The first settlement in this county was established near this site in 1797 and was known as Marsh Settlement. Its early residents were Jesse Phelps, Hosmer Merry, and the families of Jared Ward, Moses Parks, Charles Parker, and Ebenezer Merry. For several years, Ebenezer Merry's cabin served as the voting place for Painesville Township, which included Kirtland, Mentor, Concord, Leroy, Perry, Painesville, Chardon, Hambden, and Mountville.