Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1543498
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. LEGENDARY TRAIN DEPOT Elkhart Lake's early growth as a resort destination is closely tied to the Village Train Depot, built in 1873 with the arrival of the Milwaukee & Northern Railroad. Trains from Chicago, Milwaukee, and Green Bay brought vacationers, race fans, gamblers, and even gangsters, all stepping onto the depot's platform to begin their stay. The depot became the village's bustling gateway, a place of arrivals and departures, excitement and intrigue, shaping Elkhart Lake into the lively resort community it would soon become. LEGENDARY RESORTS For more than a century, Elkhart Lake has been a cherished destination for lakeside resorts, each contributing to the village's unique historic charm. Notable properties such as Sharpe's Resort, Schwartz Resort Hotel/Barefoot Bay Resort, Pine Point Resort, The Osthoff Resort/Hotel, Camp Harand, Siebkens Resort, and Fleck's Resort/ Camp Brosius welcomed generations of summer visitors. Together, these resorts helped shape Elkhart Lake's identity as a premier summer getaway. ELKHARTLAKE.COM | 6 Gambling thrives openly with slot machines everywhere and little enforcement of anti- gambling laws. Raids increase, but gambling continues until Wisconsin's statewide ban in 1945. 1920 Road racing takes off, with the Sports Car Club of America and local businesses sponsoring events on a 3.35-mile course, which expanded to 6.5 miles by 1952. 1950 While many of the original resorts have faded into history, Elkhart Lake's tradition of hospitality lives on today through The Osthoff Resort and Siebkens Resort. 2026