Beyond the Boardwalk: The Murder Mystery and Hidden History of Mentor Marsh

Located in Mentor, Ohio, the Wake Robin Trail at Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve offers a short but fascinating hike through one of Lake County's most ecologically significant wetlands. This scenic boardwalk trail leads into an expansive marsh that was once part of the Grand River, later suffered a devastating environmental disaster, and has since become the focus of an extraordinary restoration effort. Along with its abundant wildlife and unusual geological history, Mentor Marsh has a darker past that includes a notorious 1922 murder.

Trail Info

Length 0.5 miles

Elevation gain 5 feet

Route Out & back

Permit required No

Dogs allowed No

Trailhead elevation 590'

Water none

Don't miss hiking at sunrise or sunset

Walking the Wake Robin Trail

The walk begins at the small parking area along Woodridge Lane, near its intersection with Wake Robin Road in Mentor.

• 

• 

From the trailhead, the Wake Robin Trail enters a wooded section along the edge of the marsh, offering a brief walk beneath the trees before transitioning onto a wooden boardwalk. Unlike many of Lake County's forested hiking trails, this short out-and-back route provides an opportunity to venture directly into an expansive wetland ecosystem, with open views of the surrounding marsh and excellent opportunities for birdwatching.

The trail's unusual name comes from the wake-robin, a traditional name for several species of trillium, particularly the red trillium. These native woodland wildflowers produce three distinctive petals and bloom during spring, around the time American robins become more active following winter. Trilliums are especially interesting because they can take several years to mature before producing their first flowers, and their seeds are frequently dispersed by ants.

As the trail leaves the forest and enters the marsh, the surrounding landscape opens into a vast expanse of wetland vegetation. The raised boardwalk allows visitors to walk among native grasses, cattails, and other marsh plants without disturbing the sensitive habitat beneath their feet. Depending on the season, hikers may encounter dragonflies hovering over the vegetation, frogs calling from the wetlands, and numerous bird species moving through the reeds.

An observation area along the boardwalk provides an opportunity to stop and appreciate the marsh's impressive size and natural beauty.

• 

• 

What many visitors don't realize is that the landscape surrounding the Wake Robin Trail was once part of the Grand River. Thousands of years ago, the river followed a different course toward Lake Erie, flowing through what is now Mentor Marsh before reaching the lake near present-day Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve. Eventually, changes in the landscape caused the Grand River to establish its present route, which enters Lake Erie between the communities of Grand River and Fairport Harbor. The abandoned river channel gradually developed into an extensive wetland, explaining the marsh's unusual elongated shape.

This ancient connection also links Mentor Marsh to nearby Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve, another fascinating Lake County destination with its own network of hiking trails and access to Lake Erie's shoreline. Although the two preserves are separate properties, their shared geological history offers an interesting look at how the Grand River helped shape the surrounding landscape long before modern communities were established.

For centuries, the abandoned river channel supported a thriving wetland ecosystem filled with swamp forests, native plants, and abundant wildlife. By the mid-20th century, however, the marsh faced an uncertain future as developers considered transforming the area into a large recreational marina. The proposal would have involved extensive dredging and construction, potentially destroying much of the wetland's natural character.

Fortunately, conservationists recognized the marsh's ecological importance. During the 1960s, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History began acquiring property to protect the landscape from development. Mentor Marsh was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1966, recognizing its exceptional biological significance. In 1971, it became Ohio's first state nature preserve, permanently protecting an important portion of Lake Erie's coastal wetland habitat.

Unfortunately, the preserve's protected status did not prevent one of the most devastating environmental disasters in northeastern Ohio's history.

Beginning in 1966, salt-contaminated waste associated with a nearby industrial operation entered Blackbrook Creek, which drains into Mentor Marsh. The resulting increase in salinity proved catastrophic for the freshwater ecosystem. Large areas of mature swamp forest began dying, and within several years, much of the original woodland had disappeared. The destruction of native vegetation allowed an aggressive invasive reed known as Phragmites australis to spread rapidly across the marsh.

• 

• 

Over the following decades, Phragmites grew into dense stands that sometimes exceeded 15 feet in height, crowding out native plants and dramatically reducing the diversity of the wetland. At its worst, the marsh was estimated to contain approximately one billion individual reed stems. The once-thriving ecosystem had become dominated by a single invasive species, with much of its original plant and animal diversity severely diminished.

The invasive reeds also created another serious problem. Each year, enormous quantities of dead, dried vegetation accumulated throughout the marsh, producing conditions that were extremely vulnerable to fire. Beginning in the 1980s, Mentor Marsh experienced numerous major fires, some threatening nearby residential neighborhoods.

One of the most destructive occurred in 2003, when a fire swept across hundreds of acres of the marsh and destroyed the original Wake Robin boardwalk. The wooden walkway was eventually reconstructed, but the rebuilding process led to an unexpected discovery. After invasive Phragmites was cleared from the surrounding area, native wetland plants began emerging from seeds that had remained dormant in the soil for decades.

This remarkable natural recovery demonstrated that Mentor Marsh still possessed the potential to support a diverse wetland ecosystem. The discovery helped inspire a much larger restoration project that began in 2015 under the direction of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Restoration crews used a combination of aerial treatments, ground-based vegetation removal, and other management techniques to control the invasive reeds. In 2018, approximately 200 million native plant seeds were distributed across portions of the marsh by helicopter, helping accelerate the return of native vegetation.

The results have been extraordinary. More than 180 native plant species have reappeared throughout the wetland, including species that had been absent from the visible landscape for decades. Birds such as Virginia rails, soras, American bitterns, and common gallinules have benefited from the improved habitat, while fish species including northern pike and yellow perch have returned to portions of the restored ecosystem.

Today, hikers following the Wake Robin Trail are witnessing the continued recovery of a landscape that was once considered severely damaged. The native vegetation surrounding the boardwalk represents decades of conservation work, making this short trail an especially meaningful destination for anyone interested in environmental history.

However, the preserve's environmental struggles aren't the only unusual chapter in its past. Long before Mentor Marsh became a protected nature preserve, the surrounding area was connected to a notorious murder that attracted considerable attention during the early 20th century.

In June 1922, Hazel Burns and her husband, Henry Burns, traveled from Cleveland to their summer home in Mentor. The couple reportedly had a troubled relationship, and Hazel subsequently disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Investigators discovered evidence of violence near the Mentor Marsh area, including bloodstained clothing and jewelry associated with the missing woman.

Suspicion quickly turned toward Henry, who operated a popcorn stand near Cleveland's West Side Market. During questioning, detectives reportedly noticed injuries to his hands and became suspicious of his explanation for Hazel's disappearance. Henry was eventually arrested and later plead guilty of murdering and mutilating his wife in a case that became associated with Mentor Marsh.

The disturbing story, sometimes referred to as the Mentor Marsh Murder, remains an unusual piece of Lake County's criminal history. Although the precise location of the crime relative to today's hiking trails is uncertain, the case adds an unexpected historical dimension to a landscape now better known for its wildlife and conservation efforts.

Despite this darker chapter, Mentor Marsh is best appreciated today for its remarkable natural recovery and outstanding wildlife habitat. The preserve is recognized as an Important Bird Area, attracting numerous migratory and resident species throughout the year. During spring and fall migrations, birdwatchers may encounter waterfowl, herons, rails, sparrows, and other wetland birds moving through the vegetation.

The Wake Robin Trail is especially rewarding during the early morning hours, when the marsh is often quieter and bird activity can be more noticeable. Visitors should bring binoculars or a camera with a telephoto lens, as many species remain concealed among the vegetation. Spring offers excellent opportunities for birdwatching, while late summer brings blooming wetland plants, dragonflies, and butterflies. During autumn, the marsh takes on warmer colors as the surrounding vegetation begins to change.

After exploring the boardwalk and observation area, hikers retrace their steps to the wooded trailhead and parking area along Woodridge Lane. Although the Wake Robin Trail is only about half a mile round trip, its combination of unusual geology, ecological restoration, wildlife, and local history makes it far more interesting than its short distance might suggest.

Those looking to explore more of Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve should consider hiking the Kerven Trail, another short trail within the preserve that provides a different perspective on the surrounding wetland ecosystem.