Silver Lake / Silver Lake Amusement Park

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. 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.