Located at: 1036 Sunny Knoll Drive, Galesburg, IL 61401
Contacts: Business Office - (309) 342-4431 : Fax - (309) 342-3829 : Golf Shop - (309) 343-5915 : Restaurant - (309) 343-5912 Swimming Pool - (309) 342-2413 Grounds - (309) 342-4341 E-mail Us
Contacts: Business Office - (309) 342-4431 : Fax - (309) 342-3829 : Golf Shop - (309) 343-5915 : Restaurant - (309) 343-5912 Swimming Pool - (309) 342-2413 Grounds - (309) 342-4341 E-mail Us
1931 - The Club Board voted to prohibit card playing within the pavilion on Sundays
1932 - E. E. Hinchcliff's Orchestra was engaged for sixteen concerts to be given during summer with twenty players. They were given 32 free memberships as pay. Concerts at 3:30 p.m. each Sunday afternoon were well attended.
1932 - A motion was made by E. E. Watson and seconded by H. H. Gunther that the Club not be permitted the serving of beer on the picnic grounds. The motion carried.
1934 - A YMCA camp was erected across the Lake from the Club House at a rental fee of $75 per year.
1936 - Charles Fach began showing outdoor movies on Wednesday nights. In 1937, the Club built theater seats and a screen.
1938 - The Board voted to build a concrete wall at the spillw ay. The earth spillway was rapidly eroding.
1941 - A fishing pier was built at Saluda Fill.
1947 - The Board changed the name from Knox County Country Club to Lake Bracken Country Club, and dues were increased from $25 to $35 per year.
1953 - John Carlson and Lloyd Hawkinson secured 500 pine seedling trees to plant on the bare bluff on the south side of the lake. Men from People's Fuel donated a day's labor to the project. The following day the cows ate every tree that had been planted. No further attempts were made to replace the trees.
1958 - The Club built a launching ramp for boats at Saluda Fill.
1963 - Elm tree disease hit our many elm trees with few survivors. It was a desolate scene. We have but two survivors, both on #2 fairway.
1964 - The fish pond (shaped like a map of Illinois) was filled and flowers planted. Mrs. Luke supervised the change.
1967 - There was a total fish kill with an estimated 160 tons of dead fish. The smell was bad for 2 weeks, and there were dead fish covered with lime. 135,400 fingerling fish were donated by the State, and an additional $3,400 of adult fish were purchased and added to the Lake.
1969 - "No alcoholic beverages allowed on Club property" passed by the Board.
1970 - Eph Hughes brought several peacocks to the Club grounds as an added attraction, but they were removed later as they made so much noise.
1971 - 20 white birch trees were planted on the golf course along # I fairway.
1972 - The Club House was totally air-conditioned.
Our first President, S. A. Wagoner, served the Club for its first 5 years, 1927 to May 1931. The Club Board gave this tribute to President Wagoner: "His vision of fulfillment went beyond the conditions existing at the outset when the grounds were wild and undeveloped, the lake but a dry valley with but a crooked creek winding through it, when there were grave doubts in the minds of many as to the possibility of even producing enough water supply."
Another great leader and President of the Club for 9 years was Fred Peterson, owner of P & M Motor Co., who gave unstintingly of his time and effort to build a good Country Club. It was largely through his efforts that Knox County developed our road system through the timber from the Griffith corner to County Road #26.
Your Historian is indebted to so many for their bits of helpful information given him. There is much more to be written, but this will have to be limited, so that this record may be finished. Our Club history is constantly being written and I see a bright and prosperous future in the years.
JOHN W. CARLSON, 1937 - 1979
Continued History of Lake Bracken Country Club By Larry & Phoebe Hovind 1979-1997
My parents moved to Lake Bracken in 1951 and Phoebe's parents in 1948. We have seen good and hard times for Lake Bracken Country Club, due to the economy of the Galesburg area. As children, we enjoyed the privilege of living at Lake Bracken with all the beauty and activities that could be enjoyed by everyone. We were able to have summer jobs when we were old enough. After graduating from Galesburg High School, Phoebe and I were married. We raised our two daughters, Gaye and Torry. They enjoyed Lake Bracken as much as we did. They swam in the lake and thought it was really something to swim out to the big raft and go off the high dive. They both worked as lifeguards at the pool and worked on the golf course. Phoebe started working in the flower beds and setting up for wedding receptions and parties at the clubhouse. She also managed the golf shop for a few years. Both of our daughters are still living and raising their families here.
1932 - E. E. Hinchcliff's Orchestra was engaged for sixteen concerts to be given during summer with twenty players. They were given 32 free memberships as pay. Concerts at 3:30 p.m. each Sunday afternoon were well attended.
1932 - A motion was made by E. E. Watson and seconded by H. H. Gunther that the Club not be permitted the serving of beer on the picnic grounds. The motion carried.
1934 - A YMCA camp was erected across the Lake from the Club House at a rental fee of $75 per year.
1936 - Charles Fach began showing outdoor movies on Wednesday nights. In 1937, the Club built theater seats and a screen.
1938 - The Board voted to build a concrete wall at the spillw ay. The earth spillway was rapidly eroding.
1941 - A fishing pier was built at Saluda Fill.
1947 - The Board changed the name from Knox County Country Club to Lake Bracken Country Club, and dues were increased from $25 to $35 per year.
1953 - John Carlson and Lloyd Hawkinson secured 500 pine seedling trees to plant on the bare bluff on the south side of the lake. Men from People's Fuel donated a day's labor to the project. The following day the cows ate every tree that had been planted. No further attempts were made to replace the trees.
1958 - The Club built a launching ramp for boats at Saluda Fill.
1963 - Elm tree disease hit our many elm trees with few survivors. It was a desolate scene. We have but two survivors, both on #2 fairway.
1964 - The fish pond (shaped like a map of Illinois) was filled and flowers planted. Mrs. Luke supervised the change.
1967 - There was a total fish kill with an estimated 160 tons of dead fish. The smell was bad for 2 weeks, and there were dead fish covered with lime. 135,400 fingerling fish were donated by the State, and an additional $3,400 of adult fish were purchased and added to the Lake.
1969 - "No alcoholic beverages allowed on Club property" passed by the Board.
1970 - Eph Hughes brought several peacocks to the Club grounds as an added attraction, but they were removed later as they made so much noise.
1971 - 20 white birch trees were planted on the golf course along # I fairway.
1972 - The Club House was totally air-conditioned.
Our first President, S. A. Wagoner, served the Club for its first 5 years, 1927 to May 1931. The Club Board gave this tribute to President Wagoner: "His vision of fulfillment went beyond the conditions existing at the outset when the grounds were wild and undeveloped, the lake but a dry valley with but a crooked creek winding through it, when there were grave doubts in the minds of many as to the possibility of even producing enough water supply."
Another great leader and President of the Club for 9 years was Fred Peterson, owner of P & M Motor Co., who gave unstintingly of his time and effort to build a good Country Club. It was largely through his efforts that Knox County developed our road system through the timber from the Griffith corner to County Road #26.
Your Historian is indebted to so many for their bits of helpful information given him. There is much more to be written, but this will have to be limited, so that this record may be finished. Our Club history is constantly being written and I see a bright and prosperous future in the years.
JOHN W. CARLSON, 1937 - 1979
Continued History of Lake Bracken Country Club By Larry & Phoebe Hovind 1979-1997
My parents moved to Lake Bracken in 1951 and Phoebe's parents in 1948. We have seen good and hard times for Lake Bracken Country Club, due to the economy of the Galesburg area. As children, we enjoyed the privilege of living at Lake Bracken with all the beauty and activities that could be enjoyed by everyone. We were able to have summer jobs when we were old enough. After graduating from Galesburg High School, Phoebe and I were married. We raised our two daughters, Gaye and Torry. They enjoyed Lake Bracken as much as we did. They swam in the lake and thought it was really something to swim out to the big raft and go off the high dive. They both worked as lifeguards at the pool and worked on the golf course. Phoebe started working in the flower beds and setting up for wedding receptions and parties at the clubhouse. She also managed the golf shop for a few years. Both of our daughters are still living and raising their families here.
