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By the late 18th century, a new era was dawning for that part of the historic Northwest Territory which we now call the Western Reserve (of Connecticut). Eventually, a new county would emerge from this rugged wilderness of virgin forests and fertile soil. Named for adjacent lake Erie, whose relentless waves have been stealing its shoreline for eons, Lake County was officially established on March 20, 1840. Although the smallest of Ohio's 88 counties, Lake County was a pioneer in establishing a medical community in the state, notably with the creation of the Willoughby Medical College, the first medical school in northern Ohio.
The Willoughby medical school not only transformed an obviously transplanted New England river town, named Chagrin, from a tiny water-mill hamlet to a memorable seat of medical learning, but in its ultimate demise in l846, it had already spawned two of Ohio's famous colleges of medicine, namely those of Case Western Reserve University of Cleveland and Ohio State University of Columbus.
With this background it is not surprising that the growing medical community of Lake County would, in the latter part of the l9th century, recognize the need for increased communication and sharing of knowledge among the county's relatively few physicians. Thus, in May l885, at a meeting at the Cowel's House Hotel in downtown Painesville, the county's capital seat, twelve Lake County physicians established the Lake County Medical Society, which has remained an integral part of the Ohio State Medical Association ever since.
Ronald J. Taddeo, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Historian, Lake County Medical Society
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