Famous Visitors

John Philip Sousa, an early director of the U.S. Marine Band and composer, visited Lakewood, possibly when the Cleveland Grays (a military organization) were here. He was so entranced with the beauty of Waldemere Way and Waldemere Park that he composed a march and named it the "Waldemere March."

Rudyard Kipling, English poet and novelist, was entertained one night in Lakewood when he was enroute to Chautauqua for a speaking engagement. He arrived here in the evening after dark and upon awaking in the morning and looking out upon the beautiful laws sloping down to the lake front with lovely ladies about and children playing accompanied by English nurse maids, he was entranced and thought he had come to paradise. He said that if this was Chautauqua he wanted to remain here all his life. However, it was Lakewood and he had to continue on his way to Chautauqua by steamboat.

Grover Cleveland frequently came to the Kent House for several days at a time.

In 1898 Theodore Roosevelt spoke in the new Ken House when he was campaigning for governor of New York State. Mrs. Roosevelt accompanied him and stood at his side when he shook hands with the throng of people who had come to hear him speak.

Bob Ingersoll, the famous Agnostic, once spoke in Lakewood in a tent located at the corner of Chautauqua and Summit Avenues to a huge crowd of people who had come to hear him denounce the Bible. Governor Reuben E. Fenton built a summer cottage on the lake front at Lakewood. During his stay there, many celebrities came and were entertained.