Late 19th century Painting of the Lake
Partly due to the Revolutionary War the early history of the lake area is vague but it is known that in 1773 John Early of Aura bought land along Still Run Creek and shortly after acquired 2/3s interest in the saw mill there. Eventually Jacob Fisler and his son Leonard took ownership of the saw mill. The Fislers families had several dwellings built nearby. The head waters of the lake (Silver Lake) must have been full of White Cedar some still remains there today. By the 1850s the mill was still in operation but it is unclear just how long the mill remained in operation.
Harding-Fisler Pond
About 1856 the pond that once powered the old mill was sold to John Moore by Jacob Filser. At about that same time John Moore also purchased the glass factory from Mr. Fisler. John Moore and his brother employed hundreds of men at their glass works. With a need for housing for these men and their families the Moore Brothers built houses and churches for their workers, now they had a lake too. Needless to say the glass industry and Clayton was thriving. To top off all this new development both brothers each built elaborate mansions for themselves and their families.
In those early days the local people used the lake in various ways. Ice houses and boat houses lined its shores. In the cold months the lake supplied ice to the fast growing new town. In the warm months people used the lake recreationally for boating, swimming and fishing and of course as a place to socialize. It is known that Both the Moore Brothers Glass works and the Whitney Glass Works held company picnics there. Moore Brothers and Whitney were geographically close to each other, only about 3 miles apart and often shared bottle molds, orders probably employees too.
Sill Run Boat House
Boat Houses, Ice Houses & Swimmers
In 1905 Dr. Moore formed the Still Run Boat Club, a club for bachelors and a place for local businessmen to gather. In 1907 the club along with Mr. D Linton Silver had a club house built at a cost of 1700.00, which still stands today. In the summer of 1916 Clayton residents, Sill Run Boat Club members and the Girls Canoe Club presented a petition to the Borough council urging the borough to buy the lake from Dr.Moore. Unfortunately when it was said and done the bill was defeated. Clayton citizens thought that the price of 5000.00 was too high. After a couple of other attempts to put together a deal Mr. Silver decided to buy the lake himself. He paid 6500.00 for 181 acres, 81 of water and 100 acres of land. At that time there were 50 dwelling on the lake, they were called boat houses by their owners and valued at 25.00 each. After his purchase Mr. Silver began to do maintenance on the lake and dwellings that were on common ground. The old wooden dam was replace the lake was drained and cleaned. By the Fall of 1923 the new Silver Lake offered shares to its perspective buyers. An Autumn Feast was held there 400 people attended 26 shares were sold. In 1944 new interest expanded membership to 30. Its present day membership is 36. What used to be a place of quaint summer cottages has become just another private community. It lost its charm many years ago. No longer a little slice of heaven in the country. The constant roar of traffic,new highways and the demise of old surroundings farmlands replaced by new homes and townhouses have changed this lake forever. These old images show the lake at a different time in all its glory, if only one could turn back time.
Silver Lake Sales Brochure about 1923