THORMAN, SIMSON (sometimes given as "Simpson") (1811-12 June 1881), businessman and the first permanent Jewish resident of Cleveland, was born in Unsleben, Bavaria, immigrated to the U.S. by the late 1820s, passed through Cleveland in 1832, purchasing land at Erie (E. 9th) and Woodland, then went to Donaphin, Mo., where he was a trapper and purchased land.
Category: Immigration and Ethnicity
The TIEDEMANN HOUSE, 4308 Franklin Ave., is the most noted and one of the most architecturally distinguished residences on Franklin Ave., the west side equivalent of famous EUCLID AVE.
TORBENSEN, VIGGO Valdemar. (b.11 Sept. 1858-3 Jan. 1947) pioneer in the automotive industry and founder of the Torbensen Axle Company was born in Branderslev, Denmark, the son of Hans Vilhelm and Maren (Josiassen) Torbensen. Viggo's father William was born in Copenhagen and his mother in Gurreby, Denmark.
The TRENTINA CLUB was one of many "hometown" societies formed by Italian immigrants in Cleveland to provide financial assistance to needy members and to offer a friendly refuge in a new and different world.
TURKS immigrated to Cleveland in two distinct periods. The first Turkish immigrants were part of a movement of various ethnic groups from the former Ottoman Empire to the United States which began in earnest in the 1890s and ceased in the early 1920s with the advent of new, restrictive immigration laws and the almost simultaneous rise of the modern Turkish Republic from the remains of the Ottoman state.
The UKRAINIAN MUSEUM-ARCHIVES, INC., located at 1202 Kenilworth Ave. in TREMONT houses an important collection of material related to Ukrainian history, culture, and immigration. The collection began in 1952 when Leonid Bachynsky, a Ukrainian native living in Cleveland, began collecting almost anything related to the Ukrainian immigrant experience.
UKRAINIANS. The first large groups of Ukrainians arrived in America in the 1870s from the Lemko, Carpatho-Ruthenia, and Galitsian (Halycchyna) regions.
The UNION OF JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS (1906) was the first attempt by East European immigrant Jews to organize a central authority in the community. In 1903 the Fed. of Jewish Charities had been established by the old-line German, largely Reform Cleveland Jewish community. Cultural differences between those of the federation and the East European Jews were great.
The UNION OF POLES IN AMERICA is a fraternal insurance organization created in 1939 by the merger of 2 local Polish Roman Catholic unions.
The UNITED HUNGARIAN SOCIETIES was formed in 1902, bringing together 12 Hungarian organizations to "coordinate the cultural, charitable and welfare activities of the member societies" and the local Hungarian community. The organization grew out of the Kossuth Statue Committee, formed in 1901 to erect a statue in the patriot's honor (1902).
UNITED UKRAINIAN ORGANIZATIONS, 5566 Pearl Rd., was formed in 1928 to coordinate the social, cultural, and charitable work of the various Ukrainian-American organizations in Cleveland. By 1935 40 local groups were members of the UUO, then located at the Ukrainian Natl. Home on W. 14th St.
UZBEKS. Uzbeks form a prominent and growing part of Greater Cleveland’s larger community of immigrants from the former USSR. They also comprise the largest Central Asian community in the metropolitan area. Before the 1990s, there was no Uzbek or Central Asian community in Cleveland.
VIETNAMESE. The Cleveland Vietnamese community is primarily made up of individuals and families who formerly were citizens of the Republic of South Vietnam. Some fled their native land to escape the violence which ravaged their war-torn homeland. Others left after the war had come to an end, to escape oppression at the hands of the victorious Communist regime which ultimately had gained control over their homeland.
VLCHEK, FRANK J. (4 Jan. 1871-10 June 1947) industrialist, master tool maker, and author, was born in Budyn, Bohemia, the son of John and Anna Hladek Vlchek. One of 8 children, Frank was an apprentice blacksmith at age 12 and later learned to produce fine surgical instruments in Stryra, Austria. In 1889 he came to Cleveland and worked as a blacksmith, opening his own shop in 1895.
VON BAEYER, ERIC (5 January 1909-2 February 1990) was a prominent physician who established the department of radiology at FAIRVIEW PARK HOSPITAL.
The VORWAERTS TURNER HALL was built at Willson and Harlem streets (1622 E. 55th) in 1893 by members of the Turnverein Vorwaerts, a German cultural and gymnastic group established on 18 May 1890.
WAECHTER UND ANZEIGER (The Sentinel & Advertiser) was Cleveland's longest-lived ethnic daily and one of the city's major newspapers in its own right. It began on 9 Aug. 1852 as Waechter am Erie (Sentinel on the Erie), a German weekly founded by Heinrich Rochette, Louis Ritter, and JACOB MUELLER.
WEIDEMAN, JOHN CHRISTIAN (14 Oct. 1829-9 Dec. 1900) was a leading wholesale grocer, prominent businessman, and an early German settler of Cleveland. He was born in Lehrensteinsfeld, Wurttemberg, Germany. His family emigrated to American in 1833, first residing in Philadelphia before moving to Medina County, OH, in 1836.
WEISS NOODLE CO., a family-owned business which manufactured and marketed "Mrs. Weiss' Noodles" for over 70 years, was founded by Hungarian immigrants Gaspar and Bertha Weiss in 1923, who sold Bertha's homemade noodles to Cleveland's better restaurants. As sales increased, the company expanded operations several times before establishing a plant at 2101 Woodland Ave. in 1937.
WELSH. See BRITISH IMMIGRATION.
WELSH WOMEN'S CLUB OF CLEVELAND. See BRITISH IMMIGRATION.
WELSH WOMEN'S CLUB OF WEST CLEVELAND. See BRITISH IMMIGRATION.
WELSH, REV. ROBERT J., S.J. (June 6, 1936 - August 30, 2018) left his mark on multiple generations of students at ST. IGNATIUS HIGH SCHOOL, Cleveland’s Jesuit High School for young men.
WEST SIDE IRISH AMERICAN CLUB. See IRISH AMERICAN CLUB WEST SIDE.
WEST, THOMAS DYSON (31 Aug. 1851-18 June 1915), pioneer in factory safety and authority on foundry practice, was born in Manchester, England, the son of William H. and Sara (Faraday) West who came to America when he was an infant. After receiving a grammar school education, he began work in a foundry at age 12.