Lakewood is located in the northeastern part of the state of Ohio and a city in Cuyahoga County, and sits along Lake Erie and is on the western part of Cleveland. The area where the present-day Lakewood stands were surveyed in 1806 as part of the Rockport township. The site was permanently settled in 1818 when James Nicholson arrived from Connecticut, and in the same year, named the community as Rockport. The town was developed around a plank toll road and a rail line and became known as East Rockport in 1871. The area is mainly residentiary with some light industry and has been celebrating the Lakewood Arts Festival during the summer annually.