History of Tremont

The neighborhood now known as Tremont started out as a hunting ground for native people. In the 1820's, Connecticut farmers arrived and settled in the area around Scranton Road and Starkweather. Shortly after the Connecticut settlers arrived, Issac Lamson, Thomas Lamson and Samuel Sessions arrived in the area and built the first of many factories that would populate the area. The area was named Cleveland Heights. As there was no bridge connecting the "Heights" to Cleveland, the journey required taking a ferry across the river; therefore, Cleveland Heights was considered a part of Brooklyn Township. In the 1840's, the wealthy Pelton family arrived and acquired property in the West 7th, Jefferson and Lincoln Park areas. They hoped to create what they thought would be "the Harvard of the Midwest" - Cleveland University. After the construction and opening of the university in 1851, the area became known as University Heights. The University only remained opened for three years. It closed following the death of its main benefactor, Thirza Pelton. 

The 1860's arrived and saw the construction of many buildings. The area also became the home of Camp Cleveland. With these changes also came name changes. The area known as Pelton Park was now Lincoln Park, and the name of University Heights changed to Lincoln Heights. In 1878, the Superior Viaduct Bridge was completed and downtown Cleveland became more accessible. This triggered an exodus of wealthy residents from the area. Simultaneously, industry was on the move in Cleveland and a flood of immigrants arrived to fill these jobs. The Irish and the Germans were the first to come. They were followed by the Ukrainians, Greeks, Poles, Russians, and Slovaks. These immigrants built fantastic churches with active congregations. In 1910, with the building of Tremont Elementary School, the largest in the state at the time, the neighborhood became known as Tremont, or more simply, as "The Southside". The 1960's saw an out-migration to the suburbs and the building of superhighways. 
This caused the area to fall into disrepair. Fortunately, the 1980's saw the beginning of resurgence in Tremont with an influx of artists to the area, drawn to Tremont by the fantastic architecture, history, and cheap studio space. The area is now home to museums, restaurants, and bars, and has become a destination spot for many Clevelanders.

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