See what life was like in the notorious Great Black Swamp in the mid-1800s. The Johlin Cabin at Pearson will take you to a time when life was hard, and a place where it was even harder.

Pioneers and soldiers who traversed the dark swamp described it in colorful terms, relating the rough roads where their wagons would get stuck in the muck, the fierce mosquitoes, deadly diseases and the work it took to clear a piece of ground. But they also spoke of the rich farmland that lay beneath the wet woods.

The Johlin Cabin was donated by the Johlin family of Oregon and moved about a mile into the park when Pearson was expanded in the early 2000s. Located at the north entrance to the park on Seaman Road, the cabin today is used for family programs where you might be invited to churn butter, plant crops or attend to other chores. See the program calendar for the next scheduled open house.

From birding to baseball to picnicking and fishing, there’s something for everyone at Pearson. This Metropark is one of the last remaining stands of the Great Black Swamp, a forest that once blanketed much of northwest Ohio. Activities abound. And examples of work done by the depression-era programs are all around you.

Purple cress, spring beauties, trillium, wild ginger, and wild geranium bloom in spring. The thick woods and location close to Lake Erie make Pearson a favorite stopover for a wide variety of migrating birds. Buildings, shelters, bridges, ponds, and a garden with a waterfall were built by workers enrolled in the Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps.

Activities and attractions include baseball diamonds, soccer fields, tennis courts, fishing, a playground, ice skating and sledding, and the Black Swamp Cabin.

About three miles of trails crisscross this 624-acre park, trails that often provide remarkable access to the best birding anywhere. Millions of migrating birds cross Lake Erie each spring and fall, often massing on the shore when conditions for crossing are unfavorable. Forest birds nest here in the summer and the feeding station at the Nature Center attracts flocks of birds for the winter, making Pearson a year-round birding destination.