Westlake Bicentennial

The city of Westlake and the Westlake Historical Society held a special ceremony Sept. 15 at Evergreen Cemetery to unveil the a historical marker commemorating the city’s first settler, Leverett Johnson, and his donation of land for the cemetery.

Johnson was one of the first to arrive in the part of Dover Township that is now Bay Village on October 10, 1810. In 1811, he was the first to clear land in now-Westlake, and built a log cabin for his new bride, Abigail Cahoon, at the present intersection of Porter and Center Ridge roads. Theirs was the first marriage in Dover.

Johnson served as an early township Justice of the Peace, treasurer and trustee, and was a five-term Ohio legislator. He died of pneumonia in 1856, at age 61. He and Abigail, along with many members of Westlake’s founding families, are buried at Evergreen Cemetery.

In celebration of the city’s Bicentennial this year, an Ohio Historical Marker was commissioned to recognize Johnson’s contribution to the community. The impressive plaque stands near Johnson’s final resting place in Evergreen.

The Westlake Bicentennial Poetry Contest is off and running! Contest entry forms are now available at every Westlake school and at Porter Library.

This contest is designed to celebrate the 200th birthday of Westlake with poems commemorating any aspect of the city the writer chooses to feature. It’s open to all Westlake students 18 and under. Prizes will be awarded in three age groupings.

As the last leaves fall to the ground and the slate of Westlake’s Bicentennial events comes to a close, so ends what can be considered a two-year celebration of the founding of Dover. Two cities that were once one township honored their past in different ways, with Bay Village orchestrating one memorable weekend on Oct. 9-10, 2010, and Westlake filling the 2011 calendar year with enjoyable events across the city.

Although the two have forged different paths since the 1901 split, shared ancestry is a tie that binds. The lineages of pioneer families form a common thread that weaves throughout the record books, cemeteries, streets and historic homes of Bay and Westlake. Names like Cahoon, Johnson, Porter, Crocker, Bassett and Smith are among those often repeated in the histories of our two proud communities.

The city of Westlake held a New Year’s celebration at Crocker Park on Dec. 31 to officially start its Bicentennial year. The family-friendly event included a juggler, musicians, games and a live simulcast with sister city Tralee, Ireland.

The festivities were aided by unseasonably warm weather and concluded with a ball drop and fireworks display.

Click here to view a photo gallery of the evening.

If you want to sample some of the best food Westlake has to offer, your wait is over. Mark your calendar for Saturday Nov. 12, for Mayor Clough’s Culinary Bicentennial Ball at La Centre. All proceeds for this charity event are earmarked for the Bicentennial Dedication.

Mayor Dennis Clough has entrusted co-chairs Steve Novak, Jackie Todd and staff to put together a spectacular event that will culminate the yearlong celebration of Westlake’s history.

The sound of ringing bells can be heard throughout history, and Westlake’s past is no exception. Church bells, wedding bells and school bells have been ringing through the streets since the Dover Township days.

As part of this year’s Bicentennial celebration, the Westlake Historical Society is asking members of the community to ring a bell for history. The society plans to ring an old Dover fire truck bell 200 times, once for each year of Westlake’s history, during the Founders’ Path dedication ceremony at Clague Memorial Park Oct. 22.

Businesses, churches and individuals of all ages are invited to ring a bell for a year that has significance for them. Year requests have already started coming in. Westlake Kiwanis president Rick Grane will ring the bell for the year 1954, his birth year; Carole Roske, president of the Bay Village Historical Society, will ring for 1901, signifying the year Bay split off from Dover Township; Westlake Historical Society president Lysa Stanton will ring for 2003, the year she moved to Westlake; and Tara Wendell will mark the year the Westlake | Bay Village Observer started by ringing for 2008.

Several months ago, Greg Lassen was contemplating a Westlake Bicentennial program tentatively titled, Then and Now. Since he has created and follows his own food storage plan and has experience in gardening, it was a natural consideration to look at the differences of 1811 and 2011.

How similar yesteryear is to today in many respects – from growing and harvesting vegetables, fruits and grains with storage in cellars and spring houses to the same growing season, albeit refined with modernized tools. But the spirit of provident living remains the same – using the earth’s resources wisely and not wastefully and preparing for emergencies.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. and Mrs. Roger Cooley at their home in Westlake. I wanted them to share the story of Roger's "Uncle George" so I could pass it along to our readers.

George Cooley, affectionately called "Uncle George," was born in 1861. He was raised on a farm on Dover Center Road at corner of Hilliard Boulevard. After attending school in Dover, George went on to Ohio Northern University. George came back to Dover to teach for ten years.

He taught at the Osborn School, located in what is now Bay Village, then taught as well in the old Red Brick School on Dover Center Road. George Cooley was a builder and would build many of the homes and barns in and around present-day Westlake. He was also the contractor for the water tower at Huntington Park. At the turn of the century, when Cooley became a contractor, he became very interested in road building, as well.

The city of Westlake and the Westlake Historical Society are offering a limited quantity of Bicentennial T-shirts. These stylish, high-quality shirts display our Bicentennial logo on the front – and they are only $12 each!  

Here is your opportunity to purchase the official Westlake Bicentennial T-shirt. The shirt is available in normal adult sizes, and can be purchased at Westlake City Hall, the Rec Center, the Westlake Community Center, and the Clague House Museum. For more information, please contact city hall at 440-871-3300, or the Westlake Historical Society at 440-721-1201.

In preparation for the Dec. 31 kickoff of Westlake's Bicenntennial year, workers at the city's service garage constructed a lighted ball to be used at the Crocker Park event. Over a two-week period, workers built the ball, comprised of over 1200 incandescent and LED lights, that will be the highlight of the Family Fun Evening.

On Dec. 22, a dry-run of the ball drop was conducted at the service garage to fine-tune the lighting sequence and time the rate of the drop.

The festivities, including face painting, noisemakers live music and entertainment, will start at 6:15 p.m., with the ball drop at 7:00 p.m., followed by a fireworks display. The event will be simulcast with Westlake's sister city, Tralee, Ireland, where it will be midnight. Dignitaries of Tralee will do the 30-second countdown to the ball's drop.

The city of Westlake invites the community to a special Bicentennial event: the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the government officials of Dover-Westlake, past and present, in a Nov. 3 ceremony at 7:30 p.m. in the City Hall rotunda. Light refreshments will be served.

If you or someone you know served on Council, as a trustee, clerk or mayor, please contact Denise Rosenbaum, Clerk of Council, at 440-617-4053 or drosenbaum@cityofwestlake.org.

In celebration of the its 200th birthday, the city of Westlake is offering a historical-themed trolley tour on Thursday, Sept. 15. The tour, led by Will Krause of the city’s planning department, includes a narrated ride past some of Westlake’s historic homes, a guided tour of the Clague House and lunch at Clague Cabin.

Tickets for the tour are $40 and include lunch. The deadline to purchase tickets is Sept. 9.

Two tours are available, both starting and ending at Clague Cabin. The Tour One trolley departs Clague Cabin at 8:45 a.m. for the Historic Homes tour and Clague House tour. The trolley will drop passengers off back at Clague Cabin around noon for lunch. The trip will be over by 1 p.m.

Tour Two begins with lunch at 11 a.m. at Clague Cabin. After lunch, the trolley will depart for the Clague House tour and Historic Homes tour. The trolley will return passengers to Clague Cabin around 3 p.m.

The Westlake Historical Society would like for you to join us as we display a green bow in support of our city's 200th birthday. Please display a green bow on your mailbox to show your support for the bicentennial celebration of our city's birthday.

All residents and businesses in Westlake are asked to display a green bow beginning on September 1. The Westlake Post Office has approved the display of bows on the outside of the mailbox. Please feel free to be creative! If you have any questions, call the Westlake Historical Society at 440-721-1201 or visit westlakeohiohistory.org.

Adding to the festivities of the 4th of July weekend is a Bicentennial event, "Westlake is 200! How old is your family?"  Banners around town proudly proclaim Westlake’s 200-year history and this is an ideal time for everyone to consider their own 200-year (or more!) history. 

Borders at the Promenade will host the free event from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, July 2, and anyone interested in finding ancestors is invited to attend. In addition to Border’s, the event is sponsored by the City of Westlake in partnership with ancestry.com and family historians from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Attendees are encouraged to bring any family documents that contain names, dates and locations – such as birth, death and marriage certificates.

April 12 marks the 150th anniversary of the start of America’s Civil War. It was on that day in 1861 that South Carolina, having previously declared itself seceded from the United States, fired its cannons on Fort Sumter, a U.S. fort in the middle of Charleston Harbor.

Those shots reverberated across our country into every community – North and South – including Dover Township. Its people knew that the long-simmering differences between states over “states rights,” principally the right to own slaves, would be settled in battles. These would pitch Americans against Americans and brothers against brothers – every loss, a loss for our country.

Each side called for volunteers to fight its battles. Many were needed as there were only 15,000 men in the U.S. Army as the war began and these would be divided by loyalties. Thousands of young men answered President Lincoln’s call to service, including at least 120 men from Dover Township.

U.S. Census figures show the population of Westlake shot up from approximately 4,912 in 1950 to 12,906 people in 1960. By 1970 the population had increased to 15,689.

This influx of new residents, many with families that included small children, caused a need for more homes, schools, shopping areas and better roads. Four new school buildings opened during the 1960s. During the decade, seven operating levies and one bond issue were passed.

At the end of the 19th century, the city of Cleveland was growing at a healthy pace. Many who lived in Cleveland wanted a place where they could escape the city and summer homes became popular. Many preferred what the lakeside could give them – beaches, cool lake breezes and a vacation style of life.

A number of wealthy families began buying property along the lakeshore in North Dover. As tax rates climbed, those with expensive property closest to the lake did not feel they were equally represented. They petitioned to establish a separate village and on July 20, 1901, the Hamlet of Bay became independent of Dover Township.

From one large community of early Dover we now have two wonderfully unique and different cities.

Did you know that over 30 of the early pioneers who came to Dover Township (Westlake) before 1820 are buried in historic Evergreen Cemetery? On Saturday, May 21, at noon, you are invited to tour this historic cemetery at 29535 Center Ridge Rd. and meet many of those pioneers and hear their story.

After a blessing of the new cemetery fence, guests will be led on a guided tour of the cemetery, with stops at the grave sites of some of our most prominent ancestors – portrayed by knowledgeable, costumed volunteers – including: Leverett Johnson, Walter Clague, Noah Crocker, Asher Cooley and Abigail (Cahoon) Johnson.

Jack Miner was born April 7, 1865, in the section of Dover Township that was known as Dover Center. He lived in a small weather-beaten home with a leaky roof, just south of where Jenkins Funeral Chapel now stands, on Dover Center Road near Westown Blvd. Young Jack was one of 11 children, born of English parents who made a meager living in the brickyard across the street from their home. Jack’s father worked long hours to form the bricks that were sold for $3.50 per 1,000.

As a young boy, Jack liked to work in the brickyard instead of attending school. He was not fond of school because he was teased for his English ancestry, fiery red hair and freckles. At age 12, Jack returned to school at the urging of his friends, and felt a sense of belonging when his teacher, Miss Minnie Chubb, gave him the job of starting and tending the fire in the schoolroom stove. He learned a few basic reading skills in school, but did not truly learn to read until he was around 35 years old.

Jack spent hours at Cahoon Creek near his home studying the lessons of nature. The creek was both a laboratory and play-yard. With great enthusiasm, he studied the habits of all that crept and swam. In addition, he learned lessons on birdlife that formed a foundation for his life’s work.

"See Rock City" and "Mail Pouch" are just a few of the signs that come to my mind when I remember seeing barns as a child. Barns conjure up strong images for people – hard work, pride, a sense of home.

But the big barns that identify small farms in the United States are quickly diminishing. Those barns that represent a part of our past and our heritage are also disappearing. The Westlake Historical Society would like your help in locating the remaining 100-year-old or Centennial barns located in Westlake.

The 1990s
In 1993, the Westlake Historical Society published a history of Westlake (and Dover) covering the period from 1930 through 1990 written by William M. Robishaw. The title of the book: “You’ve Come a Long Way, Westlake…and You’ve Got a Long Way To Go." Sometime between 1990 and 2011, the Westlake that we know today arrived!

In 1990 the population of the city was 27,018 – over double what it had been in 1960. Except for a service garage on Bassett Road, all city services were delivered primarily from one building – a one-story municipal building, constructed in 1953 at the corner of Hilliard Boulevard and Dover Center Road. The building contained all of the city’s administrative offices (except for the Law and Building departments which occupied houses next door) as well as the whole police and fire departments and all of the fire equipment!

Hey kids (of all ages), "Dover" the wandering Bicentennial Bear from the Westlake Historical Society has found another interesting and historical place! Every month, Dover travels to a different location in Westlake and reports back to us on what he finds.

This month, Dover Bear left the Clague House Museum and traveled to Dover Center Road and also to Center Ridge Road. He wanted to learn more about barns and the significant role they played here in Westlake.

Dover Bear also learned a lot about the farming that took place here many many years ago. He learned that at one time Westlake was the second largest exporter of grapes in the United States.

Until 1898, the highest level of public education offered in Dover was the eighth grade. Students wishing to continue their education enrolled in private, tuition-based academies. On May 10, 1898, the Dover Board of Education decided to establish a high school in Dover.

At a board meeting two months later, it was agreed that the high school would be located on the township property known as the fairgrounds at the center of town (now the site of Lee Burneson Middle School). The classes were to be held in the now-vacant Dover Academy building.

The Dover Agricultural and Mechanical Fair was held each year from 1857-1897 on grounds located behind the current Lee Burneson Middle School on Dover Center Road.

The fair was put on by the Dover Agricultural and Mechanical Society, an organization formed to promote improvements in those two fields. The festival normally lasted two days and was usually held each September.

The Society itself was purely a Dover Township affair, but the fair attracted visitors in large numbers from surrounding towns.

The Westlake Historical Society is pleased to be a part of the effort to honor our city's founders and significant people through the use of commemorative bricks from the old Red Brick School to install a Bicentennial Founders' Walk. Both the Westlake Historical Society and Westlake Kiwanis are helping to sell the engraved bricks. 

You can leave your mark on our community by purchasing an engraved century-old brick personalized with your individual message. All individuals, groups and businesses are encouraged to be a part of our history by purchasing a bicentennial engraved brick.   

The cost of each brick paver is only $60.00.  

On May 21, the city of Westlake and the Westlake Historical Society, as part of the Bicentennial celebration, dedicated the new fence at Evergreen Cemetery and took guests on a historical tour of the cemetery.

The beautiful sunny day was perfect weather for our fence dedication and Living History Tour. Evergreen Cemetery dates back to the 1820s on land given by Westlake's first settler, Leverett Johnson. The cemetery sits on over 16 acres of land and has 3,000 headstones.

Councilmember Mark Getsay spoke at the dedication and Rev. Dan Anthony from Rock Pointe Church led the fence blessing. Evan Kelleman and members of Boy Scout Troop 208 led the flag raising ceremony and laying of the wreath at the cemetery entrance.

Hey kids (of all ages), meet "Dover," the Westlake Historical Society's wandering Bicentennial Bear. He's been known to leave his Clague House Museum home and visit all sorts of fun and historical places throughout the city. Every month, Dover will visit a different location in Westlake and report back to us on what he finds!

This month, Dover visited the City Hall of Westlake. Dover learned that Westlake actually began on November 14, 1811, and was called Dover Township at that time. On March 15, 1911, we became incorporated as Dover Village. The name changed to Westlake Village on August 21, 1940, and was later incorporated as the City of Westlake on December 18, 1957. The name change came about as a result of all the confusion with the other Dover, Ohio, located further south.  

Dover the Bicentennial Bear figured out that on November 14, 2011, Westlake will celebrate its Bicentennial, or 200th birthday. Check next month in the Observer to see where Dover visits next!

As part of Westlake's yearlong Bicentennial celebration, the community was invited to "Leave Your Mark!" and become a part of Westlake history by purchasing an engraved century-old brick from the Red Brick School for the Bicentennial Founders Walk at Clague Park. 

Bricks were purchased by families as well as organizations and businesses. Many were purchased in memory of a loved one. A total of 265 bricks have been purchased, engraved, and are awaiting placement in the Founders Walk. This memorial will include 25 stone insets with names of founders, year they arrived in Westlake, the state from which they came, and a descriptive phrase.

As you may know, Westlake is celebrating its 200th birthday. To celebrate the last 200 years of Westlake's history, Westlake is getting a time capsule!

The time capsule is perfect for our Bicentennial because it will protect the history we are celebrating now and add to it. The time capsule will be opened in 100 years, but will have a sister time capsule that will be opened in only 25 years. The capsules will include items important to Westlake's history, such as the Westlake charter, and items common in the year 2011 and items relevant to the last 200 years.

The Westlake Historical Society wants to see your American flag! Do you fly your flag on special designated days? Are you flying your flag today?

As part of Westlake's Bicentennial, the historical society would like for you to send us photos of your American flag. The Fourth of July is right around the corner and we would like to ask you to snap a photo of Old Glory for use in a Clague House Museum display. 

You may send your photograph with your name, address and phone number to The Westlake Historical Society, P.O. Box 45064, Westlake, Ohio 44145, or send them as a jpeg file to westlakehistory@yahoo.com.

November 14 is our city's actual 200th birthday and we request that businesses and residences to fly the flag on that day!

Does the Westlake Bicentennial celebration have you yearning for more information about early Westlake and Dover Township family histories? Cuyahoga West Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society has two award-winning books available for purchase: "Maple Ridge Cemetery Westlake, Cuyahoga County, OH: A history of Its People and Families" by Jeanne B. Workman and Jayne A. Broestl and "Pioneers of Westlake, Settlers in 1820 and Their Families," authored by Jeanne Workman.

The Maple Ridge Cemetery book was a culmination of the Ohio Bicentennial project that chapter members undertook from 2000-2003. This book was recognized for excellence by the Ohio Genealogical Society in 2004, and earned the Lida Flint Harshman Award. 

The women of Dover have a rich history of serving others. 1885 was the beginning of the North Ridge Thimble Society. They would sew, but they also held bazaars as fundraisers for the Lewis District School on Detroit Road.

In 1899, The Helping Society was formed. As the name implies, they were in the business of helping others in need. By 1905 they bought land and a building was erected on Center Ridge Road. This ladies' organization played an important role in the life of many.

They visited the homes of those who were ill and assisted the family with household chores, clothing and food. Fundraising during this time was mainly done by putting on plays and later card parties, style shows and bazaars.

Hey kids (of all ages), "Dover" the wandering Bicentennial Bear from the Westlake Historical Society has found another interesting and historical place! Every month, Dover travels to a different location in Westlake and reports back to us on what he finds.

This month, Dover Bear left the Clague House Museum to see if spring had finally arrived in Westlake. He was happy to see the daffodils and trees blooming on the grounds of the museum. This month, Dover Bear did not have very far to travel. In fact, just across the drive to the Clague Playhouse he went.

When Dover incorporated as a village in 1911, a police force was organized consisting of a town marshal, elected every two years, and deputies appointed on an as-needed basis by the marshal and the mayor. The deputies were paid a commission for each arrest and conviction – a system that was ripe for corruption.

The ad hoc deputies were eventually replaced by salaried police officers and by the 1930s, Dover Village had five police officers and a Ford Model-A coupe cruiser.

Law and order in the village
In the mid to late 1930s, Hilliard was just a two-lane country road with only three to four houses between Bradley Road and the Rocky River line. Since the road was practically deserted, many motorists were tempted to step on the gas as they drove through the village. Dover police became known for nabbing speeders, often hiding behind trees and barns along the road. In 1938, a Cleveland newspaper published a story warning motorists about the Dover speed traps.

The first decade of the 1900s saw two major fires in Dover, both resulting in near-total destruction to the buildings. Prior to hand-pumped fire engines, locals would fight fires by passing buckets of water man to man along a human chain in what is known as a "bucket brigade." This method was slow and often ineffective against larger blazes.

In 1906, the Phillips Hotel caught fire. The bell at the Methodist church rang out and the people of Dover ran to assist. The residents formed a bucket brigade and did what they could to save the hotel and the spirits housed in the basement. The liquor fumes fueled the flames and the building could not be saved.

Hey kids (of all ages), "Dover" the wandering Bicentennial Bear from the Westlake Historical Society is out visiting more interesting and historical places this month.

This month, Dover decided to visit the Westlake Porter Public Library, located at 27333 Center Ridge Road.

Dover loves to visit the Westlake Porter Public Library because everyone is friendly and willing to help him. He especially likes the children's area where they have chairs that are just his size.

Dover asked the friendly Librarian why it is called Porter Library. He was told that one of the early settlers in Dover Township (now known as Westlake) was a man named Leonard G. Porter. Mr. Porter, who was born in 1806, liked to read and so he donated $1,000 and all of his personal books to begin a library in Dover when he died in 1884.

It is hard to believe that our Bicentennial year here in Westlake will soon be coming to a close. I have had a lot of fun sharing with all of you many things about Westlake. My favorite place in Westlake, of course, is the Clague House Museum.

The Clague House and homestead included  78 acres on both the east and west sides of Clague Road. The brick home is of an Italianate style, and was built in the later part of the 1870s. The home was built as a gift for Mrs. Margaret Clague by her children. To furnish the home, they gave her $1,000. Mother Clague felt that was an awful lot of money to spend to furnish the home.

The year 1929 may forever be known as the beginning of one of the darkest eras in American history. Nearly 15,000 banks had failed by 1933, and the unemployment rate was approaching 25%. On the farm front, crop prices were in a downward spiral. The Federal Farm Board was established to try to stabilize farm prices, but surpluses grew and prices continued to fall.

Dover Village, being a primarily agricultural community, was hit particularly hard. The 1930s were marked by uncertainty. Mortgage payments and property assessments became an impossible burden and many farmers were forced to sell their land or lost it through tax sales.  Investors and land speculators purchased hundreds of acres of Dover farm lands, often leaving the land unattended, until better days and higher prices would bring buyers.

The centralizing of the schools in Dover during this time period created a need to transport students from their homes to the central school. The "kid wagon," pulled by two horses, was born. The wagon would travel the streets of Dover, and children would run alongside the moving wagon and jump in through the open back door. One could call the "kid wagon" the forerunner of the modern-day yellow school bus.

This summer has been filled with Westlake Bicentennial activities and there are more to come in the fall. Last week, Dover Bear heard some Westlake Historical Society members making plans for the Jack Miner Day and Rubber Duck Race in August 2012. Dover was fascinated by what he heard about this man named Jack Miner. To learn more about him, he visited the Jack Miner birthplace rock and Ohio Historical Marker placed on the corner of Dover Center Road and Westown Boulevard.

Dover read on the marker that Jack Miner was born April 7, 1865, in the section of Dover Township that was known as Dover Center. He lived in a small weather-beaten home with a leaky roof on Dover Center Road near the street we call Westown Boulevard today. Young Jack was one of 11 children, born of English parents who made a meager living in the brickyard across the street from their home. Jack’s father worked long hours to form the bricks that were sold for only $3.50 per 1,000.