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Through the years, Langston's Lake has had many names. When my family first visited the lake, we were told it was called "Langston's
Lake". I have called it that ever since. It has also been referred to as "Pierce Hollow", "Aquadale Pond", "Camel Back Run", and "Comey's Lake". The lake has most commonly been referred to as
Comey's Lake.Between the years of 1872, along a stream called "Patrick's Run" a man named Milton Pierce developed a fish pond called Pierce Hollow. |
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Pierce Hollow was established into a large, four acre lake in 1885 when a leveling dam was placed at the south end of Patrick's Run. The lake was now called
"Aquadale Pond" and was a major carp fishery. In 1894 a new leveling gate was built, and improvements were made to the dam. Around 1900, Wenonah was becoming an expanding summer resort. |
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The lake became Camel Back Run, and was developed for recreation, boating, and fishing. On December 7, 1910, a beautiful wooden arched bridge with decorative side rails was
built fifty feet over the upper lake. A colorful Japanese teahouse and an amphitheater were built nearby. Canoes and small rowboats were docked under and around the base of the Teahouse for the use of
guests, dressed in their finest, for a ride on the lake. A variety of yellow, gold, and white algae eating fish were intorduced into the now renamed "Comey's Lake". The predominate fish were carp and
koi. |
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During the 1960s the lake became known as "Langston's Lake". Thirty acres of land adjacent to the lake were subdivided into building lots, and forty-nine homes
were constructed. This area was named "Academy Hills". Up to this time the lake had remained crystal clear, but as the homes were built, and lawns established, the rain water runoff into the lake
increased. Fertilizer added excessive nutrients to the lake causing more and more algae and duckweed to bloom on the surface. By 1991 the lake developed a total cover of green algae, duckweed and
other vegetation during the summer months. In 1985, the Cornell family moved into the house overlooking the south side of the lake. |
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The Cornell's made drastic improvements to the south side of Langston's Lake. They built large gardens around it and cleaned debris out. In 1993 the Cornell's built an
attractive waterfall that recycled the lake water, and helped to aerate and increase the oxygen content in the lake. In 1995 a wooden dock was built over the original dams and Ed Ramsey secured a dredging permit to
deepen the lake inlet channels. In 1996 Gary Reddig and seven local volunteers dug out, by hand, the northern inlet channels of the lake. Frank Eggert built a new bridge over the inlet stream at the location
of the original bridge. He placed a sample of the original side rails nearby in 1996. Special lake water quality programs were instituted in 1998 to help maintain the lake, including increasing water
circulation and taking care of the duckweed/algae problem. The Cornell's again generously donated funds for all these projects. The area around the lake consists of many trails. During the summer
fishing is seen here, while in the winter ice skating takes a big part. Please visit the Langston's Lake Trails located in the Trails section to learn more about the beautiful trails surrounding the
lake. Or click below to go there now! |
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