The Cuyahoga River on fire, circa 1952

By Jack Brummet, Waterways Ed.

In 1952, the Cuyahoga River caught fire (the industrial waste in it actually).  People say that "the river that caught fire," was one of the major catalysts for the environmental movement in the late 1960s. 

At least 13 fires have been occurred on the River, since 1868.  The 1952 fire was the biggest and most destructive. 

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