Take a walk along a Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve trail on any given day and you’ll be treated to a lush and diverse landscape. With a wild natural beach, rolling wooded uplands, and commanding views of the adjoining Mentor Marsh, the property is one of Mentor’s best kept recreational secrets that easily could have looked very different.
According to the Cleveland Memory Project, as early as the 1870s, there were plans to dredge out the Marsh basin and construct a large inland harbor. By the turn of the 20th century, there even was talk of creating a steel manufacturing complex at this location. Major players in the steel, coal, and rail industries were involved, and those plans might have been realized had Peter Hitchcock not put a stop to them. For reasons unknown, he wouldn’t sell his 52-acres of property. His decision became known as “Hitchcock’s Holdup” and as a result, the steel plant was built in Lorain instead.
In the 1920s, a well-heeled group of Clevelanders formed the Mentor Harbor Club with the goal of creating the “Venice of the North” which would feature luxury homes with their own private docks as well as an adjoining private golf course. The harbor was dredged, the dock walls were put in place, and construction even began on a few of the homes. Over a million dollars were invested into the project until the stock market crash of 1929 halted development. A portion of the property became the Mentor Harbor Yacht Club; the remainder eventually became the Mentor Lagoons Marina which changed hands numerous times through the years.
By the mid-90s, new plans were considered for private development of the marina and for the first time in Ohio’s history, voters affirmed eminent domain action to protect open space. The City purchased a total of 450-acres to establish the Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve and Marina.
Most area residents under the age of 50 might be surprised to learn that the Mentor Marsh was once a lush wetland forest until the 1960s when salt tailings were dumped into the eastern end of the basin. As native trees and plants died off, they were replaced by an invasive, salt-tolerant, reedy plant known as Phragmites.
For the past decade, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History team, in cooperation with the City of Mentor and the Lake County Soil and Water Division, has been removing the Phragmites and encouraging native plant growth and the results have been amazing. What was, until a few year ago, a homogenous block of Phragmites now hosts dozens of species of native plants, rare marsh birds, as well as fish and other fauna.
The marsh basin is already considered an important birding area with over 260 species of birds identified last year alone. Birders from across the country flock to the marsh rim during the spring and fall migration to catch a glimpse of rare species.
Improving access and enhancing the visitor experience is a high priority. Thanks to voter approval, plans for an ADA-accessible boardwalk, observation deck, and observation tower at the marina facing the marsh are in the works and construction will begin soon. The parking area has been expanded and reconfigured to accommodate additional capacity.
For many, the best way best way to experience the lagoons and the marsh are right from the water. Kayak, canoe, and paddleboard rentals run from May through September.
In addition to the natural splendor, new events have been added to the calendar to attract visitors to the water’s edge.
Tunes at the Lagoons is a free concert series that brings live music the marina twice a month during the summer. Mentor PerchFest will also make its debut in late-August. Anglers of all ages will be invited to participate in fishing tournaments and clinics. The event will also include children’s activities, games, live entertainment, food and craft vendors, and more.
Visitors can expect other improvements so that the Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve and Marina can be enjoyed for decades to come.
Learn more at www.mentorlagoons.com.
Read more about Hitchcock’s Holdup, by Sam Tamburro at the Cleveland Memory Project.
Article originally published in the 2021 edition of Mentor City Magazine.