From Skilled Hands

My Town Monday: How the Village Got Its Name

By fromskilledhands ( April 20, 2008 at 6:00 pm) · Filed under Community, Cuyahoga Valley, Discoveries, Downtown, Musings, My Town Monday, Peninsula

The Village of Peninsula, population 602, is nestled in the hills where the Cuyahoga River bends sharply. Years ago, before the Valley Railway came through town, the old river made a meander that formed a peninsula. When the train was planned, 2 bridges would have needed to be engineered and built in order to cross the crooked river called the Cuyahoga. Instead of doing that, the engineers decided to cut through the neck of Peninsula’s peninsula, changing the course of the Cuyahoga.

View Larger Map
If you look slightly NE of the arrow, you can still see where the River used to flow.

Back in the day, Peninsula had 14 bars and 5 hotels, to house, feed and quench the thirsts of the many transient and permanent workers and visitors who came though the Village. There were 2 sandstone quarries, 2 dry docks, 4 boatyards, 3 blacksmith shops, a harness shop, 3 dry goods and grocery stores, a cheese factory, 3 churches, and a town hall that doubled as a theater.

Today the Village is home to shops, studios and galleries, as well as places to eat and to stay.
The proprietor of the Downtown Emporium has been a strong presence in my town for a long time. She knows a lot about the comings and goings in this Village, from its history to its past and current politics. With has an eye for collectibles, from the objects in her store to the stories that go with them, she will tell you about the item, where it came from and how it came to be. The Emporuim sits on the corner of Main Street, across from the Village Hall and the Methodist Church. It’s porch is a wonderful place to sit and watch as people wander through our town.

Thanks to Travis Ervin who has invited folks to join him in sharing their towns each Monday.

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8 comments »

lizzy said,

April 20, 2008 @ 7:03 pm

I am a great people watcher, its a great way to spend a few hours!!! Thank you for the look at your town.
anti-wife said,

April 20, 2008 @ 8:08 pm

Interesting post. Thanks!
Barrie Summy said,

April 21, 2008 @ 12:21 pm

What a great idea–posting a map along with your post!
Larramie said,

April 21, 2008 @ 11:26 pm

Had to rush over to view the embedded map. Good for you, Debra, this is truly a “show and tell.”
Mary Witzl said,

April 22, 2008 @ 5:16 pm

I love front porches and people-watching too. (And finally, we are getting front porch weather!) In the U.K., most houses don’t have a front porch, and I miss them.
fromskilledhands said,

April 22, 2008 @ 11:03 pm

Thanks for stopping by lizzy and anti-wife. I keep learning more and more about the history of my town.

Barrie–I thought that the map showed just how crooked the Cuyahoga River is!

Thanks, Larramie. Now I know how to do this!

I love front porches, too, Mary. With porch swings.
Andrea said,

April 29, 2008 @ 9:44 am

This is interesting! It brings us closer. Never would I have been informed about Peninsula, if it weren’t for you.
Have a wonderful day
andrea
fromskilledhands said,

April 29, 2008 @ 12:42 pm

merci, Andrea. You have a wonderful day as well.