Sheboygan

Lake View Park Bandstand

The plans for the bandstand were made in 1926 with its completion in 1927 - 1928.  Rudolph R. Jahn was the architect.  Current City plans include restoring it as is with the possibility of moving it closer to Lake Michigan for better views. It is close to a shelter in the park, and both are available for rental.

The history of the park is quite fascinating.  From information sent by Donna Borzyskowski, neighbor of the Park:

Honoring, preserving and remembering one of Sheboygan's historically significant parks.
In 1892 , an extension of the streetcar lines to Lake View Park was completed, the Park contained eight acres of natural timber just a little above the beach of Lake Michigan. All through the park are seats, swings, teeters and tables. Immediately joining the park is a large reception and dancing pavilion and connected with this is a dining room, with cooking stove and utensils. Along the terraced front of the park is a drive way, curbing and walks, also driveways leading down to the beach below, which is used extensively for driving. On the beach, there are bathing houses and a breakwater along the entire lake front. In the park there is also a restaurant and band stand and two fine wells of water. Together with the Hotel that was erected for summer visitors, and the improvements and amusements for children, ladies and gentleman in and about the park. The first Lake View Hotel was built circa 1895 and was owned by the Pabst Brewing Company. Pabst owned the building, the furnishings were the property of the Sheboygan Railway and Electric Company. Captain Farnsworth , grandson of Sheboygan's founder William Farnsworth, was the first manager of the hotel. August 17, 1903, fire consumed the hotel. The second hotel was erected in 1904 by the Hildebrand and Ebenreiter Co. for Lake View Amusement Co, It also burned on November 13, 1929, and the hotel was not rebuilt. At the time of this fire, Mike Sacher had owned the hotel for 5 years. The tavern on the NE corner of Lakeshore Drive and Wilson Avenue is what remains of the hotel. During its, heyday, other attractions at Lake View were the "White City" in which the outstanding feature was the figure eight, a well stocked menagerie was kept for a number of years and there was a city baseball park in the SW part of the park. The baseball grandstand was later moved to the Plymouth Fairgrounds. There was also carnivals, balloon ascensions and summer stock theatre. In 1912, a group of 43 shareholders of the Lake Front Shooting Park Association, owners of the land since 1895, offered to sell the tract to the city provided it remained a park. This was a ten acre tract of land immediately south of Lake View Park. At about the same time, the President of the Sheboygan Railway and Electric Company offered to donate the tract land known as Lake View Park, and extending north of the Shooting Park property, to the city. After approval by the Common Council for both acquisitions, the Railroad board of directors refused to confirm its president's proposal. The Shooting Park property was purchased and deeded to the city in March 1915. Lake View Park was finally acquired by purchase, from Wisconsin Power and Light Company in 1970 for $54,000.00.  In  1979, the park which had been known as Shooting Park or Lake View Park or a combination of the two name was officially named Lake View Park by the Common Council.

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