Gaylord’s Grove was a popular picnic and recreation spot in Cuyahoga Falls, attracting visitors who came to enjoy the outdoors and spend time along the Cuyahoga River. Places like this gave people an opportunity to get away from the growing cities and enjoy a day in the country.
The Cuyahoga River cuts through the gorge between Akron and Cuyahoga Falls, creating one of the area’s most distinctive landscapes. This postcard captures the river and the bridge crossing the gorge, showing a place where the natural landscape and the growing transportation network came together.
This early 20th-century view of the Cuyahoga River gorge shows just how heavily industry had become woven into the landscape of Cuyahoga Falls. The river wasn’t just a scenic feature in the area, it was a source of power. Mills and factories grew along its banks to take advantage of the moving water.
Silver Lake’s popularity waned after World War I, when rail excursion traffic declined. The Lodge family sold the property in 1918 for residential development with the Village of Silver Lake incorporating on the site that same year.
The Glens and Caves of Cuyahoga Falls was a popular picnic and entertainment destination for Clevelanders via the Cleveland, Mount Vernon and Columbus Railroad from the 1870’s through the early 1900’s.
When Silver Lake Amusement Park closed after World War I, in 1920, the aquarium which was housed in a round building was dismantled. The brick building was perfectly round except for the gabled portico supported by four columns at the entrance. Mr. and Mrs. Lodge gave the aquarium to a group in Stow, Ohio who…
Railroads brought excursions from places as far away as Columbus and Pittsburgh. As many as 10,000 people a day traveled by train to enjoy the many and varied interests to be found in the park. People spent the Summer camping in tents, others living in rented cottages, and some stayed at the hotel.
The Silver Lake Park miniature railway carried visitors along the lake’s shore. The Park also featured a roller coaster, merry-go-round, and a midway. There was a pavilion with seating for 500 people and a 15,000 square foot polished hard maple dance floor.
Post office building in Cuyahoga Falls, near Akron, Ohio.Location: 2054 2nd St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221
For 40 years, visitors to Silver Lake Park were never at a loss for things to do. Steamboat cruise on the lake, miniature train rides, a roller coaster, a merry-go-round, and a midway all added to the excitement of a day at the park. There was even a pavilion with space for 500 dinners as well as a 15,000…
In 1874, Ralph H. Lodge bought Silver Lake (all the land covered by water but no land around it) for $1,300. The next year, Lodge bought 35 acres of land at the South West corner of the lake. Prior to Lodge’s investment, a tribe of Seneca Indians summered at the South end of Silver Lake…
A beautiful view of the river flowing through The Glen (today’s Gorge Park) Akron, Ohio (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio).
Carved from the earth nearly 12,000 years ago, the Gorge is one of the area’s greatest natural wonders. The area is also filled with amazing folklore. On May 21, 1758, at the age of ten, Campbell was abducted from a place in or near the town of Penn’s Creek, in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Her captors were a band…
Once known as Old Maid’s Kitchen, the site can be found in the Gorge Metro Park. Today, the cave is named for Mary Campbell, a white settler from Pennsylvania taken captive by the Leni Lenape Indians and brought to the Cuyahoga Valley and possibly the Gorge.
In the early 1900s, the Northern Ohio Traction & Light Company built a power plant and concrete dam on the Cuyahoga River in present day Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Although the power plant is long gone, the dam remains and its waters continue hide Big Falls.
Lower and Higher Bridges over the Cuyahoga River. The Lower Bridge, at Gorge, was 100 feet long by 50 feet wide and made of wood with iron supports. The Higher Bridge was 375 feet long by 101 feet high. It was erected in 1904 at a cost of $70,000. Although primarily used for electric cars,…
An evening train ride through the Silver Lake Park on the shores of Silver Lake near Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The train was just one of many attractions at the park, including a dance hall, small zoo, amusement rides, picnic areas, and steamboat rides. The first conductor on the Silver Lake Miniature Railroad was Sammy Wise…
The Miniature Railway at Silver Lake Park was a 15 in gauge miniature railway opened in 1902. The main station was on the lakeshore at the boat landing dock. The inaugural route, which changed in later years, allowed passengers lengthy views of the lake and the zoo area.
Beginning in 1874, Silver Lake and the land surrounding it was a popular Akron area amusement park. The lake was acquired in 1876 by Ralph H. Lodge and he subsequently also purchased the land surrounding the body of water. It was originally a picnicking and swimming area, but before it closed Silver Lake Amusement Park featured animal…
In 1888, Ralph Lodge was presented with a female black bear cub, Topsy, captured on the north shore of Lake Superior. In September of the same year, he purchased an eight-month-old male cub, Patrick, which had been caught in Central Michigan. Patrick went on to father 78 cubs at Silver Lake.
The Gorge formed about 12,000 years ago as the Cuyahoga River carried water to Lake Erie. Most of the 100 mile river is shallow and slow-moving — but in the gorge, water descends 200 feet within a short two-mile section of the gorge.
The lower bridge was built in 1895, while the upper double-track streetcar bridge was built in 1903. Both bridges spanned the Gorge between Akron and Cuyahoga Falls, located near the road that is now Front Street, north of Cuyahoga Falls Avenue.
The Marathon Rubber Co. of Cuyahoga Falls/Akron opened in 1912. They manufactured a variety of rubber products including tires, tubes, and belts. The plant pictured here was located on Front Street at the end of Sackett Avenue. Marathon Tire and Rubber Co. formed from the reorganization of the original Marathon Company with C.C. Osmun serving…
The Northern Ohio Traction & Light Co. powerhouse (also known as the Gorge Power Station) and trolley bridge, Cuyahoga Falls/Akron, Ohio.
A streetcar passes over the bridge in front of the N.O.T Co. power plant. on it’s way to Akron, Ohio.