Buckeye Lake
Buckeye Lake Amusement Park
The Buckeye Lake Amusement Park opened in 1901 and was referred to as “The Playground of Ohio.” In its heyday, crowds as large as 50,000 would come to visit the attractions, which included rides, a skating rink, boating excursions, swimming, and dining. The park also had two large ballrooms, The Crystal Ball Room and Lake Breeze Pier Dance Hall, which often hosted popular big bands including Louis Armstrong and Tommy Dorsey.[1] Radio broadcasts that could be heard across the country were also recorded in the Pier Ballroom. [2]
The park unfortunately experienced its fair share of tragedies. In 1922, a tornado killed several people and destroyed some of the park’s rides. In 1924, the Lake Breeze Hotel’s ballroom, which was being used by the Colored Elks Number 82, collapsed, causing many of the dancers to fall into the lake. Many of the dancers were injured, and seven were killed. Over the years, fires destroyed the Lake Breeze hotel and several other buildings. [3]
As bigger amusement parks began to sprout up around Ohio and dance halls became less popular, crowds began to decline. This led to the park’s closure in the early 1970s. [4] A historical marker along with a fountain now pays tribute to where the park once stood. [5]
C.P.
Cranberry Marsh
References
- ↑ Shinn, Dave, “Playground of Ohio”.
- ↑ Shinn Dave, “Buckeye Glory Days”, The Licking Countian.
- ↑ Bonar, Daniel and Anthony Lisska. “The Big Swamp: The Licking Summit Reserve Buckeye Lake. The Historical Times, 1991. 6-7.
- ↑ Shinn, Dave, “Playground of Ohio”.
- ↑ Graff, Kevin. “Marker Pays Tribute to Buckeye Lake Site”. The Advocate. May, 4, 2002.
