The Legacy of Oswald Kamm: The Story of How One Grocery Store Shaped the CLE District (2023)

Oswald Kamm ran a popular grocery store and post office at the main intersection of today's Kamm's Corners. He was an influential and popular figure in West Park's early history, and the legacy carried his namesake through the generations - though few know his full story.

Located on the southwest corner of Rocky River Drive and Lorain Avenue, the Kamm Building has been the highlight of Kamm's Corners for over 100 years.

Oswalda KammaOriginally built in 1900 for Oswald Kamm's lucrative general store and later used as a post office, it has housed a number of businesses - mainly restaurants - over its 120 years of existence.

Over the past few years, the Kamm building has sat empty and has struggled to find permanent use. The building is a key piece of local history as Kamm was a popular figure in the town and played a role in the development of West Park's Kamm's Corners neighborhood.

Kamm was a Swiss immigrant who came to the United States sometime in the mid-19th century^tCentury, and in 1875 bought a four-acre property on the corner of Lorain Street and Rocky River Drive. He set up a grocery store on this corner (Kamm had previously been a grocer in the Clark-Fulton area).

It is likely that the Kamm family used the second floor of the new store as their apartment for some time.

According to a 1962 Plain Dealer article, city officials asked Kamm to become an official postal clerk during the administration of President Grover Cleveland in the late 1800s. This new venture required Kamm to get up at 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. each morning and walk to the Nickel Plate Road railway station (in present-day Rocky River) to collect his mail and return to his shop at 6:00 a.m.

This routine eventually led to the accidental naming of "Kamm's Corners", which has since become one of West Park's four neighborhoods. Many old platform maps refer to the southwest corner of Rocky River Drive and Lorain Street as "Kamm's Ohio," and that name appeared on every correspondence sent to Kamm's post office.

The West Park neighborhood that Kamm and his wife, Louise "Lena" (née Klane), have called home for nearly four decades has changed rapidly. When Kamm arrived at what might be considered part of Rockport Township, there was little more than farmland and a few stately mansions.

As Lakewood, Rocky River, and Goldwood (Fairview Park) split off from Rockport Township and formed townships and eventually cities, West Park also became an independent city of about 20.5 square miles. Several neighborhood name changes occurred during Kamm's lifetime - Rockport Hamlet, West Park Township, Village of West Park, and finally in 1921 the city of West Park.

Cleveland, Southwestern and Columbus Intercity Railroad car, circa 1920.At the beginning of the 20th century, when West Park started rail services, the post office in Kamm became an intercity public transport stopCleveland, Southwestern i Columbus Railway Co.(CS&C), which was Ohio's second largest intercity rail operator at the time. In the early 1920s^tIn the 20th century, trams and railways were the main means of public transport. Kamma Stop connected to nearby Puritas Springs Park and headed south towards Berea.

CS&C finally ceased operations in 1931 due to a stock market crash, unprofitable lines, and a growing number of car owners. In 1913, a streetcar known as the "Cleveland Green Line" traveled along Lorain Avenue from Public Square west to stop at Kamm's Corners. These railroads shaped the early development of the West Park area. The 1920s saw a significant increase in subdivisions and commercial development in West Park.

Kamm's Green Line tram stop played a large role in the commercialization of Kamm's Corners. He was a well-known businessman and postal clerk among the inhabitants of the commune and the surrounding farmers. Despite Kamm's role, little was written about him during his lifetime.

In the early 20th century, a three-story house to the west of his shop overlooked Lorain Street. The house was moved in 1925 to 17134 Fernshaw Ave., directly behind where it had previously stood. It still stands today as a private residence.

In 1909, Kamm built a rowhouse style apartment building known as "Kamm's Terrace" at 3890 Rocky River Dr. It currently exists as an office building. Kamm's daughter Lena and her husband Fred A. Colbrunn, great-grandson of the largest landowning family in the village, lived in a smaller house immediately north of Kamm's Terrace, and the couple owned an apartment building until the 1950s.

The Colbrunn family owned the Rockport Racing Track on the northeast corner of Lorain and Rocky River Drive and worked as local contractors and businessmen. The Kamm and Colbrunn families had close business interests and possibly assisted Kamm in the construction of his buildings. Both families were involved in the Lorain Greenhouse Co., one of the many greenhouses at the time on the former Rockport site. Despite this connection, none of Kamma's buildings appear to have a known architect.

Oswald and Lena Kamm raised a family in West Park and had four children - Jacob, Fred, Lena and Dora. Unfortunately, Oswald outlived all his children except one. When his wife Lena died in 1917, the village of West Park had many businesses and a population of about 8,000.

A year after Lena's death, his eldest son Jakub (born in 1874) died as a result of a murder-suicide committed by his uncle after an argument. The crime took place at an uncle's house further north on Rocky River Drive.

Sam Kamm died on November 17, 1922—10 days after the City of West Park voted to allow the annexation to the City of Cleveland. West Park residents chose to become Clevelands, largely due to promises of five-cent fares and expanded streetcar service.

After Kamm's death, his surviving daughter and various relatives - including members of the Colbrunn family - divided up Kamm's property. Kamm's shop was converted into a canteen and candy store known as Rockport Kelly's (supposedly the shop was run by a local politician's son).

In the early 1940s, it was the home of the Benders Cafe, a short-lived dance hall. Then it became perhaps what most modern West Park residents are familiar with: Tony's Spaghetti House, and later Tony's Restaurant (operating under different owners).

Tony's survived for just over 50 years before a fire destroyed the building's interior in the 1990s. Korporacja Rozwoju Kątów Kamma (nowWest Park-Kamm Neighborhood Development) and a local architect teamed up to renovate the building in 1997.

The Kamm building is now located on the southwest corner of Rocky River Drive and Lorain Avenue.The refurbishment included new windows and exterior color matching the original paint. A large bar and outdoor patio were added to the rear of the building. After refurbishment, the building housed Alfonso's Tuscan Grill for just over 10 years and was later converted to Panini's Bar and Grill. After closing, Panini's sat empty for about two years. Ironwood Cafe started operating in this building in 2015. They eventually changed their name to Kamm's Cafe, again honoring the Kamm name. However, Kamm's Cafe closed within a year of the name change and the building has been empty ever since.

The future of the Kamm building may still be bright, but it has yet to be revived as the community gem it once was. It is not threatened by any immediate threat, but it faces the challenge of being a large commercial space in a difficult market.

Perhaps the neighborhood could join forces and work with the city government, local officials and owners to ensure that this historic building is properly recognized – both locally and nationally. Previous efforts to preserve the building have proven successful, and it may once again serve as a favorable landmark in the West Park neighborhood.

This article was originally published byHistoric ClevelandHow"Kamm's Building: Kamm's Corners and the Legacy of Oswald Kamm".