Silver Lake in Summit County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Silver Lake
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Silver Lake Amusement Park
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 7, 2011
1. Silver Lake Marker (Side A)
Side A: Silver Lake
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.
Side B: Silver Lake Amusement Park
Cleveland businessman Ralph H. 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.
Erected 2001 by Ohio Bicentennial Commission, The Longaberger Company, Silver Lake Historical
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1808.
Location. 41° 9.146′ N, 81° 27.579′ W. Marker is in Silver Lake, Ohio, in Summit County. It is at the intersection of Silver Lake Boulevard and Lee Road / Hastings Road, on the left when traveling north on Silver Lake Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2896 Silver Lake Boulevard, Stow OH 44224, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland and in the Western Reserve. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Harold E. Brust (approx. 1.3 miles away); The Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal (approx. 1.3 miles away); Memorial to The First Board Of Directors of The Ladies Cemetery Association (approx. 1.6 miles away); The History of Downtown Cuyahoga Falls (approx. 1.6 miles away); Cuyahoga Falls Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.6 miles away); Lest We Forget (approx. 1.6 miles away); Front Street (approx. 1.7 miles away); Welcome To Cuyahoga Falls (approx. 1.7 miles away).
Also see . . . Lost Amusement Parks - Silver Lake, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., http://vil
2. Silver Lake Amusement Park Marker (Side B)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 7, 2011
3. Silver Lake
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 7, 2011
4. Silver Lake
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 7, 2011
5. Silver Lake / Silver Lake Amusement Park Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on August 20, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 14, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,635 times since then and 61 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 14, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
