The Wischmeyers' backyard playground
The Wischmeyer family that built a hotel on our lake shore at the Glen Park Creek and Lake Road really enjoyed Lake Erie. They used the lake every day for swimming, fishing and boating. They offered their summer guests rides in their motor-boat and sails on their sail boat. They took them fishing in their rowboats. They fished for food for their guests.
Above the lake on a point overlooking Glen Park Creek, they made an observation deck with benches. Guests were invited to watch the sunrise or sunset while sitting on the benches enjoying the cool lake breezes. Life was good.
The Wischmeyer family first settled in Dover Township in 1872. They tilled their fields and put in grape vineyards, built a wine cellar for the wine they made and sold, built a hotel for their overnight guests, a card and dance pavilion, and boat house. Then they welcomed travelers and city families to the lake for their summer vacation.
The Wischmeyer family loved to take pictures. The Osborn Learning Center has many pictures of the family enjoying the water with their guests in their backyard playground.
Here are some pictures of their beach and grounds. If you were out in a boat, and looked back at the hotel, this was the view over the years. All this is gone today.
Luckily we have pictures to show us how it was back in the day.