LINNDALE - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
LINNDALE (inc. 1902) is a small village southwest of Cleveland and adjacent to BROOKLYN, at the intersection of Memphis Ave. and Bellaire Rd. It occupies an area 6 blocks long and 2 blocks wide. At the end of the 19th century, George Linn, a real-estate developer, sought independent status for the community, a part of Brooklyn Twp. He conducted official business in his home. Located on the main line of the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad, Linndale prospered briefly. During Prohibition it was a notorious gambling district. When the CLEVELAND UNION TERMINAL opened in 1930, Linndale was the western station where trains changed their steam locomotives for electric engines before entering the city. After World War II, the demise of steam locomotives made the switchyards obsolete. With the construction of I-71 through the village, Linndale gained the reputation of making traffic fines its primary source of income, strictly enforcing the I-71 speed limit. In 1994 the Ohio house passed legislation curtailing such traffic enforcement. In 1985 Linndale was a residential community of 129. Operating under the mayor-council form of government, it had its own town hall and police, but contracted with Cleveland for fire protection and was part of the Cleveland City School District. There were no recreational facilities or commercial areas within the village limits. In 2000 the population was 117.