Oh to be a kid again! Those endless summer days with no obligations contained all sorts of possibilities. A favorite memory is grabbing a comic book and lemonade and escaping to the fort made by the branches of the weeping willow. Kid heaven! In 1955, that heaven was under siege. The American Legion was questioning [...]
Ahh… the cooling waters of Clear Lake on a warm summer day! How do you swim? Some people like to relax and lounge, others go gangbusters and exercise without sweating. It must have been great fun to slide into the water on the toboggan sleds at the Bath House! Some of us will remember the [...]
A tornado hit Clear Lake on August 27, 1931. It first touched down in Bayside where one person was killed in the Rist Cottage. It damaged the Bayside amusement park and destroyed the roller coaster there. The tornado followed the lake shore north, ripping the porches off of the Outing Club and destroying the White [...]
As our seasonal Clear Lakers return to our charming lake town, one place will fill again with the sights and sounds of summer for the 130th year. The Outing Club, established in 1895, is thought to be Iowa’s first cooperative housing structure. Community based but independently owned, the cottages that form the club are linked [...]
How does your garden grow? With beets, carrots and onions all in a row? From early in the 1900’s to recently, Kennedy Farms in Clear Lake was Iowa’s largest vegetable grower. Sam Kennedy started the operation after realizing the value of the rich peat soil his land held. He worked hard and grew the business [...]
My grandfather, Roscoe Miller (1908-1991) told me the story of the last prairie fire in the area. He lived several miles north of Clear Lake (see 1875 map). His grandparents were named Dawson and they were one of the first settlers in this area. It was early spring in 1915 and they could see the [...]
John Kopecky, Clear Lake’s music man wore many hats. He was an accomplished musician, a talented instructor, a director and the father of Band Festival. That’s right, Band Festival is still going strong in Mason City but its roots are in Clear Lake. In August of 1932 there were 13 bands marching through the streets [...]
Clear Lake has recognized the importance of educating their next generations since the get go. In early settlement days of the 1850’s, classes were held in James Hewitt’s cabin. Elizabeth Garner taught the students. For her efforts she received room and board, and a dollar per student per year. By 1873 a high school curriculum [...]
Clear Lake has been prized for its bountiful fishing even long before the settlers came along. She still draws fishing enthusiasts. May 10th and 11th there will be many fishermen competing in the Walleye Classic. Each person will be hoping to hook the big one. But there is one famous fish they will definitely not [...]
50 years ago! It’s been 50 years and a few days since our Junior High building was lost to fire in April of 1975. Jane Beard, physical education instructor, discovered that a portion of the gym was in flames around 12:45. After safety evacuating 370 students and staff from the structure built in 1936, firefighters [...]
