Lake Redstone: 50th Anniversary

Construction of the lake was started in 1964. The lake's surface area is approximately 650 acres.

January, 1964

A 100-foot lake in Cobleigh Valley near LaValle that once ruled out because of a number of problems may still become a reality as the result of two recent meetings in the area.

Letters of Support

April, 1964

A Public Service Commission hearing on an application to dam up Big Creek and create an 800 acre lake in Cobleigh Valley will be held. The dam was proposed by the Lakeshore Development of Oconomowoc. At one time the development firm planned a 100-foot dam for a 2,800 acre lake, 2 miles wide and 7 miles long in four townships of Sauk and Juneau counties, but apparent difficulties with landowners over needed options forced the project to be scaled down. The 40 foot dam will be built in the area of the old Cobleigh mill dam.

Newspaper Ad

May, 1965

Branigar Organization of Bensenville, IL has completed the purchase of Lake Redstone.

August, 1965

Rising waters of Lake Redstone brought about the official closing of country truck F. The road will be kept open for a while as a service road for equipment across the lake. It was later rerouted.

September, 1965

Almost two hundred homesite's have been sold at Lake Redstone. Buyers have been from a four state area- Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Iowa. The dam at the far end of the 4 1/2 mile lake, rapidly nearing completion, now is at its full height, 60 feet.

https://flic.kr/p/8eXRFeThe lake level, fed constantly by several natural springs and streams in the rock-walled valley, steadily is rising. Planned for 17 1/2 miles of shoreline, it is expected to reach its extreme depth of 38 feet next spring. Construction of the dam's spillway at the lower end of the lake has recently begun. Unlike most man-made lakes, this will not be the usual smooth concrete construction, but will for the most part be blasted out of the valley's natural rock formations at the immediate point. Under this plan, there will be a sparkling waterfall about 34 feet in height, spilling into the Baraboo River.

Complete Article Image

February, 1966

Mt. Redstone rises 270 feet to offer 1,000 foot ski run in a recreation area near Lake Redstone. The area was created when developers cleared brushy undergrowth from the hill's natural contours. A trail house is one of the other facilities planned for the area.

April, 1966: Newspaper Ad

July, 1966

Its formal dedication will not be held until Aug 9, but many area swimmers and boaters are finding recreation at Lake Redstone. The dedication was set for July 20, with Gov. Knowles as the scheduled guest of honor, but was set back when Knowles was called to Washington D.C.

September, 1966

About 200 more lakefront sites have been opened up at Lake Redstone. A mile-long "finger" of the lake was extended recently when a dam across the northwest end of the lake was torn down. More than half of the available lakefront sites have been sold. The lake should reach its maximum level next spring when it rises another 1 1/2 feet.

October, 1966

More than half the available homesite's at Lake Redstone have been sold. Braniger Organization had expected the sale of sites to take four years.

June, 1967

Over half of the 800 homesite's on the 2,350 acres surrounding the lake have been sold and over 40 homes have been built or are under construction now. The lots sell from $1,500 to about $7,000 with a few higher. The roads are installed and will be maintained by the township. Electric wiring also is in.

Newspaper Supplement ad- 1967: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5, Image 6, Image 7

June, 1968

Summer Homes are Getting Bigger Article Image

December, 1968

The last 15 lots in the area were sold to Donald Marklein, a Janesville builder. Marklein bought one of the first homesite's on the 4 1/2 mile long spring fed lake just as it was filling up in the spring of 1965. Since then, the developer Branigar corporation of Chicago has sold 1,740 residential lots.

An estimated 25 retired couples now live in homes on the lake through the winter. Another 200 families will probably spend at least five weekends there this winter. Some 65 percent of the property owners are from the Rockford and Chicago areas of Illinois. An organization of these property owners is now being formed to govern the lake and they will take over in the next few weeks from the Branigar corporation.

1969

October 1974