Browse Interviews

Herman Pirchner Jr., son of the owner of the Alpine Village dining and nightclub, discusses the origins of the Alpine Village, the famous acts and guests who performed at Alpine Village, and the legacy of his father Herman Pirchner Sr. Pirchner was a stuntman, restaurateur, promoter, and natural entertainer who had legacy in Cleveland and nationally with a syndicated radio show.

Robert Wheeler, professor of history at Cleveland State University, discusses the history and importance of Euclid Avenue. He describes the local impact of immigration, the development of Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood, and moments of conflict between ethnic groups. Wheeler also deliberates on the impact of the Cleveland's medical and cultural institutions in the growth of Cleveland's economy and recent revitalization efforts.

Richard Baznik, University Historian at Case Western Reserve University, provides a detailed history of the development of the university and describes how the school responded to various national and local events and movements. He notes CWRU's relationship with other cultural and educational institutions in the area.

Harvey Webster is the Director of Wildlife Resources at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH). Webster provides the history of CMNH and highlights the importance of the institution to northeast Ohio, nationally, and globally. From the experience he gained studying endangered animal species; specifically birds of prey, Webster provides vital information on the effects that repetitive human alterations to the natural landscape have on the environment. Webster contends that only once…

In this 2008 interview, Steve Dimotsis (b. 1952 in Greece) describes his life, Cleveland's Downtown scene over the years, and his experiences owning and managing Otto Moser's Restaurant. Mr. Dimotsis talks about the history of the restaurant--its founder, immigrant Otto Moser, and the original location of the restaurant on East 4th Street across from the Cleveland Opera House. Dimotis also describes the celebrity photo collection of Otto Moser, a part of which he owns today. Dimotsis, who grew…

S. Sterling McMillan III came to Cleveland when he was ten years old. He lived on Magnolia Drive, 105th Street, and Euclid Avenue. He provides a brief historical sketch of his home on Magnolia Drive and its past occupants. He provides a substantial history of the Cleveland elites that lived on Euclid Avenue, including the Mathers, John Hay, Henry Adams, John D. Rockefeller, and George Gary. He describes these lives in the context of the rise and fall of Euclid Avenue and imparts some information…

Virginia Tanno McMonagle, owner of Rickey C. Tanno Jewelers in the arcade of the 925 Euclid Building at 925 Euclid Avenue. Born in 1918, she recalls weekly trips downtown with her father to watch the 1923-24 construction of the building, which was originally built for Union Trust Bank and later anchored by Union Commerce Bank and then Huntington National Bank. She relates the story of the origin and evolution of the business that her future husband Rickey Tanno started in the nearby Swetland…

An Interview with William Barrow who discusses his relative Thomas Cooper Barrow and his driving range on Euclid Ave. The Hole-in-One was a unique business that served as a transition between the glory days of Millionaire's Row and the period of decline that followed. The discussion includes various remembrances of Millionaire's Row and other general aspects of Cleveland life from the 1920s to the 50s.

Robert Brooks was born in Cleveland. He spent much of his life in the University Circle area. More specifically, Brooks lived on the corner of East 105th Street and Chester Avenue. He vividly describes and shares some of the experiences he had in that neighborhood. He learned French at the Demonstration School for Foreign Languages and subsequently taught French in the Cleveland Public Schools. Later in life he dedicated his time to volunteering with the program Project Learn, as well as with…

In this 2006 interview, Bennie Jean Johnson, a life-long resident of Cleveland, recounts many of her living experiences as an African-American in Cleveland. She talks about her early childhood homes in E.55th and E.79th Street neighborhoods during the 1950 and 1960 decades. She describes her experiences during the Hough Riots. She talks about Leo's Casino and other well-known Cleveland east side institutions. She also talks about her experiences in moving to the west side of Cleveland--first…

Hedvika Sfiligoj, a Slovenian immigrant who came to Cleveland in 1952, discusses her life throughout the second half of the twentieth century. Ms. Sfiligoj discusses where she worked and shopped, who she befriended and met, and where she sent her children to school. Other topics include Euclid Avenue, how Cleveland has changed, coming to the United States, and living in Slovenia as a child. She describes her early memories of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, vandalism within the gardens,…

Laura Gooch talks about the Hebrew Cultural Garden at Rockefeller Park. She also talks about Cleveland parks and what can be done to revitalize them, while also discussing how to remediate problems at Doan Brook.
Poor sound quality.
See also Laura Gooch Interview, 11 July 2006 (902010).

Elliot Gordon is interviewed for his thoughts on Cleveland and its development since he moved to the city for school in the 1980s. Poor sound quality.

Duane Hatton of Hatton's Deli Restaurant describes the history and operations of the family business and changes in the midtown area along Euclid Avenue.

This interview with Mary Krohmer, Director of Community Relations at Lake View Cemetery focuses on the history of the cemetery and surrounding area.
Very poor sound quality.

Mary Loud reflects on her time as a docent at the Dunham Tavern and provides a detailed history of the Tavern, how the site has developed over time, and what lies in store for the future of the museum. Poor sound quality.

Architect Richard Van Petten reflects on his life on Euclid Avenue and on the Millionares' Row mansions that used to line the street.

Tom Bush discusses the Statler Hotel and changes in downtown and on Euclid Avenue.
Very poor sound quality.

Anne Forgas discusse various aspects of downtown Cleveland including the Alpine Village, shopping for the Christmas season, and the decline of Euclid Avenue as a destination for shopping.

Robert R. Gutzky gives a description of the stores and street life along Euclid Ave. from the 1940s through the present. He also alludes to the decline of Euclid Ave. and the areas future.

In this brief interview, Maria Agosto discusses coming to Cleveland State University (CSU) and pursuing a degree in Urban Affairs. She mentions how happy she is with the transformation of Euclid Avenue, and she is very impressed with the progress that CSU seems to be making. She continues by talking about other renovations within Downtown Cleveland.

In this 2005 interview, Thomas Yablonsky, executive director of both the Warehouse District and the Historic Gateway District. Mr. Yablonski discussed his involvement with downtown Cleveland, first as a high school and college student in the 1970s, and then later in the 1980s as a volunteer and ultimately the executor director of two of the historic districts of Cleveland. Mr. Yablonski has worked the last 20 years in downtown Cleveland in the area of historic preservation and redevelopment. …

Jack Bialosky Sr. grew up in Cleveland Heights and has worked as an architect in Cleveland since the early 1950s. In this 2006 interview, Bialosky talks about running his own architecture firm in the city and some of the projects he has worked on, elaborating on issues surrounding his firm's work in building houses in Shaker Heights. Bialosky describes the historical development of Cleveland's Euclid Avenue and offers his take on other parts of the city's development, addressing mistakes made on…

Born in 1918, John Bonebrake grew up in Cleveland Heights. In this 2006 interview, Bonebrake goes into great detail describing his childhood memories of Euclid Avenue and Downtown Cleveland in the 1920s and 1930s, mentioning, among other things, the avenue's stores, theaters, and mansions. Bonebrake provides colorful anecdotes on the wide range of his experiences in the city. He also describes his work as an architect in Post-War Cleveland, discussing his time with the firms of Walker & Weeks…

Don Hisaka, the son of Japanese immigrants, grew up on a California farm before leaving to study architecture at Berkeley and Harvard. Arriving in Cleveland in the early 1960s, he eventually started his own architecture firm, designing such buildings as Cleveland State University's University Center and the glass atrium in Thwing Hall on the Case Western Reserve University Campus. In this 2007 interview, conducted over the telephone, Hisaka describes his recollections of architecture and design…

Malcolm Cutting grew up in Cleveland Heights and worked at the Cleveland architectural firm of Dalton-Van Dijk-Johnson before becoming the architect in residence at The Cleveland Clinic in 1972, overseeing the development and expansion of the hospital's campus. In this 2006 interview, Cutting discusses his work at the Clinic and the building projects he worked on, most notably the Crile Building. More generally, Cutting shares his memories of Euclid Avenue, describing its past prominence and…

Jennifer Coleman, a native Clevelander, works as an architect in the city and is the founder of CityProwl, which provides free audio tours for downtown Cleveland. In this 2006 interview, Coleman, who resides in Euclid Avenue's Midtown district, provides a unique perspective of the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project. She speaks about the buildings along the whole of Euclid Avenue and the development of the street throughout history. In offering her opinion on the continued improvement of…

Robert Gaede, who grew up in Cleveland Heights, has worked as an architect and historic preservationist in Cleveland since the 1950s. In this 2006 interview, Gaede discusses the historical development of Cleveland as an urban space in the context of its architecture and buildings, giving particular attention to the development of Euclid Avenue. After talking about his youth and education, Gaede describes Cleveland's early history as part of the Western Reserve. He extensively discusses Euclid…

William Gould was born in Lakewood, Ohio in 1930 and began working as an architect in Cleveland starting in the late 1950s, serving on Cleveland's Planning Commission for a period early in his career. In this 2006 interview, Gould talks extensively about the development of Downtown Cleveland, discussing the 1959 Downtown Plan on which he worked, as well as earlier plans to install a subway beneath Euclid Avenue. In addition, he discusses Cleveland's Euclid Avenue, recalling past memories of the…

George Dalton grew up in Cleveland Heights and worked as an architect in Cleveland between 1943 and 1984. In this 2006 interview, Dalton discusses his work in the city and offers his thoughts on Cleveland's urban development. Dalton briefly describes his work on the MetroHealth Medical Center and the various architectural firms he has worked for, spending most of the interview in discussion of Euclid Avenue and how it has changed over the years. He laments the death of the streetcar lines and…

Jerry Payto grew up in Beford, Ohio and worked for a variety of architectural firms in Cleveland before starting his own firm, Payto Architects. In this 2006 interview, Payto talks extensively about Euclid Avenue, discussing its past glory, recent decline, and contemporary plans for redevelopment, including the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project. Payto also discusses past plans for redevelopment, describes the urban issues hampering the city's revitalization, and offers some ideas on how…

Norman Perttula came to Cleveland in 1961 and served as chief designer at the Dalton & Dalton architectural firm until the early 1990s. He also served on the design committee for the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project. In this 2006 interview, Perttula shares his thoughts on Euclid Avenue, discussing the Euclid Corridor Project and some of his favorite buildings on the street. He also speaks more broadly about the urban problems facing Cleveland and offers several possible solutions. In…

In this 2006 interview, Cleveland architect and Shaker Heights native Bill Morris discusses the evolution of Cleveland, particularly Euclid Avenue, throughout the twentieth-century from an urban development perspective. He shares childhood memories of Euclid Avenue and laments the decline of Euclid Avenue's Millionaires Row and downtown movie theaters. Morris also points to missed opportunities such as the 1948 Downtown Subway Plan and mistakes like the Erieview Project, while offering…

Neal Distad grew up in Beachwood, Ohio and has worked as an architect and preservationist in Cleveland since the 1980s. The focus of this 2006 interview is the historical development of Cleveland's Euclid Avenue and some of its most significant buildings. Distad also talks more broadly about Cleveland's development, discussing topics such as Public Square, the Mall, and the lake and river fronts. In commenting on plans for improving the city, Distad stresses the importance of attracting new…

After growing up in Cleveland's east side Hungarian neighborhood, Richard Fleischman went off to college and returned to the city in 1955 to begin his architecture career, eventually starting the firm of Conrad and Fleischman. In this 2006 interview, Fleischman shares his thoughts on Cleveland's post-war development, commenting on what he sees as the city's successes and failures. He praises the Gateway area redevelopment, singling out for praise the mayoral leadership that helped accomplish…