Perry’s Victory memorial is Put-in-Bay’s year-round draw
The 352-foot column on South Bass Island marks the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie and a peace that has lasted more than two centuries. It anchors island tourism.
From the Marblehead shore you can see it on a clear day: a granite column rising from South Bass Island. Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial is the tallest structure of its kind in a U.S. national park unit, and it is the most recognizable landmark of Put-in-Bay.
The battle
On Sept. 10, 1813, during the War of 1812, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry led a U.S. squadron against a British fleet near Put-in-Bay. After his flagship, the Lawrence, was battered, Perry rowed to the Niagara and won the battle, then sent his famous message: “We have met the enemy and they are ours.” The victory gave the United States control of Lake Erie.
A memorial to peace
The memorial, completed in 1915, honors the battle and the lasting peace among the United States, Britain and Canada that followed. The National Park Service runs it, with a visitor center and an observation deck near the top when it is open.
Tourism economics
The memorial gives Put-in-Bay a draw beyond its summer nightlife. School groups, history buffs and families come in spring and fall, extending the season for island restaurants and the Miller Boat Line ferry. Battle anniversaries bring reenactments and tall ships.
Federal funding for repairs and staffing at national park units has been a recurring issue, and the memorial has closed at times for structural repair work.
A day trip from Bellevue
Put-in-Bay is about an hour from Bellevue, including the ferry crossing, making it a common summer day trip. The islands are part of a shoreline tourism economy we cover in our look at the Lake Erie coast and in Business.