Willoughby

Explore the fascinating history of Willoughby, Ohio with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.
Located in northeast Ohio, Willoughby began as a community of mills and cabins clustered along the banks of the Chagrin River. The first settlers arrived before 1800 and were hardy New Englanders who brought their religious beliefs, their love of country, their respect for education, and their architecture to the wilderness.
By 1853, when the village was incorporated, they had established churches, homes, businesses, and schools, including a medical college. Before the century was over, the arrival of two rail lines and an electric streetcar company transformed the quiet little town into a bustling center of commerce and enterprise. Since then, Willoughby, known as the Courtesy City, has continued to grow and prosper while retaining the look and feel of an earlier era.
Historic homes still line its residential streets, while several blocks of the commercial district are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Christina L. Wilkinson is a historic preservationist, freelance writer, and lifelong resident of Lake County, whose ancestors settled in Willoughby before the Civil War. To best tell the story of this town, she carefully selected vintage photographs of people and places that connect the past with the present.