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Ottawa County Time Traveler Eastern Ottawa County Past & Present February 2020
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The picture above shows that our namesake, Ida K. Rupp, held library card number 259. One of several log books from the early years of what was then known as the Port Clinton Library, this particular log starts in March of 1913. Although the first page starts with card #1, it appears that this volume was re-written as there are several pages missing at the very front. The log continues through 1926 when, as of June, there had been 2,805 library cards issued! Occasionally, someone would make a notation as to how many active card members there were. For example as of July 1, 1922 there were "1,714 cards in library" out of 1,815 that had been issued. In comparison, we currently have 10,922 active card members across our three locations. My, how we have grown! |
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The Blizzard of 1978 Thursday Feb 13th, 6:00 pm Ida Rupp Public Library "Between Jan. 26 and 29, 1978, 12 inches of snow fell on the towns of northwest Ohio. Winds gusted at 60 miles per hour, and the temperature dropped to around 11 degrees. The storm caught many residents off guard. The night before it started many people thought of the incoming storm as just another winter disturbance. But this was not a typical storm. Uses firsthand accounts, home movies and archival photographs." Join us to watch the WBGU-TV documentary The Blizzard of '78. Peggy Debien from the Ottawa County Historical Museum will be here to present the documentary and take questions.
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Danbury Township Schools Thursday Feb 27th, 6:30 pm Marblehead Peninsula Branch Library Maryanne Laubner is a local resident, historian, and the author of 'Ohio Danbury Township Schools: A History'. Mrs. Laubner will share her knowledge of the timeline of our local school district.
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Submitted by Linda Higgins, Friends of the Ida Rupp Public Library Prior to Port Clinton’s settlement, Native American communities flourished here, utilizing the bountiful land and water resources. The successful outcome of the War of 1812 powerfully impacted the new nation’s development and established the importance of this area to the expanding country. Our town grew steadily during the early nineteenth century, and those who settled here (some of whom were among the last members of the local tribes) built a solid foundation for what eventually became the Ottawa County seat. Many descendants of these early settlers remain, and they continue to support Port Clinton to this day. Located on the southwestern shores of the most shallow of the Great Lakes, the area seemed a perfect spot for a major waterway/port. Although shipbuilding and commercial fishing were productive industries, the lack of direct access to larger waterways and ports prevented the development of a major shipping port. In fact, this town’s name resulted from an outsider’s unsuccessful attempt to establish a canal as a shipping thoroughfare, to begin at our waterfront location. DeWitt Clinton was a New York politician whose career included productive terms as a state senator, New York City mayor and governor of New York, as well as a run as a candidate for the U. S. presidency against James Madison, our fourth president. Ever actively involved with ideas for moving his state and our country forward, he devised plans for a transportation route via canal from the head of the Portage River to the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers system. This route would afford a means of conveying products from the east to the fast-growing west and the bountiful natural material of this locale to the east for marketing. Unfortunately, larger cities, such as Cleveland and Buffalo, were able to usurp the plan's resources and the Erie Canal was completed in 1825—not in Ohio, but in New York. This major canal was an immensely successful endeavor and an example for similar projects throughout the nation (including the Ohio and Erie Canal, completed in 1832), especially important because the steamboat was now a viable entity and the railroad system was still short of becoming a reality. Meanwhile, Ezekiel S. Haines of Cincinnati had bought the land that is now Port Clinton and had it platted in 1827, hoping to have the shoreline here designated as the mouth of a canal running to Cincinnati. He was most impressed with the work of DeWitt Clinton, regardless of the canal’s fate here, and Haines named the plat here in honor of the Governor, dedicating it on June 16, 1828. It was formally recorded as such on August 17, 1831. Port Clinton, our solid, if sometimes feisty, community, went on to become a successful commercial-fishing location, to field many a whiskey-runner between town and the islands and Canada during Prohibition, and to develop a thriving tourism industry in this desirable location on our beautiful Lake Erie.
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Submitted by Lorrie Halblaub, Friends of the Marblehead Peninsula Branch Library This lovely sentinel, one of the most photographed and favored subject for artists, has been safely guiding Lake Erie mariners for nearly 200 years. After the war of 1812, the Marblehead Peninsula was open for settlers and its fine location drew the attention of the 15th Congress of the United States of America, which authorized the building of a navigation light on the eastern point of the peninsula. In August of 1821, the U.S. government purchased three acres of land for $227.45 from the heirs of Epaphroditus Bull, an early settler. The location chosen for the light was known as Rocky Point and is said to be the roughest point with the biggest waves on all of Lake Erie. The government hired William Kelly, a Sandusky mason, to build the light from native limestone quarried on the peninsula. The building began in September 1821 and was completed in two months, at a cost of $6,250. Commissioned in 1822, the lighthouse became operational and the white light was visible for 12 miles. It was originally called the Sandusky Bay Light Station, then in 1870 it was renamed the Marblehead Lighthouse. The light rests securely upon solid natural limestone, millions of years old, with no man-made pilings, riprap or boulders. With more 250 miles of unobstructed water across Lake Erie to Buffalo, storms known as Nor’easters pack a wicked punch, sending spray to windows at the top of the 50 foot structure. Today, the Marblehead Lighthouse is oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the Great Lakes. The first keeper of the light was early settler Benajah Wolcott. The lighthouse also has the designation of having the first female light keeper on the Great Lakes, Rachel Wolcott who took over her husband’s duties after he died of cholera in 1832. A total of sixteen keepers kept the light going from 1822-1946. In 1923, electricity replaced the oil and the visibility increased to 26 miles. The U.S. Coast Guard took over the light in 1946. In 1969 the present light was installed. It is green to distinguish it from air beacons and is visible for 7 miles. In 1998 the lighthouse grounds became an Ohio State Park. The Marblehead Lighthouse and a museum in the keeper’s house are both open in season, drawing millions of tourists to our area. The Marblehead Lighthouse, a recognized symbol for the State of Ohio, will celebrate its Bicentennial in 2021-2022.
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Submitted by Sue Duff, Erie Islands Library Many years ago, when a gentleman named Lee Miller owned the Miller Boat Line, known at that time as Miller Boat Livery, the boats quit in November and started up in April, usually around the 16th. All the island people knew that was the end. No extended schedules like recent years. It was, and still is, critical to know the ferry schedule for stocking up on groceries and winter supplies. Also your car had to be off the island if you wanted it at the airport for use during the winter. Christmas presents had already been purchased. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners were in the freezers. Everything you needed for the winter was here. After Valentine’s Day, you started looking forward to the ferries starting up again. It’s interesting to observe the anticipation as the season draws to a close. Should I get my car off? Should I finish up grocery shopping? Should I bring over gasoline for vehicles or fill our propane tanks for the cold days ahead? These are only some of the thoughts going through people’s minds. Nowadays, the boats run much longer. The Market Family, especially Billy Market, decided some time ago to keep running until the lake got icy or unsafe for passage. The island people love that decision! It’s nice to have November, December, and sometimes January, to finish up appointments, to winter shop, to take vacations, and to visit family on the mainland. It is anticipated that the ferry will start running again when the ice has melted on the lake and all the dock work on the Miller Catawba Dock is completed. (Hopefully, by the scheduled start date in March.) This year Miller Boat Line finally ended their season on January 15 when the last ferry sailed into the winter docks downtown in the bay. There was a small fireworks display to salute the end of a successful season. The boats will sit at their winter location until spring. When the boats start up again island people look forward to seeing their cottage neighbors return, to going mainland shopping, and to being able to come and go easily. For now, the airlines are our only form of transportation with their spectacular views from above. |
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Ida Rupp Public Library
281 Concord Ave. 310 Madison St. 710 W. Main St. Put-in-Bay, Ohio Port Clinton, Ohio Marblehead, Ohio (419) 285-4004 (419) 732-3212 (419) 798-0477 www.idarupp.org
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