Return to Ruggles Beach – Part 1

Ruggles Beach is only a short drive away on U. S. 6 from Vermilion (where I live) so I paid a visit to this Vacationland neighborhood over the holiday weekend. Why? Because I wanted to post the nostalgic article below about Ruggles Beach that appeared in the Lorain Journal back on Sept. 24, 1956, and thought I would do a little field research.

The article provides a nice history about the area, including a mention of Almon Ruggles, who came from Connecticut to Ohio back in 1805 to survey the Firelands. (More on Mr. Ruggles tomorrow.) Ruggles purchased some of the land along the lakefront that he had surveyed, and today that area is known as Ruggles Beach.

The article makes reference to several local landmarks, including the Ruggles Dance Hall and the old Ruggles Boarding House. Who knew that both of them would be lost to fires within only a few years?

Ruggles Beach Dance Hall (Photo courtesy Rich Tarrant's Vermilion Views)

July 6, 1959 Lorain Journal

Today the building formerly home to the teen night club The Note occupies the dance hall location.

According to the 1956 article, the Ruggles Beach Boarding House was right next to the Old Farmhouse. The real photo postcard below, courtesy of Drew Penfield's "Lake Shore Rail Maps" website shows 'The Farm.' It's easy to recognize part of the structure as the apartments shown in the 1956 photo.

 

And here is the Journal's account of the apartment fire from its March 26, 1957 edition.

Today the former apartment property is the home of Vacationland Mobile Home Park.