| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | Szalai, Steve Family |
| Title: | Steve Szalai Family Papers |
| Dates: | 1929-1952 |
| Extent: | 0.20 linear feet (1 container) |
| Abstract: | Steve Szalai was a Newburgh, Ohio, insurance agent and early founder of the Buckeye Realty Company (f. 1919) of Cleveland, Ohio. Szalai was instrumental in the development of the Buckeye-Woodland Hungarian American community on Cleveland's east side. This "Little Hungary" at one time had the largest concentration of Hungarian Americans in the U.S., peaking at over 40,000 in 1940. The collection consists of certificates and licenses for Szalai's real estate firm and community activities, clippings, correspondence, educational records for Szalai's daughters Dorothy and Jean, and publications concerning the real estate business. The collection also contains copies and clippings of Hungarian newspapers published in Cleveland. |
| MS Number | MS 4480 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English and Hungarian |
Steve Szalai (1885-1973) was a Newburgh, Ohio, insurance agent and one of the early founders of the Buckeye Realty Company of Cleveland (f. 1919). As such, Szalai was part of a movement that was instrumental in attracting large numbers of Hungarians to the Buckeye-Woodland neighborhood of Cleveland during the 1920s and 1930s. This east side community, established after 1880, was once one of the largest concentrations of Hungarian Americans in the United States with a population that peaked at over 40,000 in 1940. In this "Little Hungary" neighborhood, families such as the Szalai's helped establish 10 churches and synagogues, including the Hungarian Lutheran Church, businesses such as the Buckeye Realty Company, and various nationality organizations. Married to Anna Bartko in 1912, Steve Szalai raised two daughters, jean Tate (born 1928) and Dorothy Szalai Bolla (born 1930) in the neighborhood.
The Steve Szalai Family Papers, 1929-1952 and undated, consist of certificates and licenses for Szalai's real estate firm and community activities, newspaper clippings, correspondence, educational records for Szalai's daughters, and publications concerning the real estate business.
This collection pertains largely to Steve Szalai's real estate firm and Hungarian community activities, as well as to the educational activities of his daughters. Another subject of this collection is Hungarian newspapers published in the United States, from which Szalai retained copies and cilppings.
None.
Related MaterialThe researcher should also consult MS 3999 Buckeye Realty Company of Cleveland Records.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4480 Steve Szalai Family Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Dorothy Szalai Bolla, 1986.
Processed by Bari Oyler Stith in 1990.
Steve Szalai Family Papers 1929-1952 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Certificates and licenses concerning the Buckeye Realty Company of Cleveland, Hungarian Lutheran Church, and Victory Garden Committee of the Cuyahoga County Council for Civilian Defense 1929-1943 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Newspaper clippings 1939-1952 undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Correspondence concerning advertising in the Cleveland News, insulation installation, licensing of real estate agents, and hospitalization policy 1941-1951 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Educational records including grade cards and project certificates for Dorothy Szalai, Jean Szalai, Betty Leffler, and Dorothy Hrabowsky 1938-1950 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Miscellaneous, including company production reports and office plans 1947-1951 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Publications, including the 1951 Cleveland Real Estate Board Directory of Local Mortgage Financing Institutions; 1949 Cleveland Real Estate Board news Bulletin; and 1949 Ohio Realtor's Directory 1949-1951 | |||||||||