Put-in-Bay and South Brass Island

One of the reasons that we are parked on Lake Erie is to visit Put-in-Bay and see the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial.  Yesterday we took our bikes and boarded a ferry which brought us to South Brass Island and the village of Put-in-Bay.  We got around the island fairly easy all day as there are bike paths, and usually when we have to share the road with motorized  vehicles the majority of them are golf carts.  In the background of the picture is the granite column of the memorial which has a copper urn on top.

Flags along the road to the memorial are that of Canada, Great Britain, America, and Ohio.  The memorial also celebrates the peace which we share with Great Britain and Canada.  Between us is the longest undefended border in the world.  At the 1931 dedication of the memorial it was noted that our relationship with Great Britain and Canada should be an inspiration for world peace.

At the visitor's center we learned more about the decisive battle of the War of 1812 which took place  on September 10, 1813.  Winning that battle gave America control of Lake Erie as well as the Northwestern territory.   We watched a movie in the museum which gave all the details of that battle.  It told how Captain Perry left his wooden ship the U.S.Brig Lawrence, after its' sails were shredded with many soldiers killed or wounded, and boarded the U.S.Niagara with his "Don't Give Up The Ship" flag in hand.  It was an important moment in the battle leading up to our victory.  At the end of the day Captain Perry wrote in his famous summary of the day's events: " we have met the enemy and they are ours.."

Put-in-Bay village has the usual tourist shops and restaurants.  After an early supper of fish (of course) we continued our tour of the island on our bikes, and found the "oldest church on the island" (the quotation was taken from the church sign).  I learned later that the church, St.Paul's Episcopal, was built in 1864 and financed partly with the assistance of Jay Cooke.   I wrote of him in my previous posting.

Our last stop of the day, before boarding the ferry for our return trip home, was the South Brass Island Light.  The lighthouse is in a Queen Anne style brick building which has a 60 foot tower attached to the keeper's home.  It is no longer in operation, the lighthouse was closed in 1962 when the U.S. Coast Guard replaced it with an automated light tower.