Nostalgia & History > Terminal Tower - Cleveland - Part II

A few more to add from yesterdays post.
Like I mentioned before inside the tower looked little changed from when it opened in 1930.

(1-2) Thanks to njmidland yesterdy for posting a menu from the Fred Harvey restaurant in the tower.
Here is the entrance -  njmidland said it closed in 1962 so I guess it was being used for other things.
I had heard the same thing he mentioned that this was as far east as the Fred Harvey restaurants went.

Dec 78

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/18 07:56 by gcm.

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I always associated Fred Harvey with the ATSF and didn't realize he had operations in Cleveland.  How many other stations in the east had a Harvey House?

Please allow me to add to my post with Part I.  Sometime in the late 50's, my father, who was not a railfan in any
sense of that word, took me to dinner at the Oak Room.  I don't remember what I had to eat, but I remember
the large chairs and high oak beamed ceilings.  My father told me , IIRC, the Fred Harvey was associated with
railroads, but it wasn't until much later I learned it was the Santa Fe.  

Thanks for posting.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

What a great set of photos. Your last image makes me want to go through those doors even now!
Bob

St.Louis Union Station had a Fred Harvey restaurant. US Army treated me for dinner en route Fort Leonard  Wood (SL-SF) to Fort Belvoir (PRR) in March 1956. wag216

seems like the Harvey restaurant should have been named the Buckeye, not the Acorn......

Milwaukee Wrote:
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> I always associated Fred Harvey with the ATSF and
> didn't realize he had operations in Cleveland.

Fred Harvey also had a contract for the "Oasis" restaurants on the (original, I-294 now) Illinois Tollway

TAW

Great series of pictures and a fine looking station.  What is striking is the lack of people.  Was it (especially the shops) usually like that?

Steve

I very, very much appreciate these wonderful Cleveland Union Terminal photos.  I was in CUT a couple of years after you took the photos.  I remember it being a very interesting place, but did not think to take photos of the interior.

Now CUT is for better and for worse (mostly for better, in my opinion) the Tower City development.  Some of the "cool stuff" is gone, but there is much more activity and one can still ride passenger rail in the form of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transportation Authority rail rapid and light rail transit in and out of the lowest levels of the complex.  Here's a link to the Tower City website:

https://www.towercitycenter.com/

Here are two books for those of you interested in learning more about Cleveland Union Terminal:

Operation CUT, The first 30 years by Jack Grasso covers intercity passenger rail, commuter rail (Erie and Erie-Lackawanna to Youngstown) and rail transit lines focusing on the 1930 - 1960 period.  Included in the book are many photographs, track diagrams and a chapter on personal experiences of people who were at CUT.  I don't know if this book is still being published, but there are several sellers who have the book in stock including Ron's Books:
https://www.railroadbooks.biz/prodDetail.php?itemNum=opcut

Cleveland's Towering Treasure, A Landmark Turns 75 by James A. Toman and Daniel Cook covers the role of the Brothers Van Sweringen, construction of CUT, architectural highlights, surrounding buildings and transformation to the hotel and retail complex.  Here's a link with more information:

http://clevelandlandmarkspress.com/book_details.php?bid=7#&panel1-1
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/18 12:02 by RuleG.

SGillings Wrote:
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> Great series of pictures and a fine looking
> station.  What is striking is the lack of
> people.  Was it (especially the shops) usually
> like that?
>
> Steve

I'm sure this was a day or two after Christmas during the week and many shops were closed.
Thanks.
Gary

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I very, very much appreciate these wonderful
> Cleveland Union Terminal photos.  I was in CUT a
> couple of years after you took the photos.  I
> remember it being a very interesting place, but
> did not think to take photos of the interior.


Thanks for the info, and links to CUT information and the books.
 I think I will try and find those books. CUT has a very interesting history.
Thanks.
Gary 

Dan Cook also authored "The Terminal Tower Comples 1930-1980" which was part of  a series "Cleveland Landmarks."  It was Volume I and includes lots of construction photos and exterior shots.

RuleG Wrote:
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> Here are two books for those of you interested in
> learning more about Cleveland Union Terminal:
>
> Operation CUT, The first 30 years by Jack Grasso

Thanks for that. I had a gig for GCRTA in Cleveland a few years ago. It involved a lot of time riding trains and hanging around on the CUT platforms, during which I tried to imagine what it was like decades ago when there was busy railroading going on.

TAW

The Soda Fountain-Candy doorway shot is cool!  Thanks for posting these photos Gary!