Your Conneaut Lake ParkMeadville Tribune Editor's Note: This is a reprint of an article published in 1925 in The Haymaker, a newspaper of the Conneaut Lake area, found among the archives of the Conneaut Lake Area Historical Society. The article is presented as an interesting observation in light of recent news involving the future of Conneaut Lake Park. Many people in the Conneaut Lake and Crawford County area still have the same sentiments as expressed below. The author is unknown. On the porch of the big hotel, I recently dropped into conversation with a gentleman from the west who was spending a weekend here, a stopover on an auto tour east. It was his first visit to America's largest lake resort. He had been walking around the place, visiting the golf links, the aviation field, Temple of Music, the 101 amusements, the beach, the boats and the promenades along the lake. He was very much impressed with Conneaut Lake Park, it was much bigger and finer, costlier than he had expected. "I wish you'd tell me something," he said. "Who owns all this place?" "I own it," I replied, immobile as a poker player. "YOU own it?," said the stranger, gazing at my $22 suit and $4.50 shoes, "YOU own it?" "Sure," I persisted, "certainly, it all belongs to me." The stranger drew a long breath and exclaimed, "Well I'll be damned." As we sat there he kept sizing me up. I could see I didn't look to him like a larger property owner. I haven't "that millionaire expression." "How long have you owned this place?," he inquired. "Since I came here, about three months ago." "Do you figure it's a good investment?" "The best I ever made." Another silence ensued. The stranger was thinking. "You got any partners or anything?" "Oh yes; there are others interested." "Do they stay here?" "Yes. There's one of them sitting on that bench near the lake; the little white-haired lady." "Her! She doesn't look like a resort owner! How many partners have you got?" The stranger looked at me very quizzically. "I believe there are about 500,000 of them!" The stranger glanced about. He had become convinced that he had happened on a lunatic. He wanted to be sure that help was close at hand. After a while, he said, "What did you invest here? How much money have you got in it?" "Not a dollar. All I invested was interest - others have the principle." "I wish you would explain," he sighed. "Well, it is this way. I came here in March and was immediately impressed with the natural beauty of the place, the lake, the land, the park itself, even though it was the worst time of the year for a first sight of it. As spring came on, and then summer, I fell in love with Conneaut Lake Park and all the lovely country that surrounds it. I enjoyed it; I had found a new possession. The person who enjoys and appreciates a thing is the real owner. That is actually true because he is the one who gets most out of it. "According to the books, court records, deeds, etc., this place belongs to the Conneaut Lake Company," I continued. "The money of the men in this company has built the big hotels, the pavilions, the auditoriums, the golf course, provided the bath house and the electric lights. But according to my way of thinking, I own the place a great deal more than any of these men own it, and so does the little lady with the white hair, and so does every one of the thousands who come here and enjoy all the good things that have been prepared for them. "I say we own it the most because we enjoy it, get all the best benefits of it - and don't have to pay a darn cent of taxes, insurance, wages, repairs and all the enormous expense of building and maintaining Conneaut Lake Park. We let the 'legal owners' do the worrying about these things, we just take the beautiful place over and exert the squatter's sovereignty of natural rights." "That's right," said the stranger. "I get your idea. I believe I'm acquiring an interest in Conneaut Lake myself. Isn't that moonlight on the water beautiful? That belongs to me, doesn't it? And this grand hotel - it's mine too, my residence just now. I'm enjoying it, getting the good of it. Yes, it's the truth; everybody who comes here and enjoys this wonderful place owns Conneaut Lake Park. It's all yours; it's all mine, and it belongs to 500 others without cutting down our profits. "When I first began talking to you," the stranger continued, "I thought you were a rich man. Well, it turned out that I was right here. But I had no suspicion that I was a rich man too, and a partner in the same concern." Although this article was written nearly 80 years ago, little has changed - except the ownership. Conneaut Lake Park is now a charitable trust and has some financial problems. Conneaut Lake Institute currently is conducting a fund-raising drive to raise money to open next spring and help pay off debts. All contributions are tax deductible and can be sent to: Conneaut Lake
Institute, Inc.
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