Erie County has over 70 historical markers. You can find maps for most of these on Remarkable Ohio Just click on Erie County for the list of markers. Another great resource is The Historical Marker Database. volunteer driven it includes easy to follow directions to locations and a history of sponsorship.
These markers are scattered throughout Erie County—along roads and streets, in front of buildings, in parks and parking lots, along trails—but the majority are located in Sandusky and Huron and Huron Township. The database in our website identifies each marker by name, and location. An image of each marker is also included in the database. Each marker highlights something significant in the story of Erie County—a special event, a unique structure, the birthplace of a notable person. The list is long and varied. Taken together, they represent much of the significant history of the county.
The Erie County Historical Society is committed to maintaining the 24 markers it has sponsored and has set up a program of regular maintenance for each marker. Some are 60 years-old, others are relatively new. The Ohio History Connection is responsible for administering the Ohio Historical Marker program on a state-wide basis. The program “identifies, commemorates, and honors the people, places, and events that have contributed to the state’s rich history.” More information about the program, including a database of all historic markers in the state of Ohio, is available through a special website maintained by the OHC: www.remarkableohio.org
City of Sandusky Historical Markers
OLD SANDUSKY POST OFFICE
301 W Washington St, Sandusky OH
This U.S. Post Office building, Sandusky’s third, opened in 1927, replacing a smaller building at Columbus Avenue and Market Street. It is notable for its fine Neoclassical-style architecture and its unusual curved portico. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. For sixty years it served as Sandusky’s business center, where merchants shipped and received goods and banks transferred money. During this time it also housed local offices for several federal agencies, including U.S. Customs, the National Weather Service, armed forces recruiting, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Geological Survey disk embedded in the front steps serves as a benchmark for surveyors and scientists. Closed in 1987, the historic Sandusky Post Office building reopened as the Merry-Go-Round Museum in 1990.
CEDAR POINT – THE QUEEN OF AMERICAN WATERING PLACES
1 Cedar Point Dr.
Cedar Point became a popular beach resort in the late 1870s, when visitors traveled to the peninsula by steamboat from Sandusky. The Grand Pavilion (1888), the oldest building in the park, dates from this era. Promoter George Boeckling formed the Cedar Point Pleasure Resort Company in 1897 and vastly expanded the resort’s attractions. During the first decade of the 1900s, he built the lagoons, an amusement circle, and several hotels, including the landmark Breakers in 1905. The Coliseum, opened in 1906, became the centerpiece of the park and hosted many of the famous big bands through the Depression and World War II years. In the late 1950s, Cedar Point began its transformation into a modern amusement park.
ELEUTHEROS COOKE – COOKE-DORN HOUSE
1415 Columbus Rd., Sandusky OH
Side B: The house is named for its first and last private owners. Built for Eleutheros and Martha Cooke in 1843-1844, this Greek Revival home was originally located on the corner of Columbus Avenue and West Washington Row. Rush Sloane dismantled and reassembled the house at 1415 Columbus Avenue in 1879-1880. Once moved, his son Thomas and daughter-in-law, Sarah Cooke Sloane, grand-daughter of Eleutheros and Martha, lived here. Judge Roy and Verna Williams became the third owners in 1922. Randolph and Estelle Dorn bought the hous
THE CONCRETION
This plaque is located on a large spherical concretion, discovered in 1910. This unusual geological formation is located in downtown Sandusky in Washington Park between Columbus Ave. and Wayne St., near the Gazebo.
This concretion was formed in sedimentary deposits over the ages. An unusually large specimen, it was found in 1911 on Mills Street and brought to this site at the behest of Prof. E. L. Moseley, who was noted for his studies of Lake Erie and his natural history museum. It was on a pedestal in this park for about eighty years. In 1990 it was partially burned to halt deterioration. The history of its discovery and dedication of the plaque can be found HERE.
INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE OHIO HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
This marker is inside Cedar Point and you may need to apply ahead for permission to enter without parking fee.
HOLY ANGELS CATHOLIC CHURCH
428 Tiffin Ave., Sandusky OH
Holy Angels Catholic Church is the mother church of Sandusky. Reverend Joseph P. Machebeuf, a French Missionary, began ministering to Catholics in the Sandusky area in late 1839. Soon after, William H. Mills offered five lots, $530, and the materials needed to build a church. Father Machebeuf laid the cornerstone on October 13, 1841, and services were held in 1842. By Christmas of 1845, the building was complete, the steeple added, and the bell installed. The congregation was mostly Irish emigrants. In 1855, as more Germans settled nearby, they built St. Mary’s Mother of Sorrows Church. The city’s expansion prompted the building of Sts. Peter and Paul Church in 1871. Holy Angels became a mission church of Sts. Peter and Paul until 1875 when Holy Angels was assigned its own pastor and reopened.
GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL
1111 Hayes Ave., Street, Sandusky OH (in front of Firelands Hospital)
Good Samaritan Hospital was formed for the purpose of maintaining and operating an institution for the sick and injured. Under the direction of Rev. William W. Farr and Mr. C.C. Keech, the cornerstone was laid June 27, 1976. The hospital was established to be universal in its activities and benefactors and not to be under the control of any religious body or civic organization.
CHOLERA CEMETERY – IN HONOR OF THE DOCTORS
Corner of Harrison & Jefferson Sts.
Side A: Of the city’s 5,667 people in 1849, 3,500 fled, and 400 of those remaining were victims of cholera. Most are buried here, some only in rough boxes in a common grave. The scourge came again in 1850 and 1852 but with less toll. “Dismay stalked abroad in the daytime and the drowsy night was hideous with the wailings of the disconsolate.” Learn more about this historic site.
Side B: Doctors, nurses and others assisted in fighting the cholera in 1849, aiding heroic citizens led by Foster M. Follett. Doctors Austin, Brainard, Lane and Tilden suffered illness and exhaustion, leaving Dr. Cochran alone among Sandusky doctors until aid came. Drs. Ackley, Beaumont, Lauderdale and Spencer, and Messrs. Dolan and Miller of Cleveland; Drs. Banks, Caroland, Follen, Foote, Hughes, Lindsey, Ocheltree, Quinn and Raymond, and Messrs. Bailey, Hindale and Yorke, Mrs. Cowden and nurses from Cincinnati; Dr. Appleton of Philadelphia; Dr. Stanley of Canton; Drs. Evans and Pack of Akron; Drs. Glick and Teagarden of Mansfield; Dr. Vance of Urbana; and Mr. and Miss Rushton of Bellevue. “They came emphatically in our time of need, and faithfully and successfully did they minister relief to the distressed and the dying. Long will be e’er the citizens of Sandusky forget their kindness.”
FORT SANDUSKY
Located at the intersection of Routes 2 and 6 with Route 99 in the community of Venice, which is now a part of Sandusky (near Margaritaville).
Erected by the British near this junction in 1761; destroyed during Pontiac’s Conspiracy of 1763. The fort was strategically located near Indian towns and trading posts on the Great Indian trail between Detroit and Pittsburgh.
VILLAGE OF VENICE1816-1963
Located at the intersection of Routes 2 and 6 with Route 99 in the community of Venice, which is now a part of Sandusky (near Margaritaville).
The first Venice flour mill was built on this site in 1811. Russell Heywood from Buffalo bought the mill in 1831 and rebuilt it in 1833. Fed by water from underground springs, the mill was in almost constant operation. Farmers from throughout northern Ohio and southern Michigan brought their grain to Venice for processing. Venice flour was an important staple for pioneers settling the Midwest. A six hundred foot pier on Sandusky Bay allowed cargo vessels to load flour for transport. By 1875, demand led to day and night shifts at the mill. After 122 years, the mill closed in 1945. The building was razed in 1962……
FROHMAN BIRTHPLACE
Located on Poplar St, near the intersection of Lawrence and W Jefferson Sts.
Charles, Daniel and Gustave Frohman. Born at this site in the 1850s. Moved to New York City in 1864. Became famous theatrical producers and managers.
KNUTE ROCKNE WEDDING
510 Columbus Ave., Sandusky OH
READ MORE about how he met and married his wife. The Knute Rockne Wedding Historical Marker is featured on the Washington Park Historic Walking Tour. Learn more about this historic church.
SANDUSKY’S FIRST CONGREGATION – 1818
214 E Jefferson St., Sandusky OH
The Trinity United Methodist Church is featured on the Washington Park Historic Walking Tour.
Learn more about this historic site.
The Methodist Episcopal Church pioneered organized religion in Perkins Township in 1811, then in Sandusky when the Rev. Alfred Brunson preached the city’s first sermon in January, 1818. In 1829 the Methodists built Sandusky’s first church, on West Square, and had later churches on the present sites of the Court House and Post Office. This building was begun in 1922, the sanctuary completed in 1958. The Perkins and Sandusky congregations united in 1930.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRELANDS
1111 Hayes Ave., Sandusky OH – Located in front of Firelands Hospital
CABLE PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT
Located on Wayne St. near Finch on the center median.
Erie County Fairgrounds — 1865-1899.
Planned Residential Area developed 1905-1938 by Laurence Cable and sons, Fran and Edward. Erected 1989 by the Erie County Historical Society and Cable Park Neighbors.
Read about the Cable family and Cable Park in this Sandusky Library Blog post
ERIE COUNTY COURTHOUSE/JURY OF ERIE COUNTY WOMEN
323 Columbus Ave., Sandusky OH
Side B: The first Board of Erie County Commissioners – Samuel B. Carpenter, Nelson Taylor, and William B. Craighill – was instructed by the Ohio Legislature to hold the county’s first term of court in December 1838. As a result, Erie County’s first Court of Common Pleas was held in the Academy building on the east side of Columbus Avenue, across from the Courthouse’s current location. The Academy building continued to house the Court of Common Pleas until a new Courthouse was built on the current site in 1874 at a cost of $142,026.45. The Art Deco exterior was added when the Courthouse was remodeled beginning in 1936 as a project of the New Deal’s Public Works Administration.
ERIE COUNTY JAIL/SANDUSKY LIBRARY
114 W Adams St., Sandusky OH
Side A: A library has existed to serve Sandusky’s citizens since 1826. Beginning with the Portland Library and growing through the years, Sandusky’s library found its ultimate caretakers in a group of local women who started a fund to build a new library. Built with the aid of a $50,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie, Sandusky’s Carnegie Library was dedicated on July 3, 1901. Designed by New York architects D’Oench and Yost in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, the library was built of locally quarried limestone. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. In 2004 a renovated library was dedicated, which incorporated the former Erie County Jail building and almost tripled the facility’s size.
Side B: The Erie County Jail was built in 1882-1883 in the Gothic style. Constructed of blue limestone, the $45,750 facility featured 26 cells, the sheriff’s residence, and boasted then modern innovations including chrome steel bars and safety mechanisms. A number of city and county jails existed in the city during Sandusky’s early years; however, this building stood the test of time and was used until replaced by a modern facility in 1990. Sheriffs and their families lived in the residence until 1972, when it was converted to office space. The Erie County Jail was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. In 2004 the building was incorporated into the newly renovated and expanded Sandusky Library.
This site is featured on the Washington Park Historic Walking Tour. Learn more about this historic marker.
ORAN FOLLETT RESIDENCE/FOLLETT HOUSE MUSEUM
404 Wayne St., Sandusky OH
Residence of Oren Follett 1798-1894
Editor – Railroad Official
Publisher Lincoln-Douglas debate
A Worthy Citizen
The Follett House is featured on the Washington Park Historic Walking Tour and the Underground Railroad Historic Walking Tour.
Learn more about this historic site.
BIRTHPLACE OF JAY COOKE
Corner of Market St. & Columbus Ave., Sandusky OH
Jay Cooke was born on this site August 10, 1821. Financier and promoter of The Northern Pacific Railroad, he sold bonds to finance the Union during the Civil War 1861-1865.
This plaque was mounted on the wall of the Cooke Building; however, during a remodeling project, it was discovered that there were critical problems with the structural integrity of the building. It was demolished and a new, similar building built in its place. This plaque was removed and has not been reinstalled yet.
The history of this building is featured on the Downtown Sandusky Historic Walking Tour
Learn more about Jay Cooke.
FIRST CEMETERY IN SANDUSKY
No longer viewable
Site of Sandusky’s First Cemetery
1816-1830
The history of this cemetery can be found here: READ MORE
HINDE & DAUCH PAPER COMPANY
300 W. Shoreline Dr., Sandusky OH
Wait for it — This marker was damaged and a new one is awaiting installation.
The Hinde and Dauch Co. is featured on the Downtown Sandusky Historic Walking Tour.
Learn more about this marker.
ERIE COUNTY
Located in Washington Park, downtown Sandusky OH
Erie County had its origin during the Revolutionary War when several towns on the Connecticut Coast were burned by the British. 500,000 acres in the Connecticut Western Reserve in Northern Ohio were awarded by the Connecticut Assembly in 1792 to indemnify the fire-sufferers. This area, which came to be known as the Firelands, was purchased from the Indians in 1805 and surveyed in 1809 when settlement finally began. The Firelands, which included modern day Huron and Erie Counties, Ruggles Township in Ashland County and Danbury Township in Ottawa County was designated as Huron County by the Ohio Assembly. In 1838, Margaretta, Groton, Oxford, Perkins, Portland, and Danbury Townships and Kelley’s Island formed the new Erie County with the City of Sandusky as its county seat. In 1840, Milan, Huron, Berlin, Florence and Vermilion Townships joined the Erie County and Danbury Township was absorbed into the newly organized Ottawa County. The Erie County Historic Marker is featured on the Washington Park Historic Walking Tour.
KILBOURNE PLAT
Located in Washington Park near Wayne Street.
In 1817, James Kilbourne met Isaac Mills and Zalmon Wildman, the owners of the land where Sandusky now stands, and convinced them to pool their resources in order to establish a new city on the south shore of Sandusky Bay …. Learn more about this marker. The Kilbourne Plat Historic Marker is featured on the Washington Park Historic Walking Tour.
OHIO’S FIRST RAILROAD
Corner of E Water St & Meigs St.
The Mad River and Lake Erie began building at this site September 15, 1835. William Henry Harrison officiated.
Read about the Mad River RR HERE and about William Henry Harrison HERE on the Sandusky Library’s website.
JOHNSON’S ISLAND
300 W. Shoreline Dr., Sandusky OH
Johnson’s Island
In the Bay opposite Sandusky, was a prison for Confederate soldiers 1862-1865.
Nothing remains of the prison except its cemetery and the earthworks of two old forts.
There is another Johnson’s Island historic marker in Ottawa County at the entrance to the causeway to the Island. The Johnson’s Island Historical Marker is featured on the Downtown Sandusky Historic Walking Tour.
EARLY AVIATION
Located near the corner of E Water St. and Meigs St.
Weldon B. Cooke, Thomas W. Benoist, Reinhardt N. Ausmus
experimented in early aviation from this site 1912-1917
View some great photos and read about aviation in Sandusky as well as these men on the Sandusky Library History Blog: Weldon B. Cooke, Thomas W. Benoist, & Reinhardt N. Ausmus
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD/ABOLITION BOATS PROVIDE AN ESCAPE TO FREEDOM IN ERIE COUNTY
Location: Shoreline Park, near 411 East Shoreline Drive, Sandusky OH
Side 1: The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad, but a system of loosely connected safe havens where those escaping the brutal conditions of slavery were sheltered, fed, clothed, nursed, concealed, disguised, and instructed during their journey to freedom. Although this movement was one of America’s greatest social, moral, and humanitarian endeavors, the details about it were often cloaked in secrecy to protect those involved from retribution of civil law and slave-catchers. Ohio’s history has been permanently shaped by the thousands of runaway slaves passing through or finding permanent residence in this state
Side 2: The proximity of the mouth of the Sandusky Bay to the Lake Erie Islands leading north to Canada was crucial in safely transporting runaway slaves to freedom. Several types of vessels to as “abolition boats”. The fearless men who captained these crafts had to be skilled in navigating the treacherous waterways that poured into the western basin of Lake Erie. Runaways could earn passage to Canada by working in or around the shipyards that lined the mile-long waterfront of Sandusky. Passage to the Lake Erie Islands and Canada beyond, could be made by sled during the cold of winter, a method of travel that also entailed risk. The abolition boats included: Walk-in-the-Water, Superior, The Arrow, United States, Bay City, Mayflower, May Queen, Morning Star, and others. The captains included: Captain Shepherd, Captain Swiegel, Captain Thomas McGee (owner of the Steamboat Hotel), and others.
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Location: near 200 Shoreline Drive, Sandusky OH
Many homes in Sandusky and other parts of Erie County were stations on the Underground Railroad before and during the Civil War. Residents provided food, shelter, clothing and transportation to Canada. Harriet Beecher Stowe used Sandusky as the gate to freedom for the run away slaves in her book Uncle tom’s Cabin.
The Underground Railroad Historical Marker is featured on the Downtown Sandusky Historic Walking Tour. Learn more about this marker.
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
315 Wayne St., Sandusky OH
Grace Church is the oldest church in Sandusky with part of the original building incorporated into the present church. The 18-inch-thick exterior walls rise from the bedrock limestone, that underlies most of Sandusky. READ MORE
CITY OF SANDUSKY
Located in Washington Park on the grounds of the Erie County Courthouse near E. Washington St.
In 1816, Zalmon Wildman, a citizen of Connecticut, platted “Sandusky City” in Portland Township on the south shore of Sandusky Bay on the site formerly occupied by the Indian chief, Ogontz….. Read more about this historic marker. The City of Sandusky Historic Marker is featured on the Washington Park Historic Walking Tour.
SHORELINE PARK
411 East Shoreline Dr., Sandusky OH
Piers were in existence here as early as 1846. Later, three long piers were built by the Baltimore and Ohio Rilway for commercial use. Iron ore, grain, lumber, and crushed stone and packaged freight were shipped from this point. The B&O Railway also had a roundhouse here. Ferry boats and barges wintered at these piers. The piers were last used in 1973.
SANDUSKY SHIPYARDS
Located near E Water St. & Meigs St.
One of Sandusky Shipyard Sites
Sail and Steamboats were built 1864-1933
Among the builders were: Moss Brothers & Merry, George Fordham, John Monk, Joseph Pouliot and Lake Erie Drydock Co.
Perkins Township Historical Markers
OHIO VETERANS HOME3416 Columbus Rd., Sandusky OH
Side 1: Following the Civil War, many of Ohio’s disabled and wounded veterans found inadequate provisions for their long-term needs. In response, the Grand Army of the Republic’s Department of Ohio lobbied for a state-operated veterans’ home. In 1886 Governor Joseph B. Foraker signed a bill establishing the Ohio Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home for honorably discharged veterans. A board of trustees led by Sandusky publisher I.F. Mack selected the site, and the Sandusky community donated the tract of land, utilities, and a connection to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The facility opened in November 1888.
