The first Europeans to visit Westfield were French explorers interested in finding a water route between the Great Lakes and Ohio River systems. None exists, but in 1615 Etienne Brule found the next best thing when he discovered that only a short eight miles separate Lake Erie and Chautauqua Lake between the present towns of Westfield and Mayville. Indians had used the same path for centuries, but the French soon established their own trail that started in Barcelona Harbor, followed Chautauqua Creek for several miles, then ran over an escarpment to current-day Mayville. This trail remained in use more than 130 years, and today is known as the Old French Trail or, more commonly, the Portage Trail