As the oldest resort in the state of Wisconsin, Lake Lawn has a plentitude of stories to tell. From ancient Native American burial grounds to the circus, elephant bones, and two miles of lake shoreline, this 148-year-old property in Delavan is a mainstay of the popular Geneva Lake/Lake Geneva area.
“A lot of families come back every year, so it’s really generational. That tugs on your heartstrings quite a bit,’’ said Lynn Ketterhagen, the resort’s dynamic general manager and a Delavan native.
A library off the resort’s lobby shows pictures from over the years of families boating and fishing in the warm months and ice boating in the winter when Delavan Lake freezes over.
Lake Lawn’s center courtyard features several carefully protected burial mounds that belong to the Ho-Chunk and Potawatomie people, whose ancestry along Delavan Lake goes back to 500 BCE.
Fast forward a couple thousand years…. In 1847, brothers Edmund and Jeremiah Mabie bought the property from owner Nicholas Thorne to use as a 1,000-acre home base for their Mabie Circus – then the largest traveling circus in the country. The Mabie Circus is said to given P.T. Barnum the idea to start his own circus, meaning that Delavan is the bithplace of what would become the Greatest Show on Earth.
“There were a large amount of animals in downtown Delavan,’’ Ketterhagen said.
Those animals included Romeo and Juliet, the circus’ star attractions. A statue of Romeo, who is said to have killed five handlers in his lifetime, is in downtown Delavan.
Juliet died in the winter of 1864. Unable to find a thawed out piece of land to bury the perished pachyderm, her handlers cut a chunk out of Delavan Lake and well… you know.
Fishermen found some of Juliet’s bones in 1931 near what is now Lake Lawn’s fishing pier.
As Shakesapeare said, “She doth teach the torches to burn bright!’’
You can check the spot on the Lake Lawn Queen, the resort’s 78-foot cruise boat. For first-timers, in particular, the Lake Lawn Queen is a great way to get a feel for the area, which includes five homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, who was born two hours away in Richland Center, WI.
The lake, by the way, is a fisherman’s dream – resplendent with muskie, crappie, walleye and catfish. The early-morning fishermen (and water skiers) give way in the afternoons to a wide variety of motorized and unmotorized water vehicles, including kayaks, pontoon boats and wave runners. Lake Lawn has its own 261-slip marina, many of which are rented out by guests and locals.
Another of Lake Lawn’s major attractions is Majestic Oaks, a golf course that plays slightly more than 6,200 yards (par 71) from the tips.
Originally opened in 1921 and renovated in 1991 by Dick Nugent, Majestic Oaks is a solid resort course, best-known for its lake views and plethora of oak trees. Don’t let the overall yardage (and wide fairways) fool you into overconfidence. Majestic Oaks’ smallish greens and long par-3s (three of which exceed 190 yards from the tips) protect it from too many players going low.
Majestic Oaks along Delavan Lake
And be sure to check out the bald eagles’ nests along the fairway of the long par-4 (463 yards from the tips) of the 18th hole.
Lake Lawn Resort has been through a few ownership changes since Edmund Mabie’s daughter – Anna Mary Phillips – in 1883 opened the 50-room, Victorian-style Lake Lawn Hotel, that essentially ushered in the lake’s hospitality eras.
Financial challenges forced the resort to close in December of 2010. After being acquired by a group of local investors, Lake Lawn re-opened in phases beginning in May of 2011. The resort re-opened fully on July 22, 2011 and now operates as a destination for all seasons, with 271 guest rooms, as well as the Harbor Club house, which can accommodate 20 people. With a view of the lake and its own boat slip, the Harbor Club house is ideal for large families, weddings and even golf buddy trips.
Each season brings its own celebrations – from family festivals to live music, boat tours and pig roasts. This past winter the resort hosted a lakeside event for 2,000 people.
“We are a pretty flexible property,’’ Ketterhagen said. “We’re able to customize a lot of things.’’
Lake Lawn Queen
The resort has 32,000 square feet of meeting space – not including the outside lawn area – as well six food and beverage outlets.
The 1878 on the Lake restaurant is Lake Lawn’s signature restaurant. Led by Executive Chef Jared Schultz, a graduate of the famed Le Cordon Bleu culinary program, 1978 on the Lake’s “elevated comfort food’’ menu has established the restaurant as one of the top dining experiences in the Milwaukee area. Don’t pass on Schulz’s Grilled Georgia Peach Salad or the Braised Beef Short Rib.
While the majority of Lake Lawn’s guests still come from within a 60-mile radius, Ketterhagen said the resort over the past couple of years has started to pull guests from as far away as Texas.
From inside the dining room at 1878, Ketterhagen looked up from her Grilled Georgia Peach Salad and gazed out over Delavan Lake.
“I’m blessed with the honor of the challenge to make sure everything we do here – within our power – makes this a wonderful destination, embraces its history and gracefully brings in new generations of guests.’’
New generations to share some great old stories.
Feature Photo: Lake Lawn Resort on Delavan Lake
Photos Courtesy of Lake Lawn Resort