Description: Panoramic photograph of the entrance to Buckeye Lake Park, ca. 1930. Buckeye Lake began as a small pond that Ohio's American Indians called "Big Swamp" or "Big Pond." In the 1820s, the state began construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal, and workers built a dike that diverted water from the south fork of the Licking River into the pond, which then became known as the Licking Reservoir or Licking Summit Reservoir. As canals declined in use in the second half of the 19th century, the Ohio and Erie Canal was abandoned and began to deteriorate, but the canal's decline did not mean an end to the Licking Reservoir. Instead, the state legislature renamed it Buckeye Lake and made it a public park in 1894. By the early 20th century, the reservoir had become an attractive location for recreational activities, including through the construction of Buckeye Lake Amusement Park, and the Columbus, Buckeye Lake and Newark Interurban Electric Railway, an electric trolley system, connected the park to nearby urban areas. In 1949, the state of Ohio designated Buckeye Lake as a state park. The amusement park began to decline in popularity by the late 1950s and continued to deteriorate in the 1960s. Although the amusement park no longer exists, Buckeye Lake State Park still attracts a number of visitors to the area each year, in addition to the many people who own vacation homes near the lake or live in the area year-round. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: OVS4458_buckeyelake
Subjects: Buckeye Lake (Ohio)--History; State parks & reserves; Canals--Ohio--History--19th century; Buckeye Lake State Park (Ohio); Amusement parks--Ohio
Places: Buckeye Lake (Ohio); Licking County (Ohio);
 

Description: This photograph shows a group of sailboats cruising around Buckeye Lake in Licking County, ca. 1960s or 1970s. Buckeye Lake began as a small pond that Ohio's American Indians called “Big Swamp” or “Big Pond.” In the 1820s, the state of Ohio developed it as a water source for the Licking Summit of the Ohio and Erie Canal, and engineers dammed the north and west sides of the swamp. This part of the canal project was completed in 1830. After the summit level of the canal became inactive in the 1890s, the State developed Licking Summit Reservoir (Buckeye Lake) for recreation. The Columbus, Buckeye Lake, and Newark Traction Company developed an "electric park" here, bringing in excursionists on inter-urban cars between 1904 and 1929 and creating one of the region's most popular resorts. Hotels and summer cottages proliferated on leased ground. The Great Depression changed the environment of Buckeye Lake significantly. The rail line went out of business, which meant that many people could no longer afford to travel to the park. A number of families began to live in their summer cottages year-round because they could no longer afford their more expensive homes in the cities. The amusement park continued to operate during this era, constantly working to add features that would attract more visitors, such as a roller coaster, a roller skating rink, a nightclub, and the Crystal Ballroom and Pool. The ballroom attracted a number of famous performers, including Guy Lombardo, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington, among others. Grand entertainments continued throughout the 1940s, and the amusement park attracted as many as fifty thousand people each day. In 1949 the state of Ohio designated Buckeye Lake as the first state park. The amusement park began to decline in popularity by the late 1950s and continued to deteriorate in the 1960s. The crowds that had once flocked to the park had disappeared, and buildings were torn down one by one. Visitors to Buckeye Lake today can find only one remaining remnant of the old Buckeye Lake Amusement Park, a fountain that is located at the Buckeye Lake State Park's North Shore. The lake has 3,800 acres of water, 35 miles of shoreline, and twenty islands. Today the lake area has become the water recreation center of central Ohio, providing boating, swimming, fishing, water skiing, golfing, picnicking, and ice sports. The lake extends into three counties: Fairfield, Licking and Perry. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06653
Subjects: Sailboats; Sailing; Lakes & ponds; Buckeye Lake State Park (Ohio); Buckeye Lake (Ohio)--History; State parks & reserves; Amusement parks
Places: Buckeye Lake (Ohio); Licking County (Ohio)
 

Description: The photograph shows the octopus ride at Buckeye Lake's amusement park. The ride has eight cars which rotate around a central axis. In the background a large building can be seen. When Ohioans began construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal in the 1820's workers built a dike that diverted water from the south fork of the Licking River into the small pond, which then became known as the Licking Summit Reservoir. As canals declined in popularity and use in the second half of the nineteenth century, the Ohio and Erie Canal was abandoned and began to deteriorate. The canal's decline did not mean an end to the Licking Summit Reservoir. Instead, the state legislature renamed it Buckeye Lake and made it a public park in 1894. By the early twentieth century, the reservoir had become an attractive location for recreational activities. An electric trolley system known as the Columbus, Buckeye Lake and Newark Interurban Electric Railway connected the park to nearby urban areas. In 1906, a number of men in the area formed the Buckeye Lake Yacht Club, which still exists to this day. By the 1910s, Buckeye Lake boasted an amusement park on its north shore, as well as a number of hotels, restaurants, and other businesses that catered to tourists. In 1949, the state of Ohio designated Buckeye Lake as a state park. The amusement park began to decline in popularity by the late 1950s. Visitors to Buckeye Lake today can find only one remaining structure fromf the old Buckeye Lake Amusement Park, a fountain that is located as the Buckeye Lake State Park's North Shore. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B13F02_005_001
Subjects: Amusement Parks--Ohio--Pictorial works.; Amusement rides; Midways; Buckeye Lake State Park (Ohio);
Places: Buckeye Lake (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio); Licking County (Ohio)
 

Description: Reverse reads: "'Oops- Buckeye Lake State Park. Buckeye Lake, Ohio." This photograph shows a Loop-O-Plane ride at Buckeye Lake's amusement park. The ride has two cars which rotate around a central axis. The Loop-O-Plane was created by Lee Eyerly in 1933. The ride became incredibly popular, resulting in it appearing at many amusement parks and fairs. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B13F03_0015_001
Subjects: Amusement Parks--Ohio--Pictorial works.; Amusement rides; Midways; Buckeye Lake State Park (Ohio); Recreation; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project.
Places: Buckeye Lake (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio); Licking County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1935-1943, this photograph shows the Auto Skooter ride at the Buckeye Lake amusement park in Fairfield and Licking Counties. A note on the photograph's reverse reads "Fun Buckeye Lake State Park Buckeye Lake, Ohio." The amusement park boasted a roller coaster, roller skating rink, a nightclub, and the Crystal Ballroom and Pool. The ballroom attracted a number of famous performers including Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, among others. The amusement park attracted as many as fifty thousand people each day. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B13F03_004_001
Subjects: Buckeye Lake State Park (Ohio); Amusement parks--Ohio; Amusement rides; Summer; Works Progress Administration
Places: Buckeye Lake (Ohio); Licking County (Ohio)
 

Description: The photograph shows the octopus ride at Buckeye Lake's amusement park. The ride has eight cars which rotate around a central axis. Lights adorn the arms. In the background a large building can be seen. Visitors to Buckeye Lake today can find only one remaining remnant of the old Buckeye Lake Amusement Park, a fountain that is located as the Buckeye Lake State Park's North Shore. Although the amusement park no longer exists, the Buckeye Lake State Park still attracts a number of visitors to the area each year. In addition, many people own vacation homes near the lake or live in the area year round. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B13F03_0024_001
Subjects: Amusement Parks--Ohio--Pictorial works.; Amusement rides; Midways; Buckeye Lake State Park (Ohio);
Places: Buckeye Lake (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio); Licking County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1935-1940, this photograph shows a boy fishing on a pier at Buckeye Lake in Fairfield and Licking Counties. A note on the photograph's reverse reads "Buckeye Lake- Sheet piling, Buckeye Lake State Park - repairing of old wall." This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B10F05_028_001
Subjects: Buckeye Lake State Park (Ohio); Recreation; Lakes; Natural Resources; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Buckeye Lake (Ohio); Licking County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1935-1940, this photograph shows the midway of Buckeye Lake Amusement Park, with the pavilion and the boat launch visible. The amusement park boasted a roller coaster, roller skating rink, a nightclub, and the Crystal Ballroom and Pool. The ballroom attracted a number of famous performers including Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, among others. The amusement park attracted as many as fifty thousand people each day. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B13F02_004_001
Subjects: Buckeye Lake State Park (Ohio); Amusement parks--Ohio; Amusement rides; Summer; Midways
Places: Buckeye Lake (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio); Licking County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1935-1940, this photograph shows the midway of Buckeye Lake Amusement Park. The amusement park boasted a roller coaster, roller skating rink, a nightclub, and the Crystal Ballroom and Pool. The ballroom attracted a number of famous performers including Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, among others. The amusement park attracted as many as fifty thousand people each day. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B13F03_0012_001
Subjects: Buckeye Lake State Park (Ohio); Amusement parks--Ohio; Amusement rides; Summer; Midways
Places: Buckeye Lake (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio); Licking County (Ohio)