Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
CLEVELAND, Ohio - As a newspaper town, Cleveland is now 200 years old.
The Cleaveland Gazette and Commercial Register - that's right Cleaveland with 2 As - published its first edition on July 31, 1818.
The Cleveland Public Library is celebrating the occasion by opening a special exhibit today. The exhibit, When the News was New, runs through Nov. 30 on the second floor of the main library downtown, 325 E. Superior Ave.
There have been dozens of papers, including The Plain Dealer since 1842, telling Clevelanders the stories on major events such as the sinking of the Titanic, two World Wars, presidential elections since before the Civil War to Donald Trump, and the careers of sports legends such as Jim Brown and LeBron James.
Independent historian John Vacha, who has written on Cleveland newspaper history for the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, is the curator.
The display was organized Olivia Hoge, public services manager for the library's Center for Local & Global History. Key contributions were also made by the Cleveland Memory Project at Cleveland State University and the Western Reserve Historical Society.
Scroll below for a sneak peak at exhibit and a quick tour through some of Cleveland's newspaper history.
Cleveland's first newspaper
Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
Pictured above is the first edition of what is recognized as Cleveland's first newspaper, The Cleaveland Gazette and Commercial Register, a weekly making its debut on July 31, 1818.
This was just 22 years after the settlement of the city. The newspaper claimed 600 subscribers after one year, according to the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. The last issue was printed on March 21, 1820.
Vacha, the curator of the special exhibit at the library, said Cleveland was spelled by newspapers with the extra "a" like the surveyor who founded the city, until the Cleveland Advertiser begin publication without the extra "a" in the title in 1831.
Others joined the trend. By the mid 1830s, the Cleaveland Herald became the Cleveland Herald. One story, Vacha said, is that a new type font put in use wouldn't allow the longer Cleaveland Herald name to fit on the page.
Dozens of newspapers
Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
In the early years of newspapers in Cleveland, there were dozens of papers.
In 1841, six newspapers launched, though only a couple lasted more than a year, Vacha said. One catchy newspaper name was that of the Eagle-Eyed News-Catcher in 1841.
The Plain Dealer has been publishing since 1842 when it took over the plant the Cleveland Advertiser had used since 1831.
There were five daily newspapers in the early 1900s - The Plain Dealer, Press, News, World and Recorder (mostly filled with legal news).
Before radio, before TV
Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
The Plain Dealer shown above, from 1901, reports on the death of President William McKinley. Newspapers for many people were the timely source of news at the time, as radio didn't taken off until the 1920s and television until the 1940s.
Notice the drawing on the front page to go with the story, absent a photograph in the news coverage of an event that had occurred on the same day of publication.
Cost for this newspaper: 1 cent.
Extra, Extra editions for big news
Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
When big news hit, newspapers responded with special editions. Above is an "EXTRA" edition reporting on the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.
Newspapers typically sold such extra editions on the streets as soon as they rolled off the presses.
Major news
Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
Images of a South Vietnamese village being burned and dozens of its civilian residents left dead ran exclusively in The Plain Dealer on Nov. 20, 1969. The photographs brought world attention to the My Lai massacre.
They were taken by an Army public information staffer from Fairview Park. He witnessed the killings by U.S. soldiers in March of 1968. (Read more about publication of the My Lai photos)
Artifacts
Rich Exner, cleveland.com
A variety of material, beyond just newspaper pages, is part of the exhibit.
Delivery bag
Rich Exner, cleveland.com
Newspaper carrier bags, like this one from the Cleveland Press, made it easy to carry several copies of a newspaper, either to sell on the street or deliver door to door.
Inside the printing operation
Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
Type is prepared to go on the pages of the day's newspaper. The location and date for this photograph are not available.
Plates for the press
Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
Plates are prepared on Oct. 22, 1956, to go on the printing press for The Plain Dealer.
Former Plain Dealer headquarters at East 6th Street and Superior Avenue
Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
After the Cleveland News was sold to The Press in 1960, The Plain Dealer moved into the former News office at East 18th Street and Superior Avenue.
Until then, The Plain Dealer headquarters were in the building shown above, at East 6th Street and Superior Avenue. The newer Stokes Wing of the Cleveland Public Library now occupies the site shown in the photo.
The Press closes - 1982
Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
Cleveland became a city with just one daily newspaper when The Press ceased publication after this edition (shown above) on June 17, 1982 - now 36 years ago.
The Press, an afternoon newspaper, was at East 9th Street and Lakeside Avenue, the site that is now home to the Jones Day law firm.
The Cleveland Press, as detailed by the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, was the flagship for the communications business founded by Edward W. Scripps.
Scripps started the newspaper on Frankfort Street on Nov. 2, 1878, originally under the Penny Press name. The name was shortened to the Press in 1884.
$200 million printing plant
Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
The Plain Dealer moved the printing portion of its operation to Brooklyn in 1994, with the opening of a $200 million printing plan (pictured above).
The plant along Interstate 480 remains the printing home of The Plain Dealer. The newsrooms for both The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com remain downtown.
Other papers
Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
Though Cleveland is a city with just one daily newspaper, there have been many other papers over the years. Shown above is a cover from a 1996 Free Times weekly newspaper.
Special interest sections
Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
This Women and The Plain Dealer section has a libary date stamp of Oct. 13, 1926.
Niche publications
Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History describes Cleveland Town Topics as the "Bible" of Cleveland's social and cultural sets for more than 40 years, beginning in 1887.
The Cleveland Topics publication shown above from June 18, 1927, was priced at 10 cents. It promised editorials, investments, wit, music, art and society coverage.
Newspaper magazine section
Special Exhibit, Cleveland Public Library
Shown above is a "pictorial" section published by The Plain Dealer on Jan. 1, 1950.
The exhibit is free. Find it in the second floor of the main Cleveland Public Library building, 325 E. Superior Ave. The library is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and closed on Sundays.
Ad Choices