Fish Lake's history is
quite interesting. Upper and Lower Fish Lake were once the location for a
booming ice business. The importance of this during the late 1800's was that
before refrigeration, as we know it today, ice had to be cut from fresh water
supplies, then stored in warehouses and finally shipped to where it was needed
during the summer months. This fit the Upper and Lower Fish Lake area perfectly.
In 1888 and 1889, Swift and Co., Chicago meat packers purchased the land around
both of the lakes. Three big ice houses were constructed with a horse barn
and boarding house also, in 1889. During the winter months, 300 to 400 men
would be sent from Chicago to work at Fish Lake cutting the lake into ice
blocks by horses with ice plows. Ice cutting ceased in 1930 on Fish Lake,
but many Swift and Co. employees still vacationed here during the summer.
Swift and Co. sold their Fish Lake holdings in 1935.
The South Town Beach Club
bought the land in 1937 and Fish Lake grew into the community it is today.
Today, there are still many Chicago and Illinois part-time residents, as well
as year-round ones. It is a community that has a large number of retired people
as well as families. There are two grocery stores, two restaurants, other
small businesses and of course the Fish Lake Branch of the La Porte County
Public Library.
