USA
Wisconsin Resort Community Treasures Its Storied Past
Lake Geneva has long been a summer escape hatch for the elite
by Randy Mink
Ah, to be rich…rich enough to own a waterfront mansion in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin…to be fortunate enough to view your sprawling summertime estate from the veranda while taking in the crystal-clear waters of Geneva Lake, home to millionaire moguls since the late 1800s.
Even if such real estate is a bit outside your budget range, it’s fun to fantasize about being super-wealthy. Ordinary tourists can do their daydreaming from a tour boat or the 21-mile public footpath that passes right through the front yards of these palatial playgrounds.
After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, well-to-do Chicago families traveled by train to the southern Wisconsin town of Lake Geneva. On its shores, they established opulent second homes while the Windy City rebuilt. Lake Geneva became a Gilded Age retreat for captains of industry such as the Schwinns (of bicycle fame) and Wrigleys, who built a chewing gum empire. (Oddly, the town is Lake Geneva, but the lake is Geneva Lake.)
Though some original homes have been replaced with even grander mansions, more than 100 historic estates remain. Several adjacent lots belong to the Wrigley clan.
A good introduction to this resort community is Lake Geneva Cruise Line’s “U.S. Mailboat Tour,” a 2½-hour cruise. Besides narration highlighting the magnificent manors, the tour features the drama of young mail carriers hopping on and off the moving boat as they deposit letters in pier mailboxes. Passengers cheer on the “mail jumpers,” hoping they make it back onboard without falling into the water (which they sometimes do).
Cruise guests marvel at the pretty gardens, sweeping lawns and expansive terraces festooned with potted plants and posh furniture. One homeowner has a big-screen television mounted to a tree so he can enjoy the big game from his hammock. Most homes are occupied in summer only and sit empty the rest of the year.
Black Point Estate is the only historic lakefront home open for tours, and it can be visited only on a tour boat. A time capsule of the era, the 1888 Queen Anne contains much of its original furnishings. The estate was enjoyed by four generations of one Chicago family that made its fortune brewing beer.
The Geneva Lake Shore Path hugs the shoreline as it skirts the entire lake just a few feet from the water. Completing the circuit takes eight to 12 hours, but most visitors tackle a segment at a time. Signs posted in yards and on piers warn “Private Property. No Trespassing.”
Exhibits at downtown’s Geneva Lake Museum spotlight Native American heritage, mailboat service and area hideaways used by Chicago gangsters way back when. Former resorts, such as the country’s first Playboy Club hotel, and one of America’s foremost observatories, are remembered as well.
Yerkes Observatory, occupying a lakeside campus in Williams Bay, recently opened up to visitors after a major renovation. An architectural masterpiece sporting three domes, Yerkes was home to the University of Chicago’s astrophysics program for over a century. The tour highlight is going inside the largest dome and riding the world’s largest indoor elevator, a platform that rises 26 feet to meet the world’s largest refracting telescope.
