Bay View: A boomtown before bridge's removal

BAY VIEW — No one will ever mistake Bay View as a sprawling metropolis like New York City or Los Angeles. But the quaint waterfront village, decades ago, did boast a bevy of beloved businesses, offering locals their own — albeit much smaller — version of a Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive. And that's the way many, including Joan Gibbins, preferred it: community over commotion. "We had a lot of great spots here," said Joan Gibbins, a longtime Bay View resident who owned Driftwood Cottages on the village's main drag, East Bayview Drive. She then listed off several now-defunct places near where she worked, mainly operating between the 1960s and 1980s: the Log Cabin Restaurant, Stan's Dairy Queen, Terry's Tavern, Snyder's Mobil, Mobil Station, Holbrook's Carryout, Lauderdale's bar, the Lake View Motel, Bob's Heating, Bay Winds, the Moose Lodge, a former state patrol post and also a public beach. Though everything, seemingly for the worst for these businesses and locals patronizing them, happened in 1985. History lesson On Feb. 2, 1929, local officials dedicated the Old/Sandusky Bay Bridge, providing a direct route for automobiles across Sandusky Bay between Erie and Ottawa counties. A large celebration occurred on this day, which included a luncheon, a release of carrier pigeons, music and many dignitaries speaking. This marked the first time automobile traffic could cross Sandusky Bay, according to Sandusky Library's history blog. Upon being constructed, the Sandusky Bay Bridge in Bay View represented the longest bridge and causeway in Ohio. At about 10,400 feet, it eliminated a 30-mile detour for commuters, according to the "Lake Erie Vacationland in Ohio" travel guide. For about a 10-year period, between 1936 through 1946, motorists needed to pay a toll, ranging from 25 cents to 50 cents per trip. Then, in the 1960s, state officials widened Ohio 2 into a four-lane highway, morphing into what's known today as the Edison Memorial Bridge. It ran parallel to the Sandusky Bay Bridge. A majority of traffic was rerouted from the Bay Bridge. Both bridges, meanwhile, remained in operation from 1965 until 1985. Then, in 1985, state crews removed the bay bridge's steel center span because of high maintenance costs. It's this year in which the lift bridge ceased operations. What remains today: two empty land masses with water separating each. If cars try to drive from either side, Bay View from the south or Danbury Township from the north, they'll encounter a dead-end. These spots, while mostly desolate, have become popular fishing sites for locals. Because it's surrounded by water, there are only two main ways to enter Bay View today: • From East Bayview Lane, which branches off U.S. 6 in Sandusky • Martins Point Road, accessible from an exit off Ohio 2 And, without a bridge, there are zero ways to travel beyond it without doubling back. Today a majority of travelers now avoid going into Bay View, simply visiting there only for a specific purpose, such as meeting a friend who lives there. The bridge's disappearance crippled Bay View's business community, forcing many shops — including those aforementioned ones — to close. "A lot of businesses lost money," said Gibbins, noting how the bridge's closure "cut us off from everything." Fighting for what's right Gibbins recalls the 40-year-old memories of when she, her neighbors and friends found out about the bridge's unforeseen disappearance. "We were having a drink in a bar, Terry's Tavern, and we heard about it closing and a sign going up. It was all very sudden," Gibbins said. Gibbins and others quickly mobilized, coming up with a campaign — Save the Bay Bridge — in which Ann Dowell, who owned the Huron Printing Shop, made shirts and hats embroidered with this phrase. "We tried to get a lawyer, and all the businesses pitched in," said Gibbins, specifically mentioning her late husband, Gilbert, along with John and Berti Maschari, who owned the now-defunct Log Cabin Restaurant. "We had a little community fighting for our community." In the end, their efforts, while noble, failed. "We ended up spending $10,000 for a lawyer," Gibbins said. "Even though we didn't get what we wanted, we still had to do what we thought was right to help protect the community." Beyond donations, many locals did all they could to ensure the bridge's long-term vitality. This would include Bob Robertson — who, along with his wife, Wanda, owned the Bay Bell Restaurant — going to Wisconsin to pick up a part needed to operate this lift bridge. While protecting the businesses served as a primary concern for maintaining this bridge, safety factors also came into play and still do to this day. "We were also worried about Davis-Besse: If it blew up, there is no way one bridge is going to accommodate all that traffic from Port Clinton and Catawba," Gibbins said. "If you don't do something now, the same scenario could happen." New hope? Earlier this year, several local entities — Port Clinton's government, the Greater Sandusky Partnership and the Park District of Ottawa County — jointly announced a federal grant for $100,000. Along with $30,000 collectively coming from these three entities — or each ponying up $10,000 — it'll all fund a comprehensive study to, ideally, build a multi-use recreational pathway. It'll also accommodate enough width for emergency vehicles and height for boats. The non-motorized route would link both dead ends in Bay View and Danbury Township, reuniting Erie and Ottawa counties in this area to one another — just like the now-decommissioned Sandusky Bay Bridge did all those decades ago. "This award will help link the city with popular destinations for residents to enjoy as well as drive new traffic to the great businesses and local amenities our community offers residents, neighbors and visitors alike," Port Clinton Mayor Mike Snider said. "The award will allow the region to further leverage this great location along Lake Erie and continue to provide world-class outdoor recreation opportunities." A key element of the plan is a 14-mile extension of the Sandusky Bay Pathway, which would connect Sandusky to Port Clinton. The Sandusky Bay Pathway is part of a 100-mile vision to connect communities around the greater Sandusky Bay region. Currently, 20 miles are completed or funded — and the U.S. 6 corridor in Erie County represents one of those critical pieces. In a separate grant, awarded in 2022, this project received $24.5 million to, among other aspects, build a pathway along this road. Future connections include Sandusky to Huron and expanding as far as Vermilion. "The Sandusky Bay Pathway extension is a bold step toward creating a regional trail network that redefines how people experience our region," said Jeff Kerr, director of planning and policy for Greater Sandusky Partnership. "It will establish our region as a premier destination for recreation and community connection, offering residents and visitors alike a unique way to explore, engage and enjoy the beauty and vibrancy of the greater Sandusky region," Kerr said. The study should take no more than one year to complete. Following this, additional funding would need to be secured for preliminary engineering and detailed design work. Construction would be much further off, likely depending on the willingness of a given community — wherever the pathway would run through — to prioritize funding for this project. At this point, no timeline for construction can be determined. While the plans won't bring back a true lift bridge, this reconnection can only help Bay View's chances to, maybe, enjoy some glory days, Gibbins said. "Something is better than nothing," Gibbins said. "And it could bring more money into the area. I'm hoping for the best."