Category: Recreation
Gorge – The Glen
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.
Silver Lake Park – Aquarium
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…
Kepler’s Hotel – Turkey Foot Lake
Kepler’s Landing was built in 1896 at the south end of Turkeyfoot Lake. It hosted events such as ski shows, hydroplane boat races, and rubber company picnics.
Lakeside – Portage Path Canoe Club
First built by the Akron Street Railway & Herdic Co. in 1887, Lakeside was a picnic grounds destination on the east shore of Summit Lake. The park included a steamboat landing and a canoe house. The Akron Street Railway & Herdic Co. introduced horse car service (Herdic) on Main St. in 1883. The company would…
Keplers Landing
Kepler’s Landing was located at the south end of Turkeyfoot Lake. The nearby hotel was built in 1892 by William Kepler.
Silver Lake Park – A Big Day
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.
Kepler’s Hotel – Turkey Foot Lake
Built in 1896 to house coal miners and fishermen, and later vacationers. It contained sleeping rooms, a restaurant, and a large veranda.
Silver Lake Park – Miniature Railway
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.
Silver Lake: Pavilion, Dining Hall, and Boat Landing
In 1876, Ralph H. Lodge began acquiring the Silver Lake and its surrounding land. Originally a picnicking and swimming area, Ralph soon turned the area into one of Ohio’s greatest attractions. Silver Lake featured animal exhibits, a roller coaster, sports facilities, a dance hall, and a hotel, steam boat rides and a miniature railway.
Country Club – Akron
Founded in 1894 in Akron, Ohio, Portage Country Club is one of the oldest clubs in America. The Club’s founding members were Charles C. Goodrich (the son of Dr. Benjamin F. Goodrich, the founder of B.F. Goodrich Company), Charles G. Raymond (an executive at B.F. Goodrich Company) and Bertram G. Work (also an executive at…
Kepler’s Landing, Turkey Foot Lake
Kepler’s Landing was located at the south end of Turkey Foot Lake. The hotel was built in 1892 by William Kepler.
Canoeing at Long Lake
Recreation on the Portage Lakes.
Brighton Farm – Portage Lakes
Country home of Akron industrialist and philanthropist, Frank Hibbard Mason (1852-1931). Mason worked for B. F. Goodrich.
Elks Temple
The Elks began in 1868 as a social club for minstrel show performers called the “Jolly Corks”. It was established as a private club to elude New York City laws governing the opening hours of public taverns. The organization evolved into a major American fraternal, charitable, and service order with more than a million members, both men, and women, throughout…
Bathers at Summit Beach
Summit Lake was a popular summer retreat for Akron area residents. First as a picturesque picnic area and latter as a amusement park. From rollercoasters to live entertainment, the park had it all. The Beach Park operated for 40 years before closing its gates in 1958.
Summit Beach Bathers
Akron’s Summit Beach Park located on the shores of Summit Lake, provided Akronites with 40 years of recreation and entertainment before closing its gates for good in 1958.
Lakeside – Glenn Curtiss Hydro-Aeroplane
In 1911, aviation pioneer Glenn H. Curtiss promised Akron a memorable event. Curtiss brought his experimental hydro-airplane to Lakeside Park at Summit Lake. His three flights were seen by nearly 50,000 people that day. During his final flight, the hydro-airplane lost a section of its propeller. Although the plane to become unstable, Curtiss was able to safely bring…
Silver Lake Park – Entrance
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…
Silver Lake Park – Bath House
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…
Summit Feeder
For much of the early 1900’s, the Summit lake area of Akron was among the most picturesque in the city.