A dock at Buckeye Lake at sunset. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

By Ken Drenten

Buckeye Lake, a 3,136-acre recreational lake in central Ohio, is a story of boom and bust cycles.

Today, Buckeye Lake State Park’s largest draw is the lake itself, which provides excellent boating, fishing and recreation opportunities. A 4-mile shoreline path connects the North Shore to Lieb’s Island and offers a variety of areas for fishing, outdoor recreation and relaxation.

The lake’s region includes Licking, Perry and Fairfield counties and the lakeside communities of Buckeye Lake, Millersport, Thornville and Thornport. Restaurants, shops, marinas, bars, wineries, vacation cottages and permanent homes line the lake’s shorelines. The area includes several beaches and residential and cottage communities Fairfield Beach, Harbor Hills, Heron Bay and Lieb’s Island.

Buckeye Lake began as a swampy area left behind by receding glaciers after the Ice Age thousands of years ago. Cranberry Bog State Nature Preserve is a remnant of this aspect of the lake’s past.

In 1830, the swamp was dammed and filled with water to form the Licking Summit Reservoir to serve as a feeder for the Ohio & Erie Canal. Later an additional reservoir area was added to the western end.

By the 1890s, railroads had become the primary mode of transportation and use of the canal as a commercial enterprise had all but ended. In 1894, the Ohio General Assembly designated the lake as Buckeye Lake, to be used for public recreation.

Soon, Buckeye Lake began gaining a reputation as the “Playground of Ohio.” In 1904, the Columbus, Buckeye Lake and Newark Traction Co. interurban line built a spur from its main line to bring pleasure-seeking passengers from nearby cities and towns. Cottages, overnight lodgings, bars and restaurants began springing up around the lake.

The big draw was the Buckeye Lake Amusement Park, which began development in 1911. In its heyday, the amusement park included two swanky dance pavilions, a swimming beach, bathhouse, arcade, picnic grounds, boat rides, a skating rink and a ballpark.

Amusement rides included a carousel, a Ferris wheel, The Dips and the Wild Mouse roller coasters, bumper cars, an airplane ride, a fun house, a house of mirrors, a mini train ride and a tunnel of love ride. Arcade games included shooting galleries, ring toss, penny pitching for prizes and more.

The interurban-fueled boom lasted until the early 1930s, when the interurban line went out of business and many cottage owners lost their properties during the Great Depression.

The lake area continued to be popular into the 1940s, with many well-known singers and bands performing at the Crystal and Lake Breeze Pier ballrooms. Performers who visited Buckeye Lake included Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Tommy Dorsey, Guy Lombardo and many others.

Buckeye Lake became the state’s first state park in 1949, and the amusement park began to decline in the 1950s. Maintenance and repairs became issues, and the deteriorated amusement park finally closed in 1970. The only reminder of the amusement park now is a restored water fountain located at Buckeye Lake State Park.

Weldon’s Ice Cream Factory has been popular in the Buckeye Lake region since 1930. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

A number of lake-area organizations and businesses have been involved in the community for generations, including Weldon’s Ice Cream Factory, which began business in 1930; Alexander’s Landing, a marina with a history that goes back to the early days of the canal; and Buckeye Lake Yacht Club, founded in 1906.

The lake overcame another challenge in 2014, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State of Ohio determined that the lake’s earthen dam was in danger of potential collapse. The state ordered water levels lowered to safe levels and to carry out a $100 million reconstruction project, which was completed in 2018.

With the dam improvements made, the Buckeye Lake region is poised for a renaissance that is planned to bring additional economic development and tourism into the area.

Read more: Weldon’s Ice Cream Factory is a mainstay at Buckeye Lake – June 18, 2024

Irish people left their mark on state’s canals, railroads – March 14, 2024

Ken Drenten is creator and editor of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

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