On display at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport or download the companion guide PDF HERE!
Cleveland, at the turn of the 20th century, was blessed with the advantages of geography, financial capital and human resources. The city sat at the base of the westernmost escarpment of the Appalachian Mountains, marking the beginning of the Great Plains, which extend from Cleveland all the way to Denver, and the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Half of the American population and more than half of the manufacturing plants in the United States were located within 500 miles of the city.
Becoming the early 20th century version of Silicon Valley, Cleveland generated the innovations that would allow “Second Industrial Revolution” industries to drive the American economy for most of the century. The breakthrough that made the revolution possible was a new way of thinking about business problems. Called “scientific management,” this new discipline applied rigorous analysis to manufacturing, and it facilitated new methods of mass production.
A center of American industry, Cleveland helped give birth to both the automotive and aviation industries.
This story of the journey from “horseless carriages” to passenger planes and spacecraft that took astronauts to the moon is presented by
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Parker Hannifin Corporation, the Western Reserve Historical Society and the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.