1921 - A Hundred Years Ago In Parma

Parma High Ridge Road

View Image Gallery

The township of Parma was formed in 1826. In 1912, a portion of Parma broke off to form Parma Heights. Parma didn’t become a city until 1931. The U.S. Census from 1920 lists the Parma Heights population at 310, and Parma at 2,345, but by 1930 the population of Parma was over 13,000. Today Parma has a population of over 77,000 people. Parma was mostly farmland, but it was growing fast in 1921. By 1927 Parma was considered Cleveland’s fastest growing suburb. 

In the 1920’s Parma had a street car called “dinkey”. It was the major mode of transportation and ran on State Road from Brookpark to Bean Road, now W Ridgewood. The “dinkey” started in 1915 and ran until buses replaced them. The “dinkey” ran every 30 minutes and during rush hour a second “dinkey” was used so that it picked up passengers every 15 minutes. The RTA #51 bus now runs a similar route every 30 minutes down State Road to the Parma Transit Center. 

Historically the year 1921 started off on a particularity morbid note, when Principal Louise Wolf and teacher Mabel Foote, who taught at Parma Center school were murdered on February 16th. The two women were beaten to death by a fence rail. They were found by three students on their way to school the next morning. The two educators left school around 5:00 PM on February 16th and walked 2 miles down Bean Road (W Ridgewood) from Ridge to State to catch the “dinkey” home. Teachers earned about $30 a month and were offered an extra $3 if they cleaned the schoolroom, which was why it was thought they didn’t leave when school closed at 3:30. The brutal murders have never been solved. For more information on these murders see the February 2021 issue of the Parma Observer. 

In October 1921, the new Parma High School Ridge Road opened it’s doors. Because this was farm country school ended in May and began in October, so students could help out on the farm. At that time the Spanish Flu was running rampant throughout the world, much like Covid-19 is now. This school was located by Byers Field, and later served as the board office for a period. There is a historical marker on the site. The first graduation class had 6 students. Since than the district has graduated over 43,000 students in it’s 100 years. In 1932 Parma Schaaf opened as a junior high and later became Parma Schaaf High School in 1936. In 1936 after a moving speech by a California Indian Chief extolling the honorable ways of the American Indian, the mascot was changed from the Gray Hounds to the Redmen, and the motto Once a Redmen Always a Redman was born. In 1941, 80 years ago the Parma Alumni Association was formed. Schaaf continued as a high school until 1953 when the current Parma High was built. Schaaf reverted back to a junior high in 1953, when the new (current) Parma High opened. At that time the new Parma High was called the Queen of High Schools. It was built to house 2,000 students but in 1962 it had an enrollment of 3,500, in 3 grades. Today it has 1,500 students in 5 grades. 

Also in 1921, State Road School, Pearl Road School and Ridge Road School also was built and opened. All three schools were designed in a similar style. Ridge Road closed in 1962. State Road was demolished in 2016. Schaaf and Pearl Road are now Constellation schools. 

As you can see 1921 was an important year in Parma's history.  Our history is important. Knowledge of historical events and trends enables us to better understand and appreciate today. Robert A. Heinlein said “A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.”