For many months it has been a question in the minds of many of our people as to whether Wonder Lake, the new resort about two miles north of Lowell, would be a success or not. The promoters had options on about 386 acres but until a few weeks ago nothing much had been done with the project. Now the first temporary dam has been constructed new Henry Carsten’s place and the main question has been settle which has whether there would be enough water to make the lake that was needed. The dam was completed about ten days ago and since that time the water has raised about eight feet and is still raising although not quite so fast, as it has begun to back up and over a larger area. Permanent dams will soon be under construction and it will only take time now to develop the mammoth project, which is going to mean a great deal to this session….
An article printed in the “Hammond Times” July 18, 1954 referred to the lake as Lake Dalecarlia, reporting that Mr. Hamacher at 71 was “as active as a cub bear” and still handling most of the lake’s real estate transactions from his home or office at the southern end of the lake. His son, Wendell, a Crown Point attorney, had become secretary of the corporation.
When the elder Hamaher came to Lake Dalecarlia, there were only six homes in the immediate area. Now there are 450 homes…
The article goes on to tell of plans to build a new subdivision on a 100-acre site on the northeast side of the lake (Fairways Estates). The Lake Dalecarlia Property Owners Association is cited for taking care of the lake’s roads and enforcing restrictions. Joseph Mundy was president at the time. And, Lake Dalecarlia’s Volunteer Fire Department, not quite three years old in 1954, had already earned a reputation for efficiency. Stewie Holst led the 28 volunteers. The lake is further described:
One of the biggest selling points of the lake is the formation of its strata, which guarantees that the “bottom” won’t drop out, as has happened with many man-made lakes. Under the water is a 10 to 12 foot layer of sand, gravel and yellow clay. Next comes a 25-foot layer of blue clay, then an 8-foot vein of sand and gravel, and then 25 to 30 feel of shale. The fresh flowing lake acts as an air conditioner for those along its shoreline. Fed by Cedar Creek, which comes from Cedar Lake, and Foss Creek, which is southwest of Crown Point, the water empties into a continuation of Cedar Creek, then into Singleton Ditch near Lowell, and finally into the Kankakee River.
After folks stopped wondering whether the lake would fill up, they also began to wonder about the name. Sometime between 1928 and 1954 residents were given a chance to vote on a new name. A great many people of Swedish extraction had take up residence and they chose Dalecarlia for a well-known area in Sweden.
This leads us to a small bit of nostalgia. In Sweden, it seems the Dalecarlia horse was carved from wood during long summer and winter evenings when village men gathered to work together. The horses were sometimes white with blue spots and sometimes brick red. It is still manufactured as a souvenir mainly near Mora in Sweden. A Dalecarlia horse is on display in the Community building.
