About Bailey Lakes
Location / Geography
The Village of Bailey Lakes is located in the Northern part of Ashland County in Ohio and was established in May of 1961.The total area of the village is 0.47 square miles, which includes 0.39 square miles of land and 0.08 square miles of water. There are 5 lakes located within the village; James Lake, Savannah Lake and three other private lakes.
James Lake
James Lake is a 4 and a half acre lake that is owned by the Village. It was a gift to the village from the Don and Mary Ringler family and was named in honor of James Ringler. James Lake drains an 85 acre area west of the village and the water runs into the lake through the three other private lakes. The water from James Lake drains into Savannah Lake. James Lake is also home to the Lemmel Lighthouse.
Lemmel Lighthouse
The Lemmel Lighthouse is located on James Lake. The power for the light was provided by a house on the SW corner of the lake and when Earl and Eleanor Lemmel moved into the house in 1958 they paid for the electricity until 2005. It is named in honor of Earl and Eleanor Lemmel.
Savannah Lake
Savannah Lake, commonly known as Mud Lake, is a 42 acre lake that receives it's water from both James Lake and Spring Lake. It is the headwaters for the Vermillion River. Three dugout canoes have been discovered in the lake in 1957, 1962 and the Ringler Dugout Canoe, was found in 1976. The Ringler Dugout Canoe was preserved by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. You can find more information here. https://www.cmnh.org/CMNH/media/CMNH_Media/C-R%20Docs/Ringler-Dugout-Greber.pdf