Wildwood Lake Resort
Near 11020 Lakeview Drive, Raytown, Missouri, by the side of the seven-acre Lake Ira, sets a limestone marker with a bronze plaque which reads:
W. C. Glover, Sr. 1874-1954 Wildwood Lakes was a culmination of one of Pop Glover’s dreams. We, friends and neighbors, who live in Wildwood have erected this memorial as a token of our love and affection. May all who enjoy these beautiful surroundings revere the memory of our friend.
This dream took place in the early 1920’s one mile south of the village of Raytown, a growing suburb of Kansas City. The beautiful drive along Blue Ridge Boulevard attracted tourists, and former large farms were becoming sub-divisions. Two lumberyards hustled to fill the orders for the new homes being constructed. George Cassell’s General Store’s ice cream business was challenged by the Heck Drug Store. W. F. Muir’s General Store held the post-office. Robinson and Lewis completed their Ford Agency building. Paschal’s modern restaurant was famous for its fried chicken and ham dinners. In 1929 residents celebrated the paving of Raytown Road from 63rd street to Kansas City.
No one has recorded when Glover began to dream of the Wildwood Lake Resort or why Raytown was the chosen place.
W. C. “Pop” Glover, oldest of four children, was born Valentine’s Day, 1874, in Americus, Georgia. At an early age he traveled throughout eastern United States until he established a laundry business in Shreveport, Louisiana. Later he had a cleaning firm in El Dorado, Kansas. While living there he invented a clarification and purification system for dry cleaning.
In 1923 he became affiliated with the Butler Manufacturing Company, in Kansas City, Missouri, as the Glover Sales Division of laundry and dry cleaning equipment.
E. E. Norquist, president of the Butler Manufacturing Company, and Mr. Glover, in 1923, purchased 167 acres of wooded land bordered on the east by Woodson Road, south of 67th street to the Rock Island Railroad tracks. They planned to build a thirty-acre family amusement park with scenic roads, lakes for swimming and fishing, also summer cottages.
At the time of purchase, access to the farm was from 63rd street, turning south on Robinson Road (now called Willow), then east on a dirt road (67th street) and south into a parking lot (near present Crisp).
A farmhouse and out buildings were located near 67th and Vermont Street. Mrs. Merle Glover remembers it as a one and a half story house, facing north with the barn nearby. The farm was leased to a farmer, who took care of the prize winning Hampshire hogs owned by Mr. Glover.
Norquist and Glover took advantage of the numerous springs and the contour of the land to form five lakes named for relatives. The large fishing lake was named for a sister, Ira, and the swimming lake for her twin sister, Ora. Memories fail to agree on the three remaining lakes but one was Lake Edna for Glover’s first wife, Edna Todd Glover; Lake Lorraine, a fish hatchery or spawning lake, for Norquist’s daughter, Lorraine, and one unnamed.
In 1926 Glover bought Norquist’s interest in the property. Teams of horses began the construction of a forty-foot high dam, streets and roads were opened, although the only access to the South side was across the dam to the picnic area. The picnic area was terraced with a few fireplaces.
On Memorial Day, in 1927, a newspaper article reported that Glover had developed two lakes, one of 17 acres, and another about one acre. The principal building was 48×120 feet. The rustic pavilion was on the shore of the larger body of water. The first floor was devoted to dressing rooms and lockers. On the second floor was a grill room, with chairs surrounding the dance floor.
Nearby was a public bathing beach with sand and rock beds. Many loads of sand had been brought in. The swimming lake had been filled with water from the upper lake. There were shallow wading sections and deeper water in the diving area. Diving exhibitions became a part of the entertainment.
The smaller lake grounds were reserved for the use of large parties and convention groups. A twenty-acre tract was used by the Boy Scouts. The recreational section contained shuffle-board and tennis courts, and a baseball diamond. One admission fee covered all activities.
While the parents were busy with their activities their children, under six, were cared for in Kiddieland, playing in the sand and on the slides and rides, while being supervised by competent attendants.
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Mrs. Merle Glover remembers that the pool was open every day of the week except on Mondays. It was necessary to have several lifeguards at the pools, all had received Red Cross lifesaving courses.
Two lifeguards were with the resort for many years ready to work from Memorial Day until the third Sunday in September. Jerry Spanier was a teacher of swimming at Baker University and held a master’s degree from the American Swimming Association. Jimmy Powell was another lifeguard she remembers.
Mrs. Glover also recalled that on many holidays 3,000 people would drive for miles to reach Wildwood to swim and to dance. The laundry trucks would spend the day stationed nearby to pickup and deliver towels. There would be as many as 15 to 20 lifeguards there on busy days.
Merle also remembers the concession stand which sold hotdogs and drinks. If there was no band a victrola played records for the dancers. No one was supposed to fool around with the record or the needles.
Throughout all of this building and planning period an Irishman, by the name of Bill Carter, had been employed as a skilled rock layer. At one time fifteen large stone flower beds filled with flowers was an added feature. After completing this work he remained as a caretaker for Glover until his death in 1957.
In 1929 Butler officials had built three summer cabins high on a hill at the end of the present Lakeshore Drive. One was used by William C. and Edna Glover.
A group of articles from THE KANSAS CITY STAR relate the expansion, development of the resort, and entertainers. These are mentioned for those persons who may wish to refresh the memories they enjoyed at the Wildwood Lake Resort.
1930: The resort will stay open all of the night of July 3rd. A crowd of 10,000 is expected on July 4th to see the fireworks display, dance matinee from 3 to 6, baseball game at 3, dance to the music of two orchestras.
1931: A free opening night to see the redecorated clubhouse and dance floor. The ten-piece McElroy Kansas Citians will provide dance music. New activities; archery, deck shuffle-board, eight horseshoe pitching ranges; five croquet courts; two baseball diamonds; fifty picnic ovens; miniature golf; riding on horses, ponies and goats. Sixty-three organizations had reservations
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for picnics.
1932: A group of Czechoslovakian families from Kansas City decided to build a clubhouse in this region. They chose a lot on the south side of the dam at the edge of the alfalfa field. Purchasing an acre of land from Glover for $1,000 they built the clubhouse the following summer.
According to the June, 1971, issue of the WILDWOOD BREEZE, lumber and stones were purchased from the Raytown area and the thirty members built the structure. The stone walls were thick, as much as eighteen inches in some places. The upper floor was used for dancing and eating took place on the lower floor. Little is known about this group of persons but by 1954 their membership of seven people sold the property to the Wildwood Lakes Homeowners Association.
1935: First annual Raytown Chamber of Commerce Horse Show held on August 4-5, under leadership of J. L. Cox, chamber president. Seats available for 5,000 persons. $600 in prizes. Among the 200 expected entries were: R. L. Gray and family; Dr. Harry S. Lane and daughter, Jean Lee; B.C. Hedges, W.E. Murray, Glenn Bryand.
1936: Boxing exhibitions each Friday night; wrestling matches on Saturday evening, followed by dances in the clubhouse with Hudgens Paramount Club. Free transportation on bus lines was provided; the route ran from Wildwood lakes to highway 50 to 48th and Prospect, north to 31st street, east on 31st to highway 40 to Leeds, to the lake. On holidays and Sundays busses started at 10 AM and ran until after midnight.
Glover had been developing the property around Lake Ira and selling lots for permanent homes. He named the streets for some of his friends. The honorees were: Dodds for Tom Dodds of Dodd’s Cleaning Products, 40th and Main; Mays for Arthur May of Charlotte, North Carolina; Fishburn for “Dad” Fish- burn of Fort Worth, Texas; Heinz for Arthur Heinz of West Virginia; Lewis for Lloyd Lewis of Hutchinson, Kansas. Later the postal department renamed the streets as: Ralston, Northern, Appleton, Harris, Harvard and Sterling.
1937: Jackson County Court Records record the Wildwood Homes Inc. was formed in June, 1937 with W. C. Glover, Louis Lowenstein and Gilbert L. Worley as stockholders. A news item stated that Lowenstein and Worley had bought 150 acres of land from W. C. Glover and have replatted the area
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with plans to build 700 low-cost houses with $4,500 maxium. Glover was to retain the swimming lake, dance hall and concession.
1941: September 1, thousands of white persons had come to celebrate the A.F.L. Day picnic. Due to the rainy weather they either sat in their cars to eat, swam in the lake or danced to the music of Harry Kaufmann’s orchestra and watched the fireworks. The Raytown streets were filled with disappointed celebrants.
Negroes of the A.F.L. were to begin their celebration at 5:30 the following day. It was estimated that 4,000 Negroes waited at Sixty-third and Prospect for transportation. Thirty cabs were pressed into service rushing back and forth until 2 o’clock in the morning.
In spite of the presence of able and well trained lifeguards at the pool there had been some drownings and injuries. Osborne V. Holquist dived into the shallow waters and died of a neck injury. John Smith and friends overturned in their row boat, while trying to retrieve an oar, he disappeared. Warren Tucker spent two hours in the lake and declared he could no longer swim. His friends were unable to help him for they, too, were too tired. Lee Shulsky, thought to have been struck in the head by a large wooden disc, may have been affected by the heat as no bruises were found. Lee Bettinger, 11 years old, playing on a metal float, may have been struck by the edge of the float.
1944: Bush & Laube, B&L, Concessions purchased the swimming
lake. A fence was erected to enclose the picnic area, miniature golf course, merry-go-round, softball diamond and parking lot. Well known musicians as Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Connie Boswell and Snookie Lanson came.
1956: An enlarged picnic area with 100 ovens, a Ferris wheel. A new open air amphitheater was in use. Big name bands brought well known musicians to the indoor and outdoor dance floors as Somethin’ Smith and The Red Heads, Nick Noble, Cathy Carr, Art Hodes and his Dixieland Hi-Fivers, The Ames Brothers, Cell Block Seven, Mildred Lyon’s Lyonettes Dancing
Line, and Larry Phillips. Vic Allen, Bob Shaw, Mr. and Mrs. George Griffin were in charge.
1957: Advertisements quoted an outdoor dance floor with a seating capacity of 11,000 square feet, 60 acre picnic area. Some of the entertainers were; Jimmy Long and his band, Sandee Moore and her glee club, and Mickey Gravins.
1958: Opening day was on June 21 with twice weekly entertainment by country and western music, radio and TV personalities. The KCKN Rhythm
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Boys played each Saturday and Sunday. Gordon Dudero played the accordion, piano and electric organ. Other shows were by Carl Smith with Bun Wilson and the Tune-smiths, and Lee Copley and his orchestra.
Late in the 1950’s the area began to deteriorate. A teenager, in March, 1966, was killed falling through the pavilion roof. In July, the building burned.
W. C. Glover, in July, 1951, had formed a homeowners association which was to pay a yearly fee of $250, part of this fee was to be used to maintain Lake Ira. The association included residents living in the vicinity of Lake Ira, who could use the lake for fishing and swimming with permission to build docks or boat landings, no power boats, no limit on number or size of fish caught, no frog killing. The association would agree to fill the swimming lake, below Lake Ira, each May. At one time there were 180 active members in this organization.
The Wildwood Homeowners Association faced another challenge in 1954. The Czechoslovak Clubhouse could be purchased for $5,500 with a $1.500 down payment. Thirty families contributed $10-$20 amounts with a total of $738 collected. The Ladies Auxiliary held card parties, bake sales, rummage sales, a cookbook was printed. The first payment was met. On November 1, 1954 they took over the clubhouse – plus a loan of $4,000 with interest. Also Mrs. Merle Glover sold them an acre of land east of the clubhouse for $1,000 on October first, 1956. Thus began an organization with a goal requiring the help of everyone in that community.
The homeowners were not content to accept a piece of property with a loan to pay but decided to make the clubhouse into a comfortable modern building in which they could have social meetings. Here was a building with no ceilings, no running water, heating by an oil stove on each floor, and a rustic outdoor out-house. Also needed was painting and replacement of windows and the dock.
Back to work they went. The ladies held card parties and bake sales, fixed and provided food for the quarterly association dinners. They were able to purchase drapes, tables and chairs, silverware and coffee urns.
Bill Rasnick, head carpenter, with his crew; Tom Croskey, Ken Huston, and Roy Thomas, put in wall board, ceilings, new windows, partitions and a dock.
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Bernie Gray, chief plumber, helped to lay a copper pipe from an outlet near Northern street, under the lake and into the clubhouse.
Cliff Ossenford’s company, Peerless Products, contracted the new ceiling. Charlie Barnett painted the clubhouse in 1966. The indoor bathroom was installed in 1968. Bill McClanahan, heating and cooling installer, donated his profit and time to install a new furnace. In 1970, Phyllis Miller, spearheaded the renovation of the kitchen and Marty Graham provided the hours of installation labor.
Ted Merrell had spent many hours making inside and outside improvements of the house, enclosing the porch and stairway, making a wooden bar upstairs.
Other members contributed many hours of their talents to make the clubhouse an important part of their community.
All loans were retired in 1961. Hill Garrison, the first president of the association, assisted in the burning of the mortgages in a celebration, November 11, 1961.
In 1951, an annual event, Wildwood Days, was begun, held on the last Saturday in July. This was for enjoyment as well as a fund raising time for important events. Many a local family has taken part in the fishing derby, pet show, bake sale, and games. Aspiring young ladies entered the “Miss Wildwood” pageant held from 1959 to 1985.
The Wildwood Ladies’ Auxiliary was formed to promote friendship and activities for the betterment of their homes and the community. They held an annual “Christmas Preview”, a craft bazaar with luncheon served. The public viewed homes decorated with unusual and attractive Christmas decorations. Many local organizations profited from the proceeds of this event.
In the early sixties, Lawrence Mock and Aaron Scott bought land south of the lake and developed an area of large residents there. In 1966, Ralph Watt, Jim Watt and Tom Homer formed Wildwood Properties Inc. and bought the 70 acre property from Bush & Laube corporation and promoted another beautiful residential addition. The apartment complex on Woodson Road, east of the swimming lake, was the last part of the original Wildwood Lake to be developed.
The Wildwood Lakes Homeowners Association continues to be
responsible for the upkeep of Lake Ira and its privileges of fishing and boating. Two unusually large floods damaged the dam and the organization
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has regretfully razed the clubhouse and other available lots to restore and secure the dam.
The dedication of a historical marker about the Wildwood Lake Resort will be made by the Raytown Historical Society on Sunday afternoon, 2 P. M., October 15, 1989.
The marker will be placed at 11020 Lakeview Drive, near the memorial to W. C. Glover, Sr. It will read:
WILDWOOD LAKE RESORT
A 167 acre farm purchased by W. C. “Pop” Glover and E. E. Norquist in 1923. It became a popular metropolitan recreational area famous for swim
ming, picnicking and dancing, from 1927-1957. The Wildwood Lakes Homeowners Association used the former K.C. Czechosolvak Clubhouse
(1932-195 until 1989 and continues to maintain the upper lake.
The public is invited to share with all of us their memories of pleasant times they have had at the resort. Local lake residents close a thirty-five year period of hard work to save a place and an era of fun and pleasure.
SOURCES
Clippings from THE KANSAS CITY STAR AND TIMES and RAYTOWN NEWS
WILDWOOD BREEZE, publication of the Wildwood Homeowners Association
Interview with Mrs. Merle Glover
