Local History

Westlake Historical Society selects cutest pets for 2024

It is once again time to announce the winners of the Cutest Pets in Westlake for 2024!

Our impartial panel of judges reviewed quite a few entries. After much deliberating, they have made their choices.

The winners are: "Newton" in the Feline Division, and "Bogey" in the Canine Division.

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Volume 16, Issue 3, Posted 9:20 AM, 03.05.2024

Anecdotes from local history

Longing for the good ol' days? Here are excerpts of old records from the Bay Village Women’s Club, giving a snapshot of local life. 

1917: Women in Bay formed the Mothers Club in January while the men formed the Community Club mid-year. The women first met in the one-room school house (now Bay Presbyterian Church site) but soon moved to the two-room school house at the western end of Lake Road when membership ballooned to 107. The women rode the interurban railway to the meetings and “transported food and refreshments in wagons.”

1921: Club records noted the “seriousness of the school situation” with 108 students attending the West School and “48 receiving instruction in the Village Town Hall.” Also, the Club sent a resolution to the mayor “asking for some means of fire protection” in the community.

1922: Performed a one-act play for a fundraiser, with the husbands building the set. Eventually formed a theater group and in 1967 moved to Clague Playhouse in Westlake.

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Volume 16, Issue 2, Posted 9:59 AM, 02.06.2024

Christmas cards of Bay Village notables

During Cahoon Christmas 2023 events, the Bay Village Historical Society is showcasing an exhibit of Christmas cards and imagery in our library. The pictures were created by artist Thomas William Jones, a Bay Village native.

Jones recently and very generously donated examples of his work to the Society this year. Jones’s work was chosen as the feature image for President Ronald Reagan and Vice President Dick Cheney’s official Christmas cards.

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Volume 15, Issue 23, Posted 9:47 AM, 12.19.2023

Westlake Historical Society thanks community

All of us at the Westlake historical Society would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in our community for another wonderful year of sharing local history in 2023.
 
They often say "it takes a village." I say it takes a dedicated group of individuals who truly believe that our local history does matter.
 
As you may or may not know, the Westlake Historical Society is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization. Our funding comes from fundraisers, grants, and from individual and business memberships.

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Volume 15, Issue 23, Posted 9:40 AM, 12.19.2023

Bay Village Historical Society receives OHRAB Achievement Award

The Bay Village Historical Society has recently been named as a recipient of the 2023 Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board) Achievement Award.

The Ohio Historical Advisory Board (OHRAB) is the central body for historical records planning in the state. The board is funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Board members represent Ohio’s pubic and private archives, records offices and research institutions.

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Volume 15, Issue 22, Posted 9:45 AM, 12.19.2023

1800s sleigh at Rose Hill Museum

The Bay Village Historical Society usually asks that visitors do not sit upon any of their antique collections. This December, there will be an exception. An 1800s sleigh will be available for picture taking with Santa Claus during the Cahoon Christmas event days.

It is unclear where and exactly when the two-seater sleigh was built. We do know that it was most likely made sometime in the 1800s. The sleigh was owned most recently by Bill and Grace Anderson Sebesta of Bay Village. Their niece, Bernardette E. Novy Enochian, donated it to the Bay Village Historical Society in 2019.

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Volume 15, Issue 22, Posted 9:42 AM, 12.05.2023

Lutheran Mission Grounds bell

The following piece was researched using articles written by Bay Village Historical Society historians George Serb and Kay Laughlin, who shared their knowledge of the subject in 1997 and 2013, respectively.

The next time you visit the grounds of the Rose Hill Museum, you will notice near the south porch a cast iron bell now hanging near the staircase down to the Cahoon cabin. This bell has historical significance as it used to hang next to the pulpit of the old Lutheran Mission Grounds.

The Lutheran Mission Grounds was an outdoor gathering spot in Bay Village, used by various Lutheran churches from the west side of Cleveland during summers from June to September. It was located between Bassett and Bradley roads, reaching south to the railroad tracks, with a road north to Ashton Lane (formerly Link Road).

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Volume 15, Issue 21, Posted 8:28 AM, 11.21.2023

Santa Paws returns to Clague House Museum

Pet photos with "Santa Paws" return to the Clague House Museum on Thursday, Nov. 30, from 6-9 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 3, from noon-3 p.m. Reservations are requested; please call 216-848-0680 to make your photo reservation.

A monetary donation of $10 is suggested. Donations benefit our outreach and American flag programs.

The museum is located at 1371 Clague Road in Westlake.

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Volume 15, Issue 21, Posted 8:25 AM, 11.21.2023

Westlake Historical Society to place holiday wreaths at local cemeteries

Several years ago the Westlake Historical Society began
 placing wreaths on the graves of founding and pioneer 
citizens of early Dover (now Westlake). We are extending
 the opportunity for you, your family, organization, group or 
business to sponsor a holiday wreath this year.

 Volunteers from the Westlake Historical Society will place
 wreaths on graves within Westshore communities throughout the holiday season.

The suggested donation is $25 per wreath, and benefits our children's outreach programs.

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Volume 15, Issue 20, Posted 8:43 AM, 11.07.2023

Woman suffrage amendment poster, 1914

At the Bay Village Historical Society, we made an unexpected discovery while archiving the college diploma of Elizabeth Hughes Cahoon. The backing used inside the frame for Elizabeth’s diploma was from the women’s suffrage movement in the early 1900s. The poster reads “Vote for Woman Suffrage Amendment 3 on Nov. 3.”

A look into Amendment 3 led us to discover this political campaign poster was referring to an attempt in 1914 to initiate an Ohio state constitutional amendment to provide women the right to vote. Suffragists up to this point had been trying to pass state initiatives such as this one to compel the United States Congress to submit a federal amendment. Fifteen other states managed to pass suffrage ballot measures.

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Volume 15, Issue 19, Posted 9:14 AM, 10.17.2023

Wischmeyer Hotel Cook House, 26566 Lake Road, c. 1874

The 18th in a series of articles to be published as a walking tour of Lake Road by the Bay Village Historical Society in 2026.

The 1879 Crisfield Johnson “History of Cuyahoga County” states: “Henry Wischmeyer came out from Cleveland in 1874, and began to raise grapes upon a tract of fifty acres.… In 1874 he built upon his land a wine cellar with a capacity of ten thousand gallons, and manufactures considerable wine every year.”

“Bay Village: A Way of Life” states: “A resort hotel was built above the Wischmeyer wine cellar in 1874 which could accommodate seventy guests. His hotel became a regular stopping place for business men traveling from Sandusky to Cleveland, who could not return the same day after making their wine purchases. The hotel became a popular resort for affluent Clevelanders and guest[s] arrived who traveled not only on the interurban but also from out of state via the railroad.”

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Volume 15, Issue 19, Posted 9:13 AM, 10.17.2023

Women’s Fashions: 1860s-1920s

In anticipation of our upcoming fashion show being held this month, we at the Bay Village Historical Society would like to share some pictures of interesting women’s fashions from the 1860s-1920s, that we have found in our collections.

You may see quite a few fashionable dresses and accessories any Sunday at the Rose Hill Museum from 2:00-4:30 p.m., especially with our current exhibition, "Beadwork: The Beauty of Small Things."

The pictures accompanying this article are not always on display and many are tucked away in our library and archives. More photos can be found on our Glimpse of the Past page at www.bayhistorical.com. Enjoy!

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Volume 15, Issue 17, Posted 9:16 AM, 09.19.2023

Clothing featuring Ornamental Beadwork at Rose Hill Museum

Rose Hill Museum has a number of amazing costumes on display as part of this year’s special exhibition, "Beadwork: The Beauty of Small Things."

Undoubtedly, the embellishment of late 19th century clothing with jet beads or crystals was inspired by the replacement of candles with gas lighting which would pick up the glint of the beads. The use of jet beads resurged in the 1880s.

Near the first-floor staircase, the museum has a beautiful gown, the sapphire blue bodice of which is embellished with black jet beading. Natural jet, derived from fossilized wood, is lighter in weight and shines rather than sparkles. These beads would be a harder type than Irish jet which is fossilized peat, vulcanite, a vulcanized rubber, or dark glass imitating jet.

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Volume 15, Issue 16, Posted 9:10 AM, 09.06.2023

Henry B. Spencer House, 23924 Lake Road, c. 1872

The 15th in a series of articles to be published as a walking tour of Lake Road by the Bay Village Historical Society in 2025.

Henry Spencer bought a 41.5-acre parcel in this location in 1869 or earlier. The tax records are missing for 1870 and 1871 and by 1872 the value of the property more than doubled indicating that the existing Victorian Italianate style house was constructed c. 1872.

W.H. Lawrence purchased the property and house after 1892, probably as a summer home for one of his seven daughters. Lawrence developed the Dover Bay Country Club east of Clague Road in 1890 and built the mansion now known as Cashelmara in 1899.

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Volume 15, Issue 16, Posted 9:13 AM, 09.06.2023

Summer turns to fall at the Clague House Museum

The Clague House Museum will be open for tours in the evening on Wednesday, Sept. 13 from 7-9 p.m. The museum is located at 1371 Clague Road in Westlake and admission is free of charge.

During the tour you will have the opportunity to learn about some of this area's pioneer families, how they lived, and how the Clague gift to our community is still being enjoyed today.

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Volume 15, Issue 16, Posted 9:08 AM, 09.06.2023

Eclipses in Bay Village

The following article was written by Bay Village Historical Society members Jim and Barbara Comienski. Barbara is a museum docent and collections volunteer. Jim is a retired planetarium director and astronomy and geology teacher for Lakewood City Schools. He is a 48-year member of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association, the Cleveland Regional Association of Planetariums and the Cleveland Astronomical Society, upon whose board he currently serves. Jim is also active in the Bay Village Kiwanis Club.

Much of the Cleveland area is in preparation for the total eclipse of the sun next year on April 8, 2024.

The last one in our area that extensive – a full eclipse – was on June 16, 1806, predating settlers but seen by Native populations as was an annular eclipse on April 3, 1791.

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Volume 15, Issue 15, Posted 9:39 AM, 08.15.2023

Summer Road Trip, 1920s-Style

Summer is here and many vacationers have plans to travel by car sometime during the season. Many will be using a GPS guided map to navigate to their destinations. Smartphone apps will tell them where and when to turn at every step of the way.

In the past, their road trip would have been a little more challenging. About 20 years ago, they may have used a print-out of MapQuest’s list of directions. Before the internet, they could consult a printed map and figure out on their own how to get from Point A to Point B. Before there were even numbered routes, in the early days of automobile travel, a road guide might be the best way to navigate an unfamiliar area.

In the Bay Village Historical Society archives, we have acquired a copy of one of these road guides, printed in 1921. It is the "Official Automobile Blue Book, Volume Four," which covers Ohio and the states surrounding it. The book is one of the yearly editions that was published between 1901 and 1929, sponsored by The American Automobile Association, beginning in 1906. It was the “Standard Road Guide of America,” and in 1921 it covered the entire United States and Southern Canada in 12 volumes.

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Volume 15, Issue 13, Posted 8:37 AM, 07.18.2023

Two bombings in three days? In Bay Village?

Apparently, someone was VERY upset with Walter E. Bidlingmyer of 444 Bradley Road, Bay Village, back in 1923.

We know because someone bombed his house, twice, within three days.

As part of the Bay Village Historical Society, I was doing some research for a century-home plaque for the home, so I contacted the Cuyahoga County archives for clarification on when, exactly, the home was built. What they found out was surprising.

Sure, having been built in 1920, the home qualifies for a plaque, but what was more surprising was the included two newspaper clippings from the Plain Dealer, dated May 25, 1923. It turns out someone really did not like the owner at the time, Walter E. and Isabelle Bidlingmyer (although I don’t think Isabelle had anything to do with it.)

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Volume 15, Issue 12, Posted 9:32 AM, 07.05.2023

Bringing meaning to the Fourth of July: The story of the Bay Village Volunteer Militia

The Bay Village Volunteer Militia was a short-lived but quite impressive group of Revolutionary War re-enactors who were active from about 1968-1973. The Bay Village Historical Society recently spoke with five former members about their experiences with the organization.

“We want to bring a little meaning back to the Fourth of July,” founder Daniel Warnke said in a July 3, 1969, interview with The Plain Dealer. The article goes on to say that Warnke and others were concerned about young people who said they did not see any connection between fireworks and the meaning of the Fourth of July. "We want to remind people that these are the weapons that were used to build and defend our country by the men we honor on the Fourth of July.”

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Volume 15, Issue 11, Posted 8:25 AM, 06.20.2023

Porch talk focuses on Fuller House

The Bay Village Historical Society celebrates the 130th year of the Fuller House on Sunday, July 9, with a talk by developer Robert Corna.

Corna purchased the Bay Village home in 1981 to make way for the Cashelmara development and donated it to Baycrafters, now BAYarts. The 120-ton house was sailed 2.5 miles on Lake Erie to its new home in the Metroparks Huntington Reservation, making front-page headlines around the world. Corna will talk about the history of the house and its famous Lake Erie voyage.

The free porch talk begins at 2:15 p.m. Guests are asked to bring their own lawn chairs. Visit www.bayhistorical.com for additional information.

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Volume 15, Issue 11, Posted 8:25 AM, 06.20.2023

Early graduates of Bay High School

Congratulations to the recent Bay Village graduates of 2023!

In the Bay Village Historical Society archives, we have a small collection of photographs (mainly from the 1940s and earlier) of past Bay Village public school buildings, students and faculty. We also house a collection of objects, diplomas, programs, publications and other papers relating to Bay Village Schools up until the present day.

The following photos are a sampling of this collection. Please visit the Bay Village Historical Society’s website to see many more school photos and learn about some of Bay’s earliest high school students on our Glimpse of the Past page at www.bayhistorical.com.

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Volume 15, Issue 10, Posted 8:45 AM, 06.06.2023

History of Bay Village City Hall, 1914-Present

The following article was part of a presentation given in 2014 by Bay Village Historical Society President, Catherine Burke Flament, during the 100th anniversary of Bay Village City Hall.

Bay Village was carved from the Northwest Territory and then the Western Reserve which was divided into five-square-mile townships. By 1806 Nehemiah Hubbard and Joshua Stow, members of the Connecticut Land Company, would purchase Township #7, Range 15 on Lake Erie for $26,087 and named it Dover (currently Bay Village, Westlake and the northern section of North Olmsted).

In 1901 not everyone was happy with how the government was being run in Dover; those in the northern section decided they were not being represented adequately and since they were paying the majority of the taxes the decision was made to separate. After separation was proposed a lawsuit ensued over who would have the railroad and the northern residents won the Ohio Supreme Court case. So, the Hamlet of Bay was formed in 1901 and trustees were elected.

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Volume 15, Issue 10, Posted 8:46 AM, 06.06.2023

Westlake Historical Society preparing for 51st Antique, Vintage, & Craft Show

The picturesque Clague family home is the setting for the annual Antique, Vintage & Craft Show!

The grounds of the Clague House Museum will be the place to be on Sunday, June 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., as the Westlake Historical Society welcomes visitors to the 51st annual Antique, Vintage and Craft Show.

This yearly event is put on by the members and friends of the Westlake Historical Society and is their major fundraiser for the year. Funding from the show helps to support many of the society's activities, events and youth programs as well as museum utility costs.

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Volume 15, Issue 9, Posted 9:49 AM, 05.16.2023

Ornamental beadwork on exhibit at Rose Hill Museum

Rose Hill Museum is excited to be premiering our special exhibition for the year on ornamental beadwork in costumes and accessories, "Beadwork: The Beauty of Small Things." Every room features an aspect of beadwork, in addition to the museum’s permanent displays.

Beads have been in existence between 70,000-100,000 years. Originally beads were fashioned totally of natural materials such as bone, shell, or wood. Metal and glass beads followed. Often these beads were strung as jewelry and were a visible sign of prosperity. For centuries few people could afford to embellish clothing with beadwork. One needed the wealth to buy beads and then to have the workforce to apply these to clothing and accessories.

Embellishment followed trends with beads losing popularity, then resurging. Lush fabrics and pearl and gemstone jewelry were popular in the 1700s, but simpler styles in the early 1800s resulted in less use of beadwork.

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Volume 15, Issue 8, Posted 9:26 AM, 05.02.2023

Shipbuilding on the Great Lakes

Long before current times many of the native Americans built birch bark canoes; some carried missionaries such as French explorer Jean Nicolet.

The Walk-in-the-Water was the first American-built steamer on the Great Lakes that was launched near Buffalo, New York, in 1818.She was 135 feet long with a 32-foot beam, she had a 30-foot smokestack between the two masts which had canvas to speed her along when the wind was favorable. Her 15-foot paddle wheels could carry passengers from Buffalo to Detroit in a day and a half.

During World War II there were about 21 shipyards in various ports on the Great Lakes that had over 100 ships being built for the war effort.

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Volume 15, Issue 8, Posted 9:23 AM, 05.02.2023

Is your Bay Village home 100 years old?

Is your home more than 100 years old? If so, honor it's longevity and persistence with a century-home plaque from the Bay Village Historical Society. These beautiful black and gold plaques help commemorate Bay Village homes who have stood the test of time.

Cost is $125, which includes a one-year membership in the Bay Village Historical Society. For more information email info@bayhistorical.com or call 216-319-4634.

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Volume 15, Issue 8, Posted 9:27 AM, 05.02.2023

Historical Bay boat plans get new life

Hobbies are where unique aspects of a person’s character manifest themselves. Hobbies are pleasant escapes from the tensions of the work-a-day world and offer miniature worlds that absorb a person’s full attention. They often are a counterpoint to stresses of career and domestic issues.

Henry Wischmeyer’s hobby was designing small boats. The Osborn Center of the Bay Village Historical Society houses boat plans Henry drew before his death in 1959. These are not the quick sketches of a waterfront artist but rather drawings of small sailboats and rowing craft drafted the way a professional naval architect would draw up plans. Who was this man, why did he draw these boats and how did he learn the art of designing boats?

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Volume 15, Issue 7, Posted 8:15 AM, 04.18.2023

Dream mansion turned hospital: A history of Bay View

October 1948 marked the opening of the new Bay View Osteopathic General Hospital in the old estate of Washington Herbert Lawrence on Lake Road in Bay Village. It was a dream home of this early investor in the new field of electricity and president of The National Carbon Company, which manufactured, among many products, the first “D” cell battery.

Lawrence died in 1900, before the mansion was fully completed to house his seven daughters and their families.

In 1948, funds to buy the old mansion and turn it into a hospital were advanced by the Sheppard family, including new Bay View Hospital Chief of Staff Dr. Richard A. Sheppard and his two sons Dr. Richard N. Sheppard (senior surgeon and obstetrician) and Dr. Stephen A. Sheppard (director of hospital practices and urologist). A third son, Dr. Samuel H. Sheppard, who was a specialist in neuro-traumatic surgery, joined the staff later in 1951.

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Volume 15, Issue 6, Posted 9:20 AM, 04.04.2023

Window candles light up history

"There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of even one small candle" – Robert Alden

Placing a burning candle in one's window is a common tradition that dates back to colonial times. Candle light often evokes the warmth of home and family. The fireplace was the center of family life in days gone by, and thus the candle was generally lit from that fire.

The candle was often placed in the window when a member of the family was away. The lit candle was also placed in the window as a sign of good news or as a beacon to weary travelers. Candles also represented friendship and were seen as a sign of welcome to others.

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Volume 15, Issue 2, Posted 10:04 AM, 02.07.2023

Passenger ships on the Great Lakes

Some of the first immigrants to the Great Lakes were Irish men who came without families. They built railroads and canals, and they sent for their families once they earned enough money. Scandinavians came with families to settle and purchase land. Others came to work the copper mines and for lumber companies.

Immigrants entering the Great Lakes via Canada landed at Quebec or Montreal. Many immigrants came by canal boats. The American route through New York City and the Erie canal would take them to Oswego, Rochester or Buffalo where they would book passage on a ship west.

By the 1840s settlement was along the shores of the Great Lakes except for Lake Superior where west of the Sault they still had primarily trading posts. After copper and iron ore were discovered, more immigrants from Europe moved to Canada and America in droves, as political upheaval or crop failures occurred throughout Europe.

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Volume 15, Issue 1, Posted 9:54 AM, 01.17.2023

Santa pet photos return to Clague House Museum

Pet photos with "Santa Paws" return to the Clague House Museum on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 1-5 p.m. Reservations are requested; please call 216-848-0680 to make your appointment. A monetary donation of $10 is suggested. Donations benefit our Outreach programs.The museum is located at 1371 Clague Road.

For more than a decade our "Santa Paws" has been visiting all the adorable pets in Westlake and surrounding communities.

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Volume 14, Issue 22, Posted 10:07 AM, 11.15.2022

Mayor Clough is guest tour guide during Clague Museum open house

Please mark Sunday, Nov. 13, from 2-4 p.m. on your calendar. The Westlake Historical Society is pleased to have Westlake Mayor Dennis Clough as our guest tour guide at the Clague House Museum. He will be leading tours of the 146-year-old home originally built and owned by the Clague family!

In addition, we plan to have several Dover and Westlake High School yearbooks and senior class photos on display. Our year books date from the 1920s through 1977.

There is no charge to attend this event. The Clague House Museum is located at 1371 Clague Road in Westlake. All are welcome and refreshments will be served as we celebrate the fall season.

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Volume 14, Issue 21, Posted 10:11 AM, 11.01.2022

Anniversary of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks remembered

On the 21st anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Westlake Historical Society will again meet at the gravesite of Christina Ryook in Evergreen Cemetery. Members of our society have met there annually since 2004.

Lysa Stanton, Westlake Historical Society president, first became aware of Ms. Ryook’s grave while walking her dog at Evergreen Cemetery. Christina was in the World Trade Center when it was attacked.

Because Christina’s family sometimes travels to New York for commemorative observances, we always makes sure there is a local service on Sept. 11. When the Ryook family is in town, they and the Westlake Historical Society hold a joint service.

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Volume 14, Issue 17, Posted 9:57 AM, 09.07.2022

Fall yard sale supports Westlake history

What does Dr. George Lathrop have to do with the upcoming yard sale put on by The Westlake Historical Society?

Dr. George Lathrop was born in 1866 and passed away in 1929. Dr. Lathrop served the local residents of Dover as a physician for many years, and lived and worked from his home and office located just east of Dover Center and Center Ridge roads. Although the doctor has been gone for many years, his photo lives on!

The society is charged with preserving and sharing Westlake's rich history. This includes the acquisition of new artifacts, as well as the upkeep of existing precious items.

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Volume 14, Issue 17, Posted 9:57 AM, 09.07.2022

Bay Barber Shop owner donates to BVHS

For about 10 years Bob Howe, owner of the Bay Barber Shop in the Bay Square Shopping Center, has been purchasing two high school yearbooks per year: one for his shop, the second as a donation to the Bay Village Historical Society. Howe, right, is shown with society treasurer Eric Eakin, who accepted the donation on behalf of the society.

“We cannot thank Bob enough for thinking of us, each year, every year,” Eakin said. “He helps the society do what it does best: preserve local history for future generations.”

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Volume 14, Issue 11, Posted 10:09 AM, 06.07.2022

Westlake Historical Society announces Antique, Vintage & Craft Show

The Westlake Historical Society will host our 50th annual Antique, Vintage & Craft Show on Sunday, June 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This show originally started in the early 1970s, and has grown into one of the largest shows on Cleveland's west side.

The show is our major fundraiser of the year, and helps to cover the Clague House Museum expenses like utilities and insurance.

The Clague House Museum is located at 1371 Clague Road in Westlake. The outdoor event will include a variety of antique, vintage and craft vendors, a great food truck, and free guided tours of the historic Clague House Museum. Although we hope it is not needed, the rain date for the event is June 12.

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Volume 14, Issue 10, Posted 9:46 AM, 05.17.2022

Bay Village builds larger, modern library on Cahoon Road

This is the third in a series of articles on the history of the library in Bay Village, in celebration of the new Bay Village Branch Library that opened on April 30.

By the late 1970s, Bay Village had outgrown the library building at the corner of Dover Center Road and Wolf Road. A decision was made to construct a larger, more modern building.

A $1.2 million bond issue was approved by the voters of Bay Village on Nov. 7, 1978, for the design and construction of a new library. The Bay Village branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library at 502 Cahoon Road opened on April 5, 1981. The new building had 15,735 square feet of space and housed 70,000 volumes. The design received an award from the American Institute of Architects/Architects Society of Ohio in the fall of that year.

“The building was built in 1981 and renovated in 1997,” Bay Village Branch Manager Jessica Breslin noted. “At that time, the circulation department, entryways, computer and teen areas were modified significantly. There was a stage in the meeting room, which was removed during the renovation. The children’s play area was expanded and comfortable seating was added around 2012.”

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Volume 14, Issue 9, Posted 10:36 AM, 05.03.2022

Rapid post-war community growth prompted a library move

This is the second in a series of articles on the history of the library in Bay Village, in celebration of the opening of the new Bay Village Branch Library on April 30.

After World War II, Bay Village developed so rapidly that municipal, religious, educational, shopping and residential facilities became inadequate and a period of rapid construction began.

In addition to homes, churches and schools, a new Colonial-style shopping center, a professional building and a post office were built. The village government had many added duties, including increased police and fire protection, the building of new roads and the improving of water and sewage systems.

Since there were so many responsibilities to be met, the village adopted the charter form of government. In 1950, the Village of Bay became the City of Bay Village, the legal name required by Ohio law after a village has attained a population of 5,000 or more.

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Volume 14, Issue 8, Posted 9:28 AM, 04.19.2022

Cahoon Will established the first library in Bay Village

This is the first in a series of articles on the history of the library in Bay Village, in celebration of the opening of the new Bay Village Branch Library on April 30.

The first settler in Bay Village was Joseph Cahoon, whose youngest granddaughter, Ida Maria Cahoon, left the family estate to the city for a library.

The Cahoon family settled along the Indian trail, now Lake Road, in 1810. In 1818, their permanent home, called Rose Hill, was built where it now stands. The third son of Joseph Cahoon married Margaret Van Allen, and their 11 children were all successful, prominent citizens.

Three of their daughters – Lydia, Laura and Margaret – were teachers in the Cleveland school system, and a fourth daughter, Ida, was a writer of prominence in the field of poetry. So, it was natural for a family interested in education to foster learning by establishing a library.

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Volume 14, Issue 7, Posted 10:57 AM, 04.05.2022

Mr. Bunny returns to the Clague House Museum

You know it is Spring when Mr. Bunny returns to the Clague House Museum for pet photos.

Did you know that the Clague family were pet owners? Old pictures and family stories tell us they owned both dogs and cats, while living on the farm. Sophronia Clague was especially taken by both cats and dogs.

Many years ago, it was common to have pets working on family farms here in Dover, now Westlake. Although most of our beloved pets are not working on farms these days, they are still a big part of our families.

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Volume 14, Issue 7, Posted 10:52 AM, 04.05.2022