Bay Village History
The Bay Village Historical Society maintains a wealth of information on the history of the city and surrounding area.
Bay Village was settled by Joseph Cahoon in 1810 as part of the original Dover Township, which also included present-day Westlake. The Cahoon family barn built in 1882 was converted to a community center and is still in use today as our Community House. The Hamlet of Bay split from Dover Township in 1901. In 1903, the Village of Bay was incorporated and the first Mayor and Council were elected. The original City Hall was built in 1914 and has since had two additions. Bay Village became a City on January 1, 1950 having reached a population of 6,917 residents.
Ida Marie Cahoon
Ida Marie Cahoon was the granddaughter of Joseph Cahoon and the last surviving member of the Cahoon family. In 1917, she finalized her Last Will and Testament (PDF) which bequeathed the family home and 115 acres of land to the Mayor and Council of Bay Village in trust to be "forever used as a park for the citizens and Village of Bay" and to be named Cahoon Memorial Park. The home is now Rose Hill Museum and the land is now Cahoon Memorial Park.
Dover Township
Bay Village and Westlake comprised Dover Township until 1901.
In June, 2020, Westlake Clerk of Council Denise L. Rosenbaum completed transcribing four volumes of handwritten Dover Township Trustees Records from 1831-1880, which are part of the collection at the Western Reserve Historical Society. From these volumes, Ms. Rosenbaum compiled a list of Dover Township Officials 1831-1880 (PDF).
Dover Township Trustees Records Volume 1, 1831-1869 (PDF)
Dover Township Trustees Records Volume 2, 1838-1880 (PDF)
Dover Township Trustees Records Volume 3, 1833-1867 (PDF)
Dover Township Trustees Records Volume 4, 1863-1878 (PDF)