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Put-in-Bay
Put-in-Bay is a village located on South Bass Island just north of Sandusky on the mainland. Put-in-Bay's main industry is tourism that runs from April thru October. Put-in-Bay has to be the party capital on the north coast of Ohio. The harbor has an abundance of bars, nightclubs, and saloons. When the season goes full blast on Memorial Day weekend, every night is a good night for a party.
Main access to the island is by ferry boat. Once on the island, there is a $2 shuttle from the dock into town or you can rent bikes and golf carts to get around, or the walk isn't too bad either. Jet Express drops you off right in the harbor next to the boat docks. The other ferries make port on the southwest side of the island, about 1.5 miles from downtown Put-in-Bay.
How the harbor and town got its name
In 1784 an unidentified group of explorers sailed around the 20 some islands in Lake Erie's western basin. On their charts, they identified one harbor of one island in particular as "Pudding Bay" because the shape of its harbor reminded them of a pudding bag. That island, now called South Bass Island, gained fame during the War of 1812 as the base from which Oliver Hazard Perry sailed, that ultimately led to the defeat of the British fleet in the Battle of Lake Erie. Up until the beginning of the Civil War, Put-in-Bay was one of Ohio's busiest ports.
William Henry Powell painting of Perry's Victory commemorating the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812 was the first piece of artwork commissioned for the Statehouse in 1857 and was installed in the Capitol in early 1865.
Commodore Perry is the central figure standing in the row boat and is considered the soul of the picture. With outstretched arm, and resolute and confident look, unconscious of his little brother, who is seen tugging at his brother's coat, or of the deprecating gesture of the helmsman to make him sit down and avoid exposure to enemy fire, Commodore Perry is displayed with courage and leadership that led to the great Victory of Lake Erie.
After seeing Powell's work, the United State Senate commissioned him to create a similar painting for the United State Capitol Rotunda
Perry's note to General William Henry Harrison read:
"We have met the enemy, and they are ours. Two ship, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop."
Today there is a monument to Perry's victory on the isthmus of the island which opened to the public in 1915 and became a national monument in 1936. The observation deck offers a wonderful view of Put-in-Bay Harbor and South Bass Island.
Perry Victory Memorial
The most noticeable feature is the Perry Victory and International Peace Memorial which opened in 1915. The Memorial was originally designed to honor the victory of Commodore Perry over the British fleet in Lake Erie, it's purpose was expanded to include the long standing peace between the United States and Canada. The Memorial became part of the National Park Service in 1936. There is also an observation deck which is 317' above Lake Erie. The deck was closed for most of 2007 for repairs.
John Eisemann, the designer of the Ohio State Flag, submitted a design for the Perry Memorial however, his original design was passed over in favor of the design of architects Joseph H. Freelander and Alexander D. Seymour, Jr., of New York City. Eisenmann was awarded a $1,500 consolation prize, but his idea of placing the memorial on the isthmus on South Bass Island was regarded as the ideal site for the memorial.
Other attractions on South Bass Island
If you like to party, there's always something going on in the Village just about every night of the week in season. If you prefer the more quiet life-style, there's also Victorian hotels, resorts, wineries, a cave, a butterfly house and a campground.