NORTH RANDALL - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

NORTH RANDALL, incorporated as a village in 1908, is 7 miles southeast of Cleveland and is bounded by WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS on the north, east, and west, and BEDFORD HEIGHTS on the south. It occupies less than 1 sq. mi. It has operated under the mayor-council form of government. Originally part of Warrensville Twp. (see HIGHLAND HILLS VILLAGE), North Randall was known as Plank Rd. Station in the early 1800s. The construction of the Cleveland & Mahoning Railroad nearby in 1857 opened the farming community to neighboring areas and resulted in rapid growth and development. In 1908 the North Randall Park race track (later the RANDALL PARK RACE TRACK) opened; it soon gained a national reputation. Early in the 1900s, the village of North Randall found its major industry to be the breeding and training of trotting horses. As the demand for organized horseracing increased, the THISTLEDOWN RACE TRACK opened in North Randall (1925). The track's reputation grew, and it became home to the Ohio Derby, a major race held every June. In 1960 the Edward J. DeBartolo Corp. of Youngstown acquired the site of the Randall Park Race Track, and in 1975 constructed the RANDALL PARK MALL there, one of the largest shopping and commercial complexes in the country. North Randall had a population of over 1,100 in 1980 and 906 in 2000. It maintained fire and police services, but depended on Warrensville Hts. for social, recreational, and educational facilities.

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