The Most Honest Town in the Country?

Steve Hartman Visits His Family's Longtime Vacation Spot in Assignment America

(CBS)  On the southern shore of Lake Erie sits the tiny town of Lakeside, Ohio. I know about this quaint little summer spot because my family has been vacationing here forever. We started coming back when I was still living in my parent's crib, by which I mean, crib.

I learned how to swim here. Got my first shuffleboard trophy here. I even took a music class that is still offered today.

But what makes this place really special to me - what sets apart from almost every other place in America - is that here in Lakeside, people still actually trust one another.

Where else in America does somebody find a $20 bill and put up signs telling you where you can claim it? This town is so trusting in all my years I've never seen anyone lock their bike.

I asked Jackie Sypherd, who runs Sypherd's Cycles, if people are surprised when the come to town for the first time and she tells them they don't need a lock for their bicycle.

"They can't believe it," Sypherd said.

When you rent a bike from her Sypherd, she doesn't ask for a driver's license, credit card, nothing - she just trusts you to bring it back.

"We've never had a bike stolen in 28 years," Sypherd said. "If you expect the best from people that's what you're going to receive."

It's the honor's system and this whole town seems to operate on it. A lot the stores leave their merchandise out all night.

At Robert Retzke's shop, he has an little box where people can put in their payment.

"Yesterday I went to the doctor's office - this morning I had three envelopes on the floor," Retzke said.

At Marylyn's place they even trust the proverbial kid in a candy store. The owner, Marylyn Burns, has a note that says, "We trust you. You are an honest and wonderful child of God. Wait on yourself and make your own change."

"We've had kids come in from the inner city and say, 'What do you mean you trust us?'" Burns said.

I've always been a bit of a skeptic myself on this one. So I set up a hidden camera to see if I could catch someone red-licorice handed.

Dozens of kids came and went. But they all paid - right down to the penny.

This week, my son George got his first taste of Lakeside. And although the character of the place didn't impress him nearly as much as the radio in the rental car. My hope is that the more he grows, the more he will appreciate Lakeside. And that the more he changes, the more his vacation spot doesn't.

[isamuelson]

Every year, we rent a cottage and our entire family stays there. It's such a wonderful place to be. This is what a vacation SHOULD be - relaxing with no having to run to the next activity. Instead, you can go play shuffle board, putt-putt, basketball, tennis, go swimming, go to an arts and crafts class, or just sit at the beach and veg out.

My kids LOVE Marilyn's. I think they're one of her biggest customers!

I can't wait for next summer to get here.

[Want2beagoodalways]

That's a great story Steve. I would love to visit this place and show my daughter a different world...Great job keep it up.

[Marcus_Tee]

Honest people? Sounds like they might all be Jehovah's Witnesses.

[nctcheer]

wow pesimistic much? i for one would like to believe that there is at least one place in this world thats decent w/out having it tainted by this kind of thought... how about we have a little faith in these people.

[Ace22257]

I've never heard of this place before. They shouldn't have printed this story and just left it at word of mouth. Like some of the others, what's to keep all the rapists, murderers & thieves from decending on this peaceful place now that it has made national news? They'll be changing the name from Lakeside to Sitting Duck. CBS just sent out millions of invitations to all the would be criminal minded. Lakeside sounds like a wonderful place....that is...until now.....

[nunnman]

Dear Steve,
I live in a small town where there is a great old-fash atmosphere like lakeside..lots of deals and work done by word of mouth. I am the 4th generation of men to wear the military uniform during war-time from the Civil War-Vietnam. I have Cherokee history, WWI, WWII here at my home on my grandmother's Cherokee allotment from over a century ago. I could share these family stories, photos, etc, with you sometime + my father was a prisoner-of-war in 1944-45, taken to 3 p.o.w. camps in Nazi Germany!!
Sincerely, Conn Grayson Davis

[dwliudahl]

Steve,

Great story on Lakeside, Ohio. It nice to see the media actually doing real news. Your stories are the best, I have always enjoyed them. Most of the other news or what is reported as being news, is just trivia, irrelevant or propaganda.

Keep up the good work. I hate suffering through the week for Friday to get something that is real and generally up-lifting.

Douglas Liudahl
Billings, Montana

[santos1466]

Always great stories.

[kentonrow]

Our family has been going to Lakeside for 25 years. We now own a cottage there and buying a cottage was the best thing we ever did for our family because we have insured many more happy memories at Lakeside. We once lost a life jacket. One of the kids left it somewhere. We put a notice of the lost jacket on the bulletin board and it was returned to us within 24 hours. Also, a little boy about 11 years old found a wallet on our street with $250 in it and he went up and down the street looking for the owner. He found the owner of the wallet and gave it back to him with all the money in it. Finally, everyone looks out for the kids. Kids on bicycles are respected by cars and cars give them the right away. You will never find a better vacation spot for your kids.

[jokrs53]

My family and I just returned from Lakeside 2 weeks ago! Every summer, since I was a small child (many, many years ago) we have been going there. Our families all come together from all over for 1 week of shuffleboard, putt-putt, swimming, and just visiting! We LOVE it and hopefully our children will continue the tradition. LOVED reading the article!

[Benton09]

Sounds like a great place, but no need to advertise it to the low lifes that see an opportunity now for an easy target. You may have to lock those doors now.

[Slrman]

When I was a kid, we'd lock the front door so people would know we weren't home. We'd leave the back door unlocked in case someone needed to get in. The worls has changed and not for the better, I think.

[SouthwestisBest]

Very refreshing story. Good for Lakeside.

Where I am, there are still many small communities still just like that. I never bother to lock the door, unless I'm leaving for the day or more. Life is still good, you just have to get out of the overcrowded cities to communities where people still bother to know their neighbors and work together for common good.

America is not lost, it's still here, you just have to look for it.

[SouthwestisBest]

Very refreshing story. Good for Lakeside.

Where I am, there are still many small communities still just like that. I never bother to lock the door, unless I'm leaving for the day or more. Life is still good, you just have to get out of the overcrowded cities to communities where people still bother to know their neighbors and work together for common good.

America is not lost, it's still here, you just have to look for it.

[5thgenlakesider]

My great-great grandfather was one of the early leaders/founders of Lakeside and my family has been visiting there since long before I was born. Steve Hartman's story was 100% accurate and I loved being reminded of what a special place Lakeside is. I try to tell people what it's like but they don't understand until they actually spend a few days there. I've never introduced anyone to Lakeside who wasn't completely charmed in a matter of hours. Sometimes people are a little put off by the gate and the entry charge...but once they wander down to the lake at 11:00 at night and sit on the dock in the moonlight, in complete safety, surrounded by people they trust...well, then they GET it.
And I have a feeling that if the crooks tried to take it over -- Lakesiders would defend "their" town in any number of creative and effective ways. It hasn't lasted this long without the occasional threat...and yet the innocence endures.

[pollroller1]

Well, now that everybody knows where this town is, all of the crooks can go there and steal what they want.

[mamahoove]

Not without paying the $17 daily gate fee! I just returned from a week there today. It is our 18th year of making Lakeside our vacation retreat at the Idlewyld B & B. It is a magical place! Our family has traveled all over the country and in several other countries, but the week at Lakeside is a "must do" every year, no matter where else we have traveled. I've never been any place else where kids can just be kids and grow in confidence as they travel to God Squad, Marilyn's and other similar shops without parents hovering over them. It is a great place and one that is easy to fall in love with due to the simple life style. "Lakeside time" runs slower than the world's time and the TV doesn't need to be on at all during the week because people take time to enjoy each other's company: real face to face communication, playing games, reading books, riding bikes, etc. Oops.... I'd better stop now otherwise everyone will want to go there! Thanks for this great piece, Steve. (My husband and I are both BGSU grads as well.... Go Falcons!)

[susanholko]

Thanks Steve for reminding me how wonderful Lakeside is. I went to church camp there as a teen and then worked at Paulina's Restaurant one summer before college in 1961 earning 85 cents per hour. My friend Pam and I lived in one of the charming cottages renting a room from a delightful resident. Last year I returned with some girlfriends from first grade and stayed in a B&B across the Hoover Auditorium. I was thrilled that the cottages looked even better 47 years later. I now live in California and have a shuffleboard court in honor of Lakeside. Ah . . . . . thanks for the memories . . .
Susan Holko

[JolyJoly]

Thanks. I feel homesick. Not for that particular place, never been there, but for that lifestyle that expects human beings to act like human beings, not excuse-making monsters. That kind of life is a different world. Long may it live.

[Cosie3]

Steve Hartman! Your stories often have me tearing up, but this one was right in my backyard! Our family has a boat at Port Clinton and we camped for years at Bay Point in Marblehead.

Then I look up your bio and you graduated from BGSU! I have 2 degrees from there now, but I was a secretary in the Greek Life office when you were a student. Were you Greek? What a connection - I knew there was a reason I liked you! I see you have won some awards too - great job! My mom had a degree from BGSU in journalism and she worked at the Blade for several years. She also was non-traditional student and graduated later in life.

Loved this story, as I always love your stories! I miss "Everyone Has a Story."

Cosie3

[zinn2304]

I too have vacationed here my whole life, as well as my mother her whole life. My parents now have a camper they keep there year round. I have to say it's the most honest place I've ever visited. As well as the most relaxing. I now have 2 children of my own and we look forward to our trip there all year. Our whole extended family gathers there and spends Labor day weekend. I'm excited to see this story, as Lakeside holds a special place in all our hearts. We're already gearing up for bike riding, putt putt, kite flying, and Patio donuts!

[ToolMangler1]

I grew up in a Town just like this in Virginia. WQe never had to lock anything. The feeling was that locks were a mark against your neighbors trustworthyness. The only things that were secured were to keep 'kids' from getting hurt
I miss the freedom of those days but I live in a City now and things are 'different'. I kinda wish that this story hadn't told what the towns name was because every scam artist in the country will be trying to "Harvest fields ready for pickin'". Here is another town that will fall victim to greedy outsiders.

[Ordflyer]

This is a great area near where I grew up- however now all the crooks from Cleveland and Toledo know where to go... ;-)

This story is like putting a sign on your empty house saying, "we are on vacation - house is unlocked!"

Better lock up for a while Lakeside!