RoadDog's RoadLog Blog: Being my travels down those great two lane highways of this nation as well as news I learn about them from media sources. Since I'm also very interested in historic preservation, there will be a lot of that as well.
SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2023
Look up Lakeland Plaza Fox Lake idecpltraining for pictures of it and the early shopping center businesses.
Some of the former occupants were:
Sears, Roebuck & Co. (where the Fox Lake Theatre is)
Jewel Food Store (by the Sears)
F.W. Woolworth Co.
Frank's Shoes
Globe Department Store (since torn down. It was between the current Val's and the Dollar General.)
National Food Store (where Val's is today)
--RoadWorth
SATURDAY, APRIL 22
So, here we are out shivering and watching cars speed along Grand Avenue in Fox Lake, Illinois (and hoping we didn't get hit). What a wonderful day to dedicate a new historical marker. Our host and mc was none other than Michael Lescher, local real estate agent, musician and community pusher.
The marker was a joint effort by the Fox Lake/Grant Township Historical Society and the Village of Fox Lake. It had been covered with plastic and really, really taped on. Michael had had the idea that he would be able to pull a cord and a massive cloth would fall off to reveal the new sign. That didn't happen. After some unsuccessful pulling at the taped plastic, he took a pocket knife out and soon had the plastic off.
It is an impressive sign. Michael said a few words and read what it said.
Dollar Lake had been at this site where Grand Avenue and Rollins Road come together. It was a shallow, muddy lake that had been drained for the construction of the Lakeland Shopping Plaza which opened in 1963.
--RoadNoMoreLake
