Irishtown Bend
Encyclopedia
Irishtown Bend is an area of Cleveland, Ohio
, USA located along the Cuyahoga River
in the Flats
. It encompassed roughly the area from West 25th Street east to the river north of Detroit Road. The swampy area was developed during the 1830s by immigrant Irish
who came to the area as laborers for the construction of the city's railways and canal
. Many soon found work on the bustling city docks, or in the growing industries. The area was characterized by the extreme poverty of the outcast Irish, the majority of whom lived in nothing more than flimsy shacks on the hill side above the river. The constant threat of disease in the swampy land along the river and the back breaking work most engaged in made life in Irishtown tough. Life was centered around 10-12 hour work days, their community, the pub, and their faith.
Due to their outcast status in Cleveland society, the Irish formed a very close knit, closed neighborhood. Increased immigration during the 1840s and brought more of their countrymen to this west side community, causing it to expand. The neighborhood became known as the Angle, including old Irishtown and Whiskey Island. In the 1860s St. Malachi Church was built in Irishtown, with St. Patrick's built earlier a little further west. With continued growth the Irish expanded as far west as West 65th Street adding a third parish, St. Colman's, in the 1880s. In this time the Irish had gained some upward mobility in society. Increased industry, job opportunities, as well business of their own allowed for economic growth in the community. However the Angle, especially Irishtown, remained the poorest area. Many families in Irishtown still lived in shacks on stilts on the hillside of the diseased and polluted Cuyahoga River. This remained the case until into the early 20th century.
As the Irish of Cleveland began to join the ranks of the middle class, they left Irishtown and headed for the western suburbs of Lakewood
, Fairview Park
and West Park
(now a neighborhood of Cleveland). The homes that were left behind would become inhabited by Hungarian immigrants
for a brief time, then abandoned. Most of the structures were demolished with only a handful of them remaining today. Between the years of 1987 and 1989, an archeology team led by Dr. Al Lee of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
began to excavate the area. Where the home of Cleveland's first Irish once stood remained many of their possessions, including ceramics and personal effects with a distinct Irish flavor.
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, USA located along the Cuyahoga River
Cuyahoga River
The Cuyahoga River is located in Northeast Ohio in the United States. Outside of Ohio, the river is most famous for being "the river that caught fire", helping to spur the environmental movement in the late 1960s...
in the Flats
The Flats
The Flats is a mixed-use industrial, entertainment, and increasingly residential area of Cleveland, Ohio, USA. The name reflects its low-lying topography on the banks of the Cuyahoga River.-History:...
. It encompassed roughly the area from West 25th Street east to the river north of Detroit Road. The swampy area was developed during the 1830s by immigrant Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
who came to the area as laborers for the construction of the city's railways and canal
Ohio and Erie Canal
The Ohio Canal or Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed in the 1820s and early 1830s. It connected Akron, Summit County, with the Cuyahoga River near its mouth on Lake Erie in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and a few years later, with the Ohio River near Portsmouth, Scioto County, and then...
. Many soon found work on the bustling city docks, or in the growing industries. The area was characterized by the extreme poverty of the outcast Irish, the majority of whom lived in nothing more than flimsy shacks on the hill side above the river. The constant threat of disease in the swampy land along the river and the back breaking work most engaged in made life in Irishtown tough. Life was centered around 10-12 hour work days, their community, the pub, and their faith.
Due to their outcast status in Cleveland society, the Irish formed a very close knit, closed neighborhood. Increased immigration during the 1840s and brought more of their countrymen to this west side community, causing it to expand. The neighborhood became known as the Angle, including old Irishtown and Whiskey Island. In the 1860s St. Malachi Church was built in Irishtown, with St. Patrick's built earlier a little further west. With continued growth the Irish expanded as far west as West 65th Street adding a third parish, St. Colman's, in the 1880s. In this time the Irish had gained some upward mobility in society. Increased industry, job opportunities, as well business of their own allowed for economic growth in the community. However the Angle, especially Irishtown, remained the poorest area. Many families in Irishtown still lived in shacks on stilts on the hillside of the diseased and polluted Cuyahoga River. This remained the case until into the early 20th century.
As the Irish of Cleveland began to join the ranks of the middle class, they left Irishtown and headed for the western suburbs of Lakewood
Lakewood, Ohio
Lakewood is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area, and borders the city of Cleveland. The population was 52,131 at the 2010 making it the third largest city in Cuyahoga County, behind Cleveland and Parma .Lakewood, one of Cleveland's...
, Fairview Park
Fairview Park, Ohio
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 420,690 people, 7,856 households, and 4,713 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,742.2 people per square mile . There were 8,152 housing units at an average density of 1,736.1 per square mile...
and West Park
West Park, Cleveland
Kamm's Corners is a neighborhood on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio. It is roughly bounded by the Rocky River on the west, I-90 and the city of Lakewood to the north, the New York Central Railroad tracks Kamm's Corners is a neighborhood on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio. It is roughly bounded by...
(now a neighborhood of Cleveland). The homes that were left behind would become inhabited by Hungarian immigrants
Hungarian American
Hungarian Americans Hungarian are American citizens of Hungarian descent. The constant influx of Hungarian immigrants was marked by several waves of sharp increase.-History:...
for a brief time, then abandoned. Most of the structures were demolished with only a handful of them remaining today. Between the years of 1987 and 1989, an archeology team led by Dr. Al Lee of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum located approximately five miles east of downtown Cleveland, Ohio in University Circle, a 550-acre concentration of educational, cultural and medical institutions...
began to excavate the area. Where the home of Cleveland's first Irish once stood remained many of their possessions, including ceramics and personal effects with a distinct Irish flavor.
External links
- http://clevelandmemory.org/irish/
- http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=IB1
- http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=A9