ROCKPORT, one of 19 townships that originally composed Cuyahoga County, was created on 24 Feb. 1819. Made up of 22 1-sq.-mi. sections, Rockport was divided into near-equal east/west parts by the Rocky River, with Lake Erie to the north, DOVER TWP. to the west, Brooklyn Twp. to the east and Middleburg Twp. to the south.
Early on, Rockport’s fertile soil encouraged the creation of farms, orchards, vineyards, greenhouses and nurseries. Clay deposits fostered the production of brick and tile. Sarah Dean and DATUS KELLEY were the township's first permanent residents. In 1891 the area west of the river was organized as the hamlet of ROCKY RIVER. Rocky River became a village in 1903 and a city in 1930. The section of Rockport east of the river became the hamlet of LAKEWOOD in 1889. Lakewood became a village in 1903 and a city in 1911. In 1910 Fairview Village was created out of the southern portion of Rocky River. It became FAIRVIEW PARK in 1948 and was incorporated as a city in 1951. Portions of what are now the suburbs of WEST PARK and LINNDALE also were carved out of Rockport Township. No municipally defined sections of the former Rockport Twp. exist today.
Updated by Christopher Roy
Last updated: 3/13/2020