LAKE IVANHOE, Wis. — 100 years ago, Black travelers did not have the option to vacation anywhere they wanted because of racism. The Black-owned Lake Ivanhoe became an oasis during those hard times.
Lake Ivanhoe was founded in 1926 by three Black men who wanted to create a resort town for other Black families. It is now a small unincorporated community of 461 people, according to the 2020 United States Census.
The Lake Ivanhoe Property Owners Association is planning a centennial celebration the weekend of July 24 to attract more Wisconsinites to the town.
"We want Lake Ivanhoe to remain a vital community, and in order to do that, we have to have young people come into Lake Ivanhoe," said Gwen Jones, a Lake Ivanhoe native who is organizing the centennial event.
Lake Ivanhoe received a marker from the Wisconsin Historical Society in 2023, thanks in part to the efforts of longtime resident Peter Baker.
Watch: Lake Ivanhoe residents plan centennial celebration for historically Black resort town
"This has always just been the best place in the world for me, period," Baker said. "After I saw it as a kid, I came back home and told my mother about it. "I told her the community was all Black and she said, 'We've got to go up there.'"
Lake Ivanhoe's Black population has dwindled to just 41 residents according to the 2020 Census. However, the street names are a reminder of the motivations behind the town's foundation.
"We had African-American history every time we left the house," Jones said. "When you look at our street signs, you see Dunbar, Charles Young, Tuskegee, Fisk. They are all after African-Americans or historically Black institutions."
Jones and Baker both hope more families of all races move in to continue the town's history for another 100 years. Jones said her daughter is already interested in moving into the old family home that they still own.
"She sees the peace that is available here, and she's come to love it over the years," Jones said.
"It will be new people finding out about it more than anything else," Baker said. "I wish we had some of the elders here still, but the times have gone by."
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