Published Sept. 6, 2003. Reprinted with permission from the LDS Church News published by the Deseret Morning News.

Fairport honors pioneers
Edna Davis, Church News contributor

Fred Woods joins Fairport Harbor Mayor Frank Sarosy to unveil monument recognizing early members.

FAIRPORT, Ohio - The mayor of Fairport Harbor Village helped unveil a marker Aug. 23 erected to pay tribute to the more than 3,000 members of the Church who came to Kirtland through the harbor. In the process, he extended an invitation to members to come see a site of significance in Church history.

Speaking to a small crowd as he and Fred E. Woods, executive director of the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation, unveiled the marker, Mayor Frank Sarosy said, "We honor what you have done for us. We will maintain this and make you proud you brought it into the community. We are eager to learn more about you."

The historic marker is mounted on a large cut stone and was placed in front of the Harbor Museum and lighthouse located near the harbor. It was funded by the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation and is a project developed by Brother Woods who became interested in the history of the harbor's importance in the Church's migration to Ohio.

Brother Woods met Mayor Sarosy in May during the dedication of the Church's new facilities in Historic Kirtland. Because of the importance of the harbor to the early members, he felt a marker should be placed near the harbor to tell the story.

"We wanted it here," said the mayor. "We're all about tradition in this community. This is a vital and living place and those who visit here will come to know us and appreciate the historical significance of the harbor."

Later that day after the unveiling, Brother Woods, a professor of history at Brigham Young University, gave a presentation relating some of the experiences of the early saints who traveled on Lake Erie to Kirtland, which is located 12 miles west of Fairport Harbor.

He said after the Erie Canal opened in 1825 a lighthouse was built on a knoll at Fairport overlooking Lake Erie to guide ships from Buffalo into the harbor.

The lake was placid and idyllic on the day of the unveiling, but it can become tumultuous. It often freezes in early January. In severe winters, ice remains until early May.

In the 1830s, the opening of shipping season meant businesses could flourish with goods and passengers coming from the east. By 1836, Fairport had grown into a thriving village.

"Many Saints were guided by Fairport's beacons of light, which shone upon the waters of Lake Erie," states the plaque on the marker.

"This was a meaningful place of comings and goings. From here significant Latter-day Saint missions were launched, including the first mission of the Quorum of the Twelve and also the first mission of the Church to England."