VILLAGE OF VENICE 1816-1963Located at the intersection of Routes 2 and 6 with Route 99 in the community of Venice, which is now a part of Sandusky.
Side A – The first Venice flour mill was built on this site in 1811. Russell Heywood from Buffalo bought the mill in 1831 and rebuilt it in 1833. Fed by water from underground springs, the mill was in almost constant operation. Farmers from throughout northern Ohio and southern Michigan brought their grain to Venice for processing. Venice flour was an important staple for pioneers settling the Midwest. A six hundred foot pier on Sandusky Bay allowed cargo vessels to load flour for transport. By 1875, demand led to day and night shifts at the mill. After 122 years, the mill closed in 1945. The building was razed in 1962.
Side B – Venice was laid out in 1816 by Maj. Fred Falley. By 1818, it was the largest village west of Cleveland. Venice took part in the region’s wine industry. The Steuk family’s vineyards were planted in 1865, with the Dora family beginning grape production in 1869. The Mantey Winery opened in 1880, and operates today as Firelands Winery. Of several communities of faith established in Venice; one remains. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church began as a mission of Zion Lutheran, Sandusky. Zion finished the “Venice Chapel” in 1914. Trinity Church was organized in 1926. The Village of Venice was annexed into Sandusky in 1963.
