Home / Summit County / 20-77 Silver Lake [5]
- Title, side A
- Silver Lake
- Title, side B
- Silver Lake Amusement Park
- Text, side A
- Silver Lake was previously known as Wetmore's Pond, named for Judge William Wetmore, an agent for the Connecticut Land Company. In 1808, Wetmore built a cabin overlooking the spring-fed lake, which was then a part of Portage County. Local lore records his friendship and conscientious dealings with the Native Americans, likely Seneca, who inhabited a populous village between the lake and the Cuyahoga River. The tribe left the area to join the British during the War of 1812, but later sided with the United States.
- Text, side B
- Cleveland businessman Ralph Hugh Lodge opened Silver Lake Amusement Park on this site in 1875. A popular regional resort easily accessible by rail, Silver Lake featured boating, swimming, and a large pavilion with a 15,000 square-foot dance floor. Other attractions included a freshwater aquarium, an airfield, and a "Chautauqua park" that featured prominent speakers. The Lodges successfully bred and raised black bears, a rare feat documented by the Smithsonian Institution in 1903. The Lodge family sold the park after World War I curtailed train visits. The Village of Silver Lake incorporated on its site in 1918.
- Sponsors
- Ohio Bicentennial Commission, The Longaberger Company, Silver Lake Historical Society, and The Ohio Historical Society
- Address
- NW of 2896 Silver Lake Boulevard
Silver Lake, OH 44224 - Location
- At the southern point of the intersection of Silver Lake Blvd & Hastings Rd
- Coordinates
- Latitude: 41.1524520, Longitude: -81.4596450.
Google map: