Sandusky Bay is a bay on

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( ) is the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and also has the shortest avera ...

in northern

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, formed at the mouth of the Sandusky River. It was identified as ''Lac Sandouské'' on a 1718 French map, with early variations recorded that suggest the name was derived from Native American languages. The Thomas A. Edison Memorial Bridge was constructed across it in the 20th century to connect highways in Erie and Ottawa counties.

History

The bay was known to historic and ancient indigenous peoples, including the Iroquoian-speaking Wyandot who dominated this area (they were called the Huron people by French explorers and colonists). Located in territory claimed by early French explorers, the bay was identified on a 1718 map by Guillaume Delisle as ''Lac Sandouské'' (later anglicized as Lake Sandusky). The Indians of the area, primarily Wyandot (Huron) were said to refer to what is known as the Sandusky River and the bay, as well as the general area, as ''saundustee'', meaning "water" or ''andusti'', "cold water". In his 1734 history of

New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...

, Charlevoix transliterated the word as "Chinouski". Sandusky Bay is identified as "Lac (Lake) Sandouské" on a 1718 map by Guillaume DeLisle. The name "L.(Lac) Sandoski" appears on a 1733 map. Sandusky Bay was also called ''Lac Otsandaské'', in another French transliteration of the Wyandot. The Wyandot occupied areas along the river at the Upper and Lower falls. In 1745, Chief Nicolas of the Wyandot allowed the English to establish a trading post on the north shore of the bay, which they called Fort Sandusky and the French knew as ''Fort Sandoské''. This was the first fort built by Europeans in Ohio Country. The bay has also been referred to as Lake Junandat (derived from a 1754 French fort) and Lake Otsandoské (also related to the Wyandot term for the lake). Lake Sandusky, Sandoski Bay, Sandusky Bay, and Sandusky Lake are also recorded. French engineer Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry passed through this area in 1754, commanding forces to reinforce

Fort Detroit A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

at the outbreak of the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

. He found the ruins of the earlier fort on the north shore of what he referred to as ''Lac Otsandoské''. He had the French Fort Junandat built in 1754 diagonally across from the former Ft. Sandusky.

Geography

Sandusky Bay is one of the principal bodies of water in northern Ohio. It is situated between Erie,

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, and Sandusky counties in Ohio and is part of

. According to author Francis Leroy Landacre, it is a "shallow, almost land-locked harbor averaging about twelve feet in depth, some fourteen or fifteen miles in length, with a width of something like two miles." It contains numerous marshes and serves as an entry point for several streams. Sandusky Bay runs from Muddy Creek Bay to Cedar Point, which separates Sandusky Bay from Lake Erie. The Sandusky River drains into the bay at its westernmost point. The Thomas A. Edison Memorial Bridge carries Route 2 and Route 269 across Sandusky Bay at its eastern end. This is the only direct highway link between Ottawa and Erie counties. Sandusky Bay can be viewed from Marblehead Lighthouse at Marblehead Lighthouse State Park. The Sandusky Bay Water Trail was dedicated on June 2, 2007 to provide recreational opportunities along Sandusky Bay. The water of Sandusky Bay is shallow and rarely clear. According to author Tom Cross, "Sandusky Bay is known for great early spring crappie fishing."

Current events

On June 14, 2012, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency opened Sandusky Bay Station. Samples of water from Sandusky Bay gathered on July 30 and 31, 2012 showed that invasive Asian carp may have reached Lake Erie. If so, they may adversely affect Lake Erie's $1 billion fishing industry and $10 billion tourism industry.

Wars and rebellions

* Queen Anne's War (Old French War). Colonel John Bradstreet sailed sixty long boats into Sandusky Bay and encamped on September 20, 1704. *

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. United States General

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was the ninth president of the United States, serving from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causin ...

had troops drag boats across what was known as the de Lery portage from Sandusky Bay to Lake Erie in order to engage British warships in the lake. *

Upper Canada Rebellion The Upper Canada Rebellion was an insurrection against the Oligarchy, oligarchic government of the British colony of Upper Canada (present-day Ontario) in December 1837. While public grievances had existed for years, it was the Lower Canada Rebe ...

. Canadian rebels planned to travel across frozen Lake Erie in the winter from Sandusky Bay to Pelee Island. They were harried by regular British military forces and found that residents had abandoned the island.

Gallery

References