The attraction of a summer spent by the lake, whether in homes, hotels or camp meetings, inspired many of the towns’ early visitors, who often soon became permanent residents.

The first golf swing in the Midwest cut through the breeze above our lakeshore, and soon Chicago’s leisured classes had a home for their sporting pursuits, golf and polo, tennis and the hunt. And these country clubs and country estates also required local caddies and caretakers, commuter cars and casualwear.

Lake Michigan continues to loom large, as efforts in shoreline restoration and preservation of the lakefront seek to ensure that we remain “cooler by the lake.”