The Euclid Fish Company
BROWSE ALL EUCLID FISH IMAGES
Delivery trucks and clam steamers fill a park in preparation for a Euclid Fish Company clambake, 1964.
John Comella sells hot cream waffles from a horse-drawn wagon on Prame Avenue in Cleveland.
The Euclid Fish Company building at 651 East 185th Street in Cleveland, Ohio.
Euclid Fish Company counter: "If It Swims We Have It."
John Comella, founder of Euclid Fish Company, cleans clams, 1956.
Marilyn (Comella) Young packs Euclid Fish Company clambakes.
The Euclid Fish Company is a multi-generational fish retail and wholesale company founded by John J. Comella in 1944. Prior to opening Euclid Fish Company, John had worked as a food retailer, selling hot cream waffles — and later clams and oysters — from a horse-drawn wagon in Cleveland.
John Comella and his wife, Betty, opened the Euclid Fish Company on East 185th Street in Cleveland. The company became well known for catered "Chef Comella's Clambake" and fresh seafood.
In 1973, John Comella retired from Euclid Fish Company. The company was subsequently purchased by John and Betty's daughter, Marilyn Young, and her husband, Charles. Shortly thereafter, in 1977, the company moved to Mentor, allowing it to expand its focus to wholesale seafood distribution.
Charles and Marilyn's son, John Young, is now at the helm of Euclid Fish Company. The Company continues to provide seafood distribution throughout several states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. The company also maintains a retail store in Mentor, Ohio. Throughout the years, the company has remained famous for its original clambakes and fresh seafood.
About the Collection
The Euclid Fish Company collection consists of photographs and a family scrapbook donated by family members from the Euclid Fish Company. The photos included in the collection showcase the company's development throughout the years, beginning from John Comella's early experiences as a food vendor, to scenes of the company's famous clambakes.
Additional Resources
- Euclid Fish Company website
- The Fishing Industry - From the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
Acknowledgements
This collection is the 2017 practicum project of Rebecca Wendeln, a student at Kent State University’s School of Library and Information Science.
She would like to thank Beth Ann Kirchner (John J. and Betty Comella's granddaughter) and the Euclid Fish Company, for granting permission to digitize the collection’s materials. She would also like to thank the following staff members at the CSU Library for their help with the creation of this collection: Bill Barrow, Head of Special Collections; Marsha Miles, Digital Initiatives/Art Librarian; Lynn Duchez Bycko, Special Collections Manager; and Lauren Felder, Web Specialist.
