KELLEYS ISLAND
THE KELLEYS ISLAND HISTORY MUSEUM
224 Division Street, Kelleys Island Ohio
www.KelleysIslandHistorical.org
(419) 746-2399
[email protected]
Facebook: Kelleys Island History Museum
History Blog
The Museum, the Old Stone Church and its Parsonage are owned and operated by the Kelleys Island Historical Association, the museum is located just a short, pleasant walk from downtown. Documents from the 1700’s, artifacts from the 1800’s, fossils and Native American artifacts are featured in the museum. Along with permanent displays, there is a new featured display each year.
The entire island is on the National Register of Historic Places, making it a great place to explore.
Photo – Leslie Korenko
Photo – Leslie Korenko
Photo-Leslie Korenko
The Church was built in 1866 and the Parsonage in 1888.
And while you are here – We have two incredible archeological treasures
The Glacial Grooves and Inscription Rock
The Glacial Grooves https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/museum-and-site-locator/glacial-grooves
Inscription Rock https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/museum-and-site-locator/inscription-rock-petroglyphs
WALKING TOURS Use these links to find out more about Kelleys Island and its extraordinary history.
Walking Tour Part 1 – This is a video slideshow featuring 18 historic buildings and houses along E. Lakeshore Drive from the ferry dock to downtown. It is easily viewable online or on your phone or tablet. As you are walking along the lakeshore road, you can pause the video and read the text while comparing the new and old photos. Along this road you will find a house that was once a 50-room hotel and discover what happened to the 102-room hotel that was located right downtown.
Walking Tour Part 2 – Part 2 of the walking tour takes you from the heart of the Island, the downtown, part way down Division Street to the History Museum of the Kelleys Island Historical Assoc. Along the way you will discover the history of some of the oldest businesses on the Island, learn about three churches, and find out which house was once a gas station.
Cemetery Tour – Discover some of the oldest and more interesting monuments in the Island’s cemetery. It was established in 1854.
Kelleys Island & the Civil War – The soldiers of Kelleys Island tell their own stories about life during the Civil War. 100 of the 600 residents of this small island became soldiers and their stories can be found in Kelleys Island 1862-1865 – The Civil War, the Island Soldiers & the Island Queen.
Tour the Kelleys Island History Museum – A little about the group’s history and a tour of the museum.
BOOKS
Kelleys Island, An Island Story, Claudia M. Brown, Kelleys Cove Inc., 2007.
A History of Kelleys Island, Ohio, The Toledo Printing Company, Norman E. Hills, Toledo, Ohio, 1925.
A History and Some Tales of Kelleys Island Ohio, T.S. Denison and Company, Minneapolis, Jessie A. Martin, 1975.
Kelleys Island, John T. Sabol, Arcadia Publishing, 2013.
Kelleys Island: A Tour Guide, Kelley’s Island Historical Society, 1992.
The following books present an intimate and nicely detailed look at life on the Island, taken from first-hand accounts, written by the Islanders themselves.
Kelleys Island: 1810-1861 The Courageous, Poignant and Often Quirky Lives of Island Pioneers, The Wine Press, Leslie Korenko, 2010.
Kelleys Island: 1862-1865 The Civil War, the Island Soldiers, and the Island Queen, The Wine Press, Leslie Korenko, 2010.
Kelleys Island: 1866-1871 The Lodge, Suffrage, and Baseball, The Wine Press, Leslie Korenko, 2012.
Kelleys Island: 1872-1876 The Hotels, The Telegraph, and the Lime Company, The Wine Press, Leslie Korenko, 2013.
Kelleys Island: 1877-1882 The Great Grooves and A Mysterious Disappearance, The Wine Press, Leslie Korenko, 2015.
Kelleys Island: 1883-1893 The final Chapter, The Wine Press, Leslie Korenko, 2016
OLD MAPS show the location and ownership of the Island lots.
