Sauk County Historical Society: Historical Perspective On Gateway To Devils Lake. (Sponsored by The Topham Family Foundation)

Tourists have been visiting the Devil’s Lake area since shortly after the Civil War ended. The first hotel opened on the north shore in 1866. Three others followed at the south end of the lake along with cottages. Access to the lake was greatly improved when the railroad arrived in 1871 passing along the eastern edge of the lake. 

After the area became a state park in 1911 the remaining hotels inside the park disappeared along with most of the cottages. In 1921, the Warner Memorial Road, a new concrete highway from the edge of Baraboo to the north shore made automobile traffic to the lake far easier.  New hotels, restaurants and resorts would be built just outside of the park near the north shore entrance including the Panoramic Resort, Devi-Bara, the Farm Kitchen and the Barn. All are gone today due to various reasons but Devil’s Lake State Park remains more popular than ever. 

The changing landscape of the gateway to Devil’s Lake will be discussed in a presentation by SCHS Executive Director Paul Wolter on Tuesday, May 13 at 6 pm at the Carnegie-Schadde Memorial Public Library in Baraboo.

The presentation is sponsored by the Topham Family Foundation and being hosted by the library.