Lake County before Lake County - A Brief Chronology of Dates 1750-1840

Lake County is Ohio's smallest county with the most history.  Here are some notable dates from the early years.

• 1750-  Charlton, French Trading Post, built at mouth of Chagrin River.
• 1760-  Major Robert Rogers driven by storm enters mouth of Grand River.
• 1796-  Moses Cleaveland surveys Western Reserve.
• 1797-  Marsh settlement established by Charles Parker
• 1798-  Settlement of Unionville by Col. Alexander Harper.  Settlement on Chagrin River by David Abbott.
• 1800-  Settlement by J. Walworth and E. Paine on Grand River. First Grist Mill built by Abbott on Chagrin River.
• 1801-  Blooming Grove (Walworth), Marsh Settlement, and Paine Settlement celebrate first Independents Day.
• 1802- LeRoy settled by Col. Amassa Clapp.
• 1803-  Town of New Market laid out by Capt. Abraham Skinner and Col. Eleazer Paine.  First mail route through county established.  Grist Mill built by Paine at Tiber Creek.
• 1804-  First school, Abraham Tappen teacher
• 1805-  Old Tavern built at Unionville by Spencer Shears.  Samuel Huntington purchases Blooming Grove from Walworth.
• 1806-  First Tannery built in Champion.  first bridge built over Grand River at New Market.
• 1807-  First wool mill established in Champion.
• 1808-  First mill built in Champion.  Dr. John Mathews is the first physician in the county.  Settlement of Perry by Ezra Beebe.
• 1809-  Chapintown (Madison) settled.
• 1810-  Congregational Church in Painesville is organized.
• 1811-  County seat is moved from Painesville to Chardon.
• 1812-  Grandon (Fairport) is laid out at the mouth of the Grand River.  Log Cabin built by Joseph Rider.
• 1815-  Formation of Mentor, Perry and Chagrin Townships.
• 1817-  Settlement of Wickliffe.
• 1818-  Rider Tavern erected on primary stagecoach path of the Reserve.
• 1819-  Mentor Library Association formed.  Avery Place built by J. Goldsmith and L. Storrs.
• 1821-  The Marshall and Seeley homes were built in Painesville by J. Goldsmith.
• 1823-  Eber Howe establishes The Painesville Telegraph.
• 1825-  Fairport Lighthouse is built by J. Goldsmith.  Arcola, Geauga and Railroad Furnances founded.
• 1828-  First steamboat built at Madison Dock.
• 1829-  Doctor Mathews home built by J. Goldsmith.
• 1832-  Settlement of Richmond (Grand River) by Thomas Richmond of NY. Arrival of Mormons in Kirtland.  Painesville incorporated as a town.
• 1834-  Willoughby Medical College founded.  Mormon Temple in Kirtland completed.
• 1835-  Painesville-Fairport Railroad built by Goldsmith.
• 1836-  Grandon is incorporated and is named Fairport.
• 1837-  Mormons depart from Kirtland.
• 1839-  Western Reserve Teachers Seminary established at site of Kirtland Temple.
• 1840-  FORMATION OF LAKE COUNTY

Information gleaned from library files of the  Fairport Harbor Historical Society and Lake County Historical Society (Garfield Home).