Cleveland Metroparks

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the area of northern Ohio that has become the present-day city of Cleveland was undergoing a rapid change. The previously rural farming community was quickly developing into a bustling city center. City surveyor William A. Stinchcomb is recognized as an early advocate for nature conservation in the city of Cleveland. In 102 he was appointed chief engineer of the City Parks Department where he began planning and petitioning for the formation of a park system.  

Throughout the 1910s Stinchcomb negotiated and helped draft the legislation that would allow the formation of an organization that would be devoted to the conservation of natural resources. The Cleveland Metropolitan Park District was established in 1917. Shortly after, the new institution acquired the land that would become Rocky River Reservation, the first park of many. In 1921, Stinchcomb was appointed the first director of the Cleveland Metropolitan Park District.   

One of the more fanciful attractions is Squire’s Castle at the North Chagrin Reservation. Built by the Standard Oil Company executive Feargus Squire in the late 1890s, this castle-like building was meant to be the gatehouse of a much larger estate. The oil executive’s estate was never completed and the property and land were eventually purchased by the Cleveland Metropolitan Park Board in 1925. Another iconic acquisition was that of the Cleveland Zoological Park. Previously managed by the Cleveland Natural History Museum, it was entrusted to the care of the Metroparks in 1968 and is known today as the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

As of 2020, the Cleveland Metropolitan Park District consists of 18 Reservations: Acacia Reservation, Bedford Reservation, Big Creek Reservation, Bradley Woods Reservation, Brecksville Reservation, Brookside Reservation, Garfield Park Reservation, Hinkley Reservation, Huntington Reservation, Lakefront Reservation, Mill Stream Run Reservation, North Chagrin Reservation, Ohio and Erie Canal, Rocky River Reservation, South Chagrin Reservation, Washington Reservation, and West Creek Reservation. These reservations form a loose ring around the city of Cleveland known as the Emerald Necklace. Within the reservations are a variety of parks, golf courses beaches, nature trails, and wildlife refuges. Nature centers and seasonal programming provide educational access to both children and adults to learn about the natural world and local wildlife.  

About, Cleveland Metroparks. Accessed August 21 2020. https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/about.

Cleveland Metroparks, Case Western Reserve University Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Accessed August 21 2020. https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/cleveland-metroparks.

History, Cleveland Metroparks. Accessed August 21 2020. https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/about/cleveland-metroparks-organization/history.

Stinchcomb, William Albert, Case Western Reserve University Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Accessed August 21 2020. https://case.edu/ech/articles/s/stinchcomb-william-albert.

Visit, Cleveland Metroparks. Accessed August 21 2020. https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/parks/visit.

William A. Stinchcomb: "Mr. Metropolitan Park", Cleveland Metroparks. Accessed August 21 2020. https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/about/cleveland-metroparks-organization/history/william-stinchcomb.