"A Lake in the Meadow": Artesian Lake

Location: Sheridan Road and Sheridan Place, Lake Bluff

Cooler By The Lake Nature By Design
"A Lake in the Meadow": Artesian Lake

c. 1880s.

Video by Ethan Haller, 2019. World Civilizations 2, Lake Forest High School Social Studies Department.

In the 1880s, with the construction of the grounds for the Lake Bluff Camp Meeting and the building of the large Hotel Irving, a need arose for water to supply all those buildings. An artesian well was dug just south of Center Street, approximately where the police and fire station now sit. Underground wooden pipes sent the water flowing down Prospect Avenue to the hotels and the tabernacle grounds east of the village.A concrete dam was also built 500 feet west of Evanston Avenue to impound the excess well water and create what was appropriately called Artesian Lake. The lake was connected by a footbridge to an area called Swan Island. Thus, as historian Elmer Viet wrote, “Solomon Thatcher’s dream for a ‘lake in the meadow’ was fulfilled.With new the ten-acre lake, Lake Bluff residents and visitors had a spot to “row boats, fish, and stroll about, enjoying the scenic beauty.” In the winter, ice-skating was a popular activity. Ice, cut from the lake, was stored in an icehouse nearby to be saved and used in the summer.When the water supply began to dwindle, a pump was installed to keep the water flowing for another 20 years. As Lake Bluff continued to grow and an electric trolley line was installed, a new station had to be constructed with an underpass for access to the station. Unfortunately, the underpass was several feet lower than Artesian Lake, and a drain was necessary. The water drained southeast and discharged into a ravine east of Ravine Avenue. However, after the drain was completed in 1904, villagers were dismayed to discover one morning that the dam had burst, and Artesian Lake had literally gone down the drain.Soon, the need for garbage collection services arose and the former lake became the village dump. For the next 30 years, the village dump graced the area, except for a small piece of land to the north that was reserved for skating during the winter. Now, the area has been transformed into Artesian Park.
Lake Forest High School student Ethan Haller made this video tracing the journey from Artesian Lake to Artesian Park.