The Forgotten Story of Cleveland's Failed Downtown Subway

Mention subways in Cleveland and many people will wax nostalgic about the streetcar line that once ran beneath the roadway on the Detroit-Superior Bridge before ducking underground in the Ohio City neighborhood. Few know that downtown Cleveland missed several opportunities to build a subway beneath its streets. Mark Souther, Professor of History and Director of the Center for Public History and Digital Humanities at Cleveland State University presents the seldom-told story of how metropolitan fragmentation and feuds between downtown businesses led to the cancellation of a downtown subway in the 1950's. It examines the context of concerns about the city’s future and the fallout from failing to build the subway.