Silver Lake Park

Initially, Silver Lake Park’s attractions included swimming, boating, camping, picnicking, and dancing. Admission to the dance hall shown here was 50¢ per couple or 10¢ for “unaccompanied” ladies and gentlemen. Signs on this building also advertise the availability of meal tickets. (Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society Museum.)

Ralph and Julia Lodge had 10 children, who were a great help in operating the park. Seen here from left to right are (seated) Mabel, Ralph H. Lodge, Ralph Jr., Laura, and Julia; (standing) William, Lillian, George, Evelyn, Lou, and Ballard. Another daughter, also named Julia, passed away at the age of six. (George F. Lodge collection.)

Julia Lodge, the wife of Silver Lake Park founder Ralph Lodge, was an active member of the community, including the Stow Culture Club. According to the club’s scrapbooks, her home was a beehive of activity. However, she graciously accommodated her many guests, believing that “there was always room for one more.” (Local History Collection, Stow–Munroe Falls Public Library.)

These photographs show several of Ralph and Julia’s offspring as young children. In later years, they would become instrumental in running the park. From left to right are: George, who later designed the park’s miniature railway and other mechanical systems; William, who became the park’s general manager; and Ballard, who eventually became president of the Silver Lake Park Company. (All three, Joe Cannon collection.)

The Lodge family members were talented, creative, and fond of learning. Here, their son Lou strikes an academic pose while his aunt Lucy pores over her book. The elaborate, multi-armed piece of furniture holding their volumes was invented by Lucy’s husband, Wilbur F. Holloway, and was known as the Holloway Reading Stand. It was constructed of cast iron and manufactured in Cuyahoga Falls. (George F. Lodge collection.)

Although township residents were initially puzzled by Ralph Lodge’s decision to plant trees on his lakeside property, generations of visitors to Silver Lake appreciated the beauty and shade they provided. This scene shows several refreshment stands in a shady grove. The stands offered peanuts and sodas for 5¢ to 10¢. (Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society Museum.)

To accommodate picnickers, the park had a number of shelters that could seat several hundred hungry guests. While modern-day picnickers tend to worry about ants, Silver Lake guests sometimes had to keep a watchful eye for birds, which liked to swoop down and fly off with visitors’ sandwiches or a bite of cake. In the early 1900s, the Lodges expanded the number of picnic shelters, increasing the picnic table seating capacity to 3,000. (Pete Mellinger Jr. collection.)

The Lodge family lived in a homestead near what is now the intersection of Silver Lake Boulevard and Kent Road in Silver Lake, Ohio. One of the tallest features on their property was this tower, which helped supply water for the park’s guests and operations. Note the individuals posed on various levels of the tower. (Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society Museum.)

Compared with visitors at today’s modern amusement parks, excursionists to early resorts such as Silver Lake Park looked as though they were wearing their Sunday best. In this view, a well-attired group of guests poses in front of the park’s ticket office. (Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society Museum.)

This postcard advertises an upcoming Sunday school outing at Silver Lake Park. Because of its wholesome atmosphere, the park was a prime destination for church picnics and other gatherings. Another indicator of the park’s excellent reputation was the fact that parents felt safe letting their daughters visit the park unchaperoned. (Author’s collection.)

Silver Lake is shown here from the north shore looking south. The most prominent features in this scene are the park’s water toboggan and bathhouse, seen in the right background. Later, a very large and impressive dance pavilion would grace the lake’s shores. (Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society Museum.)

Camping at Silver Lake was such an enjoyable activity that many guests stayed at the park for one or more weeks during the summer. The park was also frequented by area bicyclists, as evidenced by this photograph. Occasionally, Ralph Lodge would provide complimentary admission to members of the local bicycle club. (Akron Beacon Journal archives.)

Scattered about the park grounds, near the dining hall and the central fountain, were several large seashells. These were displayed by Isaiah Greegor, who ran a seashell souvenir shop at Silver Lake. Greegor and his family spent their winters in Jacksonville, Florida, collecting shells and fashioning them into jewelry and other souvenirs to sell at area amusement parks in the summer. (The Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio; housed at the Akron–Summit County Public Library.)

In addition to his stores at Silver Lake and in Jacksonville, Greegor and his family operated seashell souvenir stands at several other local summer resorts, including High Bridge Glens in Cuyahoga Falls and Brady Lake in Kent. Today, Greegor’s Silver Lake shell souvenirs can occasionally be found in area antique stores or online auctions. (Author’s collection.)

This photograph shows Silver Lake from the southern shore looking west. Visible in the distance are the water toboggan and one of the park’s steamboats. The attractions seen here are far more modest than the later features that would be built at the park. (Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society Museum.)

Like most amusement parks, Silver Lake had stores, check rooms, and several refreshment stands from which to choose. Guests could enjoy a variety of snacks, including peanuts, taffy, popcorn, ice cream, soda, spruce gum, and watermelons. One of the most fondly remembered treats was the park’s tasty homemade lemonade. (Fred Long Collection, Stow–Munroe Falls Public Library.)

This 5¢ ticket entitled the holder to enjoy one of Silver Lake Park’s many rides and attractions. Although the resort’s features were modestly priced, a few guests groused that every time they wanted to enjoy an activity at the park they had to produce another nickel. (Fred Long Collection, Stow–Munroe Falls Public Library.)

In this advertisement, the park is billed as a first-class resort capable of accommodating up to 10,000 visitors. In the park’s later years, Silver Lake hosted a record crowd of nearly 30,000 guests. On that particular day, the park was hosting a number of company picnics, including events for several of the area’s large rubber companies. (Pete Mellinger Jr. collection.)

One of the refreshment spots at the park offered “peanuts roasted by lightning.” According to the Cuyahoga Falls Reporter, the man who ran the stand was struck by lightning at the park one summer. Although he was not seriously injured, the lightning did knock the hat right off of his head. (Akron Beacon Journal archives.)

Seen in this photograph, taken from the eastern shore of Silver Lake looking west, are the park’s water toboggan and steamer. Note the couple in the rowboat to the left of the toboggan. This scene was typical of the park’s early years. Initially, the park’s menageries were located toward the lake’s southern shores. (Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society Museum.)

This postcard view shows Silver Lake Park’s main entrance from what is now Kent Road (Route 59). The main entrance was located near the current site of Silver Lake Boulevard, which is now one of Silver Lake Village’s major thoroughfares. (Author’s collection.)

Visitors to Silver Lake Park arrived via various modes of transportation. Many out-of-town visitors arrived by train or, in later years, trolley. In the park’s early years, most locals came to Silver Lake by horse and carriage. The park had 444-foot-long sheds for storing rigs as well as posts for riders to hitch their horses. (Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society Museum.)

Excursionists arriving via the railroad disembarked at a station near the park’s western border. They then walked along a tanbark path (a path covered with chipped tree bark) to the park’s upper dock, where they could board a steamboat that would transport them to the central area of the park. (Author’s collection.)

This return ticket was used by a Canton excursionist who attended a tin fabricating company picnic at Silver Lake Park in 1904. As part of their round-trip fare, excursionists were frequently provided with coupons offering free passage on the park’s steamer or complimentary admission to the Silver Lake aquarium. (George E. Zurava collection.)

Several interurban or trolley car lines operated near Silver Lake Park, including the Akron & Cuyahoga Falls Rapid Transit; Northern Ohio Traction & Light; the Akron, Bedford & Cleveland; and the Akron, Kent & Ravenna lines. Historians have a difference of opinion regarding where the stop seen here was located. Some believe it was Gaylord’s Grove, while others indicate that it was Randolph Park, a later competitor of Silver Lake. (Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society Museum.)

After trolley car service was extended to the park, an elaborate entrance was constructed with an onion-shaped dome on top. Later, as electricity was added to the park, this structure was decorated with colorful lights. Note the open-air trolley car waiting on the far right. (Author’s collection.)

This postcard shows another view of the entrance at Silver Lake Park. Note the lovely floral decorations on the lawn in front of the trolley station, as well as the group of newly arrived passengers. The Lodges, who were avid farmers, graced their park with many elaborate floral displays. (Dale Platt collection.)

Many of the trolley cars serving Silver Lake Park passed through an area in the North End of Cuyahoga Falls known as Silver Lake Junction. According to local trolley historians, the junction, seen here, was near the intersection of Bailey Road and Second Street. The street running from left to right in the foreground is thought to be Bailey Road. (Author’s collection.)

As is sometimes the case with travel, getting there was not always half the fun. When this photograph was taken, the lake or the nearby Cuyahoga River had flooded, covering the trolley car tracks near the south shore, along what is now Kent Road (Route 59) through Silver Lake. (Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society Museum.)

In the park’s later years, automobiles replaced horses and carriages. The Roethig family, which owned the Roethig Brothers meat market in Cuyahoga Falls, purchased one of the first automobiles in that community. Here, family members and other unidentified passengers pose in a touring car at Silver Lake Park. The Roethigs supplied meat to the park. (Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society Museum.)