US Route 20: Mentor Ohio Memorial Day

Here is a photo of US Route 20 (Mentor Avenue) in Mentor Ohio, which is lined in flags for Memorial Day and the summer holidays. Also included is a video of the Memorial Day parade from the same location.

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US Route 20: Mentor Ohio

Here are two photos of US Route 20 (Mentor Avenue) in Mentor Ohio. One photo was taken at the intersection on US20 and Rt. 615 (Center Street); the other is taken on Mentor Avenue, heading eastbound.

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US Route 20: Time Lapse Drive in Mentor Ohio

Here is a short time lapse video of US Route 20 (Mentor Avenue) in Mentor, Ohio.




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US Route 20 in Mentor Ohio - Intersection (Photo)

Here is a panorama photo of US Route 20 (Mentor Avenue), facing west, at the intersection of Ohio Route 615 (Center Street) in Mentor Ohio. (A storm is approaching from the north west.) Click on the image for a larger view.

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U.S. Mint to Unveil Garfield Coin at Lawnfield on US Route 20 in Mentor

Press Release 
U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette (R-OH)
July 26, 2011

U.S. Mint to unveil Garfield Coin at Lawnfield in Mentor


U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette (R-OH) today announced that the U.S. Mint has produced a $1 coin bearing the image of the 20th President of the United States, James A. Garfield, and will unveil it at a special ceremony on November 17 at Lawnfield, Garfield's home in Mentor.


Officials from the U.S. Mint will come to Mentor and unveil the coin at Lawnfield, Garfield's home," LaTourette said. "It's an honor for the late President, Mentor, its residents and the caretakers of Lawnfield, a national historic site."


The ceremony will be at 10 a.m. on November 17, 2011.


The U.S. Mint issues four Presidential $1 coins each year in the order the presidents served in office. This year, coins will be issued for two Ohio natives, Rutherford B. Hayes and James A. Garfield. The other coins will honor Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S. Grant. The Garfield coin features the likeness of Garfield on the face, and the Statue of Liberty on the other side.


James Garfield was born in 1831 in a cabin in Orange Township, which is now Moreland Hills. A replica of the James A. Garfield Log Cabin can be found at the Village of Moreland Hills. Garfield graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts and returned to the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (later Hiram College) as a classics professor and later its president. He was elected to the Ohio state senate in 1859, and in 1862, he was elected to Congress and served 18 years.


Garfield purchased his Mentor home in 1876 while he was serving in Congress and added 11 rooms and a large from porch, where he conducted his 1880 presidential campaign. The home became Lawnfield because press members camped out in the lawn during Garfield's "front porch campaign."


On July 2, 1881, just four months into his term, Garfield was shot at a Washington railroad station. He died on September 19, 1881, having served just 200 days in office. He never returned to Lawnfield after he became president, but his widow, Lucretia Garfield, remained at Lawnfield. She added a library and carefully preserved documents and artifacts and is often credited with creating one of the first presidential libraries. President Garfield is buried in Cleveland's Lakeview Cemetery.


LaTourette said he's always felt a kinship to President Garfield, and has a portrait of his family displayed in his Washington office.


"We're both Republicans with beards and represent Mentor," LaTourette joked, "The beards alone make us a fairly small club."


The Garfield heirs sold the home to the Western Reserve Historical Society in the 1930s and the National Park Service (NPS) took over in 1980, designating Lawnfield a historic site. LaTourette and several other members of Congress secured funding for a multi-million restoration in the 1990s. The NPS took over full operations at Lawnfield in January 2008.


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US Route 20: Mentor Ohio Memorial Day Parade

Here is a short video of the 2011 Mentor Ohio Memorial Day parade on US Route 20.



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Happy Holidays from US Route 20 in Mentor Ohio

Here are a few photos taken at the Commemorative Rose Garden on US Route 20 (also known as Mentor Avenue) in Mentor, Ohio. It was decorated with lights for the holidays. The photos were taken at dusk, and it was snowing lightly, so the scenes look rather gray. (Click on any image for a larger view.)












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US20 In Ohio: Eleanor B. Garfield Park

Just a few hundred feet from the home of President James A. Garfield in Mentor Ohio on Mentor Avenue (US Route 20) is Eleanor B. Garfield Park. It is named for a relative of President Garfield; Eleanor was his granddaughter-in-law (the widow of Rudolph Hills Garfield). She also served as mayor of the city of Mentor. The park is 65 acres of nature and family recreation, with a large fishing pond and all types of fields and courts for sports, including a swimming pool.

If you are in the area visiting home of President James A. Garfield, take a trip just a few hundred feet west on US 20 and enjoy a walk in the park. Here are a few photos.











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US20 In Ohio: Dangerous Intersections

US20/SR 306 Intersection (Google Street View)

When driving US Route 20, one can see some beautiful sights. But there is also a dangerous side to the nation’s longest road. A news story published today by the Cleveland Plain Dealer indicates that the intersection of US Route 20 (Mentor Avenue) and State Route 306 (Reynolds Road) in Mentor, Ohio (Lake County) is the second most dangerous intersection in the Greater Cleveland area. The rankings were compiled using the top crash locations between 2005-2007, in a report published by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency in 2009. As Route 306 connects 2 freeways, I-90 and State Route 2, separating them by only a few miles, significant car and heavy truck traffic travels through the US 20 intersection, which lies midway between both freeways. The city of Mentor has already made improvements to the intersection based on the findings from this report, which wasn’t released until mid-2009.

In addition, US20 is also listed two other times on the list for dangerous intersections in the same county: US 20 and State Route 84 (Mentor) and US Route 20 and State Route 91 in Willoughby.


The chart showing the rankings can be found at this link for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

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US20 in Ohio: Police Chase

And now for something completely different…Here is a video of a police chase (dashcam video) that took place in part on US Route 20 (Mentor Avenue/Euclid Avenue) in Willoughby Ohio.

The police chase began when police, driving on US20 Mentor Avenue eastbound over the Chagrin River bridge, saw the driver traveling at 65 mpg in a 35 mph zone. The police car turned around and headed westbound, towards the intersection where US20 changes from Mentor Avenue to Euclid Avenue. The police car turns left and begins to travel through downtown Willoughby (Euclid Ave.), veers off a few side streets temporality, and eventually turns right and gets back on US 20. The car stays on US20 for quite some time, until the police car makes a hard right on to US 91.

Enjoy the ride!

(If you can’t view the video here, it can also be located on the WKYC website at this link.)





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US 20 in Ohio: A McDonald’s Demolition

And now for something completely different. Here are a two videos of a McDonald’s restaurant being demolished, located on US Route 20 (Mentor Avenue) in Mentor, Ohio. As nature abhors a vacuum, another bigger, better, and no doubt more calorie filled McDonald’s will be built in its place.

The McDonald’s is only 1.5 miles from the home of President James A. Garfield , a National Historic site and part of the National Park Service, and also located on US Route 20.


Part 1



Part 2



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US 20 In Ohio: Mentor Ohio Dangerous for Motorcyclists?

Possibly in light of the 25th Annual Louie Run taking place nearby this weekend, my local newspaper published an article about the dangers of driving US Route 20 in my home town of Mentor, Ohio.

I can tell you that not only is the stretch dangerous for motorcyclists, but in my opinion it is also dangerous for motor vehicles and pedestrians. There are a lot of traffic lights – and frustrated motorists often speed through cautions and red lights. (I’ve had a few too-close calls by motorists running red lights.) There are also a lot of driveways leading into businesses, not to mention intersections. And with Mentor being the 6th largest retail area in the state, there is lots of traffic.

So if you’re coming to this area for the Louie Run, or just to enjoy the home of US President James A. Garfield, keep your eyes open and drive US Route 20 with care.

Route 20 dangerous for motorcyclists
Michael C. Butz
05/03/2008

As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, area motorcyclists are emerging from their winterlong hibernation ready to rev up their bikes and hit the open road.

Traditionally, May marks the beginning of motorcycle season in Ohio, and with that, local law enforcement agencies wish to remind all motorists of the increased need for safety.

To that end, the Ohio Highway Patrol and American Motorcyclist Association released data this week that shows the stretch of U.S. Route 20 that runs through Mentor to
be the fourth most dangerous roadway for motorcyclists in the state.

From 2002 to 2007, there were 56 fatal or injury motorcycle crashes on the road also known as Mentor Avenue.

"It's probably the high volume of traffic we have during the day, and at all hours,
and the fact we have so many exits and entrances to the businesses along the avenue," Lt. Tom Powers of the Mentor Police Department said.

Tim DeWolf, president of the Lake County-based Leathernecks Motorcycle Club, agreed that traffic is an issue.

"There's a number of red lights, and the visibility from parking lots can be obscured," he said. "Some of the intersections are pretty tricky."

Also, rain doesn't always drain well on parts of the avenue, DeWolf said. Traffic patterns frequently change with the addition or subtraction of a business.

"You have a lot of new construction and new businesses," he said.

Speaking of businesses, DeWolf said the number motorcycle crashes along Mentor Avenue might be the result of a higher number of bikers there due to the motorcycle dealerships, custom shops, and biker-friendly restaurants and bars in the vicinity.

"You might have a higher percentage of motorcycles there than on other roads in the area," he said.

DeWolf speculated there might also be a difference in the number of crashes involving what he called "sport bikes" and "cruisers," which many would identify with Harley-Davidson, but the available OHP statistics weren't that specific.

In 2007, there were 4,982 crashes involving motorcycles, which included 190 motorcyclist fatalities accounting for almost 15 percent of the 1,257 traffic fatalities that year, according to the OHP.

Other Northeast Ohio roadways made the OHP's top 10 most dangerous for motorcyclists - the stretch of Interstate 480 in Cleveland near I-71; Cleveland's Innerbelt, which spans the length of I-90 just south of downtown; and the stretch of state Route 534 found in Windsor Township of Ashtabula County.

"The traffic there is coming from southern areas going up to Geneva-on-the-Lake," said Lt. Mike Harmon of the OHP's Ashtabula post, referring to Route 534. "The big thing is there's an S-curve there, and the curves are very sharp," he said. "There are problems with people who are probably not familiar with the geography of that location."

Another problem Harmon sees, he conceded, is one that doesn't affect just motorcyclists.
"The added problem there is some of our fatals in that area are alcohol related," he said. "We want people to have a good time and enjoy Ashtabula County, but we want people to do it without drinking and driving."

Harmon offered other common-sense safety tips, including wearing a helmet and other appropriate safety gear, as well as obtaining appropriate training.

"The first thing we want people to know is they should be educated on riding their motorcycle," he said.

DeWolf, who's been riding for 25 years, agreed, pointing to something he saw recently that displayed inexperience.

"I was just at a Harley-Davidson dealership (Thursday) and someone purchased a $16,000 motorcycle and had to have someone drive it home for him," he said. For those interested in training, DeWolf said there are many local options.

"They offer a terrific riding course at Lakeland Community College," he said. "I strongly recommend that one, not only to new riders but also to (experienced) riders who have new riders in their family."

Also, at this time of year, a lot of bikers are shaking off the rust while getting used to riding their motorcycles again, DeWolf said.

"Everybody's a new rider for the first two months of the season," he said. As for motorists who prefer four wheels, DeWolf said there are things they can do to make the roads safer, too.

"They can put down their cell phones," he said. "My reoccurring nightmare is I'm going to be run over from behind by someone on a cell phone because they're distracted."



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US 20 Mentor, Ohio: Home of a President

Lawnfield - The Front Porch

I thought I’d start my journey on US Route 20 at a place very near to my own home. It is fitting that the longest road in the United States (numbered 20) also be the location of the home of 20th President of The United States, James A. Garfield.

When Garfield was a Congressman, he purchased what was known as the Dickey Farm, which included a nine-room home that sat on 16o acres. Since the house was not large enough for his family, Garfield had additions built on to the original structure, bringing the size of the house to 20 rooms.

In 1880, Garfield became a candidate for the presidency. He used the front porch of his Mentor home for speeches. The name of the house – Lawnfield – was what all the visiting reporters named it because of the wide grassy lawn around the home. After Garfield’s assassination in 1881, his widow Lucretia added on the first presidential library and vault in the county, starting the trend of presidential libraries for subsequent presidents. The family stayed in the home until 1936, at which time the family gave the house and all its contents to the Western Reserve Historical Society. The house operated as a museum, and was designated as a National Historic Site in December 28, 1980. It is also part of the National Park System.

The home was given a $12.5 million restoration in the 1990s, at which time the home was restored to its original state colors of gray and scarlet. The interior of the home is filled with antique Victorian furniture, 80% of which belonged to the Garfield family. Wallpapers were also reproduced where photographs or samples were available.

One interesting structure on the grounds is a large windmill, constructed to replace an earlier windmill that was needed to pump and store water from a well. Lucretia was very involved in this project. The windmill had been taken down in 1936 due to wind damage. According to the Western Reserve Historical Society, “The structure was rebuilt after a generous and anonymous gift was donated for its reconstruction in 1998 and is standing once again in all its glory today.”


Lawnfield is located at 8095 Mentor Avenue, Mentor, Ohio. The house interior is closed from November to April with the exception of limited hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Weekdays, during the winter months, there appears to be access to walk the grounds if the front gate is open. The house is open May 1 to October 31, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.




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