When Charles Dickens, author of ‘A Christmas Carol,’ visited Cleveland
By Greg Evans
In 1842, Charles Dickens, famed English writer of classics such as “A Christmas Carol” and a “Tale of Two Cities,” arrived along the golden shores of Cleveland after a somewhat tumultuous steamboat ride across the Erie from Sandusky.
Was the genius still somewhat sore from the savage beating England took in the revolutionary war only a few decades earlier at the hands of beer-guzzling peasants as he reportedly never left the boat? Along with him on this American odyssey were his charming wife, Catherine, and traveling companion, Mr. Putnam. One could surmise that his timing in coming to America was premeditated as he arrived in the month of April, and thus, was intent on celebrating a wholesome American Thanksgiving with the true Americans, the "Indians.” (Dickens visited Cleveland in the month of April. In 1815, President James Madison proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving to be held in the month of April, thus, Dickens would have arrived around the time of Thanksgiving).
As Thanksgiving has recently passed, my thoughts fell upon Dickens and his time in Cleveland after seeing a blurb about his immortal tale, A Christmas Carol, on television. It is not known in great detail why Dickens remained aboard the boat, however we do know that all was not well. It was said that while in Sandusky, he read an article in the Plain Dealer, describing, the English, and this is solely speculation, as a coterie of warmongering thugs and that the sun has finally set on the British Empire.
The more people heard Dickens was in town, the more they flocked to his window to see the real life celebrity and, we can assume, to demand autographs.
Cleveland's Mayor at the time, Joshua Mills, boarded the steamboat in the hopes of entertaining the great author, but Dickens was in no mood to socialize. Mills, instead, sat on the boat whittling before finally heading home. At 9 o'clock the following morning, the steamboat, the Constitution, sailed off. Dickens would never visit Cleveland again.
His time in Cleveland was short-lived, but his energy must have remained in the city because for the last 34 years, The Great Lakes Theater’s production of “A Christmas Carol” has produced the world’s best rendition of the story on stage, entertaining over 800,000 people since its inception. Showing five times a week at the Mimi Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square through December 23, the show has captivated, inspired, and shuttled people’s spirits into the Christmas holidays like nothing since the advent of egg nog.
If you have no plans this holiday season, or even if you do, cancel them and board a plane, train, or even a steamboat and head over to Cleveland because this show will stay with you for the rest of your days. You may even find yourself revisiting each year, unless you are a scrooge.
Originally published on December 23, 2022
The Plain Dealer / www.cleveland.com