Fox Lake’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold only 2 old photos of Fox Lake. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗The village was incorporated on December 15, 1906, and certified by the state on April 13, 1907. The area was first explored during the 17th century by the French. In the late 19th century, it was known as Nippersink Point. Early in the 20th century, there were but a few hundred residents. During the summer season, however, the population would reach an estimated 20,000 people, and at its peak, the area had 50 hotels and 2,000 cottages. Infamous Chicago gangster Al Capone is reported to have utilized an establishment now known as the Mineola Hotel and Restaurant as a hideout, although this has never been documented. Fox Lake is known to still have ties to mob activity. In 1979, the Mineola was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and may be the largest wooden frame structure in the state.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Fox Lake’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Fox Lake’s history is told.
2 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewPistakee Lake Cabins, Route 12 an…, 1948: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Fox Lake
See all 1 →
Fox Lake, decade by decade
1980s
1 historic place in Fox Lake
1 place in Fox Lake is on the National Register of Historic Places, the country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
Where they are
When they were listed
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Pistakee Lake Cabins, Route 12 and Pistakee Lake Road, Mrs. A.M. Batdorf, Prop. (NBY 2763) (1948) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (6). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.