The Villages

The Villages. . , Russells Point , In 1847, John Russell, for whom Russells Point is named, was born near the shores of the original spring-fed Indian Lake. His parents farmed near the areas we know today as Lake Ridge and O’Connors Point on the east side of Indian Lake. Mr. Russell married and began his family while farming on his family’s land. In October 1891, he decided to lease from the Bureau of Public Works a portion of marshy, forested land which jutted out into the Lewistown Reservoir on the southern edge of the lake. The lease for the seven acres was for 15 years at an annual rent of $48. Mr. Russell constructed a white frame farmhouse for his family, which eventually numbered eleven children, and set up farming and fishing. The house was built near where the west end of the current location of the Sandy Beach Bridge. In 1894, after three years of obliging fishermen who had traveled long hours to get to the Lewistown Reservoir and who were in need of food or other help, Mr. Russell decided to leave the area. Russells Point was incorporated in 1928.

Lakeview , In 1831 after the Lewistown Reservaton Indians signed a final treaty and were removed to Kansas, folks simply slowly began to settle the lands west of the Lewistown reservoir. An 1875 Atlas Map of Logan County, Ohio shows only two houses in what would be Lakeview. In only six years, however, there were enough settlers to begin to allow the Village of Lakevie, originally written as Lake View, to be platted. By 1895, two hundred citizens, signed the documents incorporating the village; Elisha Houchins became the first mayor. Lakeview’s citizens took full advantage of their closeness to Indian Lake, for example, Elisha Reed claimed the first boat house; Henry Porter the first sawmill. Timber was plentiful since trees were left standing as the waters rose around them. In winter timber was cut at ice level and hauled to the mill. Later, other factories also operated in the village. Lakeview was regular stop on the Toledo and Ohio Central Line between Marysville and St. Marys and on the Ohio Electric Interurban Railroad between Springfield and Lima. The rail lines provided easy access to Indian Lake from all directions. In order to provide power for the electric railroad in 1912 Lakeview issued bonds totaling $2,600. To this day Lakeview remains one of the few villages to operate its own electric power system. Visitors arriving on the Interurban could get a haircut, enjoy a meal, have a drink at one of five saloons and spend the night in one of six hotels. Emil Davis who came to Lakeview in 1908 with his parents wrote in 1982 that, “Lakeview is just a village where friendly neighbors live and raise their families.”