C. T. Blakeslee: Early Attorney and Historian of Chagrin Falls
C. T. Blakeslee (1810–1878) was one of the early attorneys and civic leaders of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. During his years in the village, he was involved in law, business, transportation, politics, and local history. He is best remembered for documenting the early history of Chagrin Falls and the surrounding area.
C. T. Blakeslee Comes to Chagrin Falls
C. T. Blakeslee was born in New York and moved with his family to Geauga County, Ohio. In 1838, he and his wife, Emily, settled in Chagrin Falls.
Blakeslee studied law and passed the Ohio Bar in 1840, becoming one of the first attorneys to practice in the growing village. Before Chagrin Falls Township was formed, he also served as the clerk of Orange Township, giving him an early role in local government.
Business and Industry Along the Chagrin River
Blakeslee was active in the business and industrial development of Chagrin Falls. In 1848, he joined Noah Graves and other local leaders in incorporating the Chagrin Falls and Cleveland Plank Road Company.
The company was formed in an effort to improve transportation between Chagrin Falls and Cleveland. Better roads were essential to the growth of the village, allowing residents and businesses to transport goods and providing improved access to the larger commercial center of Cleveland.
Blakeslee also owned a mill on the Chagrin River at the location that is now Quarry Park on Solon Road. Like other early industries in Chagrin Falls, the mill benefited from the water power provided by the Chagrin River.
C. T. Blakeslee and Ohio Politics
Blakeslee was active in the Republican Party in Cuyahoga County and continued his involvement in public affairs. In 1860, he was elected to the Ohio Legislature, adding state government service to his earlier work in local government and the legal profession.
Blakeslee’s History of Chagrin Falls
Today, C. T. Blakeslee is perhaps best remembered for his contribution to the preservation of Chagrin Falls history. In 1874, he published his History of Chagrin Falls and Vicinity in weekly installments in The Exponent.
Blakeslee’s history provides an important record of the people, businesses, institutions, and events that shaped the community during its early years. As someone who had lived and worked in Chagrin Falls since the 1830s, he was in a unique position to document the village’s development.
His work remains an important resource for anyone researching the history of Chagrin Falls, early settlers of the village, and the development of the surrounding community.