Miles Heights Village: The Making of Cleveland's Black Suburb

It’s widely known that Carl Stokes was the first African-American elected mayor of a major U.S. city – but he wasn’t the first elected in the state of Ohio. That honor goes to Mayor Arthur Johnston and the Village of Miles Heights – that no longer exist.

Miles Heights began as an enclave of shacks and shanties that went up in the Lee-Seville and Harvard Avenue area in the early 20th century. Available land, the search for a better life and opportunity attracted black builders and homebuyers to the area.

In 1927, the residents organized and formed Miles Heights Village. The Village however was short lived. A few years later, the City of Cleveland annexed the newly formed community becoming a part of Ward 1. Today, a park named after Mayor Johnston is at 4583 East 144 St.