Calender of Historical Events
Reprinted from Conneaut News Herald ca. 1947
Calender of Historical Events
Reprinted from Conneaut News Herald ca. 1947
ca. 1000 � 1640 southern shore of Lake Erie Inhabited by Eriez
1650 - Iroquois Indian defeated the Eriez
1669 - La Salle�s �Griffen� first sailing vessel on Lake Erie
1786 - Western boundary line of Pennsylvania established
1791 - Edmund Fitz Jeralds a companion were captured by the Indians at Miami and brought here by Seneca Indians. First white man known to have been in the vicinity of Conneaut.
1794 - Hermit named Halstead from Massachusetts built shack near State Line in East Conneaut
1794 - July 4th. Moses Cleaveland and party of 50 surveyors from Connecticut arrive at the mouth of Conneaut Creek.
July 5th Stowe�s Castle built, the first wooden structure in the Western Reserve by White Men
August. Surveying part left Conneaut
Late Summer. James Kingsbury and family arrived. First white family to spend a winter in the Western Reserve.
1797 - Daughter born to James Kingsburys, first white child born in the Western Reserve. Died shortly after birth. Kingsburys left Conneaut, going to Newburg, O.
1798 � Arrival of first permanent white settlers at Conneaut. First murder in Conneaut. Mr. Williams murdered by a Massasauga Indian.
1800 � Connecticut ceded to Federal government the jurisdiction over Western Reserve. First Conneaut marriage. Aaron (Aron) Wright married Hannah Montgomery. Road to Ashtabula built along South Ridge. Massasauga left village to settle in Indiana.
1801 � Birth of second white child in Conneaut, Amelia Wright.
1801-02 - First school in Conneaut.
1802 � First religious meeting in Conneaut. Stage route laid out along Ridge Road (Rte. 20) from Erie, Pennsylvania to Cleveland, O.
1804 � Opening of Old Salt Road.
1806-8 � First grist mill in Conneaut.
1808 � First postal service in Conneaut.
1811 � Ashtabula County organized.
1812 � Guthrie�s Drug Store established. August 11th. Excitement over two vessles at harbor entrance.
1815 � Mound on Harbor St. found to contain jawbone with silver filling in one tooth. Dr. John Venen, Conneaut�s first physician, arrived. Arrival of first mail by stage coach.
1816 � First school house built in Conneaut Twp.
1817 � First saw mill in Conneaut. Solomon Sweatland crossed Lake Erie in canoe. Company military training instituted. March 16th. First Episcopal Services in Conneaut.
1818 � Arrival of first barrel of salt. First sailing vessel built in Conneaut, �Salem Packett�. May 23rd.
1819 � Congressional Church organized.
1820 � First cider mill.
1821 � First grist mill at South Ridge.
1823 � First frame tavern in Conneaut built.
1824 � First camp meeting held. Place: Amboy. First Sunday School at South Ridge organized.
1826 � First church building erected in Conneaut. Congressional. Free - Will Baptist church organized at South Ridge. Grist mill and saw mill built at Tinker�s Hollow.
1827 - Distillery at Tinker�s Hollow. First wagon makers shop.
1827 or 28 � Methodist Church established in Conneaut.
1829 � First Congressional appropriation for improvement of Conneaut Harbor. Amount: $7,500.
1830 � Ohio Furnace founded.
1831 � Baptist Church organized Oct. 18th.
1832 � �Salem Adviser� founded. Conneaut�s first newspaper. Town name changed from Salem to Conneaut. Conneaut Furnace and Forge built.
1833-6 � Real estate boom.
1834 � Conneaut incorporated. First steemer built at Conneaut, the �North America�.
1835 � Foundry built at Tinker�s Hollow. Plank Road (toll) built to Conneaut Harbor.
1837 � First term of Conneaut Academy.
1839 � South Ridge Debate Club formed. South Ridge Anti-Slavery Society organized Oct. 23rd.
1840 � Machine shop built in Conneaut. Post Office established at South Ridge.
1841 � Organization of first fire company, Conneaut Fire Engine & Hose Company.
1844-5 � Brick Academy erected.
1845 � Ohio Furnace discontinues operations.
1847 � First history of Western Reserve appears.
1850 � Cataract Fire Company organized.
1852 � Cleveland, Painsville, & Ashtabula R.R. extended to Conneaut. Mail service by stage coach discontinued, carried by C.P.&A. R.R.
1853 � First mowing machine successfully operated at Tinker�s Hollow. West Springfield, Pa. Academy opened.
1853 � 54 � Conneaut Agricultural Society formed.
1854 � First fair in Conneaut September 21st.
1859 � First gas well drilled in the vicinity.
1859-60 �The Young American� published by two Conneaut youths.
1860 � South Ridge Vigilance Committee organized January 21st.
1861 � St. Mary�s Catholic Church organized.
1863 � David Cummins began canning of �Lake Shore� tomatoes.
1868 � Board of Education leased Conneaut Academy. Pond Lumber Company started.
1869 � First cheese factory built in vicinity. Place: Amboy.
1870 � Conneaut Paper Co. established.
1874 � Last fair of the Conneaut Agricultural Society.
1875 � Death of Dr. Venen, Conneaut�s first physician.
1876 � Organization of Custer Post No. 9, G.A.R. October. 15 members. Town Hall built.
1877 � Grade schools established.
1878 � Record Mfg. Co. started.
1881 � Pennsylvania-Ohio state line resurveyed.
1882 � Nickel Plate R.R. opened.
1883 � Post Telegraph service established in Conneaut.
1887 � Conneaut�s first electric light plany built.
1891 � City water plant built.
1892 � P S. & L.E. R.R. (Bessemer) extended from Albion, Pennsylvania to Conneaut Harbor. First cargo of iron ore received at Conneaut Harbor. Cataract Hose Company organized. Hook and Ladder Company organized.
1893 � Niagara Hose Company & Hayward Hose Company organized.
1894 � Protection Hose Company organized. United Brethren Church organized.
1895 � Carferry service between Conneaut and Canadian ports. Conneaut Daily Post-Herald organized. Finnish Lutheran Church organized.
1896 � Conneaut�s Centennial.
1897 � Conneaut Telephone Company began operations.
1898 � Harper-Norton Brick Company started.
1899 � First Huelett Ore Unloader ever built installed at Conneaut Harbor.
1899 � C.B. Cummins purchased first Conneaut-owned automobile.
1900 � P. & O. street car service started. City street car service begun.
1901 � Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church organized.
1901 � Conneaut Can Co. began operations. St. Mary�s School opened.
1902 � Toll bridge across Conneaut River to East Conneaut. C. & E. Railway service begun.
1903 � Conneaut Leather Company organized. MacDowell club organized. Conneaut Evening News founded.
1904 � March 11th. The �Shenango� burned at Conneaut Harbor. Grace Lutheran Church erected. Hungarian Reformed Church organized.
1905 � Christian Science Church organized. Conneaut Shovel Co. established.
1906 � The Theatorium, Conneaut�s first motion picture theatre was opened.
1907 � Jan. 1st. Conneaut Daily Post Herald and Conneaut Evening News combine, becoming Conneaut News Herald. Grace Hospital founded. Collapse of toll bridge between Conneaut & East Conneaut.
1908 � Republic Theatre opened. Conneaut Creamery began operations.
1908 �09 � Last sessions in the Old Acdemy building.
1909 � Conneaut High School, Sandusky St. building erected. Night of Dec. 7th. Marquette & Bessemer No. 2 sank. Carnegie Library opened.
1910 � Burke Machine Tool Co. organized. Post Office (Jester Station) established at Harbor.
1913 � December. Use of horse-drawn fire equipment discontinued.
1914 � May 1st. Conneaut changed from Central Standard Time to Eastern Standard. First �jitney� bus service on Conneaut streets.
1919 � Conneaut Woolen Mills operating here.
1922 � Brown Memorial Hospital opened, and Grace Hospital abandoned. September 17th. C. & E. Railway Co. discontinued.
1924 � First artificial ice made in Conneaut at Conneaut Creamery. Feb. 29th. P. & O. Railway service discontinued. July 18th. Route 20 Viaduct dedicated.
1926 � Walter A. Goldsmith Co. located here. Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. purchased Conneaut Electric Light plant.
1927 � Subway constructed under N.Y.C.R.R. at Broad Street. Conneaut News-Herald purchased by Claude A. Rowley.
1928 � Camp Peet founded.
1929 � Covered �Twin� bridges at Farnham raised. Oct. 12th. Landing field in East Conneaut dedicated. First airmail flown from city.
1930 � Jan. 1st. Municipal court established with C.W. Appleby as judge. First Conneaut-owned airplane purchased by Joseph Dawley. Five miniature golf courses operating in Conneaut and vicinity.
1931 � American Fork & Hoe Co. purchased Conneaut Shovel Co.
1932 � May 31st. Last passenger train on Conneaut branch of Bessemer R.R.
1934 � New water works plant built on West Lake Rd.
1937 � Stadium built at rear of West Main School.
1940 � Rubber & Chemical Products Co. (Mill St.) began operations.
1941 � Feb. 16th. Dial telephone system inaugurated in Conneaut. July. General Electric Co. plant at Reig & Maple Aves. opened.
1944 � Conneaut Rubber & Plastic Co. (Commerce St.) located here. Conneaut Twp., incorporated becoming Village of Lakeville
1944 � Astatic began operations here.
1945 � Conneaut Plating Industries started.
1946 � Michigan Limestone & Chemical Co. took location at Dock 1 Conneaut Harbor.
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