit of a World's Fair, this fun event featured more than 250 exhibitors that spotlighted regional achievements.
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The event, which was held from June 7 to 19, charged 25 cents admission for adults and 10 cents for children under 10.
The event was dreamed up by Francis Fleury Prentiss, a Cleveland industrialist and philanthropist that married into the esteemed Severance family. Once made a reality, the Cleveland Industrial Exposition of 1909 featured more than 72,000 square feet of exhibition space.
Cleveland Historical, an app developed by the Center for Public History + Digital Humanities, states that exhibits of intrigue ranged from fur tanning to the world’s largest mahogany log. Also on display was a petrified turtle, a sort of sideshow exhibit claiming to be one million years old.
Cleveland, already a burgeoning site for the auto industry, also took this opportunity to showcase its variety of engines and other mechanical wonders.
This event truly must have been a marvel, as it showed off all sorts of oddities. Steam-powered wonders could be found throughout the event, but visitors could also see marvels like engines powered by air and gas.
The Industrial Exposition, though it attracted a mere 215,000 visitors, left many impressed with Cleveland's accomplishments.
The event was attended by visitors from near and far, and it was ultimately considered successful when it lured additional industry to Cleveland. Visitors surely were impressed by sights like that of Millionaire's Row, which, unfortunately, would begin to decline about one year later.
This exposition sparked an interest and a hunger for all things new and exciting in Clevelanders, setting the tone for years of exposition to follow.
In the following years, Cleveland perfected its recipe to create epic events. During the Great Depression, the Great Lakes Exposition brought joy to locals and showcased Cleveland's unshakable ability to entertain. Its 11 million visitors across two separate summer seasons was an impressive feat that could only be accomplished following the success of the Industrial Exposition.
Believe it or not, Cleveland is rich in history and culture. Want to learn more? Click through the links in this article to find awesome resources on interesting Cleveland figures and events. You’ll also want to visit The Cleveland Memory Project for unprecedented access to historical photos of the best location in the nation.
