In the 20th century, as industries grew less dependent on water and rail transportation, the Flats gradually lost their concentration of industry. In 1878 the 2 sections were finally united with the completion of the SUPERIOR VIADUCT, and other "high-level" BRIDGES followed. While the Flats facilitated commerce and manufacturing, they hindered communication between the east and west sides of the city. In the second half of the 19th century, the Flats were crowded with iron furnaces, rolling mills, foundries, lumberyards, shipyards, flour mills, oil refineries, paint and chemical factories, and other industries. Beginning in the 1850s, the RAILROADS found the broad expanse of the Flats advantageous in the storage and handling of freight. The Flats offered abundant room for docks and warehouses. The opening of the OHIO & ERIE CANAL in 1827 spurred a tremendous increase in lake shipping. The unhealthful Flats ultimately were abandoned to commerce and industry.
This bottom land, the floodplain of the river separating the high plateaus on which the city stands, is known as the "Flats." Although Cleveland's earliest settlers chose the lowlands near the mouth of the river as the site for their cabins, its swampy character caused so much illness that most soon migrated to higher ground. The FLATS are located along the CUYAHOGA RIVER within the City of Cleveland where the river pursues a sinuous course through a valley about one-half mi.
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