What Small Town Living is All About…
Located at 600 West Oak Spring Road in Libertyville, you’ll find fun and recreation for the whole family. You can play and swim in the refreshing spring-fed waters or just relax on the clean sandy beach. Our picnic area is equipped with several picnic tables and charcoal grills. Our concession stand is open daily and provides tasty treats and drinks for the family. Free Wi-Fi an a outdoor shower is available. The lake has been stocked with several pan fish so there’s plenty of good fishing, too. Watch for special events that are planned throughout the season like our Fishing Derby which will be held May 16th from 8:00am to 12:00pm. Operated by the non-profit Libertyville Boat Club and with the help of volunteers, the beach has been operating since 1957. It is a private lake that is supported solely by its members and it’s no cost to taxpayers. When you become a member, you’re helping to preserve the ecology of one of the most important natural resources of this community.The Lake Minear property has a long history in the Village of Libertyville. It was originally the Lake County Fairgrounds until prohibition. The fairgrounds remained abandoned until the mid thirties, when a gravel mining operation was started. A railroad spur was built to haul tons of gravel to market. Concrete foundations for the conveyor and washing tower can still be seen today. Some of this gravel was used in the construction of roads at the Great Lakes Naval Base in North Chicago. One day, as the story goes, Charley Minear hit a natural spring as he operated the drag line that scrapped the bottom of the pit. Cold, clear water bubbled out of the ground and began to form what soon became known as “Charley Minear’s Lake”. In the late 1940′s the gravel operations came to a halt. Rumor has it that Charley’s crane is still at the bottom of the lake, but that has never been proven. In the years that followed, Mother Nature tried to reclaim the lake and the two hundred acres that was once hers. Unfortunately, new problems arose… reckless motor boating and outsiders roughing up local teenagers. On July 18, 1957 the Libertyville Village board, spurred by complaints and disturbances at the gravel pit, asked the owner of the property to grant broad regulatory powers to the village. Instead, the newly organized Libertyville Boat Club came forward to accept the challenge of managing the lake and a portion of the shoreline. Lake Minear Beach became a reality. Since that eventful summer in 1957, the Libertyville Boat Club has cleared brush and overgrowth to provide sandy beaches and grassy picnic areas. The property has been fenced for safety. Since 1985, a conservation program has been on going, resulting in the addition of berms, plantings, trees and picnic areas as well as the restoration of the shoreline for erosion control. The story of Lake Minear Beach is ongoing. It is the story of a special place that people in the Greater Libertyville area have traditionally gone to recreate, relax and enjoy life with each other. This tradition needs to continue to be a part of our lives, our children’s lives as will as those that follow them. If you would like to volunteer and help keep Lake Minear going, please go to the volunteer page for information.
This information was provided from the History of Lake Minear written by William J. Dunn, one of our retired but very devoted board members.
