The immigration wave caused by The Great Irish Potato Famine coincided with the coming of the railroad to Cleveland.

But those fleeing the famine were ill-equipped to hit the ground running in this rapidly industrializing trade nexus.

Instead, immigrants who'd left Ireland before the Famine and were already in the United States were better positioned to take immediate advantage of the railroad boom--Examples include a railroad and ore dock contractor, a brass foundry owner, and an iron works owner.