Learn How the “Roaring 20s” Contributed to Cleveland’s Environmental Degradation

Wed 5/19 @ 6-7PM

It’s easy to romanticize past eras when we look at elegant clothing, beautiful music, poetry and artwork, and the legendary figures that lived way back then, forgetting about the disease, filth and lack of sanitation. The “Roaring 20s” have their own set of myths — of freedom, fun and excitement when people threw off the final shackles of the 19th century following World War I and advances in transportation, communication and technology reached the masses.

Western Reserve Historical Society Senior Historian John Grabowski looks at the 1920s from a different angle: “The Environmental Legacy of Cleveland’s Roaring Twenties.” He’ll look at how far we’ve come in the last 100 years as far as our approach to conservation, environmental health, pollution and how we treat our natural resources such as our lake and river.

In the 20s, the growth of industries such as steel turned the Cuyahoga River into a sewer, while the growing number of automobiles added exhaust fumes to the air. Those who could afford to do so escaped to the suburbs, which only contributed to pollution-producing demands for coal-stoked furnaces.

“Find out why Cleveland not only ‘roared’ one hundred years ago, but smelled, and why that ‘good old neighborhood’ was not really a healthy place to be,” they tell us.

The virtual program is free but registration is required. Go here.

 

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