The Waupaca Chain o’ Lakes are a series of 22 interconnected spring-fed lakes in central Wisconsin. The lakes’ crystal clear waters, steep tree-covered banks, and other unique natural properties have long attracted people to their shores, starting with the pre-Columbian mound builders and Menominee Indians. European American settlers realized the lakes’ potential for recreation in the 1870s and transformed the Chain o’ Lakes and nearby city of Waupaca into major vacation destinations for tourists from all over the United States. Numerous businesses and attractions delighted vacationers throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, including beautiful resort hotels, rustic inns and cottages, religious camps and retreats, family-run restaurants and shops, marinas, tour boats, natural areas, theme parks, the Wisconsin Veterans Home, and even an interurban railway. Thousands of people, especially families, still enjoy the Chain o’ Lakes today.
Zachary Bishop, a historian and lifelong vacationer to the Chain o’ Lakes, has been researching the lakes’ history for the past seven years. Using images from the Waupaca Historical Society, archives across the Midwest, and private collectors, this book documents the Chain o’ Lakes’ exciting history of recreation for locals and tourists alike.