Falcon Lake Park was a park and recreational lake area located on Caston Road along the present-day Nimisila Reservoir in Akron. It is known to have operated in the 1930s-40s, both before and after the federal government built the new Nimisila Dam in the late 1930s. Owned by Felix Krasinski, who immigrated to Akron from Poland in 1919, the park was on the shore of Falcon Lake and was a popular venue for outdoor gatherings for a plethora of social groups throughout the Akron-Canton area, as the space offered picnic areas, swimming, boating, and general park areas fit for large groups of people. Events held at the park often included live music, games, and contests to attract more attendees. The park even had space to host baseball games between local clubs, which were often used as another attraction organizers could use to draw in more people. Organizations that frequently scheduled events here included both Black and white groups, including many European heritage societies from the local area. Based on the limited references to the park in the Black press, it seems that it probably operated on a segregated basis with African American usage being unusual.
Resources
- “Akron News…” Call & Post. August 22, 1942.
- “Felix Krasinski.” Akron Beacon Journal. December 6, 1964.
- “Find Falcon Lake Fish Preyed Upon.” Akron Beacon Journal. May 7, 1938.
- “Recreation Club Picnic at Falcon Lake to Lure Labor Day Crowds.” Call & Post. August 29, 1942.