Leidheiser Resort

The Leidheiser Farm provided fresh vegetables and dairy to other guest houses on The Strip. The farm stood just east of Chestnut Grove and marked the start of the tourist area along the strip. Sturgeon Point condos stands there now.

This sign is located at N41 51.474 W80 57.801.

Fresh chicken:

Leidheiser Farm, and later Resort, stood to the east of Chestnut Grove, where Mariner’s Point Condos are today.

The farm was established by Henry and Elizabeth Leidheiser, German immigrants whose children were Henry, Elizabeth, Amelia, Freda and Louis.

founders

A brochure for the inn tells the story. This is most likely from the late 1920s, after the Leidheisers but before the inn became known as the Lakeside Lodge, photos of which follow the brochure.

brochure front brochure back  Lakeside Inn Lakeside Inn 2 lakeside cars

Thanks to Jack Sargent and Alex Zimmerman for sharing their images for this sign and website.

The following is from the Ashtabula County Historical Society and shows the Leidheiser farm:

The Leidheiser Farm provided fresh vegetables and dairy to other guest houses on The Strip. The farm stood just east of Chestnut Grove and marked the start of the tourist area along the strip. Sturgeon Point condos stands there now.

Visitor comments:

The Leidheiser panel is in memory of Bill & Ginny Geier. Their family shares this memory of arriving in the resort town:

The chant
I am one of ten children, eight boys and two girls.  We grew up in Pittsburgh and a couple times a year (starting in the 1940’s) my father would drive us to GOTL  his continued as more children were born in the 50’s & 60’s. Imagine my father, mother, and 7 to 10 children all piled into a station wagon – they didn’t have seat belt laws back then.   As we got close to GOTL we would all sing “3 Cheers for our Conductor”, then at the end of Route 534 someone would always yell “I see the lake”.  … We always went to Chestnut Grove and have many fond memories.
Jim Geier


Our guests remember:

Pirl Beach

I spent the summer of 1942 in Pirl Beach (at age 16) and worked part time for the manager pulling weeds and such. Also swam every day. My Pittsburgh relatives had reserved a cottage there for many years. My aunt and cousins stayed. My uncle commuted weekly in his Buick. The Pirl Beach manager used a Model T Ford truck for his chores.

Ken Ford

Memories of Ford's

Most of my summer childhood memories are at Ford’s! My parents met there right at the picnic table. We vacationed there every summer along with my grandparents and great aunt and uncle until they passed away. We made amazing friends there that we still vacation with on Putnam Drive!! I could never thank the Payne’s enough for my childhood memories. Playing Indians in the huge back yard, solving make-believe mysteries, playing release and listening to everyone playing penny poker when my sister and I should have been sleeping. I now bring my son to Geneva every summer. He is the 5th generation at Geneva!

Sara Turner Campos

Chestnut Grove

My extended family and I vacationed at Chestnut Grove from 1948-1964. Being from McKeesport, it was a dream come true to go there every summer. I currently live in Michigan but go back occasionally. Not too long ago, I found a post card of some of the cottages where the swings and horseshoe pit were and a local artist is making me a 24×36 painting of it. I can't wait to see it! So many wonderful memories and so few things left as reminders. It is nice to know that others still remember and care.

Michelle Turner ( a Chestnut Grove Kid)

Idle-A-While

We vacationed every summer at Idle-A-While in the late '50s and early '60s, partially because my aunt was the receptionist there. I often got to ring the bell summoning guests to breakfast, lunch and dinner in the dining room, which was staffed by co-eds from various universities. Evenings were spent playing bingo, fascination and other games on the strip or bridge and poker back at Idle-A-While. Great memories.
John Bloom

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