Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-05-14
Sand Lake Club House
Second Largest in U. S.
MAMMOTH LOG BUILDING READY
FOR THE FORMAL OPENING
ON MAY 10Th


know, to be the second largest in the
United States, constructed wholly
from logs, is rapidly approaching com
pletion on the shore of Sand Lake,
nine miles northeast of Phelps, and
is to be the club house of the Eagle
River Fishing & Shooting Club, an
organization of Chicago men who
have spent their fishing and hunting
vacations in Villas county for many
years.
The club was founded by various
men who had previously hunted and
fished in the vicinity of Big and Little
Twin, Long, Sand and Smoky lakes.
and large tract of heavily timbered
land on the shores of Sand lake was
purchased, a club house built and a
number of cottages for the use OF
the members and their guests, it be-
ing limited exclusively to a member
ship of 100 At that time autos were
unknown and railway service had not
been extended from ConOver to
Phelps, which necessitated getting off
at Eagle River and making the trip
into the club by livery team, a tire
some and long drive of % miles over
what were mainly bad logging roads.
The annual opening of the fish and
deer seasons was an event, however
looked eagerly forward to by Eagle
River liverymen and when ever the
Sand Lake Club bunch was coming
up extra teams and rigs had to be
engaged in advance.
The old club house after many
years of useful service was destroyed
by fire in April, 1924, and the mem
bers decided to build club house
building to take care of the needs for
many years and build it of an arch
itecture combining the old time set
ting with the strictly modern. Work
on the structure began last summer
with the building of basement in
which to house the hot water heating
plant, and other supplies for the kit
chen, and cutting of hemlock logs
from the land preserves of the club.
The logs were cut, peeled and placed
in position by Finnish farmers of the
vicinity, who have a world wide rep
utatiOn as wielders of tools in log
house construction and August Krieck
of Eagle River who had for years at
tended to all of the carpenter work
at the club, was in charge of the con-
strUction. The logs when ready to
place in position were followed to
closely fit the under log, with wooden
pins connecting them and the corners
were dovetailed into each other so
that not nail or spike was used in
the two story log building with di-
mansions 92x15O. The ground floor is
devoted to kitchen with. every modern
convenience for handidly caring for
the full capacity of the dining room in
which 200 can be seated at any time.
Opening directly into the dining room
is the living room with very la zee
double fire place to supply cheer and
comfort to both dining room and H.
ing room. At the north end of the
living room a partition cuts off two
large rooms known as the mems room
and ladies room. The building is sup
piled throughout with hot and cold
water and hot water register heat,
electric lights and every modern con-
venience of city homes. The lake
front side of the club house is sup
piled with wide screened in veranda
with a full view of the lake and any
activity thar may be taking place
deere
Emil Kinner is caretaker of the
club at present and r. W. Roberts
formerly of the Hotel Sherman in Chi
cago is the manager, and he is now
busy putting everything in sh1l- TO,
the formal opening and dedication Cf
the new club house which VII take
place with the arrival of 125 members
and visitors on the morning of May
10Th from Chicago.
The total cost of the new building
and furnishings and equipment will
exceed $125, 100000 and does not in
clude the recent purchase of 100 acre
Andrew Watilo farm adjoining the
club property upon which a 9 hole
golf course has been laid out and
work started with the aim to have it
ready for use not later than Aug. LIST
The Sand Lake Club House is we1l
worthy of visit by any one who has
not yet seen it and is destined to be
come one of the we'll known shop
places of the Villas county resort Sec
ton.