Ashtabula County’s front yard: Lake Erie

I have just returned from our family’s annual Holden Beach vacation where we have enjoyed 18 summers together in a beachfront condo owned by a family member. It has been 18 years of watching the grandchildren grow and mature and sharing precious time together. I thought perhaps I should bow out of going and allow them to invite their friends. I offered to stay home so they could. How it warmed my heart to hear them say they were not going without me!
In spite of knee problems and normal aging difficulties, I went and was still able to manage the four sets of stairs to our condo on the top floor without an elevator.
I love sitting on the balcony first thing each morning with my Bible and coffee while listening to the sea breeze and watching the white-capped waves pound the shore. It is like a little bit of heaven and that beautiful praise song comes to mind, “Behold Our God.” How can anyone look out over the water and not believe those lines… “Who has held the oceans in His hands, who has numbered every grain of sand, kings and nations tremble at his voice, all creation rises to rejoice.”?
Ashtabula County folks have had their share of favorite spots each summer for camping, fishing, boating and relaxation at Lake Erie since it is so close to home. In early times, folks took their vacation or weekends close by because of cost, transportation and the demand of responsibilities at home. Farm families and business owners were looking for a break that did not take them far.
In Austinburg Township along the Grand River, Orlando Payne developed Cold Springs Camp in the late 1800s. Ever wonder why the camp was called Cold Springs? The name came from two large springs of cold water about 30 feet from the river bank at normal tide. Payne built a dock, dance hall, store and refreshment stand opened for the summer. Fishing was a big draw and Payne offered bait, tackle and a small fleet of skiffs for rent. In 1901, George Mason and his son built a small steam launch named the Geneva. It was about 30 feet long and had rows of seats covered by a bright canopy. Leaving from the Cold Springs Camp, the little sightseeing boat would meander the nine miles of the Grand River and back to the delight of vacationers.
In 1920, The Cleveland Girls Council purchased the camp area for their group and offered camping in tents. The camp later became known as Camp Yakewi, meaning “home at the bend of the river.” It was used by the UWCA, Camp Fire Girls and Girls Scouts.
The first public resort in Ashtabula County was known as Sturgeon’s Point and opened on July 4, 1869, on the Warner Farm in the middle of present-day Geneva-on-the-Lake, off North Warner Drive. The area had been known for the large sturgeon fish caught there. As the area developed, local folks began bringing their tents to camp in the fields.
Seeing a great opportunity, W.E. Spencer opened his home for boarders and named it “Rose Cottage.” Soon you could hear the sound of saws and hammers as other folks caught on and a cottage boon began in the area known as Mapleton Beach.
Development began to the west bordering Cowles Creek and soon Chestnut Grove was offering a picnic and camping grove. A calm inland lake was formed there for boating and fishing by creating a dam at the mouth of the creek.
Conneaut Township drew summer visitors to its lakeside and an area was cleared and improved as early as 1879 by private investors who saw a future for the area for those wanting to enjoy Lake Erie. O. W. Germond was the earliest host. Eventually, a nice hotel was built as well as other attractions. Lakeview Park was located at Erie and Sandusky Streets. There was a bath house with a flight of stairs leading down to the beach. It was not a camping resort, but just to the west of the park cottages began to be built for miles along the shoreline.
Hotel Van Gibbs, located along Conneaut’s lakefront, provided vacationers with rooms and dining facilities. It was destroyed by fire in 1935.
Conneaut Township also offered a summer colony that became known as Tarry-A-While and extending along the shoreline filled with summer visitors looking for ready accommodations allowing them to take advantage of all Lake Erie had to offer.
Whitman’s Creek was just west of Tarry-A-While. The creek ran down to the lake and at the mouth of the creek piers had been constructed in the late 1800s. This created a small harbor which was used by fishing boats. The piers also help form a wide and attractive beach which was lined with shade trees. The area was mostly used by picnickers, fishermen and boaters but never developed by cottages. It was most identified by an early Whitman’s Covered Bridge which can be found in vintage postcards. My husband’s grandparents, Laddie and Mary Brake Kubicek, of New Lyme, loved to picnic at this spot 100 years ago!
A lesser-known camp located west of Whitman’s creek was called Camp Whitney, borne out of a health need. The camp was for children with tuberculosis. Established in 1921 by the Ashtabula Health League at the urging of county health commissioners, the camp’s purpose was to help undernourished children attending rural schools. It was located on the banks of Lake Erie on Miss Julia Harmon’s property and 30 children, ages 6-10, were given a ten weeks’ outing. The demand was so great the second year, the season was divided into five-week sessions and 60 children were accommodated. The children were encouraged to eat all they wanted and drink as much milk as possible. In all, they consumed 60-75 quarts a day and showed an average of 5-6 pounds in five weeks.
It is interesting that over the years, there have been food fads and food scares, one of them being that pure whole milk was not good for your health. Anyone reared on a farm knew this was a fallacy. We now have pure whole milk on the farm and not only is it nutritious and delicious, it is true you can gain 5-6 pounds in five weeks!
We are blessed to have a vacation spot right in our front yard…Lake Erie. Next week we will explore more of our early resort and fun in the sun spots along our shore line.