February 2004 Field Trip:  Mill Creek Falls

On the edge of Slavic Village, at the convoluted intersection of Miles and Broadway Avenues and Turney and Warner Roads lies a unique reminder of Greater Cleveland’s earliest days.  Mill Creek Falls is an amazing 45ft. cataract that was the original draw to the area, as the falls were first used as the site of a grist mill in the early 1800s.  The location of this mill (which has long since disappeared) formed the nucleus of a thriving township that for a time, was larger than Cleveland.

The park office is a refurbished turn of the century house that opened less than two years ago, and is full of interesting details about the early settlers in the Cleveland area.    A scenic overlook gives visitors a nice view of the falls, and a trailhead ties into the Garfield Reservation.