USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of the city of Cleveland: its settlement, rise and progress, 1796-1896 > Part 37
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Sciences." The deed conveyed the City Hall, and the land on which it stands, the block on which the old Case residence stood, and other tracts on St. Clair street, on Case avenue, and on Beech street. His donations to other institutions during his life-time had been munificent, one of which, that of Case Block, has been related already.
In his deed of conveyance, the founder declared that in
CASE SCHOOL OF APPLIED SCIENCE.
Case School should be taught mathematics, physics, en- gineering, mechanical and natural drawing, metallurgy and modern languages. The school was duly incorpo- rated and organized on a small scale, in 1881. Its first ses- sions were held in the Case residence, on Rockwell street, and, in 1885, it was transferred to an elegant building, con- structed for its use, in the East End, opposite Wade Park.
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THE HISTORY OF CLEVELAND.
This building was greatly damaged by fire in 1886, but was restored. The growth of its usefulness and influence has been sure and steady, from the very beginning.
It would be an inexcusable oversight to dismiss mention of the Case family, without reference to that unchartered, unorganized organization, if the term may be permitted, of which the Case brothers, William and Leonard, were the sponsors and generous patrons. It was one of the most unique social clubs in the world, possessing no con- stitution and no officers, and known in local history for a
" THE ARK."
half century and more, under the brief but expressive name of "The Ark."
The elder Leonard Case was the owner of a small wooden building that stood near the Case homestead, upon a portion of the ground now occupied by the Post-Office and Custom House. Along in the thirties, he abandoned its use as an office. His son William took possession, built a small addition in the rear, and gradually filled it with specimens of birds and animals, which he and his associates had shot and mounted. His friends were among
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the leading young men of the city, chosen because of tastes similar to his own, and their familiarity with the gun and rod. They met in the little building, in the evening, for reading, conversation, and healthful social di- version ; and gradually the name which had been bestowed upon the structure - the Ark - became, by an easy tran- sition, that of the company which it sheltered. A list of these original "Arkites" is as follows: William Case, Leonard Case, Dr. Elisha Sterling, Stoughton Bliss, Col. E. A. Scovill, George A. Stanley, Bushnell White, Capt. B. A. Stanard, Dr. A. Maynard, D. W. Cross, Henry G. Abbey, R. K. Winslow, J. J. Tracy, John Coon.36
When the Post-Office building was erected, the "Ark " was removed to the lot now occupied by the Case Library Building. It was again taken farther west, to the site of the present City Hall. When it was finally demolished, a portion of its timber was made into tables and other fixt- ures for the new "Ark " headquarters, which Leonard Case had provided in the Case Library Building.
Several years before his death, Mr. Case deeded the free use of these rooms, and their contents, to the gentle- men then composing the club, for their use, and to that of the last surviving member. Upon his death, the property was to go to Case Library. The gentlemen named in this deed were: Charles L. Rhodes, Seneca O. Griswold, David W. Cross, Herman M. Chapin, Edward A. Scovill, William H. Sholl, James J. Tracy, Stoughton Bliss, Levi T. Scofield, Rodney Gale, Jabez W. Fitch, Henry G. Ab- bey, Bushnell White, Benjamin A. Stanard, John Coon.37
36 The accompanying illustration, "A Meeting at the Ark," was taken from a painting which William Case ordered, in 1858. It is a portrait group of the original Arkites, in their characteristic attitudes, as they stood or lounged about the room.
37 " The Ark has a history. These two remarkable men (William and Leonard Case), who were the founders and promoters of the Ark, and all that accumulated around, and in time grew out of it, ultimately achieved their grand designs, in establishing the Kirtland Society of Natural Science, the Case Hall, its receptacle; the Case Library, and, above all and finally, the Case School of Applied Sciences."-" The Log Book," by D. W. Cross .- " Magazine of Western History," Vol. IX, p. 686.
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A MEETING AT "THE ARK."
J. Dr, Elisha Sterling. 2. Capt. B. A. Stanard. 3. Jas. J. Tracy. 4. Dr. A. Maynard. 5. William Case. 6. Bushnell White. 7. D. W. Cross. 8. Leonard Case. 9. E. A. Scovill. 10. George A. Stanley. 11. Stoughton Bliss. 12. Rufus K. Winslow. 13. John Coon. 14. Henry G. Abbey.
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At this writing (October, 1896), the only survivors of the original "Arkites " are John Coon and James J. Tracy. Levi T. Scofield, one of the survivors of those later members to whom the deed mentioned above was made - called by Leonard Case "the regulars"- has furnished me with the following information as to the present status of this unique organization: " I was not one of the orig- inal 'Arkites,' being only seventeen years of age when the painting of the 'Ark' interior was made, and was not one of the regulars, until my return from the war, in 1865. There is still an enthusiastic interest in the 'Ark,' and the attendance is just as regular as it has been dur- ing the past sixty years; but, I am sorry to say that dur- ing the past two years the only attendant has been the writer, who has rather a doleful time every night playing solitaire, and thinking of the old boys who are gone."
Another great educational institution was added to Cleveland's growing list, in 1880. Amasa Stone, a mill- ionaire railroad builder and capitalist, made a proposition that resulted in removing the old and famous Western Reserve College 38 from Hudson, Ohio, to this city. His offer was as follows: He would give the institution five hundred thousand dollars, - one hundred thousand to be used for buildings, and the rest as an endowment, - pro- vided the college should be removed to Cleveland; that the people of the city would provide the needed grounds,
38 This college came into being in answer to a demand of the New Eng- landers of the Western Reserve. In Iso1, the territorial Assembly was petitioned, by residents of this section, for a charter for a college, to be located on the Western Reserve. This was refused. In 1803, the first General Assembly of Ohio incorporated the Erie Literary Seminary, com- posed of residents of Trumbull County, which then comprised the entire Western Reserve. Under this charter, an academy was established in Bur- ton, in 1805. Out of this institution grew another, the charter of which was granted in 1826, and the corner-stone of the first building was laid at Hudson, on April 26th of the same year. The first students of this West- ern Reserve College were received in December, and temporarily instructed at an academy at Tallmadge. In 1827, the new building at Hudson was occupied, and the preparatory department established. These facts are taken from "A History of Western Reserve College," by Rev. Carroll Cut- ler, D.D.
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and that the name should be changed to the Adelbert Col- lege of Western Reserve University.39 This generous proposition was accepted, new buildings were erected near Case School, the institution was strengthened in many ways, and in the autumn of 1882, the old college entered, with renewed vigor, again upon the grand work it had for so many years successfully pursued.
That work has been enlarged and broadened, until this university is recognized as one of the great educational forces of the Middle West. As has been well said, "Western Reserve University is one of the oldest, and one of the newest, institutions of learning. Its oldest depart- ment was founded in 1826, its newest in 1892." It was organized as a university in 1884, and consists of seven departments and two preparatory schools. The two last- named are the Western Reserve Academy, at Hudson, O., and the Green Spring Academy, at Green Spring, O. The departments are: Adelbert College, established in 1826; College for Women, in 1888; Graduate School, in 1892; Medical School, in 1843; Law School, in 1892; Dental School, in 1892; Conservatory of Music, in 1871.
The College for Women, which was opened in Septem- ber, 1888, was not wholly a new college, as it shared the rights and advantages of an educational foundation going back to 1826. The buildings were opened in September, 1892. When President Charles F. Thwing came to the university, he found that a law school, on a plane with the other branches of the college, was a crying need. He set to work, and on September 25, 1892, the school was founded. It had not been in existence three months,
39 "Soon after the war closed, he (Mr. Stone) met with a great misfor- tune, in the death of his only son, Adelbert Barnes Stone, a youth of the most amiable character, and the highest promise, who was drowned while bathing in the Connecticut river, being at the time a student of Yale Col- lege. On condition that the Western Reserve College at Hudson should remove to Cleveland, and assume in its classical department the name of his lost and lamented son, he endowed it with the munificent sum of half a million dollars, which, at his desire, after his death, was increased by his family to the amount of six hundred thousand dollars." "Amasa Stone," by John Hay .- "Magazine of Western History," Vol. III., p. 110.
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when Mrs. Franklin T. Backus, who wished to make a fitting memorial to her husband, a famous jurist, gave the school $50,000. In recognition of this princely gift, the school was called The Franklin T. Backus Law School of the Western Reserve University. The members of the local bar have also made generous donations. The course is three years, and is modeled largely on that of Harvard.
ADELBERT COLLEGE.
The university has recently come into possession of a handsome and commodious library building, through the generosity of H. R. Hatch. It consists of a main build- ing, thirty-three feet by ninety-four feet in size, two stories high, with east and west wings, each twenty-seven feet by thirty-seven feet in size, one story high. It is built of Ohio sandstone. It has a capacity of 118,000
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books. The new building, to which the trustees insisted that the name " Hatch Library " be given, was dedicated on June 15th, 1896.
The origin and early history of the Medical College have been given in an earlier portion of this work. The Cleveland Medical College, as the medical department of Western Reserve College, graduated its first class in 1844. In 1884, by reason of the change in the college, it became
THE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL.
the Medical Department of Western Reserve University.
Among the prominent educational institutions of these later days, must be enumerated the University School. A movement was set on foot, in 1890, by a number of lead- ing citizens, for the establishment of a school where young men might be prepared for college, or for professional occupations. A large and well-equipped building, on
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Hough and Giddings avenues, was the outcome. This was ready in 1891, and since then, a model institution has been carried on along the lines above indicated, with effi- cient literary, scientific and manual training departments.
Still another important enterprise, that found its origin in the generosity of a prominent citizen of Cleveland, was the Cleveland Music Hall and Tabernacle, on Erie and Vincent streets. William H. Doan, in the early part of 1881, donated the lot upon which the building now stands, and added a gift of ten thousand dollars, for the construc- tion of a great hall, to be used for such musical, moral and religious meetings as needed unusual space. The title, of the property was to be vested in five trustees, three of whom were to be chosen by Mr. Doan or his heirs, and two by the Cleveland Vocal Society. A com- modious structure, capable of seating 4,300 people, was erected, at a cost of $51,333, and has, by its continual use- fulness, proven the wisdom and foresight of its gener- ous founder.
For the second time in her history, Cleveland was called upon to prepare, in 1881, a temporary resting place, in the Public Square, for a murdered and a martyred President. James A. Garfield had grown very near to the hearts of her people, and the tributes paid his memory, upon that sad occasion, were inspired not alone by re- spect for his great office, but also by love of the neighbor, and the man.
While Garfield represented a neighboring district, dur- ing his long career in Congress, he was regarded by the press and people of Cleveland as in part theirs also, and nowhere were his political and intellectual achievements hailed with more joy than here. When the word was flashed down from Chicago," on that memorable 8th of
40 Cleveland has not, as yet, been especially noted in the line of politi- cal conventions, beyond those of a local or State character, although one of the most popular convention cities in the country, in the way of gatherings of a miscellaneous character. She had, however, the somewhat doubtful honor of being chosen for the holding of a convention of those who, in 1864, opposed the re-nomination of Mr. Lincoln, on the ground
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June, 1880, that the favorite son of Ohio was to be the Republican banner-bearer for that year, the general joy was great, and men of all parties were ready to extend their congratulations, and give him welcome. A recep- tion was tendered him, by apparently the entire city, when he reached here on the 9th, the animating spirit of which was well stated in Garfield's own words: "I know that all this demonstration means your gladness at the unity, and harmony, and good feeling, of the great political party, and in part your good feeling toward a neighbor and an old friend."
All through the memorable campaign that followed, the real Garfield headquarters were in Cleveland, although the General remained, for the greater part of the time, in Mentor. Men, money, brains, political experience, end- less industry, were all here, as in a great reservoir, from which he could draw, as needed; and Cleveland took unto herself some degree of pride, and yet more pleasure, when he was declared the President-elect, and sent to sit in the chair of Washington and Lincoln.
When the terrible news of the tragedy of July 2nd, 1881, was received here, the whole city became a house of mourning, and the hearts of our people were with the sufferer, until there came that later message of Septem- ber 19th, to the effect that the President was no more. At eleven o'clock at night the bells were tolled; the Light Artillery noted each half hour of the night, by the solemn booming of the guns; the mayor, on the morning fol- lowing, asked, by proclamation, that from noon onward, all places of business should be closed.
It had been the expressed wish of Garfield, that beau-
that he was too conservative in the conduct of the war. On May 31st of that year, a small, but radical, wing of the Republican party held a conven- tion here, which placed in nomination John C. Fremont and John Cochrane, upon a platform that demanded a more determined prosecution of the war, and the confiscation of the estates of those in rebellion, which were to be distributed among the soldiers and settlers. General Fremont accepted the nomination, but upon finding that the movement was not actively supported, withdrew, in the September following.
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tiful Lake View Cemetery should be his final resting place, and, accordingly, he was brought here for burial. A pavilion, for the reception of his remains, was built upon the Public Square, and there he was temporarily laid, on Saturday, September 24th. For two days the body lay in state, with a guard of honor ever present; while thousands and thousands of mourners passed by, for a final glance at the one they had come to know so well. The final services were held on Monday, the 26th. A hundred thousand people came to the city, and twice that number were reverent witnesses of the ceremonies.
These were conducted by Dr. J. P. Robison. A hymn was sung by the Cleveland Vocal Society. A selection from the Scriptures was read by the Right Rev. G. T. Bedell, and prayer offered by Rev. Ross C. Houghton. An address was delivered by Rev. Isaac Errett, of Cin- cinnati, who had been one of Garfield's life-long friends. When he concluded, Rev. Jabez Hall read Garfield's fa- vorite hymn, which was then sung by the Cleveland Vocal Society, and prayer and benediction, by the Rev. Charles S. Pomeroy, followed.
At twelve o'clock, the great procession and escort of honor - some five miles in length - was formed, and moved out to Lake View Cemetery, where further services were held, and the honored remains found a temporary resting place in a vault, until the tomb, which the people had already decreed should be erected for him, should be ready for occupancy.
When it was learned that President Garfield would be buried in Lake View Cemetery, a movement was at once set on foot to raise funds for a fitting monument. A meeting was held, and J. H. Wade, H. B. Payne, and Jos- eph Perkins were made a committee to solicit money from the entire nation for this purpose. Through the public press, through circulars, and other proper means that suggested themselves to the enterprising committee, the country was called upon to contribute to this praiseworthy purpose. It was found, however, that the importance of
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the undertaking demanded a more businesslike system than had yet been employed, and, in June, 1882, the Gar- field National Monument Association was incorporated, under the laws of Ohio. It was composed of the follow- ing prominent Ohioans: Governor Charles B. Foster, ex- President Rutherford B. Hayes, Senator Henry B. Payne, J. H. Wade, Joseph Perkins, T. P. Handy, D. P. Eells, .
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THE GARFIELD MONUMENT.
W. S. Streator, J. H. Devereux, Selah Chamberlain, John D. Rockefeller, John Hay, and J. H. Rhodes. On July 6, 1882, an executive committee, with J. H. Rhodes as its secretary, was formed. Active measures were at once taken, and soon the sum of $150,000 was at the dis- posal of the association. Of this, Cleveland contributed $75,000; Ohio, $14,000; New York, $14,000; Illinois,
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$5,500; Iowa, $3,000; Pennsylvania, $1,800; Wisconsin, $2,000; Maine, $1,600; Kansas, $1,500; Indiana, $1,400; Connecticut, $1,000; Montana, $1,900. The rest came, in varying sums, from the other States and Territories. In June, 1883, a committee composed of Joseph Perkins, H. B. Hurlburt and John Hay, issued an invitation to architects and artists to submit plans for the monument. Prizes of $1,000, $750 and $500 would be awarded. More than fifty designs were submitted. They were examined by Henry Van Brunt, of Boston, and Calvert Vaux, of New York, the most eminent architects in the country. Each made a separate trip to Cleveland, and an individual decision, but both selected the design of George Keller, of Hartford, Connecticut, and on July 21, 1883, it was formally accepted. In October, 1885, the contract for masonry was given to Thomas Simmons. Work was started, in due season, but a rumor was soon current that the foundations were insecure. Finally, the local Civil Engineer's Club made an examination, and reported that all was safe. A like report was also made by General W. J. McAlpine, of New York, a national authority on foundations. Notwithstanding this, the committee, at its annual meeting in 1886, changed the design, reducing the height of the tower from 225 feet to 165 feet, and sup- planting the castellated form with a conical roof.
May 30, 1890, the monument was formally dedicated. President Benjamin Harrison, Vice-President L. P. Mor- ton, and a host of other celebrities, were present. The ceremonies were held in Lake View Cemetery. They were simple, but impressive. Ex-President Hayes pre- sided, the opening prayer was made by Bishop Leonard, and ex-Governor Jacob D .. Cox, the orator of the day, made an eloquent address. Brief speeches were also made by Vice President Morton, Governor J. D. Camp- bell, General William T. Sherman, Secretary William Windom, Attorney-General Miller, Secretary Rusk, Bishop Gilmour, General Schofield, and Hon. William Mc- Kinley. Then the Knights Templar, of the Grand Com-
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mandery, concluded the ceremonies, with their impressive service. There were over 5,000 men in line for the pro- cession.
The monument is erected in the loftiest and most beau- tiful spot in Lake View Cemetery. Its shape, for the most part, is that of a tower, fifty feet in diameter. Steps lead to the landing, which is constructed about the base of the building. A romanesque porch supports the tower. Below the porch railing, there is an external decoration, a frieze of historical character, showing in its five panels characteristic scenes from Garfield's life. The great doors of oak open in a vestibule vaulted in stone, and paved with mosaic. From this, spiral staircases ascend the tower, and descend to the crypt. In this crypt is the cas- ket containing the coffin. Opening from this vestibule, is the chamber where the statue, by Alexander Doyle, of New York, stands. It shows Garfield in the House of Representatives. Over the statue, supported by granite columns, is a dome twenty-two feet in diameter, which is decorated with a marvelous frieze of Venetian glass, showing an allegorical funeral procession of the dead President. The tower has thirteen magnificent memorial windows, from the original thirteen States. The monu- ment is built of native sandstone.
CHAPTER XVII.
ยท 1880-A WONDERFUL DECADE-1890.
In a record of this character - a history of the creation and growth of a great city,-the individual of necessity disappears as the many appear, and incidents of a personal nature give place to events of sufficient importance to be of interest to all. Generalization, therefore, replaces specifications. Lorenzo Carter, in the Cleveland of 1800, was larger, relatively, than any one man could be in Cleveland to-day. James Kingsbury, sitting with gun in hand, on a log in the snowy silence of the Conneaut woods, waiting for some stray bird or beast, whose flesh could save the life of his wife, was a picturesque figure, because he was a solitary speck upon a bleak and inhospitable pioneer landscape; - the picture, in all these cases, is striking, because' of its setting, and also because of the time that has passed, and the things that have been done, since it was drawn.
The life of a pioneer village is told in these incidents; that of a great city by its achievements, and the impress it has made upon the civilization of which it is a part. A bird's-eye view should, therefore, be taken from time to time, that advances may be noted, and a full understand- ing had, of the uses made of the natural and artificial op- portunities at hand.
The early days of that decade running from 1880 to 1890, seem a fitting point for a brief retrospect of this character. It was the duty of the writer to prepare a somewhat extended paper upon Cleveland at that period, 41 in which these words were used: "The history of Cleve- land has been that of all great cities. There have been
41 " The Forest City: A Picture of the Past, Present and Future of Cleveland;" by J. H. Kennedy .- " Chicago Inter-Ocean," March 31, 1883.
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many times, when her growth was so slow, and uncertain, that she gave promise of no great development, but some unexpected season of general prosperity would arise, some new avenue of business would open, or some new railroad come in to add to the territory open to her enter- prise. The last stage of doubting was passed, years ago, and now it seems impossible for anything to arise that can stand as a bar to her progress. Her population is so great [po- lice census enumeration for 1883 gave 194,684], her in- vested capital so immense, her footing so firmly estab- lished, in the line of manu- facturing, and her lines of communication with produ- cing and purchasing centers so well developed and main- MAYOR R. R. HERRICK. tained, that it would be diffi- cult for any disaster to crush her, or any rivalry to break her hold. In short, the visitor who looks about the place says to himself : ' The signs indicate a transition state from the higher degrees of villagehood, and a passage to the glory and vigor of cityhood.' The fact is, that a new spirit of enterprise, of improvement, and of push, has been breathed into the business men and the men of money, and the last suggestions of old-fogyism are being blown to the winds." Let Greater Cleveland witness whether there was a touch of prophecy in that statement of thirteen years ago.
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