.gif)
Pymatuning State Park (Ohio)
Encyclopedia
Pymatuning State Park is a 3512 acres (14.21 km²) Ohio state park near Andover
, Ashtabula County
, Ohio
in the United States
. Pymatuning State Park contains 1,407 acres (5.69 km²) of Pymatuning Lake, one-quarter of which is in Ohio and three-quarters of which is in Pennsylvania
. The lake provides fishing and boating year round.
Formed in the 1930s by a dam
on the Shenango River
, the lake features multiple beaches and camping areas in both states. The northeastern part of Pymatuning Lake, east of the spillway and three miles (5 km) south of Linesville
, is a protected gameland where colonies of 20,000 Canada Geese
and many more ducks winter each year. The lake is the result of an earth dam three miles (5 km) north of Jamestown, Pennsylvania
, whose outflow forms the Shenango River. A three-mile (5 km) causeway
extends between Pennsylvania and Ohio near the center of the lake.
. The first known inhabitants were the Mound builders. Two of their mounds were flooded over by the creation of Pymatuning Lake. The Lenape
were living in the area when European settlers fist came to the area. The lake is named for the chief
, who lived in the area at the time, Pihmtomink. The Lenape were pushed out of the area by the Seneca
tribe a member of the larger Iroquois Confederacy. The Seneca were defeated by General Anthony Wayne's forces during the Northwest Indian War
and left the area under the terms of the Treaty of Greenville
. This treaty marked the beginning of the white man's domination of the area.
s. Life was not easy for the farmers. The land was very swampy and very difficult to reclaim
. Farm animals that wandered off were often lost in the quicksand
s of the swamp or fell prey to predators like fox
es, bears
and mountain lions. The swamps were infested with mosquito
es that brought yellow fever
to the settlers.
Building a dam on the Shenango River was first explored in 1911. A massive flood in 1913 caused $3 million in damage and took several lives. The Pennsylvania General Assembly
approved a budget of $1.2 million to build at dam across the Shenango, but Governor John K. Tener
slashed the budget to just $100,000. The legislature took action again in 1917. This time approving a $400,000 budget under the condition that the needed land in Ohio
be purchased by the private sector. The Pymatuning Land Company was formed and raised the needed funds to purchase the needed Ohio properties. The land was finally acquired in full by 1931 when Governor Gifford Pinchot approved $1.5 million to complete the dam. 7,000 men began work on the dam in 1931 and the project was completed in 1934. The final cost of building the dam was $3,717,739 and the lake now holds 64275000000 gallons (243,307,356,300 l) of water, covering 17088 acres (69.2 km²) over a length of 17 miles (27.4 km) with a width of 1.6 miles (2.6 km) at the widest and 70 miles (112.7 km) of shoreline with a maximum depth of 35 feet (10.7 m).
Andover, Ohio
Andover is a village located in the south-east of Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,269 at the 2000 census.The closest village to the Ohio side of Pymatuning State Park, the settlement supports a regional tourism industry...
, Ashtabula County
Ashtabula County, Ohio
Ashtabula County is the northeasternmost county in the state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 101,497, its county seat is Jefferson. The county is named for a Native American word meaning "river of many fish"....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Pymatuning State Park contains 1,407 acres (5.69 km²) of Pymatuning Lake, one-quarter of which is in Ohio and three-quarters of which is in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The lake provides fishing and boating year round.
Formed in the 1930s by a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Shenango River
Shenango River
The Shenango River is a principal tributary of the Beaver River, approximately 100 mi long, in western Pennsylvania in the United States. It also briefly flows through small portions of northeastern Ohio...
, the lake features multiple beaches and camping areas in both states. The northeastern part of Pymatuning Lake, east of the spillway and three miles (5 km) south of Linesville
Linesville, Pennsylvania
Linesville is a borough in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,155 at the 2000 census. The town gets its name from its founders, which included William Line , who migrated from Carlisle, Pennsylvania circa the early 1820s, and his relative, Amos Line who was the...
, is a protected gameland where colonies of 20,000 Canada Geese
Canada Goose
The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
and many more ducks winter each year. The lake is the result of an earth dam three miles (5 km) north of Jamestown, Pennsylvania
Jamestown, Pennsylvania
Jamestown is a borough in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, along the Shenango River. The population was 636 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, whose outflow forms the Shenango River. A three-mile (5 km) causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
extends between Pennsylvania and Ohio near the center of the lake.
Native Americans
Pymatuning State Park is on land that was once a very large swampSwamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
. The first known inhabitants were the Mound builders. Two of their mounds were flooded over by the creation of Pymatuning Lake. The Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
were living in the area when European settlers fist came to the area. The lake is named for the chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
, who lived in the area at the time, Pihmtomink. The Lenape were pushed out of the area by the Seneca
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
tribe a member of the larger Iroquois Confederacy. The Seneca were defeated by General Anthony Wayne's forces during the Northwest Indian War
Northwest Indian War
The Northwest Indian War , also known as Little Turtle's War and by various other names, was a war fought between the United States and a confederation of numerous American Indian tribes for control of the Northwest Territory...
and left the area under the terms of the Treaty of Greenville
Treaty of Greenville
The Treaty of Greenville was signed at Fort Greenville , on August 3, 1795, between a coalition of Native Americans & Frontiers men, known as the Western Confederacy, and the United States following the Native American loss at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. It put an end to the Northwest Indian War...
. This treaty marked the beginning of the white man's domination of the area.
From swamplands to parklands
The first settlers to the area were farmerFarmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s. Life was not easy for the farmers. The land was very swampy and very difficult to reclaim
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
. Farm animals that wandered off were often lost in the quicksand
Quicksand
Quicksand is a colloid hydrogel consisting of fine granular matter , clay, and water.Water circulation underground can focus in an area with the optimal mixture of fine sands and other materials such as clay. The water moves up and then down slowly in a convection-like manner throughout a column...
s of the swamp or fell prey to predators like fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, bears
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
and mountain lions. The swamps were infested with mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
es that brought yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
to the settlers.
Building a dam on the Shenango River was first explored in 1911. A massive flood in 1913 caused $3 million in damage and took several lives. The Pennsylvania General Assembly
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
approved a budget of $1.2 million to build at dam across the Shenango, but Governor John K. Tener
John K. Tener
John Kinley Tener was a Major League baseball player and executive and, from 1911 to 1915, served as the 25th Governor of Pennsylvania.-Biography:...
slashed the budget to just $100,000. The legislature took action again in 1917. This time approving a $400,000 budget under the condition that the needed land in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
be purchased by the private sector. The Pymatuning Land Company was formed and raised the needed funds to purchase the needed Ohio properties. The land was finally acquired in full by 1931 when Governor Gifford Pinchot approved $1.5 million to complete the dam. 7,000 men began work on the dam in 1931 and the project was completed in 1934. The final cost of building the dam was $3,717,739 and the lake now holds 64275000000 gallons (243,307,356,300 l) of water, covering 17088 acres (69.2 km²) over a length of 17 miles (27.4 km) with a width of 1.6 miles (2.6 km) at the widest and 70 miles (112.7 km) of shoreline with a maximum depth of 35 feet (10.7 m).