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The History of the Building of
The Izaak Walton League
Clubhouse
Wherein is
described the events leading up
to and during the construction
of this building.
Preface
THE
OLD WOODEN CLUBHOUSE DESTROYED
BY FIRE
For a year of more before
September 29, 1933, chapter
meetings of the League were held
in a small wooden structure
previously located on the
Chautauguq grounds at lake
Madison, and secured from Dr.
Walter A. Rothschild. This
building was located about where
the fireplace of the present
structure now stands. Meetings
in this small building were, on
the whole, quite unsatisfactory
as it lacked proper heating and
lighting facilities, and was
entirely too small. In addition,
vandals were continually
breaking into the clubhouse and
removing furniture and other
equipment.
At about 7:30 in the evening of
the above date, the clubhouse
was discovered to be on fire and
practically consumed by that
time.
NEW
COBBLESTONE CLUBHOUSE PROPOSED
Mr. William M. Taylor, manager
of the Penny store, and at the
time president of the Madison
Chapter of the Izaak Walton
League, lost no time in calling
a meeting for the purpose of
stimulating interest in the
constructing of a new clubhouse
that would be truly fireproof,
and of adequate size to house
any future membership. This
meeting was called at the Legion
hall for the evening of October
6, 1933, at which time the
members were unanimously in
favor of the cobblestone
construction plan. The following
architectural committee was
appointed: L.N. Pease, chairman,
Cliff Norton, Karl E. Mundt. In
addition to preparing or having
prepared plans for the new
building, this committee was to
have charge of the assembling
and hauling of the stone to the
building site.
On October 16 a special meeting
was called by President Taylor.
This meeting was for the purpose
of acting upon an offer from the
Lake Madison Chautauqua board
for a site for the clubhouse on
a knoll at the east end of their
grounds. While the offer was
quite attractive, it was deemed
advisable to turn it down in
favor of the lake Herman site.
Sketches of the proposed
construction were approved at
this meeting.
--------------------
Cost of the lodge, exclusive of
the interior finish on the
walls. Based on bids at hand,
the estimate was $1,350,
providing club members hauled
the stone and did the excavating
for the foundation themselves.
Dr. C.C. Warren and Andrew Quist
reported that a premise to renew
the lease on the property for
another ten years had been
secured for Lee Girton, of the
Girton-Adams Ice Company, Sioux
Falls.
Surveying of the building site
had been done on the afternoon
of this date, but actual
excavating or rock hauling had
been started until more definite
word concerning title to the
land had been secured. With
safety in this regard
practically assured, plans were
made to get under way with the
excavating the following
afternoon with a work bee
organized. Frank Shipton and Roy
G. Tretter were to organize the
crew and secure trucks for the
rock hauling. F.J.Mundt reported
for the finance committee and
stated that, from a legal
standpoint, the best manner to
proceed with further plans for
constructing the new clubhouse
was to incorporate the Madison
chapter and form a holding
company, after which a serial
bond issue was to be floated
locally. the committee was
authorized to proceed with the
incorporation.
At a meeting on November third,
the legal committee under the
chairmanship of Andrew Quist
reported tentative draft of the
by-laws of the new Izaak Walton
Association, and the plan to
sell life memberships in the
Association at $25 each to one
hundred persons. this plan was
proposed in lieu of the
previously proposed bond issue
plan. The by-laws of the
association were approved at
this meeting. L.N. Pease,
chairman of the building
committee read the
specifications for the new
clubhouse. These were approved
and the chairman was instructed
to secure the services of L.E.
Moore, contractor. Ed Dirsen was
names as treasurer of the
clubhouse funds, with Karl E.
Mundt as custodian of
construction.
THE IZAAK
WALTON ASSOCIATION HOLDS ITS
ORGANIZATION MEETING
On November 9, 1933 all paid-up
members of the newly formed
Izaak Walton Association,
together with those having
pledged to take out life
memberships, met in the office
of Dr. C.C. Warren for the
purpose of electing officers.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE CLUBHOUSE
GETS UNDER WAY
It was not until the following
spring that the real
construction work got under way.
L.E. Moore, assisted by Jerry
Cline, stonemason, George
Simpson, Sr., and one or two
helpers poured the foundation
and built the side walls. Much
interest was evidenced by local
residents who drove out to the
grounds at frequent intervals to
watch each stage of development,
as the method of construction
worked out was entirely new to
this area.
History
of the Building of the Izaak
Walton League Clubhouse
Too much credit can hardly be
given these men for the way in
which they selected the stones
as to size and color for the
side walls. No detail was good
enough unless it was the best
that could be executed with the
materials at hand - quality and
net time was the dominating
factor.
Roy Tretter took office in the
spring of 1934 and took over the
reins so ably held by the
previous president, William
Taylor. His energy and drive,
and his enthusiasm in the
project will ever by remembered
by the members. It was during
his presidency that the main
structure was completed to the
extent that regular meetings
could be held in it, around June
1. However, at this time, funds
and materials for the interior
finish had yet to be secured,
and there was much to be done in
cleaning up and beautifying the
grounds.
Due to the foresight and efforts
of the chairman of the grounds
committee, Mayor W.A.
Rothschild, much WPA (Works
Progress Administration) help
was secured. The shoreline and
lakebed were cleaned and change,
much filling was done back of
the clubhouse, and trees were
planted. It was under his
watchful eye that all of the
shrub and tree plantings were
made, and it was he, with the
assistance of L.N. Pease, who
personally staked out the
beautiful drive approaching the
clubhouse, which adds so much to
the effectiveness of the whole
setting. His continuous efforts
in the interests of the Madison
chapter since its inception have
done much to make this beautiful
building and grounds a reality.
It was not until a year or two
later, starting in the late
fall, that funds were available
for appropriate materials with
which to finish the interior.
Again, credit for the overcoming
of the technical difficulties
involved in the execution of the
proposed design for the interior
must go to that master
craftsman, L.E. Moore,
affectionately referred to by
the "Ikes" as "Lee". It was he
whose dogged determination and
interest in his work caused him
on morning after morning to walk
three miles out to the
clubhouse, when the weather was
bitterly cold. Truly "Lee" had
the fortitude of the early
pioneers, never missing a day,
unless ill. It was he who did
the entire interior of the
clubhouse, without the aid of
any helper.
And now having chronicled the
events leading up to the
completion of the clubhouse, a
word concerning the occasion for
this is in order.
At the time the clubhouse was
first conceived, an offer was
made by the Mexem Monument
Works, of Madison, to donate a
cornerstone. However, through
some oversight or
misunderstanding, no place was
left for this in the walls.
After the walls were completed,
the cornerstone arrived, and was
placed on the mantle piece for
many years. Here it has rested
for the past twelve or thirteen
years. A committee was appointed
to arrange for the laying of the
cornerstone, and to arrange an
appropriate ceremony. Today,
September 15, 1946, was named
for the occasion and the
necessary arrangements made. |
