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History · Cleveland

Cleveland dates to 1857, and 55% of its homes were built before 1940

1 place in town is on the National Register. Below: 7 old photos and papers, maps from 1895 on, and the census since 1860.

1857founded
1on the National Register
55%homes built before 1940
7old photos & papers
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Cleveland’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Cleveland began

When was Cleveland founded?

1857

Cleveland dates its founding to 1857 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 902 in 18602020 census: 732169 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1829.The full story ↓

What stands out about Cleveland’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

On the map since 18956 editions of the USGS map, 1895 to 1993. Watch Cleveland change.Old housesHalf of Cleveland’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · On the map

Cleveland on the map, 1895 to 1993

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cleveland. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Cleveland on the 1895 USGS mapCleveland on the 1902 USGS mapCleveland on the 1941 USGS mapCleveland on the 1957 USGS mapCleveland on the 1973 USGS mapCleveland on the 1993 USGS map1895Chittenango sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Cleveland.

The story

How Cleveland came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Cleveland.

Read it all →

The village of Cleveland was incorporated in 1857. Much of the 19th century industry was based on glass manufacturing from the Cleveland Glass Company and the Union Glass Company (Of Cleveland, NY).

During its existence, the New York Ontario and Western Railway ran through Cleveland. Some say the town is named after Cleveland, England and other claim it is named after James Cleveland, an early settler.

In 2007, over one hundred village residents signed a petition to dissolve the village. The petition was rejected on technical grounds, but the village board formed a committee to study the implications of dissolution and alternatives, including increased efficiency via intermunicipal cooperation.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Cleveland, 1857 to 1920

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1857
    FoundingCleveland is established
  3. 1867In the archiveCleveland Business Directory.; Cleveland (Village)
  4. 1881Born hereEugenie M. Morenus is born here
  5. 1884In the archiveThe great fire
  6. 1890In the archiveCleveland, N.Y
  7. 1895On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 20th century
  9. 1918In the archiveGreat Lakes Naval Training School band marching on Euclid Ave., April 6th 1918
  10. 1920In the archiveWambsganss, and his tripple [sic] play victims, Kilduff, Mitchell & Miller of the Brookly…
By decade

Cleveland, decade by decade

5 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1860s–1890s5 items
Cleveland Business Directory.; Cleveland (Village)1867Cleveland Business Directory.; Cleveland (Village)Cleveland Glass Works. Caswell and Co., Proprietors. Cleveland, Oswego County, New York1867Cleveland Glass Works. Caswell and Co., Proprietors. …Union Glass Company. Established 1851. Cleveland, Oswego County, N.Y. Manufacturers of all sizes of Windows, Pictures, …1867Union Glass Company. Established 1851. Cleveland, Osw…The great fire1884The great fireCleveland, N.Y1890Cleveland, N.Y
1910s–1920s2 items
Great Lakes Naval Training School band marching on Euclid Ave., April 6th 19181918Great Lakes Naval Training School band marching on Eu…Wambsganss, and his tripple [sic] play victims, Kilduff, Mitchell & Miller of the Brooklyn B.B. Club1920Wambsganss, and his tripple [sic] play victims, Kildu…
1930s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Every building

Cleveland, building by building, 1912

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a sheet.

Cleveland fire insurance map, 1912, sheet 11912Sheet 1 of 6
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Cleveland Business Directory.; Cleveland (Village)
Retake this viewCleveland Business Directory.; Cleveland (Village), 1867

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Cleveland’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Cleveland

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Cleveland, census by census

02004006008001,000190019502000Peak: 902

Between 416 and 902 people in every census since 1860.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Cleveland’s Wikipedia page.

Help out

Finish Cleveland’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewCleveland Business Directory.; Clevelan…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Cleveland’s history

What year was Cleveland founded?

In 1857, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Cleveland’s post office opened in 1829, and the census of 1860 counted 902 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (4), the Library of Congress (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.