Downtown in Cleveland in Cuyahoga County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
This Marks the Site of the Weddell House
Opened June 25, 1847
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 19, 2021
1. Weddell House Marker
Abraham Lincoln was a guest here on his way to his first inauguration, February 15th, 1861. In a speech made at that time, from the balcony of this house, he said:
”A devotion to the Constitution; to the union and to the laws; to the perpetual liberty of the people of this country. It is, fellow citizens, for the whole American people and not for one single man alone, to advance the great cause.”
The Weddell House became Cleveland's most historic hotel. Among its noted guests were Horace Greeley, Salmon P. Chase, John Sherman, Jenny Lind, and Louis Kossuth.
In this building was founded the Board of Trade the forerunner of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, July 7th, 1848.
of the founding of Cleveland, A.D. 1921
Hon. W.S. Fitzgerald, Mayor
Erected 1921 by Hon. W.S. Fitzgerald, Mayor.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Events. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #16 Abraham Lincoln, and the Lincoln 1861 Inaugural Train Stops series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is February 15, 1861.
Location. 41° 29.882′ N, 81° 41.84′ W. Marker is in Cleveland, Ohio, in
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Industrialists & Early Skyscrapers (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rockefeller Building (about 600 feet away); Liberty Enlightening the World (about 600 feet away); The Warehouse District (about 700 feet away); Architectural Styles & Architects (about 700 feet away); Moses Cleaveland Survey (approx. 0.2 miles away); Hardware Industry (approx. 0.2 miles away); William Bingham (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cleveland.
Also see . . .
1. Weddell House. Was the best known of the early hotels built in Cleveland in the first half of the 19th century. It was a 5-story brick-and-sandstone structure with about 200 rooms, including offices, stores, several parlors, and a large dining room on the first 2 floors. The demand for rooms was so great that the hotel was enlarged in 1853, when a 4-story addition was built on W. 6th St. The most historic occasion associated with the hotel was
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 19, 2021
2. Abraham Lincoln Spent the Night Marker
(adjacent marker, facing West Superior Avenue)
In the Weddell House on this site Abraham Lincoln spent the night of February 15, 1861.The Ohio Lincoln Sesquicentennial Committee
In the Weddell House on this site Abraham Lincoln spent the night of February 15, 1861.The Ohio Lincoln Sesquicentennial Committee
2. Weddell House/Rockefeller Building. On February 15, 1861, the streets surrounding the Weddell House, as well as the windows, porches and even rooftops that looked upon the hotel, were dense with faces eager to see the newly elected president, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln walked onto the second floor balcony to greet the crowd of Clevelanders: “To all of you, then, who have done me the honor to participate in this cordial welcome, I return most sincerely, my thanks, not for myself, but for Liberty, the Constitution and Union.” In 1931, the room in which Lincoln stayed during his visit was turned into a shrine to the late president. Fifteen presidents were among the many who visited the room. (Submitted on September 21, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Abraham Lincoln in Cleveland. Lincoln visited Cleveland only twice: once in life and once in death. The slain president’s funeral train arrived in Cleveland on the morning of April 28, 1865. The casket was then drawn by horse and carriage to Monument Park
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 19, 2021
3. Weddell House Markers
Southeast corner of the Rockefeller Building. Markers are mounted at eye-level.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 20, 2021
4. Rockefeller Building
Markers are visible on the corner near bottom center.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 21, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 381 times since then and 61 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 21, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
