Here’s another one of those “What might have been” scenarios that I post when I find them.
While looking at old newspaper microfilm at the library, I’ve seen a few instances over the years where the idea of Sheffield Lake becoming part of Lorain was floated – only to crash like a lead balloon time and time again. Sheffield Lake is a unique place (I lived there almost twenty years) and I can see why its residents like things just the way they are.
That’s why I was surprised to see the article below, in which some Sheffield Village residents were hoping to become Lorainites, against the wishes of their village government. The article appeared in the Journal on October 6, 1971.
As the article notes, “Sheffield Village is determined to keep 850 acres on its west side from being annexed to Lorain and the people in the village who asked for the annexation are equally determined to see it go through.
“In May of this year nine residents of the village signed a petition for the “detachment and annexation of land in Sheffield Village to the City of Lorain.” The area bounds the Norfolk and Western tracks almost to Harris Road and bypass Barr School and several residents at Colorado. It runs to the Lorain border on the west.
“The property is largely vacant with some farm land. The area includes the Club Carousel and the Breezewood, Romanoff Electric, Van Wagnen School Bus Service and the Cotton Club Bottling Company.
“In early September the Lorain County Commissioners voted 2-1 to permit the annexation. That allowed Sheffield Village 60 days to file a lawsuit in Common Pleas Court to oppose the annexation. After 60 days it will go to Lorain City Council where they will decide to accept or reject the petition.”
The residents that were in favor of the annexation were hoping to get better services, including garbage collection and storm sewers. Sheffield Village didn’t want to lose the tax revenue from the businesses located in the annexation area.
Although ultimately it didn’t happen, the proposal seemed to make sense in some ways. The land was largely undeveloped, so there weren’t a lot of residents involved. On the other hand, though, Lorain was probably too big already, and unprepared to handle even more streets that would need plowing, patrolling and sewers.
Today, fifty years after the article, the land in the annexation area doesn’t seem to have changed much, except for the addition of residents in some areas. It’s still a no-man’s land, an area to drive through on the way to somewhere else.
