Description: This image is an aerial view of Gibraltar Island (foreground) and South Bass Island State Park, both of which are among the Lake Erie Islands, near Sandusky, Ohio. The dominant landmark on South Bass Island is the Doric Column at Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, part of the National Park Service. The column stands 47 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. The image was submitted in the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07004
Subjects: American Revolution Bicentennial (1976); Gibraltar Island (Ohio); Put-in-Bay (Ohio); Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial (Put-in-Bay, Ohio); South Bass Island (Ohio); Lake Erie Islands (Ohio);
Places: Gibraltar Island (Ohio); Put-In-Bay (Ohio); South Bass Island (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio)
 

Description: Interior view of St. Pauls Church, Put-In-Bay, South Bass Island, Ohio. St Paul's' Episcopal Church was established in the fall of 1864. The building was built on land donated by Jay Cooke and was completed in October 1865. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05435
Subjects: Churches--Ohio; Multicultural Ohio--Religion in Ohio; Lake Erie; Historic Buildings--Ohio
Places: South Bass Island (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio)
 

Description: Aerial view of the southern end of the South Bass Island in Lake Erie, the location of South Bass Island Light lighthouse. South Bass Island Light was brought into service in 1897 and is considered to be the only lighthouse in the United States to be owned by a university - the Ohio State University. It was constructed on Parker Point on the southwest corner of the island to help mark the passage from Sandusky to Toledo. In 1962 the light was deactivated and the lens was transferred to the Lake Erie Island Historical Museum. The Ohio State University took the permanent possession of the lighthouse in 1997 and currently uses it to house researchers and staff, occasionally making it available for tours. The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 5, 1990. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07512
Subjects: Lighthouses--Ohio; Lake Erie Islands (Ohio); Erie, Lake, Coast (Ohio); Great Lakes (North America); National Register of Historic Places
Places: South Bass Island (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio); Lake Erie
 

Description: This is most likely Perry's Lookout, located on the southern tip of Gibraltar Island (which is a small island just offshore, to the north, of South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay, Ohio). Gibraltar Island became a lookout point for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry in the fight against the British during the War of 1812. Perry and his men defeated a fleet of British sailing vessels during the famous Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813. Jay Cooke (1821-1905), the region’s most notable citizen, bought the island from Pierpont Edwards in 1864 and immediately began construction of a 15 room Victorian-Gothic mansion (now known as Cooke Castle). The eastern tip of Gibraltar Island is Lookout Point. A small cannon was placed here in 1866, reputed to have been used by the hero, by Cooke as a monument to Perry's victory, and which saluted the Cooke family upon their annual arrival to Gibraltar. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F09_017_1
Subjects: Memorials--Ohio; Cannons; Perry, Oliver Hazard, 1785-1819; Cooke, Jay, 1821-1905
Places: Put-in-Bay Township (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio)
 

Description: This is most likely Perry's Lookout, located on the southern tip of Gibraltar Island (which is a small island just offshore, to the north, of South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay, Ohio). Gibraltar Island became a lookout point for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry in the fight against the British during the War of 1812. Perry and his men defeated a fleet of British sailing vessels during the famous Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813. Jay Cooke (1821-1905), the region’s most notable citizen, bought the island from Pierpont Edwards in 1864 and immediately began construction of a 15 room Victorian-Gothic mansion (now known as Cooke Castle). The eastern tip of Gibraltar Island is Lookout Point. A small cannon was placed here in 1866, reputed to have been used by the hero, by Cooke as a monument to Perry's victory, and which saluted the Cooke family upon their annual arrival to Gibraltar. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F09_022_1
Subjects: Memorials--Ohio; Cannons; Perry, Oliver Hazard, 1785-1819; Cooke, Jay, 1821-1905
Places: Put-in-Bay Township (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of the home of John Brown, Jr., in Put-in-Bay, Ohio. He was the eldest son of famous abolitionist John Brown, who was executed in 1859 for his attempted raid on the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia). John Brown, Jr., is thought to have been involved with his father's abolitionist activities in Kansas and Virginia, although he was not directly involved with the raid. Following the outbreak of the Civil War, he, fought for the Union Army under the Kansas Seventh Volunteer Cavalry. After resigning, he settled in Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie's South Bass Island, where he lived until his death in 1895. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: sc223_01
Subjects: John Brown's Raid, 1859; Abolitionists -- Ohio; Ohio History--Slavery, Anti-Slavery and Civil Rights; Ohio--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; Put-in-Bay (Ohio);
Places: Put-in-Bay (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio);
 

Description: Photograph of the home of John Brown, Jr., in Put-in-Bay, Ohio. He was the eldest son of famous abolitionist John Brown, who was executed in 1859 for his attempted raid on the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia). John Brown, Jr., is thought to have been involved with his father's abolitionist activities in Kansas and Virginia, although he was not directly involved with the raid. Following the outbreak of the Civil War, he, fought for the Union Army under the Kansas Seventh Volunteer Cavalry. After resigning, he settled in Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie's South Bass Island, where he lived until his death in 1895. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: sc223_02
Subjects: John Brown's Raid, 1859; Abolitionists -- Ohio; Ohio History--Slavery, Anti-Slavery and Civil Rights; Ohio--History--Civil War, 1861-1865; Put-in-Bay (Ohio);
Places: Put-in-Bay (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio);
 

Description: Facing the south shore, on Middle Bass Island, is the Lonz Winery. The winery was originally founded as the Golden Eagle in 1884 by George Wehrle, who carved a 14 foot deep wine cellar into the limestone. Due to a series of misfortunes and the onset of Prohibition, the winery was forced to close. In 1934, following the repeal of Prohibition, George Lonz designed the castle-like structure that was built above the original cellars. In 1941, the entire wooden structure of the winery was destroyed by fire, but rebuilt adding a copper dome which housed a telescope. The castle like structure is of brick and stone, with turrets and battlements measuring100 feet by 150 feet. The 2-story structure is a mason’s caprice; often a course of stone is broken by an inset or two or three of brick; a straight arch may be succeeded by one with a stringbone effect; and a brick inset is likely to have bricks laid flat, on edge and sideways. Inside the wine cellar are a number of chambers lined with vats holding from 1,500 to 2,000 gallons each. About 50,000 gallons of wine were made here annually (during the 1930s). The dry wines were Delaware, Riesling, Catawba and Claret; the sweet wines Port, Sherry, Tokay, Haut Sauterne and Muscatel; the sparkling wines, Burgundy and Champagne. The Silenium was the name given to the clubroom of the winery. The room, 40 feet square, was paneled in dark oak and had a flagstone floor, with heavy oak beams overhead. The chandeliers were made from the hoops of old wine casks. Sunlight filtered into the room through four windows whose designs show Bacchus and Pan capering among bacchantes and dryads. The bar was lighted through small panes of stained glass, and around the room were solid trestle tables of oak and smaller octagonal tables, with benches and chairs to match. The cellars were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. In July 2000, a terrace collapsed into the cellars, killing one and injuring many. Later that year, the land became property of the State of Ohio, with the intention of the site becoming a state park in order to preserve a piece of Ohio history on this beautiful island. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F09_008_1
Subjects: Wine and wine making--Ohio; Lonz Winery
Places: Put-in-Bay Township (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio)
 

Description: Facing the south shore, on Middle Bass Island, is the Lonz Winery. The winery was originally founded as the Golden Eagle in 1884 by George Wehrle, who carved a 14 foot deep wine cellar into the limestone. Due to a series of misfortunes and the onset of Prohibition, the winery was forced to close. In 1934, following the repeal of Prohibition, George Lonz designed the castle-like structure that was built above the original cellars. In 1941, the entire wooden structure of the winery was destroyed by fire, but rebuilt adding a copper dome which housed a telescope. The castle like structure is of brick and stone, with turrets and battlements measuring100 feet by 150 feet. The 2-story structure is a mason’s caprice; often a course of stone is broken by an inset or two or three of brick; a straight arch may be succeeded by one with a stringbone effect; and a brick inset is likely to have bricks laid flat, on edge and sideways. Inside the wine cellar are a number of chambers lined with vats holding from 1,500 to 2,000 gallons each. About 50,000 gallons of wine were made here annually (during the 1930s). The dry wines were Delaware, Riesling, Catawba and Claret; the sweet wines Port, Sherry, Tokay, Haut Sauterne and Muscatel; the sparkling wines, Burgundy and Champagne. The Silenium was the name given to the clubroom of the winery. The room, 40 feet square, was paneled in dark oak and had a flagstone floor, with heavy oak beams overhead. The chandeliers were made from the hoops of old wine casks. Sunlight filtered into the room through four windows whose designs show Bacchus and Pan capering among bacchantes and dryads. The bar was lighted through small panes of stained glass, and around the room were solid trestle tables of oak and smaller octagonal tables, with benches and chairs to match. The cellars were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. In July 2000, a terrace collapsed into the cellars, killing one and injuring many. Later that year, the land became property of the State of Ohio, with the intention of the site becoming a state park in order to preserve a piece of Ohio history on this beautiful island. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F09_007_1
Subjects: Wine and wine making--Ohio; Lonz Winery
Places: Put-in-Bay Township (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio)
 

Description: Marblehead Lighthouse in Marblehead, Ohio, United States, is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the United States side of the Great Lakes. It has guided sailors safely along the rocky shores of Marblehead Peninsula since 1822, and is an active aid to navigation. In 1819, the fifteenth U. S. Congress recognized the need for navigational aides along the Great Lakes, and set aside $5,000 for construction of a light tower at the entrance to Sandusky Bay. Contractor William Kelly built the 50 foot (15 m) tower of native limestone on the tip of the Marblehead Peninsula. The base of the tower is 25 feet (7.6 m) in diameter, with walls five feet (1.5 m) thick. It narrows to 12 feet (4 m) at the top with two-foot (0.6 m) thick walls. The turn of the century ushered in new technology as well as structural changes including the addition of another 15 feet (4.6 m) to the tower’s height. A clock-like mechanism was installed to rotate the lantern, creating the appearance of a brilliant flash of light every 10 seconds. This system required that the lighthouse keeper crank the weights every three hours through the night to keep the lantern turning. An improved Fresnel lens with prism surfaces created an even more brilliant beacon. An electric light finally replaced the kerosene lantern in 1923, dramatically increasing the intensity of the signal. During World War II, the lighthouse became strategically important for national defense. The last civilian lighthouse keeper resigned, and the United States Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the beacon in 1946. The beacon was automated in 1958. With its original finish tattered by time and harsh weather, the exterior of the lighthouse tower was given a fresh coat of new stucco the same year. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has maintained the property surrounding the lighthouse since 1972 and accepted ownership of the Marblehead Lighthouse tower in May 1998. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate and maintain the lighthouse beacon. Today’s 300 mm lens projects a green signal that flashes every six seconds and is visible for 11 nautical miles (20 km). The distinctive green distinguishes the lighthouse signal from white lights coming from air beacons. In 2001-2002 the state renovated the tower and keeper's house at a cost of $500,000. In 2004 the Fresnel lens was returned to the light station from the Marblehead Coast Guard Station, where it was previously on display. The Ottawa County Historical Society owns the original 1-story fieldstone keeper's house (3 miles (5 km) from the light on OH 163 in Marblehead. The lighthouse is now part of the 9 acre Marblehead Lighthouse State Park. The park features picnic tables and offers views of Lake Erie, Sandusky Bay, Kelleys Island and South Bass Island. The Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society operates the Marblehead Lighthouse Museum in the old keeper's house View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F09_035_1
Subjects: Lighthouses Ohio; Erie, Lake, Coast (Ohio); Marblehead Lighthouse (Ohio); National Register of Historic Places
Places: Marblehead (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows a narrow, gravel covered street lined with nearly identical white cabins. While this scene is typical of many found around the state, it was mostly taken near the Sandusky Bay area, as it was grouped with others from that area. The Lake Erie coast of Ottawa and Erie Counties, as well as the Lake Erie Islands are very popular for summer vacations and visiting tourists. South Bass Island and the village of Put-in-Bay has been called the "Key West of Lake Erie". View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F09_023_1
Subjects: Lake Erie Islands (Ohio); Tourism--Ohio; Cabins
Places: Ohio
 

Description: The Perry Memorial, located in Put-in-Bay (on South Bass Island), about 5 miles from the longest undefended border in the world. It was first dedicated September 10, 1913, at the centennial celebration of Perry’s victory at the Battle of Lake Erie, and symbolizes the peace that prevailed thereafter between the United States, Canada and Great Britain. The towering Milford granite shaft rises from a terraced plaza to a height of 352 feet and is the world's most massive Doric column. Beneath the stone floor of the monument lie the remains of three American officers and three British officers. The open air promenade at the top can accommodate 50 people. From it can be seen the green mass of Middle and North Bass Islands, the other islands of the archipelago, the Marblehead Peninsula, Cedar Point, the buildings of Sandusky, and Lake Erie. On clear days the shore lines of Michigan and Canada are visible. The memorial, which cost nearly $500,000, was erected under the joint sponsorship of the Federal Government and the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois. Although substantially completed in 1915, funding problems prevented the proper completion of a fully realized memorial complex. In 1919 the federal government assumed control of the monument and provided additional funding. The official dedication was celebrated on July 31, 1931. On September 11, 1938, the monument and the 14-acre park surrounding it were dedicated as a National Park by Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes. In 2002, 2.4 million dollars was spent on a new visitor center. Established as Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial National Monument by Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 2, 1936 (Proclamation No. 2182); redesignated a National Memorial and renamed on October 26, 1972. As with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service, the memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. It is the only peace memorial within the National Park Service. The Memorial had been closed for most of the summer of 2006 after a 500 pound (230 kg) piece of granite broke off the southeast face of the observation deck, falling 315 feet (96 m) and leaving a crater in the plaza in June. No one was injured. Following a structural assessment that deemed it safe for visitors, the memorial reopened on August 26, 2006, with a fence surrounding it. The monument closed on September 30, 2009 for 2 years. Renovations will be done in 3 phases, with the observation deck first, then the column, then the entrance and rotunda receiving attention. The repairs to the observation deck are estimated at $7,000,000. Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819) was in command of a flotilla at Newport, Rhode Island, when the War of 1812 broke out. In March of the following year he was given command on Lake Erie. By summer he sailed with a squadron built for him at Erie, Pennsylvania, put in at the harbor of South Bass Island (whence the name, Put-In-Bay), and awaited the coming of the British vessels for an anticipated encounter. Sighting them on the morning of September 10, Perry sailed northwest towards the Sister Islands. The Americans had 54 guns and two swivels; the British had 63 guns, 4 howitzers and two swivels. About noon Perry’s flagship, the Lawrence, was fired upon, and bore the brunt of the attack because the other ships were becalmed at a distance. Her guns pounded into silence, the Lawrence was abandoned, and Perry and his men rowed to the Niagara. In the meantime his other ships had come up, and the Americans swooped down upon the English warships. Maneuvering the Niagara between four of the enemy’s boats, the Americans poured broadsides at close range into time; and at 3 o’clock in the afternoon the British flagship Detroit lowered her flag, signaling surrender. Perry’s laconic message to General William Henry Harrison was: ‘Dear General – We have met the enemy, and they are ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop. Yours with great respect and esteem, O. H. Perry.’ Perry’s victory gave the Americans control of Lake Erie and enabled Harrison to invade Canada, the latter’s success at the Battle of the Thames ending the War of 1812 in the Northwest. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F09_016_1
Subjects: Monuments & memorials--United States--1900-1940; Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial (Put-in-Bay, Ohio); Perry, Oliver Hazard, 1785-1819; National Park Service (U.S.); National Register of Historic Places
Places: Put-in-Bay Township (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio)