Industrial River Valley

Industrial River Valley. . , (left column:) , The first Cleveland settlers initially settled near the mouth of the Cuyahoga River in the present-day Flats, but moved to higher ground to the current site of Downtown Cleveland due to flooding and weather conditions, 1846, However, the area thrived as an industrial center, as Cleveland depended heavily on the waters of Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River to carry raw materials into industries located in the valley, and then in turn to ship finished goods to other parts of the country. A high percentage of Clevelanders in the 1930's were employed in industry - second only to Detroit. In fact, industrial training was even provided at all levels of public school. , (middle column:) , Factories in the Industrial Valley included:, . Iron and steel foundries , . Soap and candle works , . Breweries , . Window-sash makers , . Carriage makers , . Automobile manufacturers , . Millstone shops , . Flour mills , . Sulfur and other industrial chemical refineries , . Petroleum refineries , . Paint manufacturers , . Medical equipment manufacturers, (right column:) , Water-based transportation has been integral to Cleveland's position in the world as a manufacturing hub., The mouth of the Cuyahoga River was originally located about 4,000 feet weat of the present location. To reduce the number of bends for river traffic, a new mouth was dug in 1827, and widened in 1898. Relocating the Cuyahoga's mouth also created Whiskey Island. , In addition to Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River, key waterways throughout the nation have extended the reach of Cleveland industry. The construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal from 1825 to 1832 connected Cleveland and Lake Erie to the Gulf of Mexico by means of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. This canal afforded Cleveland's industries access to markets to the south, thus expanding their ability to ship manufactured products farther and faster. Likewise, in the mid-1900's, the completion of the Saint Lawrence Seaway opened Cleveland's Industrial Valley to the Atlantic Ocean.