The Lake County Historical Society is the premier resource for the preservation and presentation of
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Amy Kapostasy, Managing Director
Lake County Historical Society
415 Riverside Drive - Painesville, Ohio 44077
440.639.2945 x 11 Office
The Sultan of Swat right here in Northeast Ohio 95 years ago today, August 11, 1929 — Babe Ruth hit his 500th career home run in the second inning off Willis Hudlin at Cleveland’s League Park. The homer was the Great Bambino's 30th of the year, but it wasn’t enough as the Indians beat the Yankees 6-5. The bat that Ruth used in that game sold at auction for more than a million dollars 5 years ago.
https://youtu.be/DPvMjZgDLB8?feature=shared
Our friends at the Painesville Railroad Museum will be hosting the dedication of its new Engine Barn from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Painesville Depot, 475 Railroad St.
“Now that the interior of our Engine Barn is complete, come and visit our wall displays in the engine bay done by Collinwood High School Alumni Association,”
“Also visit the Trolley Bay with our No. 51 Cleveland Railway 1865 horse drawn trolley. The Collinwood 999 Engine Barn has been designed in the flavor of the original station that was built in 1852."
The Painesville Railroad Museum will be hosting the dedication of its new Engine Barn from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Painesville Depot, 475 Railroad St. “Now that the interior of our E…
As another school year begins for Lake County's youngsters, buses will be back on their routes. Here is an undated photo of a vintage vehicle from Perry, Ohio, before they were painted the familiar "National School Bus Chrome" yellow for safety beginning in 1939.
Here is "The History of How School Buses Became Yellow" From Smithsonian Magazine (Sept.4, 2019):
"In a [1937] issue of American Childhood, the lyrics to the song, 'The Wheels on the Bus,' made their first public appearance. Songwriter Verna Hills composed verses that celebrated the routine of traveling on a bus, closing each with the phrase, 'over the city streets.' Likely unbeknownst to her, at that same time 80 years ago, school transportation officials from each and every state gathered in New York to decide what that bus, with its wheels going ’round and ’round and its horn going 'beep beep beep,' would look like.
The brainchild of education expert Frank Cyr, the meeting at Columbia University carried the goal of establishing national construction standards for the American school bus. Two years earlier, Cyr had conducted a ten-state study where he found that children were riding to school in trucks and buses of all different colors, and even horse-drawn wagons, in the case of one Kansas school district he visited. Standardization would solve two problems and simultaneously revolutionize school buses themselves: one, being uniformly one color would make bus travel safer; two, costs to districts would be lower as construction specifications would make it possible for manufacturers to mass-produce buses."
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-how-school-buses-became-yellow-180973041/
Lake County in the late 19th century was a popular summer getaway for wealthy Cleveland families seeking to escape the heat of the city. During the rest of the year, they enjoyed the lush town life in their mansions along Millionaires Row.
Our friends at the Cleveland History Center announced that their "Fashion After Dark" exhibit has been extended through October 2024. It simulates the atmosphere of an evening on Euclid Avenue during the Gilded Age with immersive lighting and sound. Using the Hay-McKinney Mansion’s period rooms and bulbs that mimic gaslight and early electricity, vignettes of dressing, dining, entertaining, and household service will populate the home. The Hay-McKinney Mansion (1911) is the only fully restored house of its kind open to the public in Cleveland. Fashion and period rooms will work together to create a storybook atmosphere, transporting visitors back in time. In addition to luxurious interiors, the preserved servants’ spaces offer a look into working life “downstairs.”
Dan Maxson's July blog post shares two of Lake County history's little known curiosities: Heads in the Pumpkin Patch and Lake Erie's Big Water God. A North Madison farmer named John Cz (1908-1984) invented one of Lake County's cleverest fall novelties back in the 1930s. Along the Fairport Harbor shoreline, fisherman are familiar with a spot that echoes Native American lore. Read the full stories here: https://1drv.ms/b/s!Aoxm0p2aGKQDj8llW30Qusl2QnbR8g?e=yeOVrq
Our friends at the Wickliffe Historical Society shared this great vintage photo of the Iafelice family.
Long-time Wickliffe residents Loreto and Florence Iafelice, seen here with their daughters Teresa and Loretta, were known for their Model A, which they often drove around the city in the mid-1950s.
Summertime has always been a special time for community celebrations like Independence Day festivities. Beginning in the days of a more rural landscape in this part of the Western Reserve, the Lake County Fair became an important centerpiece. The event's history stretches back to the establishment of the Lake County Agricultural Society in 1840. Here is the link to the full story by Jack Daniels: https://lakecountyfair.org/fair-info/history/
On April 23-24,1926, the thrilling 1925 silent movie, "The Lost World," was shown at Mentor High School. This feature film, an adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel, must have impressed the young audience as it was the first ever feature film to use stop-action animation. It was the forerunner of 1933's "King Kong."
The brand new Mentor High School embraced the technology of the day the year before when students gathered to hear the live radio broadcast of Calvin Coolidge's March 1925 inauguration.
Movie synopsis:
"In London, professor Challenger (Wallace Beery) announces that prehistoric creatures are alive and flourishing in the Amazon jungle and declares his intention to mount an expedition proving his point. Journalist Edward Malone (Lloyd Hughes) volunteers to go and convinces his newspaper to fund the journey. Paula White (Bessie Love) hopes to find her father, a missing explorer. They and others undertake the voyage and witness dinosaurs and humanoids doing battle in a magnificent landscape."
Of course things go awry when Professor Challenger brings one of the beasts home to London when it escapes and causes monster mayhem.
1925 Movie Trailer: https://youtu.be/fuJDlxs78QA
That same year, on a London-Paris flight by Imperial Airways, "The Lost World" became the first film to be shown to airline passengers. As movie film in the 1920s was made from nitrate and was highly flammable, this was a risky choice inside a wood and fabric-hulled plane.
Grab your binoculars! An important remnant of Lake County's early history is hiding in plain sight. The rich ecosystem of the Mentor Marsh is a glimpse into our natural past. Many species of flora and fauna, including owls and bald eagles, grace the beautiful preserve and are just waiting to charm visitors. A brand new event, the Headlands Birding Festival, will be held September 20-22, 2024. https://cityofmentor.com/birding-opportunities-around-the-mentor-marsh/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3ZEkroJIxr7HAUcLOM50KpyeHwwN7llCCsNX68JcnhQMVQlLiQq6LwQUc_aem_cBxSKM8yA77BmQ76eApSVw
More about the upcoming Birding Festival:
https://cityofmentor.com/departments/parks-recreation/events/headlands-birding-festival/
In the summer of 1827, the first canalboat arrived in Cleveland having made the journey through the Ohio & Erie Canal. It was the digging & expansion of the Erie Canal that opened northeast Ohio to trade with the eastern part of the nation. The cost per pound for transporting goods was a tiny fraction of the price of moving freight overland.
"Heaven's Ditch" by Jack Kelly is a fascinating look at the building of the waterway, Joseph Smith, and the eventual establishment of the Latter-Day Saints settlement in Kirtland.
From the Cuyahoga Valley National Park: "In July 1827, the first canalboat, loaded with dignitaries and politicians, arrived in Cleveland amidst great fanfare and huzzahs. The initial section of the Ohio & Erie Canal between Akron and Cleveland had been completed."
The Erie Canal Boat Song "Low Bridge, Everybody Down (or 15 Years on the Erie Canal)" is a fun & familiar old ditty copyrighted in 1912. It was written in 1905 after mules were retired from pulling barges along the canal. Here is a Pete Seeger recording of the vintage song.
https://youtu.be/JxKy1_c6DeM?feature=shared
From author Jennifer Boresz Engelking, a fascinating peak below ground on Erie Street in downtown Willoughby.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/p9m1JNmYE78PeziZ/?mibextid=qi2Omg
In the Spirit of '76, happy 4th of July from the Lake County History Center! Ohio's Western Reserve produced the iconic American painting known as the "Spirit of '76." Marching on canvas for all time are two of Lake County’s native sons, Hugh Mosher & Henry Devereux. Here is Mosher, a beloved fifer & Civil War veteran, posing for the artist.
Willoughby officials and developers of the Willoughby Union High School restoration project recently hosted a ceremonial construction kick off. Developers are anticipating a 2025 delivery.
From the Lake County News-Herald (Marah Morrison):
Located in Wes Point Park in downtown Willoughby, the project is a complete renovation of the historic Union High building into 40 market rate apartments, as well as the construction of 19 for-sale townhomes flanking the building.
“This building has stood for over 100 years proudly in Wes Point Park and once again will become a focal point of our community,” said Willoughby Economic Development Director Tom Thielman.
Willoughby Mayor Robert Fiala said this project is an eight-year dream finally coming true for the city.
“The start of construction means that just within two years, you’re going to see folks start moving in here and enjoying an important, historic building as residents right on our central park,” he said. “We are delighted it’s happening. We think it’s important to save these old, historic buildings and we applaud Liberty Development for taking this step.”
Although it was for a different use, the ThenDesign Architecture firm building project still complements the Union High project, Fiala said.
“That project won a design award already for historic preservation,” he said. “It couldn’t be renovated into apartments or dwelling units because of its shape, but it made a great office space for the design firm. We saved our historic Junior High School.”
Saving these historic buildings is a great testament to how all involved view important structures and what they mean to the community, Fiala said, noting that the desire to live in downtown Willoughby is generational.
“A lot of the younger folks want to be in a walkable community,” he said. “If they work at home, they want to walk downtown at night and have a drink or something to eat. If they work away from home, they want to come home, go in the house and never touch a car again for the rest of the evening.”
Walkability has also held importance for area senior citizens who have expressed they don’t want to drive around any longer, Fiala said.
“We’re seeing that some of the senior citizens are saying, ‘I want to stay in one place where I could get dinner, go shopping, enjoy some music and I don’t have to get in the car to do it,’ ” he said.
According to James Loveman, a principal of Amerimar Realty Company out of Philadelphia, the deal for the project was closed on May 29 when it was purchased from the city.
“We not only closed the acquisition, but it was done in partnership with Kish Bank, our construction and mortgage lender,” he said. “We were awarded $2 million in state tax credits from Ohio. Those are being invested in by Foss Investments out of North Carolina and we’re also utilizing federal rehabilitation tax credits, but we’re keeping those within members of the ownership partnership.”
The ownership is a combination of principals from Amerimar Realty in Philadelphia, as well as Justin Gantz and Matt Sutter of SoL Harris/Day Architecture out of the Akron Canton area.
“We started working together about 10 years ago when we bought a portion of the Firestone factory campus in Akron,” Loveman said. “SoL Harris/Day were our architects on it and it was our first historic rehab project we did together. This project — SoL Harris/Day is still the architect, but now they’re principal partners as well.”
BlueMark Capital out of Cleveland also had hands in the project, arranging the mortgage financing on it. Additionally, Perspectus Architecture out of Cleveland were the project’s historic rehabilitation consultants.
Gantz, a partner with SoL Harris/Day, expressed they are happy to carry the torch for Willoughby and make the Union High project a reality.
“We’re here for the city,” he said. “This was spearheaded by them. We love this community. My wife and kids are here, and we’re going to go downtown and eat dinner after this. To revitalize this building, make it as great as it once was before and tie it back into the community — we’re thrilled to be able to do that.”
The 40 market rate apartments will include mostly one bed and one bath units, but also a couple of studios and a two bed, and two bath unit.
“We’ve got a good response,” Gantz said. “Every council meeting we’ve presented at or community engagement meeting we’ve held, we’re getting a variety of interest in the building. I think it’s going to serve the needs here.”
Gantz is anticipating a summer of 2025 delivery.
“We’re finishing asbestos abatement this week, we’ve already done some roofing work and demolition, so we’re full steam ahead and anticipate people living here a year from now,” he said. “Liberty Development is a big part of this. They’re doing the townhome project adjacent to our site and we’ve worked hand in hand with Dru Siley, and his team to put this whole thing together.”
The Union High project is an opportunity to give people an urban experience, but a walkable experience, Loveman said.
“Not everyone wants to live in Cleveland, so this is a great chance to build on what’s already a great thing in Willoughby and bring high quality rental units to town,” he said. “Coming from Philadelphia, it struck me when I would fly into Cleveland and my Uber driver would say, ‘Willoughby — that place is so cool.’ “
This month, Dan Maxson's Hidden Gems of Lake County looks at the longtime entrepreneurial success of Perry Coal & Feed. This second installment of his two-part June Blog post "Looking Back at Lake County – Beloved Businesses" traces the evolution of the 1916 company which celebrated its centennial and continues to provide its attentive service to every customer.
https://1drv.ms/b/s!Aoxm0p2aGKQDj75Osr0nnj9fPb3SQQ?e=wZQdj8
A marvelous bit of local history from our friends at the Madison Historical Society. Even before the advent of the big yellow bus, some children had transportation to school beginning more than 100 years ago. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/history-school-bus-180980554/ #:~:text=In%201892%2C%20Wayne%20Works%2C%20an,wooden%20benches%20along%20the%20sides.
This month, Dan Maxson's Hidden Gems of Lake County looks at the longtime entrepreneurial success of Mountain Creek Tree Farm. This first installment of his two-part June Blog post "Looking Back at Lake County – Beloved Businesses" traces the evolution of the special holiday market and the vision of Orlin Frank Goudy (1896-1987).
https://1drv.ms/b/s!Aoxm0p2aGKQDj743AeSOfqVncA8gBQ?e=CKe1WY
Strangers on a train? The case was never solved!
Cause of deadly 1905 derailment was never solved. Many northeast Ohioans have heard about the great Ashtabula train wreck which occurred in 1876. A train on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway was traveling through
As the center point of Northeast Ohio, the city of Cleveland's woes impacted Lake County and Lake Erie water quality. As an industrial hub, Cleveland offered high paying jobs in steel and manufacturing, but the impact on the environment often meant serious consequences.
June 22, 1969 marks the date Cleveland and the burning Cuyahoga River made the national news, but this photo from 1952 shows the river has had quite the combustible past. Taken from the Jefferson Ave. Bridge, the photo shows firefighters trying to keep the oil fire from moving downstream.
Subject Cleveland Collection. Photographer: Unknown. Source: The Plain Dealer
📷 Cleveland Public Library, Photograph Collection
Did you know? Since 1933, local citizens have taken part in the National Association for Amateur Radio’s Field Day. While some might associate this technology with the past, this is not a quaint retro exercise. Radio's ability to function when newer communication infrastructure has been damaged is a critical safeguard. The event begins at 2 p.m. June 22 and concludes at 2 p.m. June 23 at the Lake County History Center, 415 Riverside Drive.
"Ham radio operators 'have a long history of serving our communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers,’ says Robert Mekinda, spokesman for the Lake County Amateur Radio Association.
Five ham radio stations will be set up on the Painesville Township grounds of the Lake County History Center on June 22 and 23 as part of a national radio exercise hosted since 1933 by The National Association for Amateur Radio. The ARRL Field Day, which will involve 40,000 ham radio operators from throughout the country, takes place each year on the fourth Sunday in June as an open house to show off ham radio’s ability to work under any conditions to create an independent wireless communications network.
'Everyone’s invited to come out and see how we work,' said Robert Mekinda of Mentor, spokesman for the Lake County Amateur Radio Association. 'We’ve also invited the county commissioners and members of the local police and fire departments to visit so they can see how we’re able to work with them. Because an especially active hurricane season is predicted this year, ham radio operators could be called into action to communicate about storms across the country,' he said. 'Hams have a long history of serving our communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers. Ham radio functions completely independently of the internet and phone systems, and a station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. Hams can quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or on a mast, connect it to a radio and power source and communicate effectively with others.'
Founded in 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim as The American Radio Relay League, the ARRL offers training, licensing and coordination of activities such as tracking storms and the recent eclipse and helping elementary school students speak to astronauts on the International Space Station.
The local amateur radio group provides communications for various running events in Lake County and the Fairport Mardi Gras Parade. The range of its handheld radios is expanded by repeaters at University Hospitals Tri-Point Medical Center in Concord Township, and the group maintains a radio station at the Mentor-based Emergency Operations Center."
https://www.news-herald.com/2024/06/19/local-folks-taking-part-in-national-association-for-amateur-radios-field-day/
We're expecting a summer heatwave this week. Hop into the history time machine to travel back 60 years to Mentor Headlands Beach in 1964. Lifeguard Edwina Logan kept a watchful eye on the swimmers at the busy State Park. (Courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project)
Lake Countians have always loved baseball! Our friends at the Madison Historical Society shared this post featuring vintage Unionville teams.
Lake County's favorite amusement park for much of the 20th century was Euclid Beach, just 7 miles west of the county line. Its 74 seasons, beginning in 1895, delighted families from across Northeast Ohio. Fun house, roller coaster, kiddie rides and a carousel, there was no end to the rides and entertainment. The Humphrey family's popcorn balls and Candy Kisses are the last vestiges of that magical experience. Enjoy these historic photos courtesy of Cleveland.com.
The historic beachfront Euclid Beach Park lasted a little more than 70 years. Its legacy remains.
On Thursday, June 20th, join the History Center's special Summer Solstice Lantern Tour 2024. The world is spinning on its axis towards the longest, lightest day of the year. The Summer Solstice marks the first day of summer, when the sun reaches the highest point in the sky. The day is long, and the night is short. Don't miss this timely Lantern Tour when it is said that spirits are more easily able to cross into the human world. Find out for yourself if our haunted building is even more active on this special day.
Tickets: Members $25; Non-members $30.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-solstice-lantern-tour-2024-tickets-891548604877?aff=erelpanelorg
This event is not suitable for children. For more information or ticket assistance, call the History Center at 440-639-2945.
A marvelous free program on June 16 about Mentor's favorite son and the pride of Lake County. It will be held at the James A Garfield National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service). Author C W. Goodyear has written the first comprehensive biography of the 20th president in 40 years and will present the program.
https://www.nps.gov/jaga/index.htm
Don't miss "History Under the Stars: The Moonwalkers 2024" -- A special program coming to the History Center on June 18th at 6pm.
One of the most exclusive fraternities in the world only has a dozen members. These 12 individuals have had the once in a lifetime opportunity to walk on the surface of another celestial body. Once only dreamed of, they each made history during NASA's Apollo Missions as a moonwalker.
Join Historian Tim Daley as he shares their personal stories and recounts the herculean effort of the American Space program to deliver a man upon the surface of the moon and then return them safely back to earth.
In addition to the talk, he will share artifacts from his personal collection which will include items signed by 10 of the 12 moonwalkers, along with a unique relic from the Apollo 11 lunar lander.
Menu: Heavy appetizers
Tickets: Members $25; Non-members $30.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/history-under-the-stars-the-moon-walkers-june-2024-tickets-891543238827?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1r0lPx0yCYOOWueSnOzgOklTg8YG3yyThscpV6L-ypaqDN8KmCy8vOaL0_aem_ASXtxokBeHHG3j3fxwjH88mducVXB-vi1vf0GBpnwfXzY6RDZNq6vl2tGkX60B5AUGpqDlMA45g8WQoZt9cj5Ash
For more information or ticket assistance, contact the Lake County History Center at 440-639-2945.
It was 80 years ago today that the Normandy Invasion began to turn the tide of the war in Europe. D-Day, June 6, 1944, took the lives of three young soldiers from Lake County. Pfc. Arthur Benjamin Congos (age 25, Fairport Harbor) was the youngest of 6 brothers. Joseph Louis Kessler (age 22, Leroy) was a Technician Grade Three; and Sgt. Dominic Angelo Tarasco (age 23, Wickliffe) was part of a large Italian-American family and was married. All were casualties of the harrowing invasion that was pivotal to the Allied victory in World War II. All were awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. That fateful day, Pfc. John Lester O'Brien, (age 30, Painesville) survived, but he died in France just 7 weeks later. He was his parents’ only son. Looking at their youthful faces underscores the depth of their sacrifice and the deep pain suffered by their families back here at home. We honor their memory.
10 cent Beer Night? What could go wrong? 50 years ago today, Cleveland earned a black eye when a rowdy crowd erupted in riotous bad behavior at the Cleveland Indians game at the old Municipal Stadium. It is was the infamous 10 CENT BEER NIGHT June 4, 1974 (Encyclopedia of Cleveland History | Case Western Reserve University).
https://case.edu/ech/articles/t/10-cent-beer-night
415 Riverside Drive
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44077
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The History Center's Santa season is underway! Book your breakfast or lunch with Jolly Old Saint Nick. The reservation deadline for December 9th & 10th is Monday at noon (December 4th). There are also openings for the meals on December 16th and 17th. Don't miss out on our very popular family Christmas event! Your ticket lets you: Tour the Museum see the festive decorations. Enjoy breakfast or lunch in your PJ’s in the History Center's Heritage Hall. Chat with Santa and snap a great photo to capture the moment. After your meal, visit the event barn and MAKE AN ORNAMENT to take home. There is limited seating, so book quickly & bring your camera! Two meal times (9am or 11am) are available for December 9th. Choose from 3 meal times (9am, 11am, or 1pm) on December 10, 16, or 17. Pick the date & time that works best for your family. SALES CLOSE for December 9th and 10th at noon on Monday the 4th. TICKETS: $18 / Adult – $14 / Ages 3 – 12 – $5 / Under 3. https://www.eventbrite.com/o/lake-county-historical-society-7949019341?fbclid=IwAR1vt8CEagrDCoRw3HGpUiMIRw3zUhGvkco33jxnhOgaIISEoZolOxwCn2Y Call the Lake County History Center at 440-639-2945 for more information or ticket assistance.
Did you know that you can see upcoming special events & purchase tickets right through Eventbrite? Here is a quick link to the event calendar: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/lake-county-historical-society-7949019341
Have you seen the new HERITAGE HOME STORY MAP? Tour Lake County & discover historic structures with a bit of their backstory at your fingertips. http://lakehistorycenter.org/heritage-home-story-map/
The Lake County Historical Society is the premier resource for the preservation and presentation of the heritage of Lake County, Ohio.
Concord Township, Lake County Ohio
Ravenna Road
Faith Andrews, Lake County Clerk of Courts
N Park Place
Painesville Township Service & Road Departmen
Fairport Nursery Road
Lake County Soil and Water Conservation Dist
Main Street
