Fox Lake and the Chain of Lakes area today is a major boating destination during the summer for boaters, but back around the turn of last century, it was a big resort area for the Chicagoland area. Once train connections were made, people would come out and spend a weekend or several weeks at one of the many resorts in the area.
In a 1909 Fox Lake promotional book, there were advertisements for 34 resorts or hotels, five taverns (most hotels and resorts also had their own bars), four boat lines (many of which took people out to their resorts since roads were very poor, two boat builders (the American Legion occupies one of these), two livery stables, a grocery store, a general store, an ice cream parlor (plenty of ice, you know), a blacksmith, tinsmith, an ice house and a milk dealer.
Some of the hotel and resorts were the Waltonian, Lakeside, Woodlawn, Rose Villa, Oak Park (still there), East Side, Lippincott, Schulz's, Bay View, Willis Inn, Liberty Club and Lotus Cottages.
More to Come. --DaCoot
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