Geneva-on-the Lake, OH
I absolutely adore nostalgic beach towns. Small towns, with no chain hotels or restaurants. Towns that were thankfully missed by developers, and their hulking high-rises. Relics from another era, virtually preserved in amber. Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio is one such place. A not so sleepy little enclave on the shores of Lake Erie, where it is always magnificently mid-century.
Geneva-on-the-Lake as a destination dates back to 1869, when Cullen Spencer and Edward Pratt purchased land on Lake Erie, and opened a public picnic park with beach access. Soon people started camping at the park, which was seen as an escape from the surrounding smog filled industrial cities of the day. It even attracted Rockefeller, Firestone and Ford, who were known to camp in the area; it should be noted this was done with a full staff of course, to do the dirty work.
As the park’s popularity grew, more substantial lakeside accommodations were built. Attractions were soon added, including a horse drawn carousel and the area’s first dance hall. With that, Ohio’s first summer resort town was born.
By 1905, the area was packed with cottages and boarding houses; by the 1920s, full service leisure resorts opened, attracting the well-heeled from Cleveland and Pittsburgh. The resorts, with ridiculously retro names like “Idle-A-While,” lured guests with clay tennis courts, and bridge games on lush lakefront lawns.
The rise of the automobile brought the working class to Geneva-on-the-Lake during the 30s, and brought about the famous “Strip,” a mile long entertainment district, lined with dance halls, barrooms, and arcades. The Pier Dance Hall attracted all of the great bandleaders of the day, including Jimmy Dorsey, Lawrence Welk, and Cab Calloway.
Following World War II, soldiers returned en mass to Geneva-on-the-Lake, bringing their wives, and children. Amusement parks sprung up along the lake’s shore, along with miniature golf, and drive-in restaurants. Old Fashioned fun for the whole family. Little changed over the following decades, until the lure of flashier destinations, and cheap airfare thinned the summer crowds in the 1980s.
The next few decades did see some changes; the state improved the adjacent park, including building a modern lodge. The wine industry took off, and several tasting rooms popped up along the lake’s shores. Craft breweries opened, with outdoor bars built to overlook the lake. The town became a popular party destination, hosting several large events during the summer, and apparently every bachelorette party in the state. So, it changed, but remained largely the same.
Today, the Strip still exists, looking very much like it did in the 1950s. The arcades remain, but no longer dispense nudie cards, which were so popular in the past. Rustic cottages and motels remain, along with the more luxurious lodge. There are still amusement park rides, still strolling along the lake shore. And fortunately, there are still crowds each summer, who enjoy visiting and supporting this piece of the past.
