The development of Bear Creek as a resort community is part of a larger trend begun in the nineteenth century. By the end of the nineteenth century, the idea of an escape to the countryside became popular among the country's growing middle class and elite. Numerous people now had the income, leisure time, and access to railroads to enjoy the scenic beauty, fresh air, and lakes and streams of the "rugged," often mountainous countryside. Resorts began to spring up along the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida. Mountainous regions like the Catskills and Adirondacks in New York, the Berkshires in Massachusetts, and the Poconos in Pennsylvania began to attract tourists who stayed for short periods or lived for several months in either rustic cabins or large summer homes.

The Pocono Mountains first attracted city men who could "rough it" while fishing or hunting. In the decades after 1880, the tourist industry in the Poconos literally exploded. By 1909, over 200 hotels in Monroe County alone advertised in the brochures of the Lackawanna Railroad. Between 1900 and 1927, four major resort-recreational complexes had been established. These included Buck Hill Falls (1900), Pocono Manor (1902), Pocono Lake Preserve (1904, and Skytop Lodge (1927). Even small, former industrial centers like Stoddardsville served the summer trade.

All around Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County's industrial center, exclusive recreational-resort communities, such as Glen Summit, Harvey's Lake, and Bear Lake emerged during this period. At Glen Summit, the Lehigh Valley Railroad developed the Glen Summit Hotel, which became one of the most popular resorts in the Northeast. Albert Lewis held most of the stock in the hotel and was elected President of the Board of Directors of the Glen Summit Hotel and Land Company in 1882.

Bear Creek continued to evolve as a seasonal resort village in the early decades of the twentieth century, even as Albert Lewis' ice industry declined. After the death of his father, Hugh (Dick) Lewis engaged in the real estate business, selling acreage of the Lewis estate for seasonal development. His house, constructed by the architects Innes and Levy, set the tone for many of the important seasonal residences of the era. Dick Lewis further encouraged the atmosphere of a resort village with the construction of a rustic, lakeside-fishing lodge.

The last era of Bear Creek's history began in 1950 when Lily Lewis Seneff sought to sell 2,500 acres for residential development. In 1952, the Bear Creek Realty Company, headed by architect Robert E. Eyerman, purchased some 3,000 acres of Bear Creek land. Eyerman successfully sold much of the land and designed several of the seasonal and permanent homes constructed in the 1950's and 1960's predominately to the east of the historic district. Today, while a few seasonal residences remain at Bear Creek, it has evolved into an exclusive suburban community.