Taking in History at Home

Check out our new digital exhibits celebrating female lawyers and judges in Toledo, as well as an amusement park from days gone by.

Toledo Women Lawyers History Project

Through the tireless work of Judge Arlene Singer and Thomas Pletz, the Toledo Women Lawyers History Project has documented the lives and careers of female lawyers and judges working in the Toledo area. Extensive scrapbooks of clippings, letters, obituaries and campaign materials were gathered on subjects going back more than a century. To capture the stories of those still engaged in the profession, oral histories have been created where the subjects can describe how their career paths progressed.

Additionally, the Toledo Women’s Bar Association has generously made available 15 years of the Lockwood Letter, its official periodical. We invite you to learn more about some of these distinguished professionals and hear their stories in their own words.

Willow Beach Amusement Park

We might all be cooped up inside, but we can at least dream of a time later this summer where we may hopefully head to Cedar Point or spend time at a big family picnic on the waterfront (so long as we pay attention to the Ohio Department of Health guidelines now). Explore the history of Willow Beach Amusement Park, formerly of Point Place, on the grounds of what is now Cullen Park.

The park was laid out by hometown architects Steve Jokel and Frank Lange. The Library is lucky enough to have the original plans for the park grounds, as well as the many buildings that covered its landscape. Check out images from our photograph collections that have been added as well on the same exhibit.