Oregon Jerusalem Historical Society

Oregon Jerusalem Historical Society Dedicated to the preservation of our area's heritage and bringing history to life for all to enjoy.

05/27/2026

Coming up next Wednesday, May 27th is our annual Spaghetti Dinner at the Jerusalem Township Fire Hall 9501 Jerusalem rd. All the festivities start at 430pm. Hope to see you there

. Saturday History Lesson with The History Fanatic This wee...
05/23/2026

.
Saturday History Lesson with
The History Fanatic


This weekend we are talking about:
–Ward Canal–

Lake Erie's southern shoreline, once teeming with shipbuilding activity, now is without any major shipyard following the closing of two American Shipbuilding Co. Yards.
The Lorain yard closed, as did the Toledo Amship yard on Front St. The demise of the industry spurred one local historian and boating enthusiast to research the days when an area of Jerusalem Township, 13 miles east of Toledo, was a shipbuilding center.
Martin Z. Wiener, a local businessman and township farmer,in the journal of the Western Lake Erie Historical Society, describes activities along Wards Canal in the 1870's. The shipyard only lasted a few years, but a sawmill built as an adjunct to it survived well into the 1990's.
Mr. Wiener noted that not many of the thousands of boaters and fishermen who use Wards Canal to get to Lake Erie, are aware that the canal was dug to provide access to the shipyard.
A barn on his farm, north of Route 2 at Bono, was built on the foundations of an old shipyard. Western Lake Erie has always,up until now, been the center of shipbuilding activity, even extending back to the War of 1812, when some of Commodore Perry's ship were built there
In 1867, Captain Eber Brock Ward, a Detroit industrialist, bought 8,500 acres of oak Timbers for his shipyard. Ward needed some way to get the lumber out of the swampy area. Using a steam dredge towed in from Detroit, as well as scrapper, picks, and shovels, he had a Canal dug extending about 2.5 miles in from the Lake.
The canal, was 30 feet wide and 15 feet deep, ran southwest from the Lake for about 1 ¾ miles, where it turned west, following the path of present day Route 2 . It narrowed into the channel of Cedar Creek just east of what today is Teachout Road.
The Detroiter first built a sawmill near the present intersection of Route 2 and Lyon Road. The shipyard was built on the north side of the canal about 1 1/2 miles east of the mill and opened in 1870. The shipyard employed about 100 men, stood north of the canal opposite what now is Main Street in Bono.
The town across from Wards shipyard was named Shepherdsville, probably after brothers Dan and Bogne Shepherd who operated a saloon and the boarding house. They applied for a post office under that name, but were turned down because another Ohio town already had applied for the name. Instead they picked the name of a respected Indian, Joseph Bunno. Eventually, through repeated usage, the name was shorted to Bono.
Some sizable vessels, including schooner-barges were built in Wards shipyard.
Ward's shipyard shut down in the economic depression of 1873, and the captain died two years later in Detroit. His former home was sold, the boarding house was made into two separate homes and the sawmill became an onion storage house.

History and Pictures Provided by: Oregon-Jerusalem Historical Society Archive

. Saturday History Lesson with The History Fanatic This w...
05/16/2026

.
Saturday History Lesson with
The History Fanatic


This weekend we are talking about:
–The Metzger Store–

The familiar old store with its pyramid roof topped by a distinctive cupola stood at the corner of Navarre and Wheeling for nearly 100 years, giving the intersection the name Metzgers Corners.
The store which supplied the pioneer settlers of Brandville with their daily needs, survived to see Oregon become an incorporated municipality and to watch St. Charles Hospital rise from a field across the street.
Built in 1870 by French settlers, the store was taken over a year later by Victor Metzger, who continued to run the business for the rest of his life. It was built on the farm of Henry Brand, after whom the Brandville area was named.
Nearby, on the Woodville Plank Road, Miss Mary Elliot was teaching school at Matthew's Corners. She no doubt traded at Mr. Metzger's store, because soon afterward, in 1873, they became husband and wife.
The store grew along with the settlement of Brandville. Late in her life, in the 1930, the widowed Mrs. Metzger told George Pearson(Pearson Park) the early days of the business. It was speculated that the high cupola on the roof was used as an observation tower to watch out for Indians. Mrs. Metzger said the roof was designed that way simply to conform to the architecture of the rest of the building. The tower, though, must have had an excellent view of all the surrounding farms that stretched away for miles.
Many of the well known pioneer families would have walked the old floorboards of the Metzger store. The Coys, Plumeys, Millers, Rideouts, Schneiders, Gladieuxs, Schmidlin and Messers, and many others would have been regular customers there.
Mrs. Metzger survived her husband and continued to run the store, but after her death the building remained boarded up for years. By the late 1960's Metzger's Corners had become part of a busy community. In the late 1960's Metzger's Store was torn down.

History and Pictures Provided by: Oregon-Jerusalem Historical Society Archive

05/10/2026

The Brandville school will be open on Wednesday from 10 am - 2 pm to allow viewing of the Quilt. The winning ticket will be drawn at 5 PM Ticket Prices: 1 ticket for $5 or 5 tickets for $20 Tickets can be purchased either online or at the Quilt Show Buy Tickets

05/10/2026

What: The OJHS has the Honor of hosting the Threads of History Quilt Show When: August 13-15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Where: Educational Wing 1133 Grasser Street Oregon, OH 43616 If you have questions, please contact: RoseMarie Ackerman, Chair 419.308.6808 Email: [email protected] Quilt Submission...

. Saturday History Lesson with The History Fanatic This ...
05/09/2026

.
Saturday History Lesson with
The History Fanatic


This weekend we are talking about:
–Toledo and Eastern Railroad–

It was incorporated in 1902, began operating in 1905 and only ceased operations in 1958, much later than most other interurbans. It originally linked Genoa with the resort town of Port Clinton, a distance of 23 miles (37 km), and was then extended to Marblehead from Port Clinton, a further 12 miles (19 km).
Originally, the railway's cars entered Toledo over the Lake Shore Electric Railway's tracks from an interchange at Genoa, but in 1906 the TPC&L constructed its own line into Toledo, connecting with the city's streetcar system at Starr Avenue. The TPC&L ran over streetcar tracks to Toledo's business district. A further three-mile (4.8 km) extension to the pier at Bay Point in 1911 gave a ferry connection to Sandusky.
On June 24th, 1958 Sherman Avery, conductor of the last wooden passenger car in operating condition in the country. It made its final run over the Ohio Public Service Company interurban lines.
Mr. Avery, the company's oldest motorman in point of service, has been with the line since September 19th, 1907. The company will discontinue passenger service over the 52 mile line between Toledo and Marblehead.
On its final voyage, it will carry members of the National Railway Historical Society on a trip from Toledo to Marblehead. After that run, the car will be retired. Mr. Bennett, superintendent of the interurban line, said the Society may purchase the car and place it in their museum.

1.The picture of the operator is on Ryan Station. The station at Starr and Lallendorf
2. The picture of the green book is the employee handbook. The rules and regulations for the interurban railway. It was a fascinating read.

History and Pictures Provided by: Oregon-Jerusalem Historical Society Archive

Address

1133 Grasser Street
Oregon, OH
43616

Opening Hours

10am - 2pm

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+14199025149

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