01/26/08

        THE FIRST INHABITANTS OF EDGEWATER PARK

 THE LAKE ERIE SHORELINE HAS BEEN HOME TO THE FIRST INHABITANTS AFTER THE WISCONSIN GLACIER MELTED AND CARVED OUT THE LAND FEATURES WE SEE TODAY.  AS CONDITIONS IMPROVED FOR HUMAN HABITATION SUCH AS THE GROWTH OF FORESTS, NEW PLANTS AND ANIMALS THE FIRST PEOPLE ENTERED THIS AREA IN SEARCH OF WILD GAME SUCH AS THE MASTODON,  GIANT SLOTHS AND OTHER LARGE GAME.  AS THE WEATHER BEGAN TO WARM, THEY SUPPLEMENTED THEIR HUNTING WITH FOOD GATHERING AND IN LATER TIMES TO AGRICULTURE AND A MORE PERMANENT SETTLED CAMPS AND VILLAGES. THE AREA ALONG THE LAKE AND EDGEWATER PARK WAS IDEAL FOR THE SURVIVAL OF THE WOODLAND CULTURE PEOPLES IN THIS AREA.  THE BLUFFS ALONG EDGEWATER PARK PROVIDED THEM WITH HUNTING AND PLANTING AREAS AND A DEFENSIVE VIEW TOWARD THE EAST FROM HOSTILE TRIBES.  THEIR MAIN TRAIL WAS A CONTINUATION OF THE GREAT LAKE TRAIL (EUCLID AVENUE) WHICH EXTENDED EASTWARD INTO NEW YORK STATE AND IN OUR AREA, WEST OF THE CUYAHOGA RIVER BECAME( DETROIT AVENUE) AND EXTENDED TO SANDUSKY AND BEYOND TO DETROIT.  THIS TRAIL HAD MANY SHORT TRAILS TO CAMPGROUNDS AND PERMANENT VILLAGE SITES.  ARCHEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT THE EDGEWATER PARK AREA WAS USED FOR HUNTING AND FISHING, THE LOW SHORELINE WITH BEACHES WERE A SAFE HARBOR FOR THEIR CANOES THUS AVOIDING THE DANGEROUS SHORELINE LIKE THAT NEARER TO ROCKY RIVER. THE VIEW OF THE AREA EASTWARD TOWARD THE CUYAHOGA HELPED THEM AVOID THE APPROACH OF HOSTILE TRIBES.  THIS GREAT LAKE TRAIL WAS CONNECTED TO A SOUTHERLY TRAIL, THE MAHONING TRAIL (BROADWAY AVE.) WHICH BEGAN NEAR PITTSBURG.    

 IN 1786 A MORAVIAN MISSIONARY, DAVID ZEISBERGER AND ABOUT 90 DELAWARE INDIAN CHRISTIAN CONVERTS DEPARTED FROM DETROIT  BY BOAT THEY ARRIVED NEAR THE ROCKY SHORES OF ROCKY RIVER ON THEIR WAY TO THE CUYAHOGA RIVER.  THEY PLANNED TO SETTLE FURTHER DOWN THE CUYAHOGA ON THEIR WAY TO SCHOENBRUNN ON THE TUSCARAWAS RIVER. WHILE NEAR THE ROCKY RIVER A STORM AROSE AND THEY STOPPED TO REST. THEY WERE APPROACHED BY SOME CHIPPEWA INDIANS IN CANOES WHO WARNED THEM NOT TO PROCEED ALONG THE ROCKY SHORES BECAUSE IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS.  THEY DECIDED TO  HAVE THE WOMEN, ELDERLY AND CHILDREN PROCEED BY THE LAKE TRAIL (DETROIT AVE) WHILE THE MEN AND MORE ROBUST WOULD PROCEED BY CANOE.  ANOTHER STORM  APPROACHED AND THEY WERE MOST HAPPY WHEN THEY ARRIVES NEAR THE LOW LAND BEACH AREA BY EDGEWATER AND WERE ABLE TO SEE A SAFE APPROACH TO THE MOUTH OF THE CUYAHOGA TOWARD THE EAST. TO THE INDIANS OF THE PAST AND TO THOSE OF US WHO ENJOY THIS AREA TODAY IT IS TRULY A PLACE TO FIND SAFETY AND REST! ALTHOUGH HUMAN PROGRESS HAS GREATLY CHANGED THE "VIEW" FROM THIS AREA, OUR MINDS AND VISION OF PAST HISTORY CAN BRING US BACK TO THOSE DAYS BEFORE PROGRESS INTERFERED WITH THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF THIS AREA.

    BIBLIOGRAPHY:

   Cleveland: The Making of a City              The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History        A History  of Cleveland Oh. (vol.1)

   By William Ganson Rose                     By David D. Van Tassel & John J. Grawbroski    By Samuel P. Orth

   c. 1990 Kent State University Press      c. 1987 Case Western Reserve University     1910   S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.

 ADDENDUM: IN 1786 THE NORTHWESTERN FUR CO. BUILT A TRADING POST ON THE WEST BANK OF THE CUYAHOGA RIVER. IT WAS USED IN THE FUR TRADE WITH SEVERAL INDIAN TRIBES IN THE AREA SUCH AS CHIPPEWA, OTTAWA, SENECA, WYANDOT, DELAWARE AND OTHERS IT WAS THE FIRST BUILDING IN THE AREA WHEN MOSES CLEVELAND CAME TO SURVEY THE WESTERN RESERVE. LATER, AFTER THE INDIAN LEFT THE AREA IT WAS OCCUPIED FOR A SHORT TIME BY JAMES KINGSBURY AND HIS FAMILY AND FINALLY, IN 1844 IT WAS DISMANTLED IN ORDER TO PRESERVE ITS HISTORY AND MOVED FURTHER WEST TOWARD EDGEWATER AREA ON THE CORNER OF VERMONT AND HANOVER STREETS. IT WAS USED AS A CARPENTER SHOP AND FINALLY AS A RESIDENCE. USED FIRST AS A TRADING POST, THAN AS THE "REV HOUSE TAVERN" OWNED BY ALONZO CARTER, THAN INHABITED BY THE KINGSBURY FAMILY IT FOUND ITS LAST RESTING PLACE BY EDGEWATER BEFORE FINALLY DEMOLISHED IN 1922 -

      I wish to Thank Frank Flauto for the information and  research he gleaned for this portion of this web page this is Copy righted information   ©

                                           2oo5 Cleveland Powwow a Success!

At least that's what the Smoke Signals published.  It is the official newspaper of American Indian Education Center.

Here are excerpts from that publication. The American Indian Education Center held its 11th Annual Edgewater Park Powwow over Father's Day weekend, June 17th, 18th and 19th 2oo5. It was with out a doubt, the largest and best Powwow to date. There was an increase in number of people participating and in number of people attending. The weekend started on Friday evening with a concert by Native American  artists who performed form late in the afternoon until well into the night. The featured artists were: nationally known flutist and Nammy  Award winner Douglas Bluefeather,  Menominee composer/singer Wade Fernandez, a Nammy Award nominee; Mitch Walkingelk.

On Saturday and Sunday the Powwow took place with dancers, vendors, and visitors coming from as far away as Texas, New Mexico, and Ontario, Canada.

New to this year's Powwow  was the Miss Cleveland Indian Scholarship Competition, in which a number of Native American women vied for a $500.00 scholarship. The American Indian Education Center anticipates that the scholarship to be offered for the 2oo6 competition will be a $1000.00. Except , a $500 scholarship will be awarded to one female and one male recipient.

Reminiscing about the history of the Father's Day Powwow, Robert Roche, the American Indian Education Center's Executive Director recalled that in the early days the event was tiny in scope compared to this year's Powwow. the AEIC's 11th. " Each year it has become bigger and better," says Roche. The area we use grows every year; and the quality of the drums dancing has steadily improved over time. As more  people learned about our Powwow, we have drawn high quality drums and dancers, not to mention vendors, from farther and away." "And, with the addition of the Friday evening concert we have widened the appeal to the Native and non- Native public alike. The artists that we have had been wonderful; and we hope to bring in more and better known artists in future year."

This video is of the Indian Pow Wow