Cleaveland Homestead Notes
Dates
1796-7 Moses Cleaveland Survey
1827 Martin Sheldon, first owner, cabin SE of overlook and parkway
1846 Land acquired by Abner Cleveland, son James, grandson Clark
1854 Homestead built
1850s – 1910s Cleveland Quarry in operation
1917 Elmer Wight bought Homestead and lined road with White Oak Trees
1917 Cleveland Metroparks established by Bill Stinchcomb
1922 Bedford Reservation first created
1924 Poet Cave was first used
1926 Burntridge Cabin Built
1929 Elmer Wight sold Quarry to metroparks
1946 Allen family acquired homestead
1951 Virgil Allen became first Walton Hills mayor
1977 Margret Allen sold Homestead to metroparks
1992 Homestead demolished
Cleaveland Homestead
Historic Sites in our Parks
“General Moses Cleaveland, to survey and map out the area east of the Cuyahoga River” 1796-1797 “As part payment for his service to the company, the Connecticut Land Company gave Moses Cleaveland ownership of considerable acreage in the Western Reserve, land of his choosing. He died ten years later, at age 52. The son of one of his heirs, Clark Cleaveland, established a quarry and dairy farm in the part of Bedford Township that today is Walton Hills.”
“Another historic site in Bedford Reservation begins near the end of Wight Oaks Drive and extends north to Tinkers Creek. A little over ten years ago the Metroparks razed the last standing structures on the property; the c. 1854 Greek revival house and its large, old bank barn. Mother Nature claimed this whole area where there was once a prosperous quarry and dairy farm, a princely house of Greek revival design, two cottages and a cabin. Some former residents of note were Clark Cleaveland, a descendant of Moses Cleaveland, Elmer B. Wight who was instrumental in documenting the Indian and pioneer history of this area and Virgil D. Allen, Jr., who was the first Mayor of the Walton Hills.
Cleveland misspelling accepted by Clark as it was used on the tombstones for Abner Cleaveland, Clark’s father.
Bedford Village Views, Squire - Abner Cleaveland of Bedford
Sep 24, 1846 Abner Cleaveland and James Cleveland bought 130 acres of Township Lot No. 63 for $1300. Common misspelling was a common issue. Abner’s uncle was Moses. Abner’s youngest son was Clark.
Burnt Ridge Cabin
From Chuck Thomas - the best way to locate Burnt Ridge Cabin site:
Start at the large white oak trees that line the end of Wight Oak Lane, locate stone fireplace and look generally eastward. Follow the edge line of the larger forested area on your right, going eastward. The younger trees and shrubs are growing in what was a generally square maintained field. Burnt Ridge site is near the "corner" of the old field, where the forest edge line turns northward. Look for some old cinder blocks and sandstone that mark the location. Nearby large oak trees have old burn marks at the bases of their trunks. The site lines up with the location of the old house and barn, which was west of Wight Oak Lane.
E. B. Wright’s land SW branch of Deerlick Creek
Joe’s Place
“Wright was the founder of Pathfinders, a group of Cleveland engineers that worked to trace and map all of the Indian trails in Ohio. He bought the old Cleaveland farmhouse on Egbert and had an old couple live there as caretakers. He came out on weekends, and so we got to know him, and he let us build on his land.” “… we got our water from the farmhouse” the farm was crowded with people.
Mars Wagar Quarry
“Mars E. Wagar, who came from a prominent Lakewood family, purchased over 200 acres of land in Bedford Township facing Dunham Road for its marketable Berea sandstone. The Wagar Quarry, which was along the back acreage of the property, was in operation in the late 1800s until the very early 1900s. An oxen lane led from the quarry to Dunham Road. Sandstone was quarried until the NYC laid tracks for its freight line along Dunham Road, cutting off the quarry from its access to Dunham Road. The Wagars eventually sold the back acreage to the Cleveland Metroparks. Today, a visitor can see the remnants of the quarry by following a path on the west side of Overlook Lane.
Clark Cleveland Quarry
“Descendants of the family state that several buildings in downtown Cleveland were built with sandstone blocks from the Cleveland Quarry.” Also Walton School in Walton Hills.
“The bridal path on the north side of Gorge Parkway, as it winds toward Egbert Road, was the lane used by the Cleveland Quarry.”
From Jean Kainsinger, Email 3/29/2012
Other
“Captain Joseph Tinker, a member of the survey party”, with two others drowned.
Old Cleveland Hill Lane became Wight Oaks Drive, after Elmer Wight.
Jean Kainsinger was a great help in researching.
2020 Metroparks Plan being developed
2290 acres, 1043 Bedford, 939 Walton Hills
1796-7 Moses Cleaveland Survey
1827 Martin Sheldon, first owner, cabin SE of overlook and parkway
1846 Land acquired by Abner Cleveland, son James, grandson Clark
1854 Homestead built
1850s – 1910s Cleveland Quarry in operation
1917 Elmer Wight bought Homestead and lined road with White Oak Trees
1917 Cleveland Metroparks established by Bill Stinchcomb
1922 Bedford Reservation first created
1924 Poet Cave was first used
1926 Burntridge Cabin Built
1929 Elmer Wight sold Quarry to metroparks
1946 Allen family acquired homestead
1951 Virgil Allen became first Walton Hills mayor
1977 Margret Allen sold Homestead to metroparks
1992 Homestead demolished
Cleaveland Homestead
Historic Sites in our Parks
“General Moses Cleaveland, to survey and map out the area east of the Cuyahoga River” 1796-1797 “As part payment for his service to the company, the Connecticut Land Company gave Moses Cleaveland ownership of considerable acreage in the Western Reserve, land of his choosing. He died ten years later, at age 52. The son of one of his heirs, Clark Cleaveland, established a quarry and dairy farm in the part of Bedford Township that today is Walton Hills.”
“Another historic site in Bedford Reservation begins near the end of Wight Oaks Drive and extends north to Tinkers Creek. A little over ten years ago the Metroparks razed the last standing structures on the property; the c. 1854 Greek revival house and its large, old bank barn. Mother Nature claimed this whole area where there was once a prosperous quarry and dairy farm, a princely house of Greek revival design, two cottages and a cabin. Some former residents of note were Clark Cleaveland, a descendant of Moses Cleaveland, Elmer B. Wight who was instrumental in documenting the Indian and pioneer history of this area and Virgil D. Allen, Jr., who was the first Mayor of the Walton Hills.
Cleveland misspelling accepted by Clark as it was used on the tombstones for Abner Cleaveland, Clark’s father.
Bedford Village Views, Squire - Abner Cleaveland of Bedford
Sep 24, 1846 Abner Cleaveland and James Cleveland bought 130 acres of Township Lot No. 63 for $1300. Common misspelling was a common issue. Abner’s uncle was Moses. Abner’s youngest son was Clark.
Burnt Ridge Cabin
From Chuck Thomas - the best way to locate Burnt Ridge Cabin site:
Start at the large white oak trees that line the end of Wight Oak Lane, locate stone fireplace and look generally eastward. Follow the edge line of the larger forested area on your right, going eastward. The younger trees and shrubs are growing in what was a generally square maintained field. Burnt Ridge site is near the "corner" of the old field, where the forest edge line turns northward. Look for some old cinder blocks and sandstone that mark the location. Nearby large oak trees have old burn marks at the bases of their trunks. The site lines up with the location of the old house and barn, which was west of Wight Oak Lane.
E. B. Wright’s land SW branch of Deerlick Creek
Joe’s Place
“Wright was the founder of Pathfinders, a group of Cleveland engineers that worked to trace and map all of the Indian trails in Ohio. He bought the old Cleaveland farmhouse on Egbert and had an old couple live there as caretakers. He came out on weekends, and so we got to know him, and he let us build on his land.” “… we got our water from the farmhouse” the farm was crowded with people.
Mars Wagar Quarry
“Mars E. Wagar, who came from a prominent Lakewood family, purchased over 200 acres of land in Bedford Township facing Dunham Road for its marketable Berea sandstone. The Wagar Quarry, which was along the back acreage of the property, was in operation in the late 1800s until the very early 1900s. An oxen lane led from the quarry to Dunham Road. Sandstone was quarried until the NYC laid tracks for its freight line along Dunham Road, cutting off the quarry from its access to Dunham Road. The Wagars eventually sold the back acreage to the Cleveland Metroparks. Today, a visitor can see the remnants of the quarry by following a path on the west side of Overlook Lane.
Clark Cleveland Quarry
“Descendants of the family state that several buildings in downtown Cleveland were built with sandstone blocks from the Cleveland Quarry.” Also Walton School in Walton Hills.
“The bridal path on the north side of Gorge Parkway, as it winds toward Egbert Road, was the lane used by the Cleveland Quarry.”
From Jean Kainsinger, Email 3/29/2012
- Abner Cleaveland's son James married a Gleeson. (Charlotte Comstock Gleeson married James Cleveland a few years after her husband, Edmond Gleeson, died at age 44.) James and Charlotte liked the social life, liked traveling, and had no desire to live across the river, where there were none of the conveniences offered in a civilized community. James served as Mayor of Bedford for one term. James had money, Charlotte inherited money from her first husband, and they liked to live the good life.
- Abner Cleaveland lived on the north side of Tinkers Creek, by today's post office and nursery business and sandblasting company.
- Abner had no interest in operating a quarry, nor did his son James, but Abner got his son, Clark, to operate the quarry on Abner's land on the south side of Tinkers Creek.
- Abner also bought additional acreage on the north side of Tinkers Creek - knowing it had commercial grade sandstone.
- The Gleesons were upset that the Clevelands had the quarry operation that disturbed the quiet country living they enjoyed. Then they were furious that Charlotte, after their cherished son Edmond died, hooked up with James Cleveland.
- Abner Cleaveland's son Clark and Abner's daughter Fanny lived in the Cleveland House, had the dairy farm, and Clark ran the Cleveland Quarry. Until his death, Abner kept ownership of the farmland and the quarry land. Clark finally got ownership after his father died.
- Some of my research notes are hazy about Fanny Ladiska Cleveland. Most local people think Fanny and Clark are sister and brother, and that neither was ever married. They lived together, were a good working team, and died within a couple years of each other. Both are buried in Bedford Cemetery. (At first I thought Ladiska was Fanny's last name and maybe, before she moved in with her brother, had been married.)
Other
“Captain Joseph Tinker, a member of the survey party”, with two others drowned.
Old Cleveland Hill Lane became Wight Oaks Drive, after Elmer Wight.
Jean Kainsinger was a great help in researching.
2020 Metroparks Plan being developed
2290 acres, 1043 Bedford, 939 Walton Hills
