Beachwood’s Historic hen the City of Beachwood learned about an historic piece of wood gifted to the Beachwood Historical Society, they chose to preserve it in a unique fashion. This massive slice of Moses Cleaveland Historic Wood was salvaged from a tree that is over 220 years old; a tree that was here before Moses Cleaveland arrived at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River in 1796. The first ring dates back to 1776 and the outer ring depicts 1998, when the tree was harvested in a neighboring suburb. The wood was cleaned up and varnished, and today, the following historic events significant to Beachwood have been documented on the tree, with years correlated to the tree’s rings. This sculpture, protected by plexiglass, can now be seen in the rotunda of City Hall. And while you’re there, just walk down the hallway toward the recreation office to see the historic gallery of photos lining the walls. TIMELINE W Community Drive W 1776 ......Revolutionary War 1803 ......Ohio joins the Union as 17th State 1805 ......Early pioneers reached our area 1812 ......War of 1812 1861 ......Start of Civil War 1868 ......First red brick schoolhouse erected, part of 1915 1927 1960 1961 1964 1968 1969 1978 1982 Warrensville Township ......Beachwood Village incorporated ......Beechwood School built (Fairmount Elementary Location) ......Beachwood attains city status ......First BHS graduation class ......Beachwood Arts Council begins ......Beachwood obtains own zip code and post office ......Municipal stainless steel pool opens ......Beachwood Place opens ......Beachwood Library opens 1986 ......Mandel JCC opens 1989 ......Joint Economic Development Zone Agreement signed by Cleveland, Warrensville Hts., Beachwood/Chagrin Highlands 1991 ......Beachwood Chamber of Commerce formed The tree was cut down in 1998. For a continuation of this timeline, see page 12. hen Lee Chilcote called to tell us about his being one of the original residents on Community Drive, I embraced his story and proudly share it in this “Then and Now” issue of Beachwood Buzz. Community Drive was developed in 1940, at which time Lee’s father (also Lee) and his close friend, George Fisher, purchased lots at 24700 and 24800 from Elizabeth Blossom, Sr., who then maintained her home on the north side of Cedar Road, in an area now occupied by Legacy Village. “Mrs. Blossom originally had home sites on Community Drive for her children. She wanted them to live nearby. She also built the Hangar, located on Cedar Road, as a community center for recreation,” Lee told us. “The private, art-deco swimming pool and tennis court is still in use today.” Lee’s family lived on this private village road from 1940 to 1960. When their house was built, there were no homes between Community Drive and Fairmount Boulevard. It was all open fields, and sometimes used for pasturing horses. Lee recalls being back in school in 1948 when Beachwood School was a one-room school house. “About 35 students attended and Ms. Szabo was my first teacher,” he said. “I was in the same room as my neighborhood friends, Susan Fisher and Martha Hanger, who were in second grade when I was in first. The grades were arranged front to back, with about two rows per class. As a first grader, I was in the front. Ms. Szabo would simply walk back and forth from back to front and front to back.” In the fall of 1949, Lee’s parents sent him to University School. At that time, Beachwood was a village with no school system. Shaker Heights had a great school system and was willing to take in Beachwood students for $300 per year, but the thought of spending that was outrageous. Lee’s father was on Beachwood City Council at the time, and knew that Shaker wanted to annex Beachwood, and believed that the charge was simply a device to convince Beachwood residents to support the annexation. Rather, he paid $400 per year to send Lee to University School. After World War II, Beachwood was on the verge of bankruptcy. While still a village, members of City Council approved a conceptto allow the tax sale of delinquent lots to go to real estate developers who purchased both the lots and the city bonds. These developers proceeded to purchase lots and pay the delinquent property taxes, which were then used to pay back the bonds largely owned by the developers. Included in these developers were Albert Above: Beachwood School Bus • Mr. Walker talking to the bus driver, Ellis Hendershot, at 23600 East Baintree Road. (1934) July 2015 n Beachwood Buzz 9