"Historical Perspectives through Collaboration"

Corporations, railways, and private land owners were gobbling up any lake front property that was available. Afraid that the public would eventually be isolated from the lakeshore, Lorain City officials started looking into purchasing land. What they found was 42 acres on the north and south sides of West Erie Avenue, which is now known as Lakeview Park.

Leonard Miller Moore, the Mayor of Lorain from 1916 to 1917, was the energy behind purchasing Lakeview Park for the city. Three offers were placed before the Mayor and City Council from the Chamberlain Estates. The first was to purchase the 19 acres along the lake for $42,500.

The second included the land offered in the first proposal and 21.9 acres on the south side of West Erie Avenue for $52,900. Finally, Chamberlain offered all of the 119 acres along West Erie Ave. for $100,000, which Mayor Moore believed would be a “good buy” if the city could get the same price for portions of the property that they would not be able to use.

After much discussion and some concern that the property was too far out of town for citizens to enjoy, councilmen decided to purchase 19 acres north of West Erie Ave and 21.9 acres south of West Erie Ave for $53,551.38. Following the purchase, the City looked into ways to improving the park so families could enjoy hot summer days there.

The public bathhouse was constructed to house changing rooms, concessions, and a deck overlooking the beach. For the daredevils, park officials installed three diving boards between 10-15 feet over the water and a slide that you could go down head first, feet first, or sideways into the water. On a hot day, the park could accommodate 2,000 visitors.

As it came across Sandusky Point, this storm spawned a tornado which devastated Lakeview Park as well as the city of Lorain. Eight individuals lost their lives in the park and the bathhouse was destroyed, with the exception of the concrete arched columns on the lower level. The beach house was rebuilt twice after that, always maintaining the concrete arched columns.

The Lorain County Metro Parks leased the 19 acres of property on the north side of West Erie Avenue from the city of Lorain in 2006. Extensive renovations, including a new bathhouse were completed in 2007. The style of the bathhouse is reminiscent of the original 1919 building, including the use of the original concrete arched columns on the lower level.

The tornado first struck Sandusky and then moved to Lorain just after 5 p.m.

It touched down at Lakeview Park, moved east, went down Broadway Avenue, and then over to the east side.

The destruction spanned 35 blocks, killed 72 people, and left 7000 homeless.

One of the greatest tragedies was at the State Theater, where the balcony collapsed into the basement, killing fifteen people. Within hours the Ohio National Guard was present in the city to help those trying to get out of their homes and to protect against gawkers and looters.

Dozens of doctors and hundreds of nurses arrived from Cleveland on the steamer City of Erie to help the wounded. St. Joseph’s Hospital quickly filled up, and Lorain High School became a hospital overflow site and temporary morgue.

Thanks to the Ohio National Guard and the Red Cross, everyone in Lorain had a roof or a tent over their head within 24 hours. The Red Cross nurses were concerned about the risk of a potential disease outbreak with the number of wounded and heavy rains that plagued the city in the weeks that followed.

Souvenir booklets containing images and postcards of the destruction were sold to the curious visitors who came to see the tornado damage. The Rose Garden at Lakeview Park was built to honor Lorain’s tornado victims.