Clear Lake Historical Society

10/04/2024

Homecoming has always been a great event for Clear Lake High School.

🕰️✨ ✨🕰️
Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some cherished moments from our community's history! Each week, on Thursday, we are going to "throw it back" and share a piece of our community history with you.
Clear Lake High School enjoyed a week of Homecoming activities last week that culminated in the crowning of the Homecoming Court and of course the football game. Take a look at this photo from Clear Lake High School’s October, 1949 Homecoming highlight when during halftime Senior defensive end and president of the “C” (Letterman’s) Club, Duane Groath came out to crown the Homecoming Queen Patty Roseland and present her with flowers. Queen Patty is accompanied by attendants Frances Davis and Dixie Evanson (left to right). Groath returned to the team and the Lions successfully defeated their opponent that evening 24-0. This photo was retrieved from the 1950 Lion’s Tale .

09/27/2024

Another interesting piece of local history to explore. Enjoy!

🕰️✨ ✨🕰️
Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some cherished moments from our community's history! Each week, on Thursday, we are going to "throw it back" and share a piece of our community history with you.
We have been dealing with road/bridge construction on HWY 122 (old US HWY 18) for several months. However, it was only 110 years ago when there was NO pavement at all. In 1914 there was only one mile of paved road in Cerro Gordo County and that piece of pavement traveled west of the Mason City city limits for only 1 mile toward Clear Lake. The Iowa Highway Commission was determined to obtain federal money to begin more paved roads that used proper methods of road building. In 1917, Cerro Gordo County received the first of its federal money and decided to add on to the “sample mile” that had been laid in 1914. This project was called, “Federal Aid Paving Project No. 1. It would be 16 feet wide and the first leg was 4.5 miles. By 1918 the eventual 10 miles stretch of paved concrete roadway between Clear Lake and Mason City was the first intercity road in the state of Iowa. Later becoming designated at U.S. HWY 18, this road was constructed with local cement, sand, gravel and even built with local labor. It was called the “home-made” road. This 1918 photo from the Clear Lake Historical Society collection shows that first road. It’s not smooth concrete like we expect today and has no painted markings but, it’s not dirt. Many thanks to Jefferson Highway Series Blog, Article #10 for paving information.

08/30/2024

🕰️✨ ✨🕰️
Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some cherished moments from our community's history! Each week, on Thursday, we are going to "throw it back" and share a piece of our community history with you.

Our Throwback Thursday photo from the Clear Lake Historical Society collection today was taken by Clear Lake photographer Timothy W. Townsend in the summer of 1877 or 1878. Notice the “fancy” dock that people are lined up on to wait their turn to take sailboat ride. This dock, or pier as it was called, was constructed of planks placed on sawhorses and it extended out into the lake where the sailboat could safely anchor. Imagine loading onto the sailboat if you were a female with your long skirt and of course your trusty umbrella to shade yourself.

On July 21, 1883, it was reported in the Mason City Express that one such dock on Clear Lake gave way under the weight of the crowd. No one was injured, but everyone was of course dumped into the lake and had to wade to shore in their “inappropriate bathing attire”. At least the situation wasn’t serious. Hopefully people found something to laugh about.

08/24/2024

More gems from the Clear Lake Historical Society shared with the City of Clear Lake. Enjoy!

🕰️✨ ✨🕰️
Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some cherished moments from our community's history! Each week, on Thursday, we are going to "throw it back" and share a piece of our community history with you.

Bayside has been a getaway spot for a very long time in Clear Lake’s history. Take a look at this photo from from the Clear Lake Historical Society collection showing a group of folks enjoying themselves in the VERY early days of Bayside’s history. There was no roller coaster, roller skating rink, miniature train, baseball diamond, dance hall or food stands for treats. This 1910 postcard shows a more calm Bayside with a rock fountain, swings and teeter-toters. To gain a perspective of the location of these now long-gone attractions, take note of the log cabin in the background of the top snapshot. That cabin is still standing near the corner of Crane Street and Lee Street in the Bayside area today.

08/16/2024

🕰️✨ ✨🕰️
Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some cherished moments from our community's history! Each week, on Thursday, we are going to "throw it back" and share a piece of our community history with you.
The Clear Lake Yacht Club has been a key part of the community for decades. This month Clear Lake is hosting the Inland Lake Yachting Association Championships. Check out this photo from the Clear Lake Historical Society collection showing a group of gentlemen at our Seawall watching a yacht race in the late 1930s. We hope that you took some time to watch the races, see the beauty of the colored sails and watch the maneuvering on the water. It's always a beautiful sight to watch the scows ply the waters of our lovely lake.

08/09/2024

Did you know that Clear Lake was rocked by an explosion in 1905 and the Outlet was involved?! Come to the Clear Lake Historical Society Annual Meeting at 2:00 pm on Saturday the 10th at the Clear Lake Public Library, Room B to learn more.

08/08/2024

Wow it's Thursday already - Saturday is the Historical Society's Annual Meeting at the Clear Lake Public Library at 2:00 pm in Room B. Come find out why our LAKE was represented in an Iowa Supreme Court case in the early 20th century. Hope to see you there?

08/02/2024

Don't forget to attend the Clear Lake Historical Society Annual Meeting on August 10th at 2:00 pm at the Clear Lake Public Library. Learn about the fight over the height of the lake (or the "Outlet War") and enjoy some refreshments and conversations about the community. Questions - call 641-430-7729.

08/02/2024

Here is another great photo from Clear Lake's past shared with the City of Clear Lake by the Clear Lake Historical Society - Enjoy and check out the car cruise this weekend.

🕰️✨ ✨🕰️
Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some cherished moments from our community's history! Each week, on Thursday, we are going to "throw it back" and share a piece of our community history with you.
It’s C.L.A.S.S. Car Cruise and Show weekend in Clear Lake and having a very classy car has always been in style. Check out this photo from the Clear Lake Historical Society collection taken of Mr. Fox's special vehicle advertising his amazing ballrooms one of which was the Surf. The year is 1944 - what a classic.

07/23/2024

Good Morning Clear Lake! Mark your calendars - The Clear Lake Historical Society will host its Annual Meeting on Saturday, August 10, 2024, in Room B of the Clear Lake Public Library.

Enjoy a program given by our Director Beth Ann Schumacher about the "Outlet War", gather with friends, enjoy light refreshments and learn about the exciting things that have been going on at our museum and research center this past year.

We look forward to seeing you on August 10th!

07/19/2024

Greetings Clear Lake,
Yet another fun piece of history shared with "Throwback Thursday" on the City of Clear Lake Facebook. We at the Historical Society hope that you will enjoy this tidbit of information.

🕰️✨ ✨🕰️
Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some cherished moments from our community's history! Each week, on Thursday, we are going to "throw it back" and share a piece of our community history with you.
Ah, memories of Bayside during the first half of the 20th century. You could ride the famed roller coaster, hear a concert, roller skate, get something yummy to eat, dance, get your palm read, watch motorcycles speed of the Bayside dock into the lake OR watch a baseball game. That’s right - it’s Batter Up for the Bayside Cubs! A semi-pro team that played at the diamond at Bayside, about 100 yards east of where the Ritz Club once stood. The Bayside Cubs played other semi-pro teams from Nebraska, Marshalltown and Council Bluffs to name a few. The Cubs had heard about an amazing all African-American team in Kansas City and convinced their owner Charles Ritz to set up a game with the KC Monarchs when the Cubs were playing in western Iowa. The game was scheduled and by the end of the 4th inning the Cubs were leading by 2 runs. That was about to change when a new pitcher came to the mound and took control and the Monarchs won the game. That new pitcher was a young man named LeRoy Robert Paige. That’s right - he was “Satchel” Paige who was not allowed to play in the major leagues because of the color of his skin. Below are photos of the Cubs playing at their home field at Bayside and a team photo taken about 1926. Both are part of the Clear Lake Historical Society collection.