May 19, 2024
News - Joliet and Will County

Memories of the former Joliet Beach Club

About 10 years ago in a moment of nostalgia, I searched "Joliet Beach Club" online and turned up a YouTube video (no longer available) with the title "Michigan Beach, Joliet."

By Denise M. Baran-Unland
I clicked on it, and I was suddenly standing on the grounds near the beach house, which housed concessions, the first time I ever ate Little Debbie chocolate cupcakes, a treat I was allowed to buy just once. In the summers before I turned 10, the Joliet Beach Club located at 420 Rowell Ave. in Joliet, once also known as Michigan Beach, was my favorite place to be. My mother preferred lounging on the sand in a beach chair from home, but father taught us basic swimming techniques, the dog paddle and the dead man's float. I remember the blue of the water and the sparkling sun. I remember gazing past the rope to the deep waters where the big kids swam. But one had to pass a swimming test first, and I could not technically swim. Our neighbor Dale O'Connell Sr. (deceased) managed the club. Periodically he would call out someone's name, with a stern instruction to come to the office. My father said those were the swimmers who were not obeying the rules. One day, "Mr. O'Connell" boomed over the loudspeaker: "Denise and Karen Schonbachler: Come to the office." Quaking with fear and wondering what rule I broke,  I splashed out of the water and huddled on our blanket. Soon, our neighbor came out to us. "Since you've been so good, you may each take home a bucket of sand and a bucket of water," he said. Well, I had a sandbox and a kiddie pool at home. And one bucket of sand and one bucket of water from the Joliet Beach Club could not recreate all the fun of being there. But since watching that video of the beach club, I've had a strong desire to walk those grounds once again. Maybe someday.

I clicked on it, and I was suddenly standing on the grounds near the beach house, which housed concessions, the first time I ever ate Little Debbie chocolate cupcakes, a treat I was allowed to buy just once. In the summers before I turned 10, the Joliet Beach Club located at 420 Rowell Ave. in Joliet, once also known as Michigan Beach, was my favorite place to be. My mother preferred lounging on the sand in a beach chair from home, but father taught us basic swimming techniques, the dog paddle and the dead man's float. I remember the blue of the water and the sparkling sun. I remember gazing past the rope to the deep waters where the big kids swam. But one had to pass a swimming test first, and I could not technically swim. Our neighbor Dale O'Connell Sr. (deceased) managed the club. Periodically he would call out someone's name, with a stern instruction to come to the office. My father said those were the swimmers who were not obeying the rules. One day, "Mr. O'Connell" boomed over the loudspeaker: "Denise and Karen Schonbachler: Come to the office." Quaking with fear and wondering what rule I broke,  I splashed out of the water and huddled on our blanket. Soon, our neighbor came out to us. "Since you've been so good, you may each take home a bucket of sand and a bucket of water," he said. Well, I had a sandbox and a kiddie pool at home. And one bucket of sand and one bucket of water from the Joliet Beach Club could not recreate all the fun of being there. But since watching that video of the beach club, I've had a strong desire to walk those grounds once again. Maybe someday. (Denise Unland)

I clicked on it, and I was suddenly standing on the grounds near the beach house, which housed concessions, the first time I ever ate Little Debbie chocolate cupcakes, a treat I was allowed to buy just once. In the summers before I turned 10, the Joliet Beach Club located at 420 Rowell Ave. in Joliet, once also known as Michigan Beach, was my favorite place to be. My mother preferred lounging on the sand in a beach chair from home, but father taught us basic swimming techniques, the dog paddle and the dead man's float. I remember the blue of the water and the sparkling sun. I remember gazing past the rope to the deep waters where the big kids swam. But one had to pass a swimming test first, and I could not technically swim. Our neighbor Dale O'Connell Sr. (deceased) managed the club. Periodically he would call out someone's name, with a stern instruction to come to the office. My father said those were the swimmers who were not obeying the rules. One day, "Mr. O'Connell" boomed over the loudspeaker: "Denise and Karen Schonbachler: Come to the office." Quaking with fear and wondering what rule I broke,  I splashed out of the water and huddled on our blanket. Soon, our neighbor came out to us. "Since you've been so good, you may each take home a bucket of sand and a bucket of water," he said. Well, I had a sandbox and a kiddie pool at home. And one bucket of sand and one bucket of water from the Joliet Beach Club could not recreate all the fun of being there. But since watching that video of the beach club, I've had a strong desire to walk those grounds once again. Maybe someday.

I clicked on it, and I was suddenly standing on the grounds near the beach house, which housed concessions, the first time I ever ate Little Debbie chocolate cupcakes, a treat I was allowed to buy just once. In the summers before I turned 10, the Joliet Beach Club located at 420 Rowell Ave. in Joliet, once also known as Michigan Beach, was my favorite place to be. My mother preferred lounging on the sand in a beach chair from home, but father taught us basic swimming techniques, the dog paddle and the dead man's float. I remember the blue of the water and the sparkling sun. I remember gazing past the rope to the deep waters where the big kids swam. But one had to pass a swimming test first, and I could not technically swim. Our neighbor Dale O'Connell Sr. (deceased) managed the club. Periodically he would call out someone's name, with a stern instruction to come to the office. My father said those were the swimmers who were not obeying the rules. One day, "Mr. O'Connell" boomed over the loudspeaker: "Denise and Karen Schonbachler: Come to the office." Quaking with fear and wondering what rule I broke,  I splashed out of the water and huddled on our blanket. Soon, our neighbor came out to us. "Since you've been so good, you may each take home a bucket of sand and a bucket of water," he said. Well, I had a sandbox and a kiddie pool at home. And one bucket of sand and one bucket of water from the Joliet Beach Club could not recreate all the fun of being there. But since watching that video of the beach club, I've had a strong desire to walk those grounds once again. Maybe someday. (Denise Unland)

Elmer Geissler, formerly of Joliet and now of Lockport, said he worked for the Keck family full-time and "kept the books for them" when the family owned the Joliet Beach Club. "When I was a kid 80 years ago, it was a bathing beach called Michigan Beach," Geissler said. "It sat vacant for awhile people went over and washed their cars and stuff." Eventually Norm and Jack Keck bought the property, renamed it the Joliet Beach Club and "started to make something out of it," by adding "a beach house with showers and a concession stand and an office." "They got it late in the summer," Geissler said. "The first load of sand came in a gondola car. The Keck family and friends had a weekend there trying to unload that car of sand. It didn't come in dry. We shoveled out most of that wet sand." "A" memberships allowed members to use the club as often as they liked. "B" memberships came with a daily free, Geissler said.

Elmer Geissler, formerly of Joliet and now of Lockport, said he worked for the Keck family full-time and "kept the books for them" when the family owned the Joliet Beach Club. "When I was a kid 80 years ago, it was a bathing beach called Michigan Beach," Geissler said. "It sat vacant for awhile people went over and washed their cars and stuff." Eventually Norm and Jack Keck bought the property, renamed it the Joliet Beach Club and "started to make something out of it," by adding "a beach house with showers and a concession stand and an office." "They got it late in the summer," Geissler said. "The first load of sand came in a gondola car. The Keck family and friends had a weekend there trying to unload that car of sand. It didn't come in dry. We shoveled out most of that wet sand." "A" memberships allowed members to use the club as often as they liked. "B" memberships came with a daily free, Geissler said. (Photo provided)

Wayne Waddell said the first manager, George Fahrnholz, hired Waddell as one of three lifeguards in 1959, when Waddell was in college. Waddell said he helped put in the diving tower, which had a low diving board and a high diving board. He recalled using an aqua lung to help stabilize the tower with rocks (the bottom of the tower had an aluminum structure, he said) and using that aqua lung to swim around shallower waters. "About another 30 yards out was the deep part of the quarry," Waddell said. "We could see the cars down there, but I didn't go down there and touch them because I was chicken." The club's second manager was Don Kienlen and the third was Dale O'Connell, he said. "I used to ride my bike around the beach club when I was about 12 years old," Waddell said. "I rode it around the back side of that beach club and fell off a cliff with the bike and I was hanging onto my bike. The handlebar didn't have any rubber on that side so I scraped my back with that handle. "My mother had told me, 'Don't go out to that side,' so I went out to that side to check it out. If I would have hit my head, I would have drowned. It was very traumatic." Waddell said he never told his mother about the accident. "She never saw the scar on my back either," Waddell added. "True story."

Wayne Waddell said the first manager, George Fahrnholz, hired Waddell as one of three lifeguards in 1959, when Waddell was in college. Waddell said he helped put in the diving tower, which had a low diving board and a high diving board. He recalled using an aqua lung to help stabilize the tower with rocks (the bottom of the tower had an aluminum structure, he said) and using that aqua lung to swim around shallower waters. "About another 30 yards out was the deep part of the quarry," Waddell said. "We could see the cars down there, but I didn't go down there and touch them because I was chicken." The club's second manager was Don Kienlen and the third was Dale O'Connell, he said. "I used to ride my bike around the beach club when I was about 12 years old," Waddell said. "I rode it around the back side of that beach club and fell off a cliff with the bike and I was hanging onto my bike. The handlebar didn't have any rubber on that side so I scraped my back with that handle. "My mother had told me, 'Don't go out to that side,' so I went out to that side to check it out. If I would have hit my head, I would have drowned. It was very traumatic." Waddell said he never told his mother about the accident. "She never saw the scar on my back either," Waddell added. "True story." (Photo provided)

Dee Bode of Joliet, who grew up in Lockport, hung out at the Joliet Beach Club from 1967 to 1971 with her first serious boyfriend, she said. Bode said the club attracted many high school and college students. "They had food food; they had swimming; and you could lay out on the sand," Bode said. "It was a just a fun place to go that your parents would not have to worry about you." Bode said she heard many "folk tales" about various object at the bottom of the quarry, far below the surface of the waters. "There was a report that a train was under there," Bode said. Philip Stebbins, 77, of Elwood, was one of those people who drove his car into the water on the Rowell Avenue side of the property where "it was pretty shallow," he said. "We also jumped off the cliff on the railroad side," Stebbins said. "It was about 20 feet off the water. Also, rich guys raced around in motor boats. I saw a guy lose his motor. He didn't have it secured." Stebbins said the water were full of fish, especially blue gill, catfish and black bass. "The bass we threw back in; they weren't good for eating," Stebbins said. "But the blue gills were good."

Dee Bode of Joliet, who grew up in Lockport, hung out at the Joliet Beach Club from 1967 to 1971 with her first serious boyfriend, she said. Bode said the club attracted many high school and college students. "They had food food; they had swimming; and you could lay out on the sand," Bode said. "It was a just a fun place to go that your parents would not have to worry about you." Bode said she heard many "folk tales" about various object at the bottom of the quarry, far below the surface of the waters. "There was a report that a train was under there," Bode said. Philip Stebbins, 77, of Elwood, was one of those people who drove his car into the water on the Rowell Avenue side of the property where "it was pretty shallow," he said. "We also jumped off the cliff on the railroad side," Stebbins said. "It was about 20 feet off the water. Also, rich guys raced around in motor boats. I saw a guy lose his motor. He didn't have it secured." Stebbins said the water were full of fish, especially blue gill, catfish and black bass. "The bass we threw back in; they weren't good for eating," Stebbins said. "But the blue gills were good." (Courtesy of)

Dale O'Connell Jr. Dale Sr.'s son, worked at the Joliet Beach Club for one summer as a lifeguard, the summer of 1965. He also taught young children to swim. When the O'Connell family had lived in Mishawaka, Indiana, the high school opened up its pool for swimming lessons, and Dale Jr. taught swimming lessons at that pool, which Dale Sr. managed, he said. That's where Dale Jr. received his experience. "It was good," Dale Jr. said. of the Joliet Beach Club. "We did meet a lot of people at that time because I was new in town.

Dale O'Connell Jr. Dale Sr.'s son, worked at the Joliet Beach Club for one summer as a lifeguard, the summer of 1965. He also taught young children to swim. When the O'Connell family had lived in Mishawaka, Indiana, the high school opened up its pool for swimming lessons, and Dale Jr. taught swimming lessons at that pool, which Dale Sr. managed, he said. That's where Dale Jr. received his experience. "It was good," Dale Jr. said. of the Joliet Beach Club. "We did meet a lot of people at that time because I was new in town. (Photo provided)

Mike O'Connell of Shorewood, Dale's brother, said he met his wife Justine at the club. Mike was 15 and a lifeguard. Justine was 14 and had broken a club rule. Justine's mother Judith Jothen also worked the gate, Mike said. "A lifeguard holding up one finger meant the swimmer was beached for five minutes; two fingers, ten minutes, Mike said. Mike spent most of his summers, starting from the end of eighth grade through age 19, at the Joliet Beach Club. Lifeguards had a diving tank by their chairs and received a 10-minute lesson on how to use it, he said. He recalled arriving early to the club with other teens his age. They would take the tanks, as well as tanks patrons had left overnight for refills, explore the quarry waters and then refill and return them before the club opened. Mike recalled seeing railroad tracks (but no trains) and a shack. "We brought up some shovels and things from that shack," Mike said. One of the lifeguards' favorite games during was playing "diving tower tag," which included crawling up the towers' sides. "I think in today's world with lawsuits they wouldn't let people do that," Mike said. "But it was actually a lot of fun."

Mike O'Connell of Shorewood, Dale's brother, said he met his wife Justine at the club. Mike was 15 and a lifeguard. Justine was 14 and had broken a club rule. Justine's mother Judith Jothen also worked the gate, Mike said. "A lifeguard holding up one finger meant the swimmer was beached for five minutes; two fingers, ten minutes, Mike said. Mike spent most of his summers, starting from the end of eighth grade through age 19, at the Joliet Beach Club. Lifeguards had a diving tank by their chairs and received a 10-minute lesson on how to use it, he said. He recalled arriving early to the club with other teens his age. They would take the tanks, as well as tanks patrons had left overnight for refills, explore the quarry waters and then refill and return them before the club opened. Mike recalled seeing railroad tracks (but no trains) and a shack. "We brought up some shovels and things from that shack," Mike said. One of the lifeguards' favorite games during was playing "diving tower tag," which included crawling up the towers' sides. "I think in today's world with lawsuits they wouldn't let people do that," Mike said. "But it was actually a lot of fun." (Courtesy of)

Editor's note: According to a 2015 post from the Facebook oage, Did You kow, Joliet? Michigan Beach, later home of the Joliet Beach Club, was made from a filled-in quarry in 1920.

Editor's note: According to a 2015 post from the Facebook oage, Did You kow, Joliet? Michigan Beach, later home of the Joliet Beach Club, was made from a filled-in quarry in 1920. (Courtesy of)

For 50 years, this site served as a fishing and swimming spot for Joliet residents, eventually closing due to poor maintenance.

For 50 years, this site served as a fishing and swimming spot for Joliet residents, eventually closing due to poor maintenance. (Courtesy of)

In more recent years, the lake was used as a training facility for local fire departments,

In more recent years, the lake was used as a training facility for local fire departments, (Courtesy of)

JolietWill CountyPeople
Denise Unland

Denise M. Baran-Unland

Denise M. Baran-Unland is the features editor for The Herald-News in Joliet. She covers a variety of human interest stories. She also writes the long-time weekly tribute feature “An Extraordinary Life about local people who have died. She studied journalism at the College of St. Francis in Joliet, now the University of St. Francis.