Recounts sixteen of the most tragic disasters in the history of Cleveland, Ohio, including the Ashtabula Bridge disaster, the Cleveland Clinic fire, and the Terminal Tower tragedy, among others.

Images of America: Cleveland Area Disasters looks back at the historic disasters to strike Cleveland in the first half of the 20th century. It documents the tornados, fires, cave-ins, accidents, and explosions that befell the region during that period. Most Clevelanders have heard stories of the Colinwood school fire, the Lorain tornado, the Cleveland Clinic fire, and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey fire; however, over the decades, the true events and the tall tales that followed have become blurred. Some disasters, such as the West 117th Street explosion and the Waterworks Tunnel cave-ins, seem almost completely forgotten. Although tragic, the disasters in this book affected the lives of Clevelanders and often generated changes for the good, which prevented these sorts of tragedies from occurring again. Sadly, in some instances, they did not.

Women who murder . . . why are they so much more fascinating than their male counterparts? For evidence, dip into any of the sixteen strange-but-true tales collected in this anthology by Cleveland’s leading historical crime writer. You’ll meet: • Ill-fated Catherine Manz, the “Bad Cinderella” who poisoned her step-sister in revenge for years of mistreatment, then made her getaway wearing her victim’s most fetching outfit, a red dress and an enormous feathered hat . . . • Velma West, the big-city girl who scandalized rural Lake County in the 1920s with her “unnatural passions”—and ended her marriage-made-in-hell with a swift hammer’s blow to the skull of her dull husband, Eddie . . . • Eva Kaber, “Lakewood’s Lady Borgia,” who, along with her mother and daughter, conspired to dispose of an inconvenient husband with arsenic and knife-wielding hired killers . . . • Martha Wise, Medina’s not-so-merry widow, who poisoned a dozen relatives—including her husband, mother, and brother—because she enjoyed going to funerals . . . And a cast of other, equally fascinating women who behaved very, very badly. This is wickedly entertaining reading!

The 5th book in Bellamy's popular series delivers 26 more tales of Cleveland crimes and disasters. Includes one of Cleveland's most baffling murder mysteries: the brutal murder of 16-year-old Beverly Jarosz in her suburban bedroom. Bellamy's stories are meticulously researched and delivered in a literate and entertaining style.

"This book is about the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan. The disaster comprised a triple punch that began with an earthquake, which caused a tsunami, which triggered a meltdown at a nuclear plant"--

#6 in this Cleveland crime and disaster series includes 15 stories. Sometimes gruesome, often surprising, these tales are meticulously researched and delivered in a literate and entertaining style. Meet a daring Jazz Age stick-up man, a murderous grandmother, an ageless fire chief addicted to profanity, and other unforgettable characters.

Originating as simple one- or two-room storefront operations, Cleveland's department stores grew as population and industry in the region boomed throughout the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th. They moved into ever larger and elaborate structures in an attempt to woo the shopping dollars of blue-collar and genteel Clevelanders alike. Stores such as Halle's, Higbee's, May Company, Bailey Company, Sterling-Lindner-Davis, and others both competed with and complemented one another, all the while leaving an indelible mark on the culture of northeast Ohio and beyond. From the humble origins of Halle's horse-drawn delivery wagons and the elaborate design of Higbee's on Public Square to Christmas favorites like Mr. Jingeling and the massive Christmas tree at Sterling-Lindner-Davis--it is all here in crisp, black-and-white images, many of which have not been seen in print for decades.

"Autumn gales have pursued mariners across the Great Lakes for centuries. On Friday, November 7, 1913, those gales captured their prey. After four days of winds up to 90 miles an hour, freezing temperatures, whiteout blizzard conditions, and mountainous seas, 19 ships had been lost, two dozen had been thrown ashore, 238 sailors were dead, and the city of Cleveland was confronting the worst natural disaster in its history. Writer and mariner David G. Brown combines narrative intensity with factual depth to re-create the events of the "perfect storm" that struck America's heartland."--Publisher's description

Images of America: Cleveland Area Disasters looks back at the historic disasters to strike Cleveland in the first half of the 20th century. It documents the tornados, fires, cave-ins, accidents, and explosions that befell the region during that period. Most Clevelanders have heard stories of the Collinwood school fire, the Lorain tornado, the Cleveland Clinic fire, and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey fire; however, over the decades, the true events and the tall tales that followed have become blurred. Some disasters, such as the West 117th Street explosion and the Waterworks Tunnel cave-ins, seem almost completely forgotten. Although tragic, the disasters in this book affected the lives of Clevelanders and often generated changes for the good, which prevented these sorts of tragedies from occurring again. Sadly, in some instances, they did not.

Downtown Cleveland has many architectural landmarks that define this big, proud city on the lake. Most famous is Terminal Tower, the "grand dame" of Cleveland skyscrapers, which was the tallest office building outside of New York City from 1930 until 1967. Other notable high-rises such as the BP building, Key Tower (at 948 feet one of the tallest in the nation), and the new Federal Court House with its distinctive lighted cornice also dominate the city's beautiful Lake Erie skyline. And then there are the details-the terra-cotta "starburst" motif on the exterior of the Standard Building, the extensive metal decorative work inside the gargoyle-encircled atrium of The Arcade, and the immense stained-glass dome of the Cleveland Trust Rotunda.