Echoes on the Water:

A Re-Imagining of On-Erie Beach and Camp Merriam in Virtual Reality

In April of 2024 students, faculty, and the IRIS Lab at Lorain County Community College partnered with The Lorain Historical Society-Lorain Black History Project and began investigating the viability of creating a digital simulation in virtual reality of two forgotten historical sites, On-Erie Beach and Camp Merriam, both located on Lake Erie in East Lorain, Ohio. During the Jim Crow Era African-Americans created numerous recreational beaches, summer cabins, and amusement parks. On-Erie Beach (1921-1946) and the adjacent property, Camp Merriam (1922-1935) were established in west Lorain by two local African-American women from Oberlin Ohio. On-Erie Beach afforded rest and replenishment to mainly Ohio black communities stretching from Youngstown and Akron, Cleveland, to Toledo. African Americans could rest, exercise, daydream and recreate themselves without fear of violence or humiliation. Camp Merriam offered respite to young, mostly urban women. On-Erie Beach and Camp Merriam were open to all races, but -- given the social environment of the era most whites chose not to visit On-Erie Beach. Some white girls did attend Camp Merriam.

After reviewing the few existing documents and photographs we determined that too little evidence remains that an accurate historical recreation would not be possible, but a respectful historical interpretation felt necessary. Our immersive reality lab (IRIS) and Arts and Humanities students worked in concert to develop a script and build digital 3d models for re-imagining the lost sites. By researching and interpreting relevant histories and documents we have re-created a memory of a lost past for members of our community to experience.

Documentation of On-Erie Beach re-creation in virtual reality: