Outdoors: Trip to Arcola Creek Estuary

This natural area was once a thriving port. It was the port of importation for limestone from Kelly’s Island for our local iron industry. It was the main port for the export of iron and a wide variety of agricultural products grown in the area. This Ohio port was so important that it was the site of the first lighthouse west of Buffalo, NY This site was also the location of a major shipyard. Some of the first ships constructed on Lake Erie were build at this site. The village that developed at this site was called Ellensburg. It included a number of residences, stores and even a hotel. A few of the old foundations can still be located in the wooded area surrounding the marsh. An estuary is a coastal wetland that is characterized by fluctuating water levels. The dynamic nature of the lakeshore will from time to time close the outlet of the stream causing a wide variation of water levels within the marsh. The periodic submergence of the low lying land creates a unique environment. Few estuaries still exist on the shores of Lake Erie. Most have been drained, filled or developed into marinas. It is important to preserve the few remaining. The town of Ellensburg was built at the junction of Arcola Creek and Lake Erie. It was a thriving community of ship builders, fishermen, and commerce. The Arcole Iron Works was located south of the mouth of the creek (then called Cunningham Creek after Captain John Cunningham who purchased property there in the early 1800’s). Arcole Iron …