Silver Lake, once known as Wetmore's Pond, was named for Judge William Wetmore, an agent for the Connecticut Land Company, who built a cabin overlooking the spring-fed lake in 1808 when it was part of Portage County. Local lore recalls his friendship and conscientious dealings with the Native Americans, likely Seneca, who lived in a populous village between the lake and the Cuyahoga River. The tribe left the area to join the British during the War of 1812, but later sided with the United States. On this site, Cleveland businessman Ralph H. Lodge opened Silver Lake Amusement Park in 1875. Easily reached by rail, the popular regional resort offered boating, swimming, and a large pavilion with a 15,000 square-foot dance floor, along with a freshwater aquarium, an airfield, and a Chautauqua park featuring prominent speakers. The Lodge family also successfully bred and raised black bears, a rare feat documented by the Smithsonian Institution in 1903. After World War I curtailed train visits, the family sold the park, and the Village of Silver Lake incorporated on its site in 1918.