Parting Shot: Dance Hall Days

Silver Lake, Late 1800s

What once consisted of just a lakeside bathhouse and a small pavilion evolved into one of the most dazzling places in Akron at the turn of the 20th century — Silver Lake Park. It opened in 1876 with dancing, boating, camping and picnicking and added amusement park rides around the 1890s. After several renovations, the pavilion was expanded to an impressive 90-by-236-foot, two-story version in 1903. The park’s proprietor boasted it had one of the largest dance floors in the country, with 15,000 square feet for 2,000 dancers and a dining room for 500, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. It hosted bands including the Cuyahoga Falls Band, had a 10-piece park orchestra and inspired local music, such as “Silver Lake March & Two-Step,” according to “Silver Lake Park” by Mary L. McClure. The park closed in 1917, and while the spot is now residential, visitors can browse exhibits in Silver Lake Village Hall to learn about the grand ole amusement park.