A major part of the lake's history is the amusement park and dancehall once in Russells Point, advertised as the "Midwest's Million Dollar Playground". Pappy Wilgus, a Russells Point resident, built Sandy Beach Amusement Park, which opened to the public on May 29, 1924. It was promoted as the "Atlantic City of the West". They erected a "out and back" wooden roller coaster, built by the National Amusement Device Company, known variously as "Coaster", "Thriller", "Big Dipper" and "Silver Streak" through the years. The park offered a penny arcade, a carousel, a millrace ride, a Ferris wheel, a funhouse, boat excursions, and a boardwalk to Sandy Beach Island for swimming.