Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1948-06-25
BY Charles Wolfe

LakeSlde-From a small Metho-
dist camp meeting grounds in 1878
to one of the midwest's largest
summer resorts-that in brief is
the story of Lakeside, which this
year observes its 18th anniver-
sary.
While the early history of
Lakeside is somewhat vague,
Alexander Clemons of Marblehead
is credited with originating the
idea of camp meeting at Lake
side. The Rev. Richard p. Du-
vail, pastor Of the Port Clinton
Methodist circuit, soon after con-
ceived the idea of transforming
the old-fashioned, temporary
camp meeting into a permanent
Christian summer resort.
AS the result of the efforts of
these men, aided by the leading
Methodists of the area, Wednes-
day, Aug. 27, 1873, saw band of
preachers and laymen busily clear
ing out a field in a grove of tall
oaks near the center of present
day Lakeside.
In this group, according to the
late @. l.. Shepard, historian of
early Lakeside, were probably Le-
roy Belt, S. S. Barter, E. Y. War
ner, f. Persons, Gershom Lease,
John w. Hill, Caleb Hill, Russell
B. Pope, Phillip A. Drown, and
perhaps b. H. Jacobs, John Par
lett, and S. r. Gill. The Rev. Mr..
Duvall, already in poor health,
had been transferred from the
Port Clinton circuit.
That evening, in the fickering
light of large bonfres built on
piles of rocks at the four corners
of the field, the Rev. Henry o.
Sheldon, a retired minister of the
Toledo District, preached the first
sermon.
Prior to this, in September,
1872, the Central Ohio Conference
of the Methodist church, meeting
in Marysville, had approved ac-
ceptance of 80 acres of land for
camp meeting purposes on the
present site of Lakeside and had
named the following as trustees:
Luther M. Skidmore, Samuel S.
Barter, Patrick S. Selvin, Joseph
Chambers, Barney Jacobs, Daniel
ID. Mather, Joseph Ayers, Archi-
bald Lybrand, and Leroy A. Belt.
Then in November, 1872, the first
company secured a charter under
the name of "The Lake Shore
Christian Home" and named the
following officers: A. C. Payne,
president; E. Johnson, vice presi-
dent and manager; S. H. Gill,
treasurer; B. H. Jacobs, secre-
tary; and w. B. Sloan, Rev. Du-
vail, and Mr. Clemons as directors.
Toledo capital was interested,
and in June, 1873, the Lakeside Co.
was organized with ]. w. Heitt as
president; S. R. Gill, secretary;
and b. II. Jacobs, treasurer.
Following clearing of the
grounds in 1873, plans progressed
rapidly for the 1874 season. Wood
en- "tents" windowless, board
shacks-were built around the
Auditorium Park. Without furni
ture, and with only a pile of straw
for beds, these were in sharp con-
trast to the many fine cottages of
Lakeside today.
Cooking was done at open fires
built on the ground, although as
time passed, stone ovens and rus
ty cook stoves were set up out,
of-doors.
A summer in Lakeside in those
days was really camping out. Ac-
cording to one description, "The
,, ladies slept in the upper rooms of
the tents. The men slept below,
sometimes a dozen in a row, "
ing as you lay dozen spoons
away. When they got tired of ly-
ing on one side, someone would
yell All overt, and then the
bunch would all turn over at one
time. When it rained, the ladies
above would raise their umbrellas,
but the water came down through
to the men below"
This year (1S74) saw the begin
ming of easy and cheap access to
Lakeside, with the signing of
contract with the Str. b. F. Fer
ris, operating between Sandusky
and Putin Bay, to make two stops
at Lakeside daily.
Dedicatory services were held
on July 2S, 1874, with DR.. Thomas
M. Eddy, editor Of the Northwest
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