Photo Gallery

Sandusky Bay Railroad Bridge

Trains going across Sandusky Bay carried mail for the United States Post Office. These photographs of “fast mail” trains, from the early twentieth century, show the trains traveling on the railroad bridge across Sandusky Bay.

Year Taken: 1929

Mail Train

In the 1850s, Sardis Birchard, uncle of Rutherford B. Hayes, tried to stop the development of a railroad bridge across Sandusky Bay, because he feared the bridge would interfere with ship traffic. Ultimately, it was impossible to stop development of the railroad bridge across the bay.

Year Taken: 1929

Log Cabin Inn/Crazy Trout

No longer on that spot. Alberta "Bertie" Orshoski was the only daughter of Steve and Emma (Yeager) Orshoski. The first of the five Orshoski children, Bertie was born on October 20, 1926. Bertie graduated from Margaretta High School in 1944, where she was on the cheerleading squad with her aunt, Stella Orshoski. (Though Stella was Bertie's aunt, they were very close in age.)For twenty four years, Bertie and her husband John Maschari owned and operated the Log Cabin Inn, a restaurant in Bay View. Through the years, a host of relatives were employed by Bertie and John at the Log Cabin. Bertie's father Steve even helped out on occasion. The Log Cabin was a favorite place in the area for banquets, and luncheon business meetings. Boaters found it handy to dine there in the summer months, especially before the closing of the old Sandusky Bay Bridge. Many family anniversary parties, holiday parties, and funeral dinners were hosted at the Log Cabin by Bertie and John. When a close family member or friend passed away, Bertie often prepared a carryout meal and delivered it to the grieving family.

Source: Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky

Sandusky Bay Bridge

On Feb. 2, 1929, the Sandusky Bay Bridge was dedicated, providing a direct route for automobiles across the bay between Erie and Ottawa counties. This marked the first time automobile traffic could cross Sandusky Bay.Upon being constructed, the Sandusky Bay Bridge, in Bay View, was the longest bridge and causeway in Ohio. The construction firm was A. Bentley and Sons from Toledo. The engineers were Harrington, Howard and Ash from St. Louis, Missouri. Steel work was done by the Mount Vernon Bridge Co.

Those from the area were delighted to have direct automobile access across Sandusky Bay. And the thousands of annual tourists to the Lake Erie Islands region were glad to have a quick and easy way to travel across the bay to get to their favorite beach or fishing spot. Authorized by acts of Congress and the Ohio Legislature, the Sandusky Bay Bridge provided a convenient pathway for both locals and tourists. Originally operated by the Sandusky Bay Bridge Co., workers charged each vehicle 50 cents to cross the bridge. On May 1, 1936, the State Bridge Commission of Ohio took over operations, immediately reducing the toll to 25 cents. A toll collector was stationed near the drawbridge. On Aug. 30, 1946, Gov. Frank Lausche cut ceremonial tape across the bridge span near the toll gate, signifying a toll-free Sandusky Bay Bridge. The first car to head west on the bridge after the ribbon cutting was Howard Higgins of Rochester, New York. The driver of the car traveling east on the bridge was Jay Johnson from Los Angeles, California. Originally operated by the Sandusky Bay Bridge Co., workers charged each vehicle 50 cents to cross the Sandusky Bay Bridge. On May 1, 1936, the State Bridge Commission of Ohio took over operations, immediately reducing the toll to 25 cents. A toll collector was stationed near the drawbridge.

By the 1960s, the state of Ohio widened Ohio 2 into a four-lane highway. Then the four-lane Edison Memorial Bridge was constructed, running parallel to the Sandusky Bay Bridge. A majority of traffic, however, was rerouted from the bay bridge Both bridges were used from 1965 until 1985, when the state removed the bay bridge’s steel center because of high maintenance costs. The Sandusky Bay Bridge ceased operations in 1985. Today drivers cross the Sandusky via the Thomas A. Edison Memorial Bridge. The two ends of the Sandusky Bay Bridge are used as fishing piers. They’re maintained by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. As the sun sets, people fish from the former Sandusky Bay Bridge in Bay View on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018. Both ends of the former bridge are maintained by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and are often used for fishing.

Source: Sandusky Register

311 Ogontz Trail

One of the early summer cabins. Dated 1930.

Medusa Cement Factory

From 1892 until 1960, the Medusa Portland Cement Co. employed many area residents. The company, originally named the Sandusky Portland Cement Co., was founded by three brothers in 1892: Spencer, Arthur and William Newberry. The men were all sons of well-known geologist John Strong Newberry. Marl and clay, key components in the manufacturing in portland cement at that time, were widely available in the marshy land surrounding Bay Bridge. In its first 50 years, Medusa expanded to eight facilities in five states. The company was very profitable in the early “baby boom” years following World War II due to an increase in demand for cement for use in the building of homes, businesses and highways.

But, by 1960, the Bay Bridge plant of the Medusa Cement Co. closed. Eventually, Medusa was acquired by Southdown Inc. While the busy days of the booming cement mill town are now a memory, the small village of Bay Bridge once had its own post office and storea to take care of the needs of the many employees who worked at Medusa. “A lot of kids who grew up in Bay View rode their bikes to this place to take a look at the old Medusa cement plant at one time or another,” according to a person posting a comment under this article on the blog. “It was sort of a right of passage for most of the boys in Bay View to take a look at the cement plant at one time or another. Viewing Medusa was like taking a good long look back at what used to be for the community that once was, especially when accompanied by a boy whose grandfathers or great-grandfathers worked there or built it.”

Source: Sandusky Register

Highway Patrol - Bay View, OH

The Ohio Highway Patrol had a post near the old Sandusky Bay Bridge. The building is now the Village Hall.

Year: 1950's

Sandusky Bay Railroad Bridge - Today

This bridge is difficult to get close to without a boat. The old causeway for a demolished highway bridge, now used as a fishing pier, are the easiest way for land lovers to view the bridge. The bridge appears to be a traditionally composed plate girder Scherzer type rolling lift bascule bridge. It is not known if Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company was involved with this bridge; examples of rolling lift bridges not associated with Scherzer following this design have been identified. The bridge is on a long causeway. The causeway itself contains four separate "bridges." Three of them are composed of fixed spans that appear to be steel stringer spans. The fourth is this bascule bridge which also includes seven approach spans similar to the spans on the other bridges.

Bay View Shoreline

Miles of beautiful Sandusky Bay shoreline.