photo provided by Akron-Summit County Public Library / Summit Memory
Akron, 1908
In the early 1900s, fun-seekers canoed across Summit Lake to Akron’s vacation destination: Lakeside Park. On the east shore, Lakeside featured the Portage Path Canoe Club (pictured), which maintained a large clubhouse — a draw for adventurers. It also had picnic areas, baseball parks and a bandstand. Lakeside later became Summit Beach Park, which boasted the country’s largest fun house and mosaic tile swimming pool — along with several rides. Following safety issues and changing interests, the park closed in 1958. Summit Lake, however, has since been revitalized. It now features the city’s Summit Lake Loop Trail, a nature center packed with educational displays and spots for fishing, biking and boating. To rent a canoe, head to Silver Creek Metro Park through Sept. 2 and enjoy the same pastime Akronites did over 115 years ago.
