History

Before the Europeans came to Northeastern Ohio, Indians hunted, fished and lived here. This is part of the "Gore" eroded by the river now called the Chagrin. Its ancient banks and sand bars were desirable dwelling sites. Not more than half a mile away are archeological digs sponsored by Case Western Reserve University investigating evidence from the Whittlesey people. The Apple Patch is located on land that was part of Connecticut's Western Reserve. The Connecticut Land Company sold some 400 acres of this property to a man named Rumsey Reeve. Mr. Reeve had a house here when Lake became Ohio's smallest county, created from parts of Cuyahoga and Geauga Counties in 1840. An old apple orchard was planted where The Apple Patch is now and one old Red Delicious tree still stands today, mostly rotted out, but still bearing some fruit. The farm house is being torn down but one of the newer sheds from the farm still stands on the property. Over the years, Mr. Reeve's heirs divided up the property into smaller and smaller parcels until Mike Kurchak bought it in 1978. Most of the trees in the Apple Patch were planted in 1980, '81 and '83. It took about five years for the trees to mature enough to produce saleable fruit. The Apple Patch has been in continuous operation since then.