A historical remembrance by Ruth Magdzinski

The heydays of the Resort Era was from the 30’s through the early 50’s.  Many of the hotels, tourist homes and complexes of cottages were built in the 30’s.  The Great Depression was easing a little and Chicago Vacationers once again started coming to our area.

The community was divided by the Red Arrow Highway.  The lake side was made up of mostly Jewish families vacationing the total summer season from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  The fathers would commute from Chicago on week-ends.  Although the other side of the highway had a few Jewish resorts owned by the Barrs and Zborils, the main vacationers that filled the rest of the large homes were the Czechs from Berwyn, Cicero and surrounding Czech communities.  Some of the resorts were owned by the Prusa, Kreston, Soucek, Mareska, and Vavra families.  Tour companies would bring buses filled with people for a day in the country.  The day would include just relaxing, going to the beach and then settling down to a good meal of duck, sauerkraut and dumplings with kolache for dessert.  The Vavra resort is now the Sweethaven Resort.  The Barr resort had a large building that partially burned in the late forties.  This building is now the home of architects Sakal and Hood.  Locke Road has a Centennial Home that was the Locke family home.  The Prusa family also owned a large Dance Hall and Cabins on Red Arrow.  During the war years and mostly right afterward it was one of the most sought after dancing places.  People waited outside to be able to get a chance to get in and dance to the great bands.  The servicemen were either on furlough or coming home for good and it was the place to be (especially for young girls).  Today this is the well known Miller’s Country House.  The gas station on the property has been transformed into the home of Unique Accessories.

Main Street Union Pier
in the 20's

Lakeshore Road was the main avenue of activity in the 30’s.  The Gordon Beach Hotel was owned by Dr. Gordon who later sold it to Mr. Mazur.  Dr. Gordon also owned other land and built cottages.  We now know this complex as the Gordon Beach Inn, a bed and breakfast and Fanny’s Restaurant.  Another hotel complex was the Karonsky Hotel which is now the Inn at Union Pier.  Mr. And Mrs. A.R. Lee owned what was then the Lakeview Hotel on Lakeshore, which was bought in the early 70’s by a group of friends who continue to use it privately.

The ‘downtown area’ on the corner of Red Arrow and Union Pier Road was quite the busy area.  The gas station on the corner was owned by Charles Konvalinka, who also was the, only Real Estate and Insurance office in the town for 25 to 30 years.  His office was connected to the station until the bowling alley was built and then he moved to the other side of Townline Road.  The Bowling Alley was the hub of activity in the winter months for the locals and the summer vacationers who loved the alleys and the soda bar.  The station changed hands to George Bilek, then Gene Kahovec and finally to Mike Schuler who is now the owner.

Once J's Cafe, then the Flim Flam Club, and the Wayside Inn, now Miller's Country House

(excerpted from The Red Arrow Review 1993)