Resale Shop

Museum's "Thrifting Paradise" is open 11-5 pm

The Lake Erie islands Historical Society's Heritage Resale Shop, Put-in-Bay's "thrifting paradise," is open11 am to 5 pm daily this fall. Check the Museum's Facebook Page and our website banner at the top of each page for any updates on changes. And if you're traveling from a distance, or from the mainland, call the museum at 419-285-2804 to make sure of that day's hours. Once we reach November, we may not be open every day.

We think you'll enjoy our new building and our new system of accepting donations to make things easier for our donors. Keep us in mind after yard sales, or when you're cleaning out the garage. We appreciate your support.

Interested in volunteering in 2027? Volunteers receive "Resale Bucks" that can be used to purchase items in the shop. Contact Kendra Koehler or email us at volunteers@leihs.org if you would like more information about volunteering.

Upcoming Events

Check out the Museum’s 2026 Events Page for current information on upcoming events.

Tuesday, November 10 — Brown Bag Lunch History Talk with Billy Market, “This History of Miller Boat Line” at 11:45 am at the Museum. A light lunch will be provided.

Tues., Dec. 1 — Giving Tuesday. LEIHS will join the LEI Conservancy and the LEINWC on Giving Tuesday by opening our doors to the community from 11 am to 7 pm to accept charitable donations during this annual event.

With the renovation of the Heritage Resale Shop, we will be open more often in the fall and winter. That schedule will be added as we near the end of the summer.

Lake Erie Islands Historical Society & Museum

Originally the Put-in-Bay Centennial Celebration Committee (PIBCCC) established in 1975, this organization was renamed the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society in 1985 when a group of dedicated island residents formed to make their vision of an island museum a reality. The first museum opened in 1987 at the historic Put-in-Bay Bottling Works building. A new 6,000 square foot museum building with a research library and archive was opened in 1998. The LEIHS's mission is to educate about Lake Erie Islands history, and to protect and preserve island history for future generations. WE offer six levels of membership, and anyone interested is invited to join. The museum hosts events for members, fundraising events open to everyone, history programs, and collaborative events with island partners. Open daily in the summer months and weekends in the spring and fall, the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society museum welcomes school groups, with advance notice please, to explore the history and mystery of the Lake Erie Islands and island life.

Lake Erie Islands Historical Society & Museum14 hours ago

History of Miller Boat Line—very interesting! Tuesday 11:45. Brown Bag Lunch.

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Lake Erie Islands Historical Society & Museum1 day ago

So Good! This Tuesday!

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Lake Erie Islands Historical Society & Museum2 days ago

Ohio's First American Settlements:

"As before stated, the first permanent settlement was made at Marietta, on the 7th of April, 1788, and the first judicial court was held there in September of the same year, under the ordinance of Congress, passed in 1786.

The next settlement, in the order of time, was that of Symmes' purchase, made at Columbia, 6 miles above Cincinnati, on the 16th day of November, 1789, by a Major Stites and twenty-five others. They were principally from Redstone, now Brownsville, Pa. although a part of them were from New York, and from New Jersey, under the direction of Judge Symmes, of the latter state.

They immediately set to work, and erected a blockhouse, one part standing guard, while the other wrought; as tha Indians were then ambushed throughout the surrounding woods.

The next, settlement was made by several French immigrants, at Gallipolis, in the year 1791. They were induced to leave France, and come to America, by the agents of several individuals, styling themselves the "Scioto Land Company." This company intended to have purchased of Congress, all that tract of country situated between the Ohio company's purchase east, and the Scioto river on the west — the Ohio river south, and the Refugee tract, and the United States' military district on the north. They then directed] those settlers to locate themselves at the place now called, from this circumstance, Gallipolis; supposing that it would fall within their contemplated new purchase. But this place did not, ultimately, fall within the supposed limits, nor did the company ever effect any part even of their intended purchase.

These immigrants, finding themselves thus disappointed, in the title of there lands, and being unused to a new country, became discouraged. Several of them went on to their bretheren, at Vincennes on the Wabash, and to Kaskaskia. Some, who remained behind, petitioned Congress, for new lands; inconsequence of which they obtained a grant of 24,000 acres of land, on the Ohio, — now called the French Grant, in the southeast part of Scioto county.

The next settlements, in the territory, now state of Ohio, were made on the southern shore of lake Erie, at Cleveland, and at Conneaut, in the year 1796. These latter settlements were made by settlers from New England.

The intermediate country, between these different and distant settlements was gradually filed up, by subsequent immigration of settlers from different quarters of the United States, by their natural increase, and by emigrants from Various parts of Europe, during all the intermediate time, between the former settlements and the present time."

- Warren Jenkins, The Ohio gazetteer, and travelers guide (1841)

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Lake Erie Islands Historical Society & Museum2 days ago

Connecticut's Early Claims to Ohio Lands:

"Connecticut's charter, which was granted by Charles II in 1662, confirming and combining former charters and deeds, conveyed to that colony all of the territory of the present State, and all of the lands west of it, to the extent of its breadth, from sea to sea, or "to the South Sea." This would have brought Connecticut's western extension nearly or quite down to the 41° of north latitude— almost to the Delaware Water Gap, and thus (had the claim been maintained) Pennsylvania would have been diminished to the extent of over two-fifths of its present territory.

Connecticut, in her strenuous endeavor to realize her early dreams of territorial expansion, was obliged by certain conditions in her charter to pass over the lovely valley of the Hudson and other territory of New York, which must have caused her acquisitive people a sharp pang of regret; but, curiously enough, she did not let this interruption of her claim bar her from seizure of the lands still farther west. Many of her sons looked with an intense longing to Wyoming, and some may have seen with prophetic vision the rich reward that awaited the meek in the inheritance of that part of the earth in the future State of Ohio which ultimately became the " Connecticut Western Reserve." The promised land was not to be relinquished without a struggle."

-Alfred Matthews, Ohio and her Western Reserve

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Lake Erie Islands Historical Society & Museum6 days ago

Call 802/477-2091 order Christmas Gift Subscriptions for Your Family&Friends. Island Winter Mail Club! $40, Members $30.

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Lake Erie Islands Historical Society & Museum1 week ago

Your Dear Ones receive Winter Letters from Islanders Past and Present, old photos about year round island life. Buy these Christmas gift subscriptions TODAY 11-5 at the LEIHistory MUSEUM.

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