Meaningful Masculinity is proud to launch its first nation chapter in the great city of Cleveland Ohio. Cleveland is a rich metropolitan city with a long history of Christian obedience and humanitarian service. Upon its establishment by the Connecticut Land Company in 1796, Cleveland has had a significant role in American history.

“The leader of the Connecticut Land Company was Oliver Phelps. Phelps and his partners sent General Moses Cleaveland to survey the territory and to establish townships in 1796. In federal land surveys such as the Seven Ranges, townships were 36 square miles. Cleaveland created townships of 25 square miles. One of the earliest towns established in this region was named Cleveland in his honor. It appears that Cleveland was originally spelled as Cleaveland, but a mistake by a mapmaker resulted in the new spelling by the 1820s. Many people moved into the Western Reserve because it was accessible from Lake Erie.

For the first several years, settlement of the land owned by the Connecticut Land Company proceeded slowly. When Connecticut sold the land to Phelps and his partners, the state gave up all rights to govern the land. The federal government did not consider the Western Reserve to be part of the Northwest Territory until 1800, and thus, the federal government provided residents with no legal or military protection. Unlike the Ohio Company and Associates, which made provisions for education and religious institutions, the Connecticut Land Company was only concerned with selling its lands and left future development of the region up to its new inhabitants. By 1800, only about one thousand people lived in the Western Reserve. Because of its lack of success in selling its land, the Connecticut Land Company was dissolved in 1809. Much of the settlement of the region did not occur until after the War of 1812.”

(taken from: https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Connecticut_Land_Company)