I am Ida Maria Cahoon. I died 100 years ago.

I am Ida Maria Cahoon and I died almost 100 years ago, on November 28, 1917. I was 65 years old. I may have lived longer if my heart had not been so aggrieved by the loss of two of my sisters earlier in 1917—Lydia died in March and Laura followed soon after, in June.

I tried but failed to find consolation in the wonderful memories of my family and the pleasance of living along the Lake. I am ashamed to say that not even the Lord could ease my suffering. I felt so alone, anguished and adrift—What had happened to our wonderful family?

Earlier, when our family discussed the plan to deed, in perpetuity, our property to Bay Village to be managed by the Mayor and City Council, Lydia said not to do so. She was always so indignant about what people left and destroyed along the lake, and was disinclined toward politicians. (Frankly, I think she was bitter than women had not been given the vote.)

Lydia said if we gave the village the land they would not take care of it. I can see her telling me, “Let it be sold to whoever wants it-if there is a cost, they will look on it differently. If it is given to the village, if it costs them nothing they will think it is worth nothing and treat it as such!”

Maybe she was right, after all...

Oh dear, my intentions were good. When my sisters and I left this earth, there were no Metroparks to leave our land to, there was no public library system to provide everyone, especially the children my sisters and I taught in the Cleveland School System, with books and a pleasant place to sit and read them. We wanted the village to have a library.

Now there are so many wonderful libraries and beautiful books.

But, there is not much beautiful land left in Bay Village and not much beautiful land in Cahoon Park. What is left should not be squandered on building something that the village already has—and a very nice one, too—a library.

I was going through some old Plain Dealers and found something interesting in the one published on August 4, 1948. There was a city council report saying the some Bay residents wanted the Dover-by-the-Bay Library to join the county library system. And, I was pleased to read that someone spoke up and worried how that fit with the wishes set down in my will.

That circumstance, in 1948, had a happy ending-- a beautiful library was built on Cahoon Road and West Oakland and has been run for many years by the Cuyahoga County Public Library.

I enjoyed reading that library’s history here.

You can read my will here.

You can read about my grandfather, the first settler in Bay Village in the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.

I hope someone will speak up on behalf of my family now and speak sensibly and protect the land that the Cahoon family entrusted to the village.

My family’s wishes and the words in my will are being twisted. If my family wanted a library in Cahoon Park in perpetuity, we would have said so. We were perfectly capable of doing so!

I do not see that the village needs a new library, but if the politicians need a new trinket to boast about, so be it.

But, a new library should not be built on Cahoon Park. That would be, as Lydia said, treating the land as if it had no value. That would be squandering it just because my family gave it to you.

Should not it be more precious to you because it was so freely given?

What can you do to help?

Please consider signing and passing on this online petition. It will send a message to the city’s public officials.

Please contact Bay Village City Hall, 440-871-2200. .and ask them to do the right thing and honor my family’s wishes and my w

Please contact probate court and express your concerns about misuse of the Cahoon Park trust: 216-443-8895.

Thank you kindly for your troubles on my family’s behalf.

Ida Maria Cahoon, as dictated to Patch contributor.