Middletown resident Edgar Streifthau opened LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park on May 8, 1922. The park's modest beginning has slowly transformed into one of the Midwest's best traditional amusement parks. Edgar's dream was to transform the former ice manufacturing facility in the tiny village of LeSourdsville into an area for residents to enjoy a decent and clean place to picnic and swim with friends and family. Construction began on the park in 1921. Edgar and his business partner, Bill Rothfuss, built a bathhouse, a restaurant, dance hall and a bridge crossing the abandoned Miami-Erie Canal that passed through the property linking the parking lot and the park. They also constructed a concrete bottom in the man-made lake for swimming.

Admission was 10 cents per person, 25 cents for swimming and 10 cents for a jitney dance per couple. LeSourdsville Lake was open for business and attracting thousands of area residents.

Edgar began the second season by constructing the first of several "vacation" cabins surrounding the lake and platforms for camping tents. Edgar's brother, Ernest, joined his brother as a partner as Bill Rothfuss advanced his career at nearby ARMCO Steel (now known as AK Steel).

 Within two years, Edgar stopped hosting dances at the park because of the fights that occurred on a regular basis. Meanwhile, more cabins were built and improvements made to the lake to keep the water fresh and at a constant level. In 1929, Edgar purchased 100 acres of apple orchard located between the park and the village of LeSourdsville. The land was needed to accommodate the increasing number of people visiting the park. Robert Kappel of Hamilton, Ohio built the park's first Pee Wee golf course.