Licking Reservoir map   Save
Ohio History Connection Archives/Library
Description: This map, made under the direction of the Ohio Canal Commission from W. C. Row's survey by draughtsmen A. H. Sawyer and E. E. Booton, shows the Licking Reservoir at the juncture of Licking, Perry and Fairfield Counties. It shows land ownership in the area adjacent to the reservoir and also includes a short history of the reservoir, its current statistics, and future plans. Shortly after this map was made, the reservoir would be made into a public park called Buckeye Lake. The reservoir 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: MAPVFM_0067_8
Subjects: Buckeye Lake (Ohio)--History; Lakes--Ohio; Reservoirs; Canals--Ohio--History--19th century; Natural resources--Ohio; State parks & reserves;
Places: Licking County (Ohio); Perry County (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio)