Downtown in Cleveland in Cuyahoga County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

William Bingham

Warehouse District Anthology

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 19, 2021

1. William Bingham Marker

Inscription.
William Bingham got his start in the hardware business as a clerk for the George Worthington Company. In 1841, after five years there, he and Henry Blossom founded the W. Bingham Company, which would grow to rival Worthington as one of the Midwest's largest hardware companies.

In 1915, the company built a magnificent headquarters designed by Walker and Weeks on West 9th Street. The company's hardware showroom, reputed to be the largest in the world in its time, is now in use as a grocery store, and the building's upper floors have been converted to apartments. Bingham and its successor companies occupied part of its West 9th headquarters until 1980.

Both Worthington and Bingham displayed the entrepreneurial zeal that epitomized Cleveland's rise as an industrial and commercial giant, and the Bingham and Blossom names are prominent in Cleveland's philanthropic history.

Erected by The Warehouse District Development Corporation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Charity & Public Work • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1841.

Location. 41° 29.946′ N, 81° 42.049′ W. Marker is in Cleveland, Ohio, in Cuyahoga County. It is in Downtown. Marker is on

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West 9th Street just north of West St. Clair Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1300 West 9th Street, Cleveland OH 44113, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Hardware Industry (here, next to this marker); Liberty Enlightening the World (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Architectural Styles & Architects (about 600 feet away); The Warehouse District (about 600 feet away); The Early Years (about 600 feet away); Peter Weddell / Levi Johnson / Charles Otis (about 600 feet away); Rockefeller Building (about 700 feet away); Industrialists & Early Skyscrapers (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cleveland.

More about this marker. Warehouse District Anthology is a collection of stories that tell the history of Cleveland's first neighborhood. Like street level book pages, each freestanding element was designed by artist Corrie Slawson based on the District's history, curated and written by Thomas Yablonsky.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Cleveland Warehouse District Anthology

Also see . . .
1. William Bingham.

In 1846-47, Bingham served on Cleveland City Council, initiating the establishment of a city
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 19, 2021

2. William Bingham Marker
Looking south. West 9th Street is on left.
waterworks system and supervising construction of the first tunnel into the lake for drinking water. During the Civil War, he raised volunteers, relieved disabled soldiers and their families, and raised money for the Union. In 1873 he was elected senator; and in 1876, Pres. Grant appointed him to the board of Indian commissioners. Bingham was also involved in banking and railroads; and served as the first president of the Union Club (1870). He was a trustee of the Case Library Association and of the First Presbyterian Church.

(Submitted on February 22, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Henry C. Blossom.

Henry C. Blossom was a business leader and life member of the Western Reserve Historical Society and the Northern Ohio Historical Society. Blossom came to the Cleveland area in the 1830s to work in a hardware store, first in Painesville. In a few years, he joined the William Bingham & Co. as a clerk. By the early 1840s Blossom had become a partner; he remained with the firm for 35 years.

(Submitted on February 22, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 22, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 173 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 22, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.