The Suburb of Island Lake - Humanities Article

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Sunday, 12 October 2008

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The Suburb of Island Lake

By:Ken Charnly

In the early 1950s, long before the airing of Desperate Housewives, a group of desperate housewives from the region of Island Lake gathered names for a petition. Their efforts, a desperate move to secure needed municipal services, aided the Island Lake Property Owners Association to win its legal battle over its right to incorporate the Lake region, an area that had once been a resort.

Island Lake did not begin as a lake. When George Darrell, one of the area’s first settlers, looked at what is now Island Lake, all he saw were rolling hills on farmland, a gravel pit and Mutton Creek. Darrell and others settled by the Creek and later, in 1929, they purchased some of

the land from the farmers. The new landholders arranged for construction of a dam, and that led to the formation of Island Lake.

In 1936, Robert and Connie Straus bought a 100-year-old farmhouse near the Lake and converted it into Island Lake Hotel. In 1937, another old barn became the living quarters for a group of carpenters. That same year National Mortgage Investment purchased the land around the dam and

advertised lots for sale in the Chicago paper. The more expensive lots ($695-$985) would include a cottage or a cabin. The carpenters in the old barn had been hired to build the cottages and cabins.

Wealthy residents from Chicago began to purchase land around Island Lake. In 1938, a group of property owners formed the Island Lake Property Owners Association. The formation of that association took place in the basement of Major Lenox, director of the Museum of Science and Industry. National Mortgage and Investment sold the association the dam, the highways, the parks, the beaches, the roads, the bridges, and the lake bottom for just one dollar. The agreement specified that there were to be no restrictions, fees or other charges for the use of the parks, beaches, highways, lake, roadways, bridges, or dam.

By the late 1940s, it became apparent that the specifications in the agreement hindered the delivery of municipal services to the households around the Lake. In the meantime, a Post Office opened at the rear of the Island Lake Hotel. On February 11, 1950, the Property Owners

Association decided to incorporate.

Due to the specifications in the original agreement, that decision raised some legal issues and led to a lengthy the court battle. The presentation of a petition from the local housewives finally decided that battle in favor of the Association. Now Island Lake has a four member Board of Trustees, a Mayor and a city clerk. Now the residents of Island Lake face far different concerns.

An internet posting from the Island Lake Police Department shows that deer, not issues concerning land rights, have become a prime concern. During the autumn hunting season the ILPD has found that the number of deer killed hit by motor vehicles has exceeded the number of deer killed by hunters. The Department has thus issued a word of warning to all Island Lake motorists.

Article Source: http://www.dailynewarticles.com

Ken Charnley is a personal finance enthusiast with www.online-loans-pro.com/ dedicated to quality information on online loans. For all your online loan needs visit and apply for loans online

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