Old Photo Gallery

 

1846 Land Patent from President James K. Polk certifying Hugh Davlin's 1836 claim to the 40 acres around his cabin at Davlin's Corners	Davlin School. Circa 1896. Courtesy Wauconda Township Historical Society	Teacher & students at Davlin School. Date & names unknown. Courtesy Wauconda Twp. Historical Society	Sketch of Davlin School, probably by Charlie E. Davlin, from 1918 report on local history by student Marian Davlin
Rev. John Lewis Brooks (1870's?)	E. W. Brooks Wauconda Mayor (1903-06)	Charlie E. Davlin Wauconda Mayor (1953-57)	Davlin House (now 108 E. Tower Dr.) 1910-15. Vincent, Edna, Charlie, Marian. Courtesy of Davlin family members, incl. Eileen Francis
	1912 Downtown Barrington	May 10, 1913, the PLZ&W railroad comes to Wauconda, spurring a boom in summer resorts and land speculation in the area, eventually including the creation of Tower Lake
June 26, 1924 Wauconda Leader feature on new lake at Tower Lake Park, "one of the most beautiful spots in northern Illinois"	Dec 18, 1924, Davlin School burns down.	May 22, 1925 Wauconda Leader story on Rev. Rader's purchase of TLP and the surrounding farms	Memorial Day, 1925
July 4, 1925 flyer	1924-25 Postcard of what is now Duck Is. from the then-causeway. Note trees in the water which have been cut down in subsequent colorized photos below. Probably the earliest photo we have of the lake.	Postcard, summer 1925, most likely a Paul Rader function.	Jan 30, 1926 Chicago Daily News article on the (never completed) plan for Tower Lakes
Postcard, 1927, from causeway looking north toward Oak (Duck) Is & west side	Postcard, 1927, from east side looking west	Postcard, 1927, View from ~ 145 WLSD	Postcard, 1927, N. Barsumian's motorboat, used to entertain prospective buyers. Near what is now Duck Is, looking toward Murray Rd. across the lake
Postcard, 1928, from causeway looking north toward Oak (Duck) Is, before it became an island	Postcard, 1930, Beach	Postcard, 1930	Postcard, Rest Island looking toward beach, 1930
From causeway looking north toward Oak (Duck) Is & west side, 1926-27 (same as color postcard #1)	From east side looking west, 1926-27 (same as color postcard #2). Man in photo may be Mr. Barsumian	From ~ 145 WLSD, 1926-27 (same as color postcard #3)	N. Barsumian's motorboat, used to entertain prospective buyers, 1926-27. Near what is now Duck Is (same as color postcard #4)
1920's Shoreline, probably from west side toward present North Lake Shore Dr.	Toward west side, 1920's. Note tree stumps in lake near island.	West side (left), Oak Is. (now Duck) (rt.), 1920's	From South Hills looking north, 1920's
Road, 1920's. Man may be Mr. Barsumian.	East Lake Shore Dr, near present main boat landing, 1920's	Believed to be from Oak Is. (now Duck Is.) looking toward North Lake Shore Dr., 1920's	From ~112 South Hills Dr. looking north, 1920's. The faint object left center is the TOWER.
The Tower	The Tower, 1920's	West Shoreline, 1920's	Shoreline, 1920's
Devil's Island & South Hills shoreline	South bay. ELSD area (left), Devil's Is (Rt.), looking toward Kelsey Rd, 1920's	South bay. ELSD area in foreground, 1920's	From west side, looking toward Roberts Rd & NLSD area, 1920's
Pier & diving board approx 1927. Probably west side, near postcard 3 scene	Corner E. Tower Dr. & Barrington Rd (now E. Gateway Dr.), 1920's	308 Oxford Rd., ~1929. Owned briefly by Whitleys (pictured). Later Noonan family home.	Myron H. Detrick at age 80 in 1942
Rev. Paul Rader	Nazareth Barsumian, circa 1960	Prof. Alfred W. Bays	Frank Bobrytzke
Robert & Edward Barsumian at Tower Lakes, late 1920's	Davlin House, 1929
The following 33 photographs from 1929-1937 were provided courtesy of Bill and Trudy Thiess
	Taken in 1929- 1935, despite caption. Clearly shows Oak (Duck) Island before it was an island.	Causeway with double bridge, 1929-35	Davlin/ Bohmbach house, 108 E. Tower
Davlin house, 1929, then owned by Bohmbach's, 108 E. Tower Dr.	Left to right: David, Madelaine, Bill Jr., Madelaine, Bill Thiess Sr., late 1920's	Siblings, Dave, Madelaine & Bill Thiess Jr., 1930 or maybe earlier	Madelaine Thiess, 1930 or earlier
Thiess family at Tower Lakes beach	Beach, 1930	Beach, water slide, 1930	Beach, water slide, 1930
Theiss family at the Beach, 1930. (L to R: Madelaine Thiess, Madge Anglim, Bill Thiess, Madelaine Thiess, David Thiess, Marge Anglim)	412 Oxford Rd, 1930, next door to Thiess'	Bridge to beach, looking toward mainland, 1931	Oak (now Duck) Island, 1931. It was not yet an "island" at that time
204 Terrace Dr., with islands & bridges in background, early 1930's	220 E. Lake Shore Dr., mid 1930's. Original Barsumian home, then TL Admin Bldg in 1930's. Note bridge (no longer exists) at N end of Rest Is.	Social Life 1932. TLIA members put on a play. Top row 4th from left is Bill Thiess Jr, Btm row, 2nd from left is David Thiess, 5th from left is Madelaine Thiess	Unidentified house, 1933
25370 E. Gateway, 1934 with E. Tower Dr. in foreground. At the time this was part of the Bohmbach (ex Davlin) yard at 108 E. Tower. Filling station at entrance can be seen through trees	Beach, 1934	Looking toward Devil's Is from WLSD, 1934	View from west side toward beach, 1935
416 Oxford Rd., 1935. The Theiss home was started in 1927, finished in 1928, remodeled to year-round use in 1955 and was owned by the second generation of the original family until 2004	416 Oxford Rd, Thiess home, early 1930's	Rear of 416 Oxford Rd, Thiess home, early 1930's	609, 611, 613 ELSD from back yard of 416 Oxford Rd, 1936. Note undeveloped South Hills in background
609, 611, 613 ELSD from back yard of 416 Oxford Rd, Sept. 1936	East Lake Shore Dr. ~1937	Madelaine Thiess (rt) & friend Jean ?, south end of lake, 1937	Looking toward Devil's Is & south end of lake from WLSD, 1937
607 & 609 East Lake Shore Dr., ~1937	Thiess family and friends on Rest Island Bridge. Front row right is Delores McQuinney a cousin who was one of first women to Antarctica
Rememberances of Tower Lakes in the 1930s by former resident Millicent Marshall	Nazareth Barsumian & sons Robert, Herbert & Edward, around 1930?	Bridge to beach, 1931	Reverse of postcard at left
	404 & 406 E. Lake Shore Dr., 1929-1931, courtesy Dr. C. G. Whitley	404 E. Lake Shore Dr., 1931
The following 18 photos are 1930's postcards which were sold at Carr's Sweet Shop in Wauconda (now Main St Cafe). Courtesy of the collection of Gerry (Kiesler) Vogel.
Rest Island & pergola, 1931?	Girl under bridge is Gerry (Kiesler) Vogel (1931-34?)	Bridge to beach, 1931	Island (now called Duck Is.), 1931? Gerry (Kiesler) Vogel rowing.
Toyland (now called Play Island), 1931?	410 & 411 E Lake Shore Dr. & causeway after old bridge was torn down & before new suspension bridge (1934-35)	Reading Island (now called Duck Island)	507 E. Lake Shore Dr. from WLSD, 1934-35
From rear of 410 E. Lake Shore Dr. Foreground bridge to Spring Is. (now called Duck Is.)	Reading Island (now called Duck Island)	WLSD @ Murray Rd., mid 1930's	New bridge from Rest Is. to mainland, circa 1935
607, 609, 611, 613, 507 E. Lake Shore Dr., before 1938. (House numbers were different then)	New bridges from Rest Is. & beach to mainland, circa 1935	Play Island, late 1930's	Rest Is. & 1st Admin Building (220 E. Lake Shore Dr.), late 1930's.
Beach, circa 1935	Tower Lakes (left center), Carr's Sweet Shop (upper left), rest are Bangs Lake, Wauconda (~1935)
The following 7 photos are courtesy of Mrs Gerry Vogel
	Gerry Kiesler at Tower Lakes 1928	Gerry Kiesler 1934	Kiesler's
410 E. Lake Shore Dr., 1931	410 E. Lake Shore Dr., late 1930's	Gus Dalbauer, 1930's	Gus Dalbauer, 410 ELSD, 1930's, 8 big northerns
Advertisement 193?	Advertisement 193?. Note Fox River view from west side in lower left picture	Advertisement 193?	Postcard, 1930's, ELSD from South Hills, w/ Snake Is. in foreground
3.5" Bronze House Medallion, as used in 1920's & 30's (from 507 ELSD)	TL Statue 1930's	TL Statues 1930's	Advertisement 194? Note how ELSD is a gravel road which diminishes to a dirt track
The following 11 photos are from a Tower Lake Estates brochure circa 1937
	Note pergola/gazebo on Rest Is	New cross-lake suspension bridge	211 WLSD. Juan Muller was TLIA President 1938-9 & VP 1935-7
Suspension bridge to Rest Island	210 Oak St.	302 Devonshire Rd, Harriet Graham was 1st TLIA President, 1931-2, her husband Jim was President 1935-8	Spring Is. is now called Duck Is.
Spring Island (now called Duck Island)	The story of TL "health" water. The fountain room was beside main gate on Rt. 59.	Couple under tree are @ what is now 114 ELSD	220 ELSD, former Barsumian home, used as Admin Bldg for RE sales in 1930's
Postcard, postmarked in 1935, showing suspension bridge to Rest Is and the Admin. Bldg, now 220 E. Lake Shore Dr.	Late 1930's postcard showing guard house at Essex Dr Entrance	Late 1930's postcard showing pergola structure on Rest Is	Late 1930's postcard showing bridge to Rest Is
Another late 1930's postcard showing bridge to Rest Is	Postcard, 1940, of "Reading Island", now called Duck Island	Postcard, ~1945, of Entrance to Tower Lakes at the east end of East Tower Dr.	611 East Lake Shore Dr, 1948-1956
Map of initial purchasers of federal lands in 1840's, Northern Cuba Twp.. Northernmost John Murray parcel is known to be shown incorrectly.	Plat from original federal survey of northeast Cuba Township, before it was named, surveyed in 1837-1840	1841 Lake Co. Map	1861 Cuba/Wauconda Township Plat
1861 Railroad map of area near corners of Cook, Lake & McHenry Counties. The center of the future Tower Lakes is Cuba Twp, Section 2 (the 3rd box from the left in Lake County and the sixth box up from the bottom of Lake County. Notice the creek, but no lake yet.	1873 Cuba Twp. Plat	1875 map of Cuba Twp vicinity. Davlin's Corners (future Tower Lakes) is centered on Section 2. Barrington-Wauconda Rd, Indian Trail Rd & Roberts Rd (then called River Rd and with more curves) are all clearly visible, as is Mud Creek.	1877 Lake Co. Map
1885 Cuba Twp. Plat	1907 Cuba Twp. Plat	1915-20 Cuba Twp. Plat	1923 USGS topo map before lake existed.
1923 color USGS topo map before lake existed.	1926 Cuba Twp. Plat	1935 USGS topo map now showing Lake and planned Rt 59.	1936 Cuba Twp. Plat
Early 1940's Aerial of Admin Bldg, Gas Station & School	1939 aerial photograph provided by the Lake Co Dept of Management Services, 3.3mb. Click for background on this photo.	Nov 27, 1948 Aerial (note how Roberts Rd. was straightened since 1939 photo)	April 1973 Aerial
Click for Maps Page and 1994 Aerial Photo
	1925 Tower Lake Park Plat	1926 Tower Lake Estates Unit No. 1 Plat	1941 Tower Lake Estates Unit No. 2 (North Lake) Plat
1941 Tower Lake Estates Unit No. 3 (West side) Plat	1959 South Hills Plat		1950 view of 515 & 507 ELSD from back yard of 416 Oxford Rd. Courtesy, Trudy Thiess
		1951 Brochure on Tower Lakes Estates
oops! Car in lake off WLSD ~ 1940's, the only one of 6 such incidents we know of for which we have a photo. Courtesy, Edith Nagler.	Main entry (1940's?) & Office (1950's?)	20 page brochure in PDF format	Waiting for the school bus, circa 1950
Beach ~1951 (Toyland later renamed Play Island)	Beach ~1951 (note all the trees on the beach island)	2nd Admin Building, 1951 (now Village Office)	219 ELSD & old bridge to Rest Is, ~1951
Barsumian Home on Tower Hill, 250 Scenic Dr., ~1951	Large Suspension Bridge & 414 ELSD, ~1951	515 E. Lake Shore Dr., ~1951	221 Oak St., ~1951
Main Entry ~1951	209 Oak St., ~1951	People at beach 1950-51	Caretaker's Ken Chappel's residence, 403 Roberts Rd., owned then by TLIA, 1951
Caretaker Ken Chappel snowplowing, 1950. This truck fell through the ice delivering sand to the beach in the early 1950's.	Oiling the roads, 1951	Unidentified shore, 1951	Unknown address, ~1951
West shore, 1951	Typical gang mailboxes, 1951	310 Warwick Rd., 1951	409 Raleigh Pl, ~1951. Marvin Bradley was nationally known as the illustrator on the comic strip Rex Morgan MD from 1948-78. The Bradley's later moved to 233 WLSD.
TLIA Board, 1950 or 1951	TLIA Meeting, 1950 or 1951	Duck Island, 1951
Boat House on Rest Island, ~1950-51		Play Island, probably 1950's	Rest Island, probably 1950's