Founded by Abner Evans in 1793, the town was originally called Evansburg in 1858, but was renamed Conneaut Lake in 1892. As alien as it may seem to us today, ice was not always readily available at a moment's notice, and Conneaut Lake found success harvesting ice from the lake, wrapping the blocks in sawdust, and storing them in mammoth ice houses until it was time to ship the ice to large cities. Today, the large ship structure protruding from Oakland Beach is still a familiar sight to visitors, but the lake is used mainly for recreational purposes, such as skiing, boating, swimming, and fishing. The largest Muskie ever caught in the state of Pennsylvania was from the waters of Conneaut Lake!