Big Italy at Ontario and Eagle
was home to many Italians until
the city began developing that area. By
1940 Italians were pushed out of Big Italy
into other communities. Many came to our
area, which had become known as Little Italy.

Boundaries for Little Italy were created before
its name was dubbed. The North boundry
fenced in 285 acres of land that became
Lakeview Cemetery in 1869 . It had only
one gate on Euclid Ave.

During the 1870s Newell Cozad parceled his
adjacent land to recoup funds lost by a failed
park venture. By 1881 the railroad had laid
tracks that became the west boundary. Italian
craftsmen and railroad workers began buying
homes and sub lots  bordered by the railroad
tracks and the cemetery.

Another boundary to our community developed
in 1881. A $500,000 donation to WRU to
establish Adelbert College was in memory of
multi millionaire Amasa Stone’s son. Stone
was an American industrialist who built
railroads and invested in mills in Ohio.

The hill to the East, which eventually led to
development in the heights, was a natural
boundary. The boundaries created a chicken
leg shape for our community; it both isolated
and protected us from the rest of  Cleveland.

Want to know today's statistics on our
community?

Checkout city-data and come on back to us.