Eager to Know: Avon Lake Mystery Photo Identified

This week's article was written by Sherry Spenzer, writer and local historian.

Some puzzles just beg to be solved, and such was the case with one old photo in possession of Avon Lake Public Library’s Marybelle Arnold North Coast History Room. The charming black-and-white image shows a house and four adults, the latter all attired in clothing of the mid to late 1800s (pictured above).

Members of the Eager family stand in front of their home in Avon Lake. Fortunately, the reverse side of the photo offered a couple of clues.

At first glance, the script appeared to say “lager home”. A search for “lager” in Avon Lake was unproductive. A significant clue in unraveling this mystery, though, was to be found in the careful capitalization adopted by the identifier in the remainder of the inscription. Such attention to detail required an alternate interpretation, as the scrivener would not likely have ignored capitalization of a proper name.

Closer inspection suggested another explanation – a very long-looped capital “E”. With that, identification of the photo took on new meaning. Having become nearly obsessed with the pursuit of Avon Lake “historiana”, this writer was inexplicably able to associate the first name “John” with the surname “Eager”, and the quest took on a new direction. Indeed, a “John Eager” was one of Avon Lake’s early residents. The additional script on the photo’s reverse said, “Border of Avon Lake and Sheffield Lake”. An 1896 County Land Ownership map shows property owned by “J. Eager” which is located, as the helpful preservationist indicated, right on the Avon Lake-Sheffield Lake border.

Writing on the reverse side of the Eager family’s homestead picture reads “Eager Home/Border of Avon Lake & Sheffield Lake”.

So, who were these lakeshore landowners? John Eager (1825-1907) and his wife, Mary Harrison Eager (1836-1915), were both born in England. They were married in Avon, Ohio, in July 1856 when Mary was 20 and John was 32 years old. While they hosted social events and entertained at their home, their guests would not have been offered any alcoholic beverages, as John was on the executive committee of the Avon (Lake) local Anti-Saloon League formed in 1903. They had no children. They celebrated their 50th anniversary in June 1906, which was their last, as John died in May of 1907.

Mystery solved? Most likely. And what we were eager to know, we now know was Eager!

If you are descended from an early Avon Lake family and have related stories, photos, and items to share, the Library would like to hear from you. Please stop in during regular library hours, call 440.933.8127, or e-mail info@avonlibrary.lib.oh.us.