PORT CLINTON & PARTS OF OTTAWA COUNTY
OTTAWA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
P. O. Box 385 Port Clinton, OH 43452
Email: [email protected]
Website: ottawacountyhistory.org
Facebook: Ottawa County Historical Society
Created in 1963 to preserve and celebrate the history of Ottawa County, Ohio.
THE LIGHT KEEPERS HOUSE
9999 E. Bayshore Rd., Marblehead, Oh
Website: The (Lighthouse) Keepers House
Facebook: Ottawa County Museum
The Wolcott Keeper’s House, at , is the oldest surviving home in Ottawa County. This house was built in 1822 by the keeper of the nearby Marblehead Lighthouse, Benajah Wolcott. A second Keeper’s House is located next to the lighthouse. The house is a “hall and parlor” design, common to the Ohio frontier. During the War of 1812 skirmishes with Shawnee Indians took place near the house. The house is owned and operated by Danbury Township. During the summer season, the Ottawa County Historical Society provides docent-led tours.
The house itself is an example of early vernacular architecture at its best and is a rare intact example of colonial hall and parlor design. The limestone building material was quarried on site, the heavy timber support beams both in the foundation and above are hand-hewn chestnut, oak and walnut and were no doubt harvested on site or nearby. The principal support beam under the house measures 13” x 9” x 43’, and is one solid piece of white oak of over 38 cubic feet mass. The “ridge pole” above the ceiling is 12” x 12” x 43’ of solid black walnut. The subsidiary supports in the roof and below are local cedar with the bark still on them. The new cedar shingled roof was installed over original existing wooden plates of immense width which are clearly visible today from the loft area. Original interior woodwork, window seats, six over six window configuration and fireplace and mantle all evidence Federal design.
The generations that lived in the house after Wolcott’s death in 1832 apparently had an appreciation for the significance of the structure for few changes have been made.
OTTAWA COUNTY HISTORY MUSEUM
The Ottawa County Museum is owned and operated by the Port Clinton Area Heritage Foundation. Established in 1979 as a non-profit corporation, the Foundation’s mission is to preserve and protect records pertinent to the development of the County, to provide education and information, and to create a lasting memory for future generations to study. The collection includes items from the original Port Clinton 1930s museum.
In 1782 George Washington created the Badge of Military Merit and was the first American military decoration for enlisted men to honor ‘instances of unusual gallantry…extraordinary fidelity and essential service.” The Badge was revived in 1932 as the modern-day Purple Heart. A Purple Heart Trail was started by Virginia in 1992 and now extends across the country with hundreds of entities carrying Purple Heart designations, including cities, counties, universities and roads.
LIBERTY AVIATION MUSEUM
3515 E. State Street, Port Clinton
(419) 732-0234
www.libertyaviationmuseum.org
Facebook: Liberty Aviation Museum
[email protected]
Opened in 2012, the Liberty Aviation Museum showcases a number of operational, historical aircraft and vehicles, including “Georgie’s Gal,” a World War II B-25 Mitchell bomber, a U.S. Navy WWII TBM Avenger, a PT boat, and more. The museum is currently restoring a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor aircraft. The unique history of the Ford Tri-Motor and its role in the history of the Lake Erie Islands is featured in several exhibits. The new hangar expansion is now open . Hangar 2, the boathouse, and the WWII gallery are located a short walk or drive from our main building.
THE TIN GOOSE DINER
3515 E. State Road, Port Clinton OH 43452
419-732-0236
Facebook: Tin Goose Diner
www.tingoosediner.com
Not to be missed, an original vintage 1950s diner, The Tin Goose Diner.
THE IDA RUPP LIBRARY
310 Madison St.
Port Clinton OH 43452
419-732-3212
https://www.idarupp.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IdaRupp/
Not just a library, but a great resources for Genealogy and Local History which overlaps Erie Co.’s Kelleys Island area.
Location information on these historic markers, and others in Ottawa County, go to RemarkableOhio.org.
This photo is of a marker in the State Park on Catawba Island.
The Northwestern Boundary of the Firelands is particularly relevant because Danbury Township was in the Firelands and Huron County from 1809 until 1838 and of Erie County from 1838 to 1840.