View the beautiful waterfall from an overlook along the trail.
Colonel Hendrick Paine, nephew of Edward Paine, founder of Painesville, moved his family from Parkman, Ohio, in 1818 to this little valley. It became known as “Paine’s Hollow.” Paine built a log cabin on the terrace on the north side of the valley.
With the planning and financial help of his son’s (Elazer A. Paine) father-in-law, Samuel Phelps, Paine carried out the industrial development of Paine’s Hollow. He first built a sawmill. In the years that followed, many other industries came to the Hollow. By 1840, valley businesses included an iron forge and furnace, a tannery, a shoemaker, a blacksmith shop and a wagon maker. An ashery was built to produce lye for soap and potash production. The area also included several houses and a school for local children.
By 1850, surrounding forests had been felled and prosperity began to decline. With the lumber supply gone and new technological advances, water power was no longer needed. The area fell to ruin and many of the settlers moved to neighboring cities. In 1974, the area was named Paine Falls and was dedicated as a park by Lake Metroparks.