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: 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: 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)
 

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: 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)