Goodrich-Kirtland Park

Nestled between I-90, Euclid Avenue, East 55th Street, and Lake Erie, Goodrich-Kirtland Park was an industrial hotspot in the 1950s. From 1917 to 1992 was home to Richman Brothers, a quality menswear manufacturer. Goodrich-Kirtland Park has historically been known as home to a racially diverse resident base that includes Asian, Black, Latino, and white populations. 

One for the underdogs: Victory in a neighborhood football scrimmage
Ralph Horner recalls a moment of triumph during a neighborhood football game when he unexpectedly outperforms a star opponent, leading to a moment of personal victory and reflection on the nature of the sport.
#StreetsofCLE: Snapshot on St. Clair Avenue
FreshWater managing photographer Bob Perkoski provides a peek into the everyday lives of Clevelanders going about their business in the neighborhoods and on the streets of Cleveland.
How I became a St. James altar boy: Father Bothe and the magnitudes of religion and war
In his final installment of "How I became a St. James altar boy," Ralph Horner shares his experiences with Father Bothe, assistant pastor to Father Peterson, and compares the magnitudes of both religion and war.
How I became a St. James altar boy: New heights with Father Pete
Ralph Horner writes about growing up near St. James Church in Goodrich-Kirtland Park, how he met Father Pete and became an altar boy and “a high Anglo Catholic, but not under the Pope Pius XII,” and the first time he saw the mansions of Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights.
How I became a St. James altar boy: God save the king!
Ralph Horner writes about growing up near St. James Church in Goodrich-Kirtland Park, how he met Father Pete and became an altar boy and “a high Anglo Catholic, but not under the Pope Pius XII,” and how his little sister humiliated him one day during mass.
How I became a St. James altar boy: The boat boy and the exploding censer
Ralph Horner writes about growing up near St. James Church in Goodrich-Kirtland Park, how he met Father Pete and became an altar boy and “a high Anglo Catholic, but not under the Pope Pius XII,” and incident during one Mass where the accidentally spilled the incense.
How I became a St. James altar boy: The first High Mass
Ralph Horner writes about growing up near St. James Church in Goodrich-Kirtland Park and how he met Father Pete and became an altar boy and “a high Anglo Catholic, but not under the Pope Pius XII.”
How I became a Saint James altar boy: Meeting Father Pete, finding religion, and getting a job offer
Ralph Horner writes about growing up next to St. James Church in Goodrich-Kirtland Park and how he met Father Pete and became an altar boy and “a high Anglo Catholic, but not under the Pope Pius XII.”
How I became a St. James altar boy: Observing Sunday rituals
In Ralph Horner’s newest series, “How I became a St. James altar boy,” Horner writes about growing up in the 1950s next to St. James Church in Goodrich-Kirtland Park and how he got drawn into being an altar boy and, eventually, “a high Anglo Catholic, but not under the Pope Pius XII.”
The birth of Rock & Roll: DJ Bill Randle and Elvis’ CLE debut
Ralph Horner recalls listening to Walkin’ and Talkin’ Bill Hawkins on WJMO radio, discovering his love of Elvis Presley, and the Rock & Roll music scene in Cleveland in the 1950s.
The Birth of Rock & Roll: Discovering Bill Haley & His Comets
In this first installment of Ralph Horner's newest column, Birth of Rock & Roll (and those who brought it into the world), Horner waxes nostalgic on his discovery of Bill Haley and His Comets when he was a teenagers in he 1950s.
#StreetsofCLE: Snapshot in Goodrich-Kirtland Park
FreshWater managing photographer Bob Perkoski provides a peek into the everyday lives of Clevelanders going about their business in the neighborhoods and on the streets of Cleveland.
The Golden Age on E. 49th: The cultural melting pot
Ralph Horner recalls the ethnic mix of the residents living in the Goodrich-Kirtland Park neighborhood in the 1950s, reaching racial harmony, and his discovery of photos of his old neighborhood at the Cleveland Public Library.
The Golden Age on E. 49th: Close friends coming of age together, then traveling separate paths
Ralph Horner reflects on coming of age in the old neighborhood, and how culture and experiences influenced the different paths he and his friends chose in life.
The Golden Age on E. 49th: Staying out of trouble at the Rainey Institute
Ralph Horner recalls the melting pot of friends he grew up with on East 49th Street in the 1950s—a group who regularly met to play basketball and try to stay out of trouble at the Rainey Institute on East 55th Street.
The Golden Age on E. 49th: The rules of the game on the playground
In Ralph Horner's newest Golden Age installment, he recounts the odd rules in softball games between the factories surrounding the Superior-Luther Playground and a game of one-on-one basketball with this "old-school" father.
Golden Age on E. 49th Street: Bulking up, neighbor relations, and joyriding in the neighborhood
In Ralph Horner's newest column series, "The Golden Age on East 49th Street," he writes about his childhood and life lessons learned in Goodrich-Kirtland Park in the 1950s.
Golden Age on E. 49th Street: Quirky tricks in the monster house
In Ralph Horner's newest column series, "The Golden Age on East 49th Street," he writes about his childhood and life lessons learned in Goodrich-Kirtland Park in the 1950s.
Golden Age on E. 49th Street: Digging up Cleveland’s trolley history
In Ralph Horner's newest column series, "The Golden Age on East 49th Street," he writes about his childhood and life lessons learned in Goodrich-Kirtland Park in the 1950s.
Golden Age on East 49th Street: Whirring and clicking on the street
In Ralph Horner's newest column series, "The Golden Age on East 49th Street," he writes about his childhood and life lessons learned in Goodrich-Kirtland Park in the 1950s.