Lake County, Ohio may seem sleepy and pedestrian to many, a mix of small town, suburban and rural areas where life is relatively routine.
But every area has a history and Lake County’s is gathered in a new book called Hidden History of Lake County, published last month by The History Press, written by Lake County native Jennifer Boresz Engelking, a freelance broadcast and print journalist.
It reaches back in time to the county’s earliest days when early settlers from the east began to carve out homes, farms and roads in the heavily forested area. She tells the stories of people who gave their names to its towns and streets, of successful businesses — inns, shops, greenhouses, manufacturers — and barely remembered catastrophes such as the 1850 sinking of the steamship G.P. Griffith which killed hundreds of people off the shore of what’s now Willowick. It relates a happier, more nostalgic Willowick story in recalling Willoughbeach Amusement Park, which closed in 1926.
Much as its story parallels the story of Cuyahoga County’s Luna Park and longer-lived better-known Euclid Beach Park, Lake County also has similar stories of its role in the Underground Railroad and tunnels that hid escaped slaves prior to their crossing to Canada.
Many of the buildings whose history she relates still exist and have been repurposed, including structures at Lake Farmpark, although many exist only as historical markers — or simply anonymous locations. One chapter, “Unique Structures,” could provide an intriguing self-guided tour.
Other chapter cover such topics as “war heroes,” “notable residents,” “agriculture and industry,” “Schools and education” and “parks and recreation.” There are copious historical photos and illustrations. And yes, there’s a section on ghost stories, dubious lore and legends, including our favorite, “The Ghost Cat of Fairport Harbor Lighthouse.”
Find the book at a local independent bookstores or go to
bookshop.org/hidden-history-of-lake-county-ohio/.