Wisconsin's Elkhart Lake

ELKHARTLAKE.COM | 4 A handsome young warrior, known for his bravery, earned the name Elkheart after slaying an elk and devouring its heart. Attracting the favor of many young maidens, Elkheart began wooing the one named Silver Birch. But his eyes soon strayed to another beautiful maiden known as Singing Bird, leaving Silver Birch heartbroken. One night as the new lovers paddled out on the lake, an arrow from the bow of the dejected Silver Birch pierced Elkheart, who fell into the deep water. Horrified, Singing Bird plunged into the water after him, followed by a sorrowful Silver Birch, who drowned with the ill-fated lovers. Now, when the moon is full, the spirit of Silver Birch passes over the lake crying the name Elkheart. LEGENDARY NAME LEGENDARY WATER Spring-fed, crystal clear, and 119 feet deep, the unique blue-green water of Elkhart Lake is a legend in itself. Here, you don't just catch big fish—you can see them deep below the surface. From the days when Native Americans lived along its shores, the pristine quality of the lake's water has soothed the souls of visitors from far and wide, drawing them back year after year. For many, it's the legendary water of Elkhart Lake that makes it famous. Elkhart Lake's early growth as a resort destination is attributed, in part, to the arrival of the Milwaukee & Northern Railroad to the village in 1873. Trains full of vacationers, race enthusiasts, gamblers and gangsters alike from Chicago, Milwaukee and Green Bay stepped onto the passenger platform at the Village's Train Depot. LEGENDARY TRAIN DEPOT LEGENDARY RACING Open road racing over the hills and around the curves of Elkhart Lake gained prominence in the early 1950s. These early closed-loop courses, now landmarked, attracted sports car racing enthusiasts from across the country and eventually led to the creation of Road America 70 years ago—a rolling four- mile track near the village. Recognized as one of the premier road racing tracks in the world, Road America has become legendary, drawing top professional and celebrity drivers from every type of racing from motorcycles to Indy cars. LEGENDARY GAMBLING Elkhart Lake was swept up in the wave of illicit gambling in the early 1900s. As illegal gambling became widespread across the state, the village, with its resort charm, earned the reputation of a gambler's paradise. Slot machines became wildly popular among resort visitors, and by the Roaring Twenties, four established gambling halls offered roulette and poker. This legendary era came to an end when, after years of lax enforcement, Elkhart Lake's infamous Paddock Club was raided, and its gambling equipment destroyed.

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