Oak Harbor

by Frank Gluth, John Liske, Richard Martin

Overview

Oak Harbor has a colorful history originating with a man named Adolphus Kraemer, a Toledo merchant who dreamed of developing a town that would rival the likes of Detroit and Cleveland. Adolphus established his dream town near the headwaters of the Portage River, 11 miles inland from Lake Erie. Although it was first platted in 1835 as Hartford by Joseph Wardlow, it was Kraemer who brought his family to settle in the wilderness and develop the town that became Oak Harbor. Since there were several Hartfords in Ohio, Kraemer suggested the name Oak Harbor because the village was located on a river harbor and there was an abundance of oak trees. Initially, Oak Harbor was a lumbering town, but as the timber began to wane, the area saw an influx of German immigrants who understood how to drain and farm the swampy land.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738598796
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	03/04/2013
Series:	Images of America Series
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

With over 200 photographs from many private collections, this book captures the development of Oak Harbor from Kraemer's vision to today's community. It was the joint effort of three men interested in preserving Oak Harbor's history: Frank Gluth, the longtime author of the "Old Timer" column in the local newspaper; John Liske, a retired Oak Harbor village administrator; and Richard Martin, a retired county extension agent.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 6

Introduction 7

1 In the Beginning, It Was Hartford 9

2 The Portage River 25

3 Business and Industry 33

4 To Protect and to Serve 55

5 Down on the Farm 67

6 Service to God and Country 77

7 School Days 91

8 Having Fun 105

9 Our Neighbors 119