4729 Walnut Road, Buckeye Lake, Ohio 43008.

​The Greater Buckeye Lake Historical Society​​​

Rolling Skating Ladies at Skateland

Rownd Island Summer Tour 2012

Lake Breeze Hotel and Pier Ballroom 1950

Newark Stove Company employees enjoy Creamsicles during the 1959 picnic.

Entrance to the Buckeye Lake Amusement Park 1950's

Buckeye Lake had a Pop Factory?
In the 1920's, believe it or not, Buckeye Lake had its own pop factory on the south shore of the Lake across from Orchard Island. The Factory was owned by Mr. Justice and Hedgie Parion. The side of the bottle says, "Buckeye Lake Bottling Works, Buckeye Lake, O. In the center within a circle is "J & P PROP'S." The bottles are made of very thick glass and are heavy. To a collector in today's 2011 market, they will bring about $10 each.

How many names does Buckeye Lake have?

The Buckeye Lake we know today has been graced with many names that go back as far as recorded 1779. They include: "Buffalo Swamp," "Buffalo Lick," The Big Pond," "The Great Swamp," "Big Swamp," Licking Reservoir" or "Bucket Ocean." In recent years many call it "Buckeye Ocean."

How large was the Crystal Swimming Pool? 
The pool was 100 feet wide and 200 feet long. 

How many people visited Skateland each week? 
Skateland was a 30,000 sq ft round floor. Each week there would be from 2000 to 3000 skaters during the 30's and 40's. It was formerly called the Palais de Dance. Louie Armstrong sang there along with other big name bands.

Who held Rallies? 
The Ku Klux Klan Rallies were held at Buckeye Lake in August of 1923 and some 75,000 people attended. It was also held in 1925 with estimated crowds of over 500,000 Kluckers. The attendees stayed for a week on the large fields of the Neel Farm. The Grand Dragon of the five state area lived in Newark.

Did Walt Disney want to buy Buckeye Lake? 
There has long been a rumor about Walt Disney wanting to buy Buckeye Lake Park. There was a resident named Morris Riechart and he loved this area. He ran the local trash route and he started this tall tail. Mr. Brown, park manager and later manager, Bob McKay stated that this was never true. Old Morris just didn't want the park to go away. The park was only 8.5 acres total. There was never enough space for a mega park here in Buckeye Lake.

What were Employee Picnics? 
The park was "sold out" to private companies for their employees to have a picnic. This included rides in the park, refreshments, ice-cream and good food over at Picnic Point. Companies included Curtis-Wright, North American Aviator, General Electric, Wherle/Newark Stove Co., Owens-Corning the Gas Company and others. 
​
​When did the Buckeye Lake Amusement Park officially close? 

The Amusement Park closed in 1970 after an attempt failed to revive it as a Country Western theme park.

Lovers Point, Buckeye Lake Park

What year did the Buckeye Lake Park open? 
​The original park was for tourist. The first Hotels opened in 1902 and the Interurban Trains brought the visitors. The amusement park came along in 1931 when "The Dips" roller coaster was built. 

When did the roller coaster wreck? 
​The Dips Roller Coaster wrecked in the summer of 1958, during it's 28th year. It was never operated again. There were no fatalities from the wreck but several people were injured and transported to the Newark, Ohio Hospital. 

Were there two Parks?
Buckeye Lake Park was the "Big Park" but at the far west end was another park called Gratziano-Carlin Park. The two "parks" were not connected in anyway. Both "parks" had a huge dancehall. The Big Park had the Crystal Swimming pool and the Crystal Ballroom, the smaller park had the Lake Breeze Hotel and the Pier Ballroom. It looked like it was one big park and one could not tell where one ended and the other began because of all the vendors and concessions along the shoreline. 

Where was the Wild Mouse ride? 
The Wild Mouse ride was located between the skating rink and Crystal Pool. 

​What was the first hotel at Buckeye Lake?
Thomas Minthorn was a primary pioneer in the lake area and he opened Mr. Minthorn’s “outdooor hotel” about 1835. It had three large kettles cooking in his yard. The kettles would contain meat (deer or wild turkey that he had killed), dumplings, green corn, and whatever else was in season. No oven...no bread. Cost for board and lodgeing was $1.61 per week. In 1840 all this changed as the Ohio Erie Canal needed more water storage. Mr. Monthorn then built a hotel.

How many hotels were there around Buckeye Lake?
In 1911 Buckeye Lake boasted 21 hotels or boarding houses for visitors that came from all over Ohio and bordering states on the electric railcar called The Interurban. Business was good at the lake: Hotel Harris-at the park, The Glass Hotel, Summerland Beach Hotel, Shell Beach Hotel, Sellars Hotel, Lakeside Hotel, Minthorn House, Holtsberry Hotel, Laughery House, Stimmel Hotel, Harlow House, Hamiltion House, Bumcrats Hotel, Berry Hotel, Custer’s Hotel, Urick Hotel, Avondale Hotel, Mrs. White Hotel, Fred Mauger Hotel, New Buckeye Lake Hotel, The Stag and the Ladies Inn Hotel.

information

On this webpage you will find answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions about the long and colorful history of Buckeye Lake.