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C−History
History · Silver Lake

Silver Lake dates to 1918, and 15% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 22% of U.S. towns · #902 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it

Below: 15 old photos and papers, maps from 1906 on, and the census since 1920.

1918founded
0on the National Register
15%homes built before 1940
15old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Silver Lake’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Silver Lake began

When was Silver Lake founded?

1918

Silver Lake dates its founding to 1918 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1920.

First census: 120 in 19202020 census: 2,516108 years

How historic is Silver Lake?

C−

More historic than 22% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Silver Lake’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Silver Lake is more historic than 22% of U.S. towns, #902 of 993 in Ohio. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Silver Lake’s overall grade.
Founding era1918, from Wikidata: founded 1900–1944, an older era than 9% of U.S. townsDHomes built before 194015.1% of homes (±4.8) · typical OH town 14.5% · U.S. 8.4%BNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical OH town 2.9 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 22%
NewerOlder
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 9%

Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Silver Lake’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.8 points). Two sources give 1918.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Silver Lake’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A town in postcards15 old photos, postcards and papers.On the map since 19065 editions of the USGS map, 1906 to 1994. Watch Silver Lake change.Old housesHalf of Silver Lake’s homes were built before 1956.
★ What stands out · By decade

Silver Lake, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1900s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1900s12 items
Base ball park, Silver Lake, Ohio, 19051905Base ball park, Silver Lake, Ohio, 1905General view of Silver Lake, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 19051905General view of Silver Lake, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 19…Silver Lake Ohio1905Silver Lake OhioSilver Lake from the north hill, 19051905Silver Lake from the north hill, 1905Silver Lake, Cuyahoga Falls, near Akron, Ohio1907Silver Lake, Cuyahoga Falls, near Akron, OhioPostcardSilver Lake, Cuyahoga Falls, near Akron, Ohio1907Silver Lake, Cuyahoga Falls, near Akron, OhioPostcardLog House at Silver Lake, Akron, Ohio1908Log House at Silver Lake, Akron, OhioPostcardLog House at Silver Lake, Akron, Ohio1908Log House at Silver Lake, Akron, OhioPostcardSilver Lake Park evening illumination -- from across the lake - distance 1/4 mile, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, U.S.A1908Silver Lake Park evening illumination -- from across …PostcardSilver Lake Park evening illumination -- from across the lake - distance 1/4 mile, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, U.S.A1908Silver Lake Park evening illumination -- from across …PostcardThe Pavillon, Silver Lake, Cuyahoga Falls, near Akron, Ohio1908The Pavillon, Silver Lake, Cuyahoga Falls, near Akron…PostcardThe Pavillon, Silver Lake, Cuyahoga Falls, near Akron, Ohio1908The Pavillon, Silver Lake, Cuyahoga Falls, near Akron…Postcard
1910s1 item
Entrance to Silver Lake, Akron, Ohioc. 1910Entrance to Silver Lake, Akron, OhioPostcard
1920s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Date unknown2 to date
Entrance to Silver Lake, Akron, OhioDate?Entrance to Silver Lake, Akron, OhioPostcardEntrance to Silver Lake, Akron, OhioDate?Entrance to Silver Lake, Akron, OhioPostcard
Today3 recent
Map of Summit County Ohio Highlighting Silver Lake Village2015Map of Summit County Ohio Highlighting Silver Lake Vi…MapSilverLake-SummitCoOH2006SilverLake-SummitCoOHOHMap-doton-Silver Lake2004OHMap-doton-Silver Lake
On the map

Silver Lake on the map, 1906 to 1994

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Silver Lake. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Silver Lake on the 1906 USGS mapSilver Lake on the 1953 USGS mapSilver Lake on the 1963 USGS mapSilver Lake on the 1970 USGS mapSilver Lake on the 1994 USGS map1906Kent sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Silver Lake.

The story

How Silver Lake came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Silver Lake.

Read it all →

Beginning in 1874, the lake and the land surrounding it was a popular amusement park in the Akron area. The lake was acquired in 1874 by Ralph H. Lodge, and he subsequently also purchased the land surrounding the body of water. It was originally a picnicking and swimming area, but before it closed, the 600-acre Silver Lake Amusement Park featured animal exhibits, a roller coaster, sport facilities, a dance hall, and a hotel, becoming one of the "biggest attractions in Ohio." In its prime, the Silver Lake Amusement Park received over 10,000 visitors per day. It was sold in 1917 and subdivided for residential development, leading to the incorporation of the village in 1918.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Silver Lake in 1881

Passages that mention Silver Lake, cut from the printed page as they were published.

"On the 1st day of April, 1825," writes Henry Wetmore, " Brother William and I came to what is now the village of Cuyahoga Falls from the banks of Silver Lake, in the township of Stow. We cut away the alders on the bank of the river, where Israel James' flouring-mill was afterward erected, to take …
History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio1881 · page 490Read the page →
Read the text

"On the 1st day of April, 1825," writes Henry Wetmore, " Brother William and I came to what is now the village of Cuyahoga Falls from the banks of Silver Lake, in the township of Stow. We cut away the alders on the bank of the river, where Israel James' flouring-mill was afterward erected, to take a look at the river, and the wild scenery on each side. The

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Silver Lake, 1905 to 1918

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 20th century
  2. 1905In the archiveBase ball park, Silver Lake, Ohio, 1905
  3. 1906On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  4. 1910In the archiveEntrance to Silver Lake, Akron, Ohio
  5. 1918
    FoundingSilver Lake is established
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Base ball park, Silver Lake, Ohio, 1905
Retake this viewBase ball park, Silver Lake, Ohio, 1905, 1905

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Silver Lake’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Silver Lake, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,500192019401960198020002020Peak: 3,286

Between 120 and 3,286 people in every census since 1920.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Silver Lake’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Silver Lake

Nobody well known was born in Silver Lake itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Stephen CurryAmerican basketball player · b. 1988
J
Jim JarmuschAmerican film director, screenwriter and actor · b. 1953
Willard Van Orman QuineAmerican philosopher and logician · b. 1908
R
Richard SmalleyAmerican chemist · b. 1943
J
Judith ResnikAmerican engineer and astronaut · b. 1949
Chrissie HyndeAmerican rock musician, founder of The Pretende… · b. 1951
Help out

Finish Silver Lake’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo2 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewBase ball park, Silver Lake, Ohio, 1905: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Cuyahoga Falls12 historic placesAStow1 historic placeB

Questions about Silver Lake’s history

What year was Silver Lake founded?

In 1918, according to Wikidata. the census of 1920 counted 120 people here.

How does Silver Lake rank for history?

Silver Lake is more historic than 22% of U.S. towns, #902 of 993 in Ohio. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Silver Lake?

15% of Silver Lake’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.8 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1956.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (18), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.