Business Journal Classic: When Lake Milton Was Drained, Became a State Park

LAKE MILTON – To Megan Magnetta, executive director of Mahoning County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Lake Milton State Park is a “hidden gem” that not enough people – potential visitors or locals – know about.

Though known for boating, it also offers fishing, hiking, archery, hiking and other recreational options.

Today a popular recreational resource for the Mahoning Valley, the future of what is now Lake Milton State Park was far less certain in early 1986, when area politicians were scrambling to secure funding to prevent the breaching of Milton dam. 

“Lake Milton Dam: Who’s to Blame for Decades of Neglect?” read the front-page headline in the March 1986 Youngstown Business Journal. A photo illustrated the “dangerously weak right wingwall,” and the caption warned that if the dam ruptured, water would drown the city of Newton Falls five miles downstream. 

The reservoir was built by Youngstown in the early 20th century as an industrial water supply to serve the steel industry. But in 1928, just 12 years after construction of the dam was completed, a report indicated possible instability. Decades later, reports indicating “distress” were made in 1969 and “seepage” in 1970. But no action was taken until 1974, when preliminary work to anchor the wingwall was performed.

In our March 1986 story, Gov. Richard F. Celeste indicated funding might be made available in the state capital improvement budget. Members of the Mahoning County Board of Commissioners traveled to Washington to meet with Ohio’s two U.S. senators, John Glenn and Howard Metzenbaum, who were skeptical that the estimated $6 million needed to repair the dam would be forthcoming from the federal government.

“There’s no reason to be optimistic,” Commissioner Tom Carney said. “We’re gonna try to apply pressure, but there’s no reason to believe they’ll come through for us now. They haven’t before.”

Years before, the city had allocated $2 million for the dam that was diverted to Youngstown Municipal Airport and Federal Plaza construction. Revenue from businesses and recreational activities at the lake was allocated to repayment of a $500,000 loan for the 1974 repairs.

There was no shortage of finger pointing. Dr. Frederic D’Amato, chairman of the city park and recreation commission, said he had requested three years earlier to bring a U.S. parks official to view the dam but “was put off numerous times.”

Leopold Kren, owner of Miller Marina on the lake’s east side, was critical of Mayor Patrick J. Ungaro. “Mayor Ungaro is one of the worst right now as far as I’m concerned. It’s his fault, period,” he said.  

Ungaro stopped short of blaming past administrations for the condition of the lake. “I think it was just something we hoped would go away and never did anything about it,” he said.

A Lake Milton Chamber of Commerce survey indicated most area businesses anticipated a 30% to 50% drop in trade, and layoffs for about half of their employees.

We reported on a March 3, 1986, meeting, during which Lake Milton business and civic leaders had their concerns eased when state Sen. Harry Meshel announced the state would provide the $6.3 million estimated for repairs, which would require draining the lake. The money would include $3.8 million that had been set aside for a reservoir in Green Township – funds local officials earlier had been told could not be reallocated to pay for dam repairs.

The money wouldn’t come without conditions. The initial $4.3 million would be provided only after local officials designed a comprehensive plan to repair and maintain the dam and develop the surrounding area.

That drew an angry rebuke from D’Amato, who pointed out there were “no strings” attached to state funding for the industrial museum being developed in Youngstown. Lake Milton residents, however, took a different stance on the state’s watchdog approach. 

Our May 1986 edition reported on efforts by the Lake Milton Chamber of Commerce to assemble the necessary plan – after delays by the city park commission. It included an artist’s concept of a nautically themed, rejuvenation of Mahoning Avenue and assurances that “the shutdown of the vacation community is only a temporary one.”

The draining of Lake Milton sent some boaters to Berlin Reservoir. 

“I must have turned away 50 people last week, and the season hasn’t even started yet,” said Duke Katterheinrich, owner of Dutch Harbor Marina.

The owners of Weimer’s Dairy Stop and Miller Marina shared the impact of the lake’s draining on their business in a MidAugust 1986 story. Jerry and Sharon Weimer said business was down 50% that summer. Kren said business at Miller Marina was down 85% and fishing was next to nonexistent.

The situation was brighter in April 1988, with the completion of the dam repairs, a ceremonial closing of the dam gates March 31 and officials working to transfer ownership of the lake to the state of Ohio. Some issues remained “but with the dam completed, we did not want to hold up until all this was worked out,” Joseph Sommer, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said. 

“We’re happy it’s done but it’s just the beginning,” said Ralph Pesek, a Milton Township trustee. “The hard work is just now starting.”

Carlos Miller, owner of El Carlos Mexican Restaurant, estimated business was down by about a third with the draining of the lake. He anticipated being back to “pre-draining levels” by the start of summer.

“Tragedy brings people together and this was a tragedy,” he said. “We are trying to pull together to build a new Lake Milton, and we will.”

State commitment to the lake encouraged further development by property owners, including landowner Mike Rubosky, who planned to begin work soon on a “mini-mall” concept to accommodate small shops. “Anyone who wants to get into the area businesswise should get out there and get in on the ground floor,” he advised.

The nationwide drought in 1988 delayed progress, but a May 1989 story offered a brighter outlook.

“The sight of the arid, weed-ridden bed of only a year ago has been replaced with the vision of shimmering, fish-stocked waters,” we wrote. “State funds are being put to use cleaning up the beach and rehabilitating the docks, and the confidence local business owners tried to encourage even during the lake’s recent dark days is paying off.”

That included El Carlos’s Miller making some $40,000 in improvements to his restaurant, and an Italian restaurant opening next to it, along with other commercial development. Home construction was taking place in the northeastern part of Milton Township.

Today, the lake area is home to high-end lakefront residences and new businesses such as Lake Milton Brewery, which opened in October 2020.

Between March 1, 2023, and Oct. 20, 2024, there were 771 recreational boating rentals at the lake’s marina, with passengers totaling 5,076, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

The state park also is the site of boating and fishing events that can be quite a draw, the visitor bureau’s Magnetta says.

“It’s a lot more than a local lake,” she says. “That’s what we’ve been trying to promote.”

Pictured at top: The dam at Lake Milton against a backdrop of fall leaves at what is now Lake Milton State Park.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.