Willoughby Historical Society

10/21/2026

Thank you, Bob Wells. As Hoolihan, he was a big part of Greater Cleveland's kids late night weekend entertainment in the 1960s and '70s and of their parents' as the fun Channel 8 weatherman.

Wells co-hosted the popular late-night program "Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show" on WJW TV-8 for more than a decade in the 1960s and '70s.

10/18/2026

You can still get on the waiting list for the presentation on the S.S. Griffith by author Jennifer Engleking and diver Mark Lasmais.

Wednesday, October 21, at 6:00 p.m. at the Willoughby Library.

The Griffith caught fire and sank in 1850 just off-shore of what is now Willowick and Lake Front Lodge, claiming almost 300 lives in what remains one of the worst maritime disasters in Great Lakes history.

Join us as author Jennifer Engelking and local diver Mark Lasmais discuss Mark's dive down to the wreckage of the Griffith.

10/17/2026

Congratulations to the varsity football teams of Willoughby South and Eastlake North high schools on your historic game October 16, 2026!

The South Rebels won 21-14 over the North Rangers in the first game of the 66-year rivalry where both teams came in undefeated at 8-0.

Thank you to the marching bands of both schools for showing true community spirit by combining into one big band - the Best Damn Band in All of Lake County.

We are proud of each and every one of you.

10/15/2026

Another gem and a story.

We don't like to step on anyone's toes so it is important to note that we co-claim this along with Willoughby Hills. The first house, The Louis Penfield House, began with a 1952 visit to Frank Lloyd Wright's studio in Wisconsin. At that time the property was part of Willoughby Township. By the end of construction, Willoughby Hills was incorporated as a village and eventually a city.

The Penfield family has a long and storied history in Willoughby. One part of that history is that Gertrude Ferguson Penfield had an elegant wedding in Willoughby where she married Frank Seiberling.

Frank Seiberling. If that name sounds familiar to Northeast Ohioans but you can't place it here are a few hints.

Akron
Goodyear
Stan Hywet Hall

Yes, Stan Hywet was Gertrude Penfield's home.

And Gertrude, among many other things, was a suffragist.

Be sure to watch the Daytime Emmys online for free on October 30. Why? Because the four-part series "The Last Wright" about the building of RiverRock House is nominated.

You go girls! Gertrude would be proud.

A legacy built from a vision.In Willoughby, Ohio, the RiverRock H...

10/15/2026

Good for them! We saw some of this work on our Lantern Tour in August. Set to open at the end of October.

The Lake County History Center is in what was the Lake County Poor House from 1876-2004. A space both beautiful and terrifying in the same moment.

Be sure to visit.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CRzoNh3HL/

“We’re getting so close,” said Lisa Lewins, director of Lake County Historical Society, that oversees the history center.

The speakeasy pub that volunteers have been working on in the basement of the 150-year-old building that houses the Lake County History Center is expected to open at the end of October.

Read more 👇

10/14/2026

Look closely and you'll see the similarities.

Bratenahl's Moyenage (left), home to Cleveland!ers Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, and Willoughby House, home to Julia's 1902, the Hungry Ghost, and the Inn at Willoughby House, were designed by the same architect, the renowned Charles Schweinfurth.

Note: If you found this page via a celebrity search we'll be our Midwest nice and let you in on something. It's pronounced "BRAT-uh-nahl". Moyenage? That's a secret.

Travis Kelce’s New Ohio Home Has a History Worthy of a Taylor Swift Song (Architectural Digest)
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/travis-kelces-new-cleveland-home-has-a-history-worthy-of-a-taylor-swift-song

10/12/2026

While our October eyes are focused on Florida's Gulf Coast this week, let's head about 3 hours south of Tampa Bay to visit our bona fide namesake in Naples for the next installment of "Other Willoughbys".

About two miles from the beaches along the Gulf of Mexico lies Willoughby Acres. In the late 1960s-early 1970s, longtime Willoughby city council member and community activist, Elwood Witt, led a group of investors in developing a subdivision with street names mirroring our own and other local entities. Yes, you can live in tropical Naples on Euclid Avenue, Erie, Johnny Cake, and Willoughby Drive. They didn't leave out the rest of the area, either. There are streets named Madison, Wickliffe, Mentor, Willowick, Lakeland, and Kirtland.

Elwood and his wife, Elsie, wintered in Naples and eventually became year-round residents. They never lost their love of Willoughby. Elwood's headstone in the Sharpe Avenue Cemetery states he was a "Willoughby Councilman". And, yes, they lived in Willoughby Acres.

So next time you're vacationing in the area, be sure to check out Willoughby Acres!

10/10/2026

If you're headed to the game tonight, consider taking a few minutes or more out of your pre-gaming activities to pay respect to some Cleveland and Western Reserve pioneers at the Erie Street Cemetery, Cleveland's oldest cemetery.

The Erie Street Cemetery is directly across East 9th from Progressive Field and is the final resting place of many notable residents, including Lorenzo Carter, the first permanent settler of what we now know as Cleveland.

2254 East Ninth Street. Open until dusk.

Go Guards!

On East 9th Street, enclosed by a 19th century iron fence and Gothic gateway, is the Erie Street Cemetery — the final resting place of some of Cleveland's most notable pioneers and combatants. Located…

10/10/2026

And speaking of high school football, we're kicking it historical with Sherwood, our Union High football player and entry into the DTW Skele Walk for 2026.

Before North and South there was Union High, located at the top of Wes Point Park.

The Union High mascot was the Ranger, their yearbook was the Lens, and their colors were black, orange, and white. As North was the first of the new schools built in the late 1950s, all went with them and remain today.

Look for Sherwood in front of Viridian Books on Erie Street during October.

Best of luck to both teams next week!

10/10/2026

With both teams 8-0, next week's North-South football game is destined to be one for the ages.

Below is just one example of several T-shirt designs we have on sale at the Welcome Center this weekend to help you show your Rebel pride.

$10.00 each and all proceeds benefit the Willoughby Historical Society and Welcome Center.

The Welcome Center is open Saturday until 1:00 p.m. and Sunday 12:00-2:00 p.m.

Contact us if you would like to visit at other times and we'll make arrangements.