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(Also known as Devil’s Lake or Somonauk Lake)
At the southwest edge of Sandwich once lay a broad, shallow body of water known as Davis Lake. Sometimes referred to as Devil’s Lake or Somonauk Lake, it covered roughly eighty acres and included several adjoining sloughs that spread across the low ground west of town. For many years it served as one of Sandwich’s most popular outdoor gathering places.
During the nineteenth century the lake was used extensively for recreation. Residents hunted, fished, rowed, and sailed on its waters in the warmer months, while in winter the frozen surface provided skating and a dependable source of harvested ice. Thousands of ducks migrated through the area each fall, attracting hunters from Sandwich and surrounding communities. Although widely enjoyed, the lake was known for its muddy shoreline rather than sandy beaches, with knee-deep mud along much of its edge.
Ownership of much of the lake property belonged to George W. Davis, son of early pioneer settler William Davis, whose family had settled in the nearby Freeland area northwest of Sandwich. An April 1882 newspaper account described the lake as eight to ten feet deep and approximately one half mile long. George Davis kept both a rowboat and a sailboat on the lake for recreation and profit. By June 1883 another resident had added a yacht style sailboat, reportedly the largest vessel ever seen on Davis Lake.
The lake was also used by organized sporting groups. Fishing and hunting clubs operated on the lake grounds, and in 1898 the Davis Lake Hunting Club placed a notice in the Sandwich Argus newspaper requesting that certain individuals cease trespassing on the property.
Local memories describe the lake as a favorite gathering place for young people of Sandwich. The surrounding woods contained abundant hickory, walnut, and hazelnut trees, and boys often gathered there to collect nuts in the fall. Rivalries sometimes developed over these resources, and stories tell of improvised devices made from pipe and black powder used to scare competitors away from the best nut gathering spots.
By the early twentieth century, however, the lake was beginning to decline. Water levels gradually dropped, and during the winter of 1910 the lake froze solid to the bottom, killing its fish population. The following spring brought heavy mosquito infestations and the smell of decaying fish, leading to widespread complaints and renewed discussion about draining the lake.
In 1912 the Northville, Sandwich, and Little Rock Townships Special Drainage District was organized to address the problem. Plans were made to drain the lake and surrounding wetlands in order to convert the land to agricultural use. Approximately 800 acres were ultimately drained through a system of ditches and drainage tile extending nearly two and one half miles east to Little Rock Creek.
Construction began in 1913 when an Amboy firm, R. E. Egan, was awarded the contract. The project was overseen by engineer John Cortright and carried water east through the City of Sandwich and beneath the local high school football field before emptying into Little Rock Creek. The City of Sandwich contributed $5,000 toward the project.
In the years following the drainage, there were occasional proposals to restore Davis Lake. The most serious effort occurred in the mid-1940s when a local sportsmen’s club explored the possibility of creating a conservation lake at the site. After surveying the area, however, the Illinois Department of Conservation concluded that there was not enough reliable freshwater supply to sustain such a project.
Today the former lakebed remains part of an active drainage district that continues to manage water flow in order to keep the land productive for agriculture. Although Davis Lake has long since disappeared from the landscape, it once played an important role in the recreation, economy, and daily life of early Sandwich residents.
Memories of Davis Lake
Local historian Leon Cook recalled Davis Lake as one of Sandwich’s most memorable landmarks. Writing in his book “Regional History”, Cook described the lake as a popular gathering place for young people who came to swim, fish, and collect nuts from the surrounding woods. He noted that thousands of ducks arrived each fall, drawing hunters from both Sandwich and neighboring towns, and that the lake served as the town’s ice supply for many years.
Cook also remembered the spirited rivalries among boys gathering walnuts and hickory nuts near the lake, joking that the disputes contributed to the south side of Sandwich becoming known as the “Bloody Third Ward.”
Sources
Hardekopf, Joan. “Sandwich Had a Lake.” Cornsilk, DeKalb County Historical Genealogical Society Newsletter, Winter 2014, Vol. 33, No. 4.
Historic photographs courtesy of the Stone Mill Museum, Sandwich, Illinois.
Cook, Leon. Regional History: A Story About People Tri-County Today Press, 1977