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Portage River in Port Clinton
Port Clinton is a small town county seat, that relishes its relationship with Lake Erie, the area's history, and the Midwest's fishing capital. During the warmer months docks are full with sail, charter, and individual cruisers just waiting for their owners to return. Take a few minutes to enjoy the rest of town, visitors will certainly take note of the town's new emphasis on art and sculpture.
Port Clinton is known as a sport fishing capital today, but not that long ago, Port Clinton was known as a major fishing industry town where every day tons of fresh white fish were processed and shipped across the country. Those days are long gone at least for the foreseeable future, but sport fishing still draws 1000s of visitors each week looking for to catch their limit in walleye or perch.
Those not so interested in catching what lies below the surface, certainly can satisfy their love of just being on the water. Whether that's jet skiing, wave boarding, kayaking, or joining friends for a cruise out to the islands on one of the many luxury yachts.
Above: Featured artist Kelly Rigoni, a Port Clinton resident and photographer, is featured on the Perspectives Mural Wall in Friendship Park. The 3 panels are vinyl wraps made from photographs by Ms. Rigoni. They were installed in 2014 and have an estimate life of about 6 years at which time a new artist / theme will be installed.
Port Clinton is also home to Jet Express, the premiere passenger-only ferry service to South Bass and Kelley Island. Travelers get to experience fast service on one of their high-speed catamarans-- Lake Erie's only catamaran ferry.
The Ida Rupp Public Library is the first in Port Clinton Ohio, founded in 1908. It moved to its present location at 310 Madison Ave in 1968. The library is named for the wife of Judge Lawrence C. Rupp, an Ottawa County Judge, that provided $42,000 towards a new library as a lasting memorial to his late wife. Ida Rupp was a member of the Ladies' Literary and Social Club in Port Clinton and a Library Board Member from 1917 until her death 9 years later. The library is across the street from the Ottawa County Courthouse.
The town is named for DeWitt Clinton, the promoter and developer of New York's Erie Canal, and the model used by Ohio developers back in the early 1820s when two canals were being engineered for Ohio residents. Mr. Clinton of course, was a major consultant to Ohio's canal builders, and it was his idea that ideally a new canal should be built right here where the Portage and Sandusky Rivers empty into the lake. His canal would connect via the Sandusky River to the Scioto River and then to the Ohio River. Unfortunately, the state's engineers had different opinions on the feasibility of this route and instead chose a more western route for canal number 2. Regardless of this decision, the little fishing town at the mouth of the Portage River would forever bear Mr. Clinton's name.
Long before DeWitt Clinton put the area on the map, or Europeans explored the Portage River, the area was home to multiple Native Americans. The most dominant group here were the Ottawa who mainly lived along the Maumee River, but hunted and fished in the marshy land surrounding what would later become Port Clinton. The Portage River made easy access from the west.
Those with an interest in exploring Ohio's history today, should find it interesting to seek out two piled stone monuments that most visitors to Port Clinton never see. One monument where the first Fort Sandoski stood along the north shores of Sandusky Bay. This fort was built by the French. It is believed that today the actual site of the fort could be more than 200 yards from shore. Just a few miles north of this spot, and just east of the downtown in the wide open park, is a matching obelisk of piled stones. This marker represents the northern terminus of the portage from the very shallow Sandusky Bay to the shores of Lake Erie.
Portage Trail Stone Marker in Waterworks Park
This portage trail had long been used by Native Americans, early explorers, and for good reason: it saved about 50 miles of travel around the dangerous shoals of Marblehead. and by General William Henry Harrison in 1813 during his pursuit of the British who had been harassing Ohio citizens. After soundly repelling British soldiers and a coalition of Native Americans led by Tecumseh at Fort Meigs further west, and then once again repelling them at Fort Stephenson where Fremont is today, General Harrison took his men, supplies and horses up the Sandusky River, crossed the bay to where the old Fort Sandoski once stood, then dragged his boats overland. From here they boarded Oliver Hazard Perry's ships for Detroit. Once at Fort Detroit, the Americans would again take on the British, but also Tecumseh and his large coalition of Native Americans. Just as Perry had defeated the British navy off of South Bass Island the month before, Harrison defeated the British, and Tecumseh was killed, ending his dreams of a Native American nation.
Located just east of the floral gardens along the Portage River parking area on the east side of town, is a small unobtrusive cannon that seems out-of-place in this idyllic setting. In fact, it is out-of-place. This cannon was once on the deck of a British warship that fought a major naval battle just off the coast of South Bass Island. During this battle known as the Battle of Lake Erie, nine American ships commanded by Commodore Perry confronted six British ships of the British Royal Navy. The cannon in the park was on one of those British ships.
In 1827, a group of Scotsmen were shipwrecked near Port Clinton. Rather than continue on to Chicago, their original destination, they remained at Port Clinton and quickly developed a fishing trade. Germans soon joined the Scots and by the early 1830's Port Clinton was well on its way to becoming a major fishing center with fish sheds sprinkled all along the Portage River estuary. In the 1850s white fish were discovered not far off the shore of South Bass Island. Port Clinton suddenly became the Midwest's Fish Capital where each day's fish catch would be in the tons. This fish bonanza would continue until the 1950s, just about 100 years, until the industrial fishing ended.
The reason for the end of industrial fishing here probably had multiple causes. Over fishing was most likely the major cause. As was over-population of the northwest and the proliferation of unregulated sewage dumping into the watershed feeding the western Lake Erie basin. Even today, problems are arising from the unintended consequences of using naturalized farming techniques that are washed away in part during the natural heavy spring rains. Natural farm-fertilization-runoff eventually ends up at the bottom of the lake providing a natural breeding ground for algal blooms.
Ottawa County Courthouse
When Ottawa County was formed in 1840, Port Clinton was eventually picked as the county seat, but not after a bitter political war of words between Port Clinton and Oak Harbor just 10 miles down the river. Being given the seat of government for any county is a big plus and there was a lot of money to be gained for the town that is awarded that honor. Port Clinton was eventually selected, but a referendum on that choice was again raised by Oak Harbor politicians in the 1890s. At that time it was again officially decided that Port Clinton would remain the county seat, and at that time the beautiful Ottawa County Court House was built. Pollution issues, water quality and fish populations are all currently being addressed but it will take time for the system to re-balance itself. In the meantime, Port Clinton still is the center of sport fishing, sailing, and the gateway to the beautiful islands of Lake Erie.
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