APRIL 2025 LAST WORDS By Kathy Huffman 5 The other day a patron asked for directions and was surprised when I responded with; let’s see if we can find it on the map. The days of using a physical paper map in search of that perfect route have come and gone. Replaced with apps like Google Maps or Waze that will get you to your destination, most of the time, with no questions asked. In our mad dash to find convenience lost is the history of the roads we travel. Did you know that Locust Street was not named on the original 1835 Hartford town map. In an 1867 letter the street was referred to as the Fremont & Locust Point Turnpike. Later the road was called the Locust Point Fremont Road. It is speculated that the name was shortened to Locust Street by the residents of Oak Harbor who thought the name was too long. Into the late 1950’s, Osage Orange planks were still being uncovered on the street during road work that required excavation. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, Osage Orange planks were placed on the inbound lane of Locust street to handle the farm wagons loaded with grain and fruit while the outbound lane remained dirt. Mill Street began its existence as a simple 16 ½ foot wide alley primarily used to access the many lumber mills along the Portage River. In 1918 the Village had bought the property and widened the alley into a proper street. In the mid 1800’s, many businesses and stores built their buildings as close to the Portage River as possible. This street became known as Water Street. However, from 1870 to the 1890’s, the newspapers referred to this street as Front Street. That was due to the fact the storefronts were located on the Water Street side and the owners would sweep the street in front of their businesses every Monday morning. The street was covered with wood clippings until 1890’s when it was bricked. Then in the 1950’s it was finally paved. Church Street was aptly named since at one time three active churches called this street home. Methodist, Lutheran, & Catholic. As early as 1874 a thick wooden plank sidewalk ran the length of Church street from downtown to the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad station (LS&MS). In 1898 the dirt street was bricked. All towns have a Main Street and Oak Harbor is no exception. However, it is interesting to note that our Main Street is not actually the main street of town but located a block over. The street is also comprised mostly of residential lots and not businesses with the Library being the exception. Although, when the library moved to its current location it moved into a two-story residential dwelling. One cannot overlook those roads named after the Village’s namesake. In March of 1863, the Village changed its name from Hartford to Oak Harbor in recognition of the large timber which was shipped from this small harbor town. The Village named a few of its streets after its stoic residents. Maple, Oak, and Walnut Streets. Before there were passable roads through the Great Black Swamp, there were trails used by the Native Americans that called this land home long before the first settlers arrived. The Village named Erie and Ottawa Streets after these local tribes. The Village does have two streets named after U.S. Presidents. Washington and Jefferson Streets. Did you know that part of Washington Street between Toussaint and Benton Streets remained a dirt road until the 1970s. I leave you with this. History tells us that there is a story behind everything, including the roads we travel.
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