John D. Rockefeller arrived in Cleveland in 1853 a boy of 14 and spent six decades in his adopted hometown. With the Standard Oil Company's incorporation in 1870, Rockefeller became the city's most well-known industrialist and, from 1885 to 1917, its foremost summer resident at his Forest Hill estate. Here he raised his children, laid the foundation of a financial and industrial empire, and established a commitment to charitable giving. At the end of the Civil War, Cleveland was a crucible from which would be cast the fortunes of many. None were greater than Rockefeller's. Rockefeller's Cleveland captures the visual panorama of a dynamic city that literally reinvented itself in the 1800s and in doing so emerged a major business and industrial center.
Industry Reviews
Title: New book: Rockefeller's influence on Cleveland Author: Dick Russ Publisher: WKYC-TV NBC News Date: 1/18/2010 A new book to be released Monday uses vintage postcards to create a virtual tour of the city dominated by John D. Rockefeller from 1853 to 1917, and wonders whether Cleveland can rise to such heights again. "Rockefeller's Cleveland" is the latest issue from Arcadia Publishing, which specializes in books dealing with local and regional history. It was assembled and written by Sharon Gregor, a Cleveland Heights resident, author, activist, and longtime expert on Rockefeller. She has been trying to reintroduce his legacy to the Greater Cleveland area. "Certainly, there are several young generations since the last book about Rockefeller in 1972," Gregor told WKYC. "I think this will act as a guidebook for the many Rockefeller sites and associations in Greater Cleveland." Gregor spent considerable time researching lesser known events and stories having to do with John D. Rockefeller. "We're so familiar with Rockefeller Park and the Rockefeller Building but, over the years, there are so many other anecdotes and articles that have to do with him." "I wanted to show how dynamic Cleveland was in that time frame," she explained. "I'm hoping that Cleveland now is on another cusp. I sense that same energy. Cleveland did reinvent itself in the 1800's and I think it can again." "For example, I am so impressed by what has happened in the stretch of downtown from East Ninth Street to Public Square. All of that area has associations with Rockefeller." The author also aims to "dispel some of the myths" that Rockefeller never returned to Cleveland after a tax dispute with the city and the death of his wife. "He certainly did return," Gregor maintains. "He did not reject Cleveland. He didn't turn his back on the city as some have said. He continued to summer here until 1917, until his Forest Hill Mansion burned to the ground when he was 78 years old." Rockefeller's Cleveland is available to order from Arcadia Publishing beginning Monday.
