Before European settlement, the East Harbor region was home to the Ottawa and Wyandot Indians. Ottawa in native tongue

means "trader." An east-west trail skirted the southern shore of Lake Erie connecting the Pittsburgh and Detroit settlements, and

also linked with the famed Scioto Trail from the south. This important area remained in Indian control until the British and Indians

were defeated in the War of 1812 by the Americans.

After the Great Black Swamp was eventually drained, the land became highly productive. Fruits, particularly peaches and grapes,

were grown extensively. The grape culture became very successful as a result of quality soil, natural drainage and suitable

climate.

East of the park on the Marblehead Peninsula is the Marblehead Lighthouse, one of the oldest on the Great Lakes. Johnsons

Island on the bay side of the peninsula was the site of a prison for Confederate soldiers captured during the Civil War. A

Confederate cemetery still remains on the island.

The region has long been valued as a recreation area. The unique plant and animal life, sandy beaches, marshland and the lake

itself led to the development of East Harbor State Park. The park was opened in 1947 and today is one of northern Ohio's most

popular vacation spots.