Whether hitting the bars on West 25th Street, supporting the Ohio City Farm or touring the West Side Market with visiting family, Ohio City has carved out a neighborhood identity as a hip, eclectic and diverse destination.
But the name’s not just some clever turn of phrase. The city of Ohio was actually incorporated two days before the city of Cleveland on March 3, 1836. And that’s when the drama started.
“You can’t talk about the relationship between Ohio City and Cleveland without talking about the Bridge War,” explains Chris Roy, volunteer writer and researcher for the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.
In 1836, a group of Cleveland real estate speculators commissioned the construction of the Columbus Street Bridge, which provided a direct route between a commercial district in the Flats and Pearl Road.
The bridge also allowed commerce to bypass Ohio City completely.
“The West Siders responded by making a halfhearted attempt to blow the Columbus Street Bridge up,” says Roy.
A mob of West Siders then met a group of armed Cleveland militiamen, led by Cleveland mayor John W. Willey. The County sheriff put a stop to the violence and a court injunction finally settled the matter.
Less than two decades later, an overwhelming majority of Ohio City residents voted to approve the annexation to Cleveland in effort to improve waterworks and sanitation, prevent fires and decrease contention with their Cleveland neighbors.
Despite the absorption into Cleveland, those tensions can be felt these many years later.
“If you’re looking for the origin between the East Side vs. West Side debate, there it is,” says Roy.
Status: True
Read More: Click here to read the full list of 30 Myths That Define Cleveland
CLE Myths: Ohio City Was Its Own City
Does our East/West divide go back to the fact that Ohio City was once it's own city?
