John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Cuyahoga River enjoys revival 49 years after the fire

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There was once smoke and fire. Now there is hope – not to mention places to dine and drink, row and fish and revel in how far the river has come.

For decades, the winding 100-mile Cuyahoga River was a slimy blot on Cleveland’s reputation and a national punchline. Forty-nine years later, the June 22, 1969 fire is seen as the spark for America's environmental movement.

Story and photos (unless noted) by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

June 22, 1969

Haha, remember when the river caught on fire? The Day the River Burned -- June 22, 1969? When some oil-drenched debris led to a 20-minute blaze that made Cleveland the butt of a never-ending joke?

For decades, the Cuyahoga River was regarded an ecological disaster, a piece of slimy gunk on Cleveland’s reputation and an easy punchline for comedians across the country.

(1969 photo by Mitchell Zaremba, The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Small blazes catches fire in media

The June 22, 1969, fire barely made the news. A report about it appeared on page 11-C the following day in The Plain Dealer -- a basic news item without even a reporter’s byline.

“The 1969 fire wasn’t a huge story at first,” Cleveland historian John Grabowski told The Plain Dealer. “But then we started seeing EPA hearings, a rising environmental movement and a big Time magazine story on the environment that focused on the Cuyahoga River.”

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Comeback of a river left for dead

As the city looks ahead to the 50th anniversary of the fire next year, that infamous day is a not only an ancient memory -- it is also being celebrated as the beginning of a miraculous comeback for a river that has increasingly become a magnet for leisure and entertainment. (View of rowers on the Cuyahoga from Riverbed Street)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Rivergate Park sparks life

The anniversary of that dark day on the Cuyahoga seems like ancient history – especially in Rivergate Park. The 2.8-acre area operated by the Cleveland Metroparks – located along the East Bank of the Cuyahoga, just north of the Columbus Road Bridge and Hoopples bar -- offers a unique mix of industrial and natural environments and stellar sights of bridges and wild greenery. It has become a lure for a wide range of Clevelander, from rowers to bike riders to joggers, skaters, dog walkers, bird watchers, diners and cocktail sippers.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

You've come a long way...

For many years, the Cuyahoga was inaccessible for recreation purposes. It was a river of sludge. Check out this photo: Sludge drips off the fingers of Plain Dealer reporter Richard Eller after he dipped his hand in the polluted Cuyahoga River in Cleveland Ohio, in an undated photo taken sometime in the 1960s. (Marvin M. Greene, The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Share the river...

“People that remember and think of the river as the site of a fire haven’t seen it in a long time,” says Jim Ridge, founder of Share the River. Ridge calls the group a “self-anointed ambassador that brands Cleveland as a riverfront city.”

“We want to turn people on to the river and all the entertainment options it offers,” he says. “And get people to stop thinking about the things that happened in the past and embrace what’s going on now.” (Photo of river from the patio of Collision Bend, on the east bank of the Flats)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Rebirth of the river

Scranton Riverfront Park features a path that runs along the Cuyahoga River up to northernmost point of Scranton Road, just outside of downtown. It also boasts an array of flowers -- one of the first steps in beautification projects undertaken around the river.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Experiencing a recreational waterway

“We want to turn people on to the river and all the entertainment options it offers,” says Jim Ridge of Share the River. “And get people to stop thinking about the things that happened in the past and embrace what’s going on now.” (View of the rowers on the river from Columbus Road)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

A river walk

Share the River hosts walks and other events and promotes other activity along the river. It's part of a larger attempt by river activists to reintroduce the Cuyahoga as a recreational waterway, a lifestyle amenity and a source of entertainment -- not just a transportation artery for industry. For more info, go to sharetheriver.com. (View of the river from the parking lot of Sokolowski's in Tremont)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

1969 was a more a spark than a fire

The June 22, 1969 fire, caused by a debris-filled oil slick under two trestles at the foot of Campbell Road hill, lasted 20 minutes and caused only $50,000 in damages. That was peanuts compared with the 1952 inferno that claimed $1.5 million. But EPA hearings on ecological damage and media national coverage that focused on the '69 fire made Cleveland an easy punchline as "The city with the river that caught on fire." (Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Nature consumes remnants of industry

The Old Jefferson Street Bridge -- site of the 1952 Cuyahoga River fire -- was once vital for trucking and connecting the industrial Flats on the west bank with the steel mills and oil companies along Independence Road and Rockefeller Avenue. Now, there are only small reminders of the bridge -- a rail and some concrete remnants here and there. The reminders are mostly consumed by nature on the east side of the river.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Rockfeller on the river

Rockefeller Boulevard, of course, is named after John D. Rockefeller -- who operated Standard Oil out of offices located on the road overlooking the Cuyahoga River. (View of Cuyahoga from the former location of Old Jefferson Street Bridge, off Rockefeller Blvd)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Industry's rise, river's demise

While industrialists like Rockefeller fueled Cleveland's industrial boom, they also contributed to the pollution of the river.

"Companies like Standard Oil didn't even use pipes to get the oil down the hill -- they'd just dig a ditch at the bottom and roll it down the hill," says Jane Goodman, executive director of Cuyahoga River Restoration. (A late-1800s photo of Rockefeller's Standard Oil Corporation, via Cleveland State University. Michael Schwartz Library. Special Collections)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

1952 fire

The 1952 fire occurred at the old Old Jefferson St. Bridge, located at Jefferson and West Third Streets in Tremont. The bridge was closed for years until it was torn down. (A 1963 photo via Cleveland State University. Michael Schwartz Library. Special Collections)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Fire boats on the river

The Cuyahoga had already experienced a handful of fires less than a century after Moses Cleaveland landed on it in 1796. Already by 1881, then-Cleveland Mayor Rensselaer R. Herrick proclaimed that it was an "open sewer." The river, you see, quickly became a victim of its strategic position. For this reason, it has been patrolled by fire boats from its rise as a transportation artery for industry. This 1912 postcard features the "John H. Farley." (Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Commemorating June 22

A fire boat ceremoniously sprays water along the Cuyahoga River in 2009 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the river catching fire, June 22, 1969. (Lisa DeJong,The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Those were different times...

“We’ve a long way with the river and it starts with 1969,” says Goodman. “It was the blaze that sparked the rebirth.”

Every year, the group celebrates “rebirth day” by inviting people to come out to the river to get a glimpse at the progress. This year it will be celebrating alongside the Share the River river Ramble.

“The key right now is to get people to experience the river and to make it active, have it used and seen as usable,” she says. (View of the river via Scranton Road Park, which has become a popular stop for walkers and joggers)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Ground-up approach

The bugs, fish and birds were all in long before the humans. Bringing new life to the river required starting from the bottom, literally.

“There was so much contaminated soil in and around the river that had to be removed in order to bring back basic life,” says Goodman. “There was a time when 100 percent of the soil dredged out was contaminated and had to be taken to a confined disposal facility.” (Scranton features an observation deck that provides stellar views of the unique mix of industry and nature that co-exists around the river)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Reviving the land and the water...

"Cleaning up the Cuyahoga hasn't just required cleaning the water," says Jane Goodman, executive director of Cuyahoga River Restoration. "We also have these Brownfield Places -- contaminated fields that need clean up, because there was oil and chemical dumping in the land around the river." (Photo of oil burns on the land and the Cuyahoga River along the Flats -- this time on March 14, 1951. Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

How could a river catch fire?

This archival photo from May 2, 1963 illustrates why a river could catch on fire. It shows the oily scum on the Cuyahoga River in this aerial view of the refinery and storage tank area where filthy Kingsbury Run (lower foreground) joins the river. At upper right is Standard Oil Co.'s No. 1 refinery at 2735 Broadway S.E. On the west bank (left in this view) two long-distance pipe lines terminate. Two tanks at bottom store marine fuel. Street with missing bridge across the river is Jefferson Street. (Norbert J. Yassanye / The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

A river, a sewer. 1973

This 1973 photo was part of an EPA study of pollution in America. It is titled, "City pump station discharges sewage into the Cuyahoga River." (National Archives)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Now...

A man cruising down the river in a boat passes a replica of Lorenzo's Cabin, located in Settler's Park along the Cuyahoga.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

A turning point

"We look at 1969 not as a dark moment in Cleveland's history but as a turning point -- where people decided to do something about the environment and about the river," says Jane Goodman. "The Cuyahoga is fishable now -- there are lots of fish and you can eat the fish – and the whole river is swimmable except for after a heavy rain. And it's become an important part of area recreation." (View from Rivergate Park)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Cuyahoga River... a revival

You've come a long way, baby... A 1973 photo for an EPA project to study pollution in Cleveland and across the United States proclaims, "Here on the banks of the Cuyahoga RIver (Moses Cleaveland) founded a city. Now, the river is polluted and the surrounded downtown area is deteriorating." (National Archives)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Site of the Fire of '69

Aerial photograph of Mittal Steel, in the Flats, Cleveland taken on Wed. June 1, 2011. The famed fire on the Cuyahoga took place near the bridge crossing the Cuyahoga River at center.(Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Junked cars along the river

This 1973 EPA photo depicts one of the last undeveloped areas alongside the Cuyahoga River -- near Vaughn Road in Jaite, Ohio, which is about equidistant from Cleveland and Akron. Even this area, however, managed to experience pollution -- in the form of junked cars that were left for dead along the river. (National Archive)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Honking geese along the river

“There was a time when you’d only find maybe a couple different kinds of fish in the river from Cleveland to Akron and one was carp, which can survive in polluted areas,” says Jane Goodman, executive director of Cuyahoga River Restoration. “Now there are dozens of different fish and the river has become an active fishing area.”

Varying estimates put the number of species of fish at more than 60. Getting to that point required bringing greenery such as trees and flowers to the area, to attract bugs. The birds have followed.

She points to the herons that have shown up at Scranton Riverfront Park. The area runs along the Cuyahoga River, up to the northernmost point of Scranton Road, just outside of downtown.

Scranton Riverfront Park offers a mix of greenery and industry -- and also geese, which spend most of an evening lounging around the area. Luring people isn't the only objective of such parks. Bringing back greenery and wildlife plays a big role in it.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

A new context for the river

The opening of the Flats Boardwalk and the Flats East Bank -- a $750 million mixed-use project that features more than a dozen bars and restaurants -- has helped reconnect people with river... and re-contextualize the river for generations of Clevelanders that had written it off as dead.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

1952 was the big one...

Cuyahoga River fire of 1952 took place on Jefferson & West Third streets and caused much more damage than the 1969 blaze. (Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Kingsbury Run

Much of the river in the industrial areas of Cleveland is largely inaccessible to the public because of factories and companies operating on the banks of the Cuyahoga. That includes Kingsbury Run, the area located just north of I-490 that was once connected to the west side of the river by the old Jefferson Street Bridge -- the site of the 1952 fire. The area was also home to Standard Oil and the stalking grounds of the infamous 1930s serial killer, The Torso Murderer.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

1948

The Cuyahoga River fire of 1948 -- as seen from the old Clark Avenue bridge. On right of photo is Republic Steel wharf. (Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

River with a view

Regardless of the era, the draw to the Cleveland Flats has always been the Cuyahoga River -- not to mention the views of the river, city, skyline, the industrial landscape, the birds, the trains, the remnants of the past.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Timeless view from mid-19th century building

The historically-significant Frank Morrison & Son building, 1330 Old River Road, looks out onto the Cuyahoga.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Heart of Cleveland, 1953

A 1953 photo depicting the Cuyahoga River and the Terminal Tower. Even by this point, the river had caught fire a number of times -- though none achieved the national attention of the '69 blaze. (Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Patio time...

Views of the river have fueled the rise of a number of bars and restaurants on the east and west banks of the Flats -- including East End on Old River Road, which provides stellar views of the Cuyahoga and the area.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

A different sight

Crooked River Skate Park is a 15,000-square-foot park in Rivergate Park along that Cuyahoga. It has helped to make the area a gathering spot for a wide range of Clevelanders.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Republic Steel, 1973

A 1973 photo showing Republic Steel discharging waste water into the Cuyahoga River. The photo was part of a national EPA study chronicling pollution in America. (National Archives)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Today...

View of the river from Lorenzo Carter's Cabin in Settler's Park.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Fire boats

They've been in action on the river since the 1800s. This one is depicted in Cleveland postcard from the 1910s. (Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Fire of 1949

There have been a number of fires on the Cuyahoga River over the years, with some claiming more than a dozen. This one took place in 1949. (Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Back page news

Fires were rarely front-page news. The Plain Dealer from November 3, 1952 reporting on the most serious of many fires to take place on the Cuyahoga River. The city was accustomed to such blazes and, as you can see, they rarely became front-page news. (The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Spanning the river

The old Clark Avenue Bride, circa 1973, which spanned the Cuyahoga. For years, the biggest concern revolved around the impact of factories on the air rather than waterways such as the Cuyahoga River. (National Archives)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Little-known spot

Some of the best views of the river come via a little-known perch -- the Whiskey Island Drive Bridge, located north of the entertainment districts on the east and west banks of the Flats.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

The Flats, 1963

A big part of the appeal comes with the views the Flats provides of Cleveland's industrial history. There once was a time when it was more about industry than entertainment. This 1963 photo of the Cuyahoga River shows a steel mill looming behind the ore boat Henry Phipps, being unloaded at Flats quayside. (Marvin M. Greene / The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Today

Scranton Riverfront Park along the Cuyahoga River offers a quaint stroll with great views of the river, the bridges and the downtown skyline.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Formerly an open sewer

A 1973 photo that shows sewage discharged into the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland by the city pump station. The photo is part of DOCUMERICA: The Environmental Protection Agency's Program to Photographically Document Subjects of Environmental Concern, 1972 - 1977. (National Archives)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Where the river meets the lake

Aerial view of the Coast Guard's Cleveland Harbor Station, located where the Cuyahoga River meets Lake Erie. The Art Deco jewel -- the only station of its kind on Lake Erie --is located at the mouth on the river, at the end of a 1,000-foot pier. Like the river, the station, which is owned by the city and administered by the Cleveland Metroparks, is also enjoying a revival and a makeover. It was designed by J. Milton Dyer, the famed architect who also designed Cleveland City Hall. (Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Port of Cleveland

Where the winding, crooked Cuyahoga River meets Lake Erie. (Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Cuyahoga River, 1912

This June 1912 photo shows the Superior Viaduct swinging open for ships on the Cuyahoga River as trolley cars are stopped. (Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Superior Viaduct

A postcard of the old Superior Viaduct over the Cuyahoga River Valley. Opened in 1878, the Viaduct was rendered obsolete with the opening of the Detroit-Superior Bridge in 1917, and was closed in 1923. The postcard is from 1900-1929. (Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Paths to the river

Scranton Riverfront Park features a path that runs along the Cuyahoga River up to northernmost point of Scranton Road, just outside of downtown. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

The river, 1927

A June 6, 1927 photo of the Cleveland Division-Bridge.No. 2.22 -- located 2.2 Mi. East of Ontario Street. Station in Cleveland. Such bridges were most at risk in fires that took place on the Cuyahoga River. (Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

1969-1979

A 1979 photo of a Party in the Park at Settlers Landing celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Cuyahoga River catching fire. (Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

An '80s survivor

One survivor of the 1980s -- and still going -- is Shooters on the west bank of the Flats. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Rivergate Park along the Cuyahoga River

The boardwalk in Rivergate Park. The area, a new hub for rowers, skateboarders and diners, has reinvigorated the Cuyahoga River as a place for recreation and redefined it in the minds of Clevelanders, who have long seen it as a transportation artery for industry.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Fire boats, 1911

Fire Boat at Work, a circa-1911 postcard. (Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Press collection)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Dogs come to the river

Once condemned as "an open sewer," the Cuyahoga in places such as Rivergate Park has become a gathering spot for an eclectic bunch, from boaters and rowers, skaters dog-walkers, joggers and, yes, drinkers and diners.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Landfill or a river?

Landfill operation located on Warner Road alongside Mill Creek with debris flowing into the Cuyahoga River. This 1973 photo was part of an EPA study chronicling pollution around the country. (National Archives)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

The river...

A Cleveland fire boat sprays water into the Cuyahoga, as seen from the observation deck of the Terminal Tower in this 2010 photo. (Lynn Ischay/The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

View of the river...

from Columbus Road Bridge.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Whiskey Island along the river

An aerial view of Whiskey Island. A pedestrian bridge -- part of the Cleveland Metroparks upcoming Lake Link Trail -- will connect the West Side with Whiskey Island. (Thomas Ondrey/The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Revival...

Forty-nine years after the notorious fire, the Cuyahoga is making a revival.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Map of the river

Map of the Cuyahoga River. (William Neff, The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Views of the river, the city

The Cuyahoga River as seen from the 1,000-foot pier in Wendy Park that leads to the old Coast Guard Station.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Snaking through Cleveland industry

An aerial view of the Cuyahoga River as it snakes through the heart of Cleveland industry. (Google Maps)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

City flames

Republic Steel, circa 1973. For years, the biggest concern revolved around the impact of factories on the air rather than waterways such as the Cuyahoga River. (National Archives)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

The views today...

View of the Cuyahoga River looking south from remnants of the Jefferson Street Bridge -- the site of the 1952 river.

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

Birds along the river

The opening up of Cuyahoga River to the public and the revival of Whiskey Island has led to a rise in bird watching by the river and around Lake Erie. Coast Guard Stations supporters point to the place's location for birding. (National Archives)

Don't Edit

John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer

View of the river...

from Duck Island.

Don't Edit