90 Years in 90 Days: The Commercial Strip at Euclid Heights Boulevard and Lee Road

Louisa Oliver October 25, 2011 at 07:47 pm

This building housed a homey donut and breakfast shop in the mid 70's that we frequented too often. It also housed Network Video next door where we rented laser discs (huge silver colored discs that held movies) and the machine to play to them on!

Colleen October 25, 2011 at 08:27 pm

AL's bicycle shop was there for decades. i think the original Chuck's diner was there at one point.

Michelle Simakis (Editor) October 25, 2011 at 09:33 pm

Thanks so much for taking time to share your memories of the corner and contribute to this project. I also received this email from Jerry Rothenberg: "Fisher Foods was on the South West area of the corner and it was a bit South of the intersection. The South East corner was Heights Pharmacy."

katrina October 26, 2011 at 01:42 am

There was also a Chinese store on the corner and a laundry (I think) in the late 60s, early 70s.

Eric Mack October 26, 2011 at 10:27 am

Given the price of the sodas and the absence of hats on the pedestrians, I would guess this picture was taken much later than the 1920s.

Afi-Odelia Scruggs October 26, 2011 at 02:37 pm

E, I wondered about that myself. I'm quoting information I found from the Cleveland Memory Project. When do you think the photo was taken?

Eric Mack October 26, 2011 at 03:07 pm

Since I was born in the 50s, I don't have a good answer. However, another clue is that the phone number on the side of the pharmacy appears to be two letters and 4 digits. I am reasonably certain that, by the 60s, phone numbers in the area were already two letters and 5 digits. So the question is during what years did Cleveland (Heights) have phone numbers with two letters and only 4 digits. I asked a former phone-company employee if he could find out and have not heard back.
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Louisa Oliver October 26, 2011 at 09:48 pm

That's right. It was Chuck's before it became the donut shop.

Michelle Simakis (Editor) October 26, 2011 at 11:57 pm

I'll look into this, too, E and Afi. Thanks for calling the phone company, E!

Michelle Simakis (Editor) October 27, 2011 at 12:08 am

Thanks again for reading the site and for your comments, E. Please be sure to change your name from "E" to your full name next time you log in. Our terms of use are here for your review: www.clevelandheights.patch.com/terms

Mike Rotman October 27, 2011 at 03:40 am

Hey guys,
I did a little searching and tend to agree with the original credit which states that this photo is from around 1928. Here is a view of the other side of the store, also said to be circa 1928, which I imagine was taken on the same day as the above photo. I'm not a car guy, but I think the cars pictured could be from the late 20s/early 30s: http://images.ulib.csuohio.edu/u?/clevehts,1010 Also, I searched the Plain Dealer archives for "Giant Soda" and came across this 1934 ad for Marshall's Drug Store, offering "A Long, Frosty Cold, Different Drink" with the same name for 10 cents. Though the store from the photo doesn't appear to be a Marshall's, this ad still leads me to believe that the 1928 date isn't too far off: http://slovene.clevelandhistory.org/files/2011/10/1934-giantsoda.jpg I hope that helps clear things up a bit. Speaking of Giant Sodas, all this historical sleuthing has made me thirsty...

Eric Mack October 27, 2011 at 05:59 am

Good sleuthing, Mike!
My phone-company contact doesn't have an answer. I also e-mailed Coca Cola to find out when they used signs like the one in the window. But, in the absence of further evidence (or time to research) I'm willing to concede that the photo was taken late 20s/early 30s.

plk November 1, 2011 at 04:49 pm

The Fisher Foods store in that area was across the street, where Sound on Wheels is, at 1832 Lee Rd. In 1958 other stores were at 12412 Cedar (currently the Indian Community Center), 13952 Cedar, Chagrin Falls Plaza, 6695 Eastgate Dr., 13550 Euclid ave., 2315 Lee Rd., 3983 Mayfield, 4507 Mayfield, 2227 Noble Rd. and 20233 Van Aken Blvd.

Eric Mack November 1, 2011 at 05:02 pm

Any clue what was at 1823 Lee Road before Cain Park Apartments was built? I lived there in the 80s and was told it was built c. 1967.