Westlake Historical Society seeks new acquisitions

Avon Dover Lakewood

How many of you remember these old fashioned sounds?

The “woooosh” of a rotary dial telephone; the clackity clack of a manual typewriter; the sound of the shutter on an old 35mm camera; the tick of the sprocket on a film projector. All of these now seldom-heard sounds inspire memories of days gone by and gadgets that have largely been replaced. 

We may remember many of these items, but younger generations will most likely not know anything about them. These products are not only a part of American history, they are a part of our local history.

Part of our mission at The Westlake Historical Society is to not only preserve the history of old Dover, but also to collect and remember some of the more recent items that made up our past here in Westlake.

Some of our latest acquisitions include a beautiful old baby crib from the late 1800s, an old Avon-Dover-Lakewood bus schedule from 1914, classic sheet music from the 1920s and a key fob and postcards from the local Schnieder’s Tourist Park. 

Memorabilia from Westlake’s more recent past include a postcard of Schluter’s on Center Ridge Road and a matchbox from the old Panorama restaurant located at Clague and Detroit roads.

Although some artifacts may seem somewhat insignificant, each provides a small glimpse into how that person, place or item contributed to our daily life during a certain time period.

Memorabilia is acquired either by donation from local or former residents, and by the donation of funds from individual donors to purchase  artifacts. Memorabilia can be larger items such as furniture or mechanical devices, or it can be smaller like photos, books, letters, articles and old ads.

If you have any old memories of Dover or Westlake you would like to share, please contact the Westlake Historical Society at 440-808 1961 or westlakehistory@yahoo.com, or visit us online at www.westlakeohiohistory.org.