The View From Here

The View From Here. . , South Bass Island is the island you see toward your left (west) and has also been called "Put-in-Bay" for the harbor from which Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry launched his successful naval battle against the British fleet under Robert H. Barclay during the War of 18 12. This naval victory was a major turning point in the war and is commemorated by Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, a granite column rising 352 feet. Visitors have a spectacular view of Middle Bass and North Bass islands to the north.

As you read this plaque, you are facing north and the large island directly in front of you is Kelleys Island. Ferry service operates seasonally, transporting tourists and island residents across the 3 nautical mile span.

Visitors, to Kelleys Island State Park can witness the awe-inspiring Glacial Grooves, a 400 ft long trough, deeply sculpted in the limestone bedrock by, the force cf the glacial ice that created the Great Lakes some 18,000 years ago. It is the largest easily accessible geologic formation of its type in the world and is a National Natural landmark. Vestiges of the Kelleys Island Lime and Transport Company, once the largest producer of lime in the world, can also be seen on the north side of the island.

The Lake Erie Islands have been referred to as the "wine islands" owing to the highly profitable vineyard operations that date to the mid-1800s. The combination of the limestone soil and lake climate favored the cultivation of grapes for wine. In the early 1900s, large passenger steamers plied the waters between the islands and mainland and vacation resorts began a tourist industry which continues to flourish to this day.