Lake Ivanhoe, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lake Ivanhoe, Wisconsin
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 Lake Ivanhoe, Wisconsin
Location in Wisconsin
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| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Walworth |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.519 sq mi (1.34 km2) |
| • Land | 0.519 sq mi (1.34 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 886 ft (270 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 461 |
| • Density | 888.2/sq mi (343.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 262 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2586517 |
Lake Ivanhoe is a small community in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. It is known as a "census-designated place". This means it is an area identified by the government for counting people. However, it is not an official city or town. Lake Ivanhoe was special because it was created in the 1920s. It was a vacation spot for middle-class Black families from Chicago. In 2020, about 461 people lived there.
Contents
History of Lake Ivanhoe
How Lake Ivanhoe Started
In 1926, three men named Jeremiah Brumfield, Frank Anglin, and Bradford Watson bought a large farm. They wanted to build a resort community. This resort would be for other middle-class Black families from Chicago. A real estate agent named Ivan Bell helped them buy the land. They named the community Lake Ivanhoe to honor him.
The resort offered private lots where families could build cottages. It also had a music pavilion. This pavilion opened in 1927 with a performance by the famous musician Cab Calloway. The resort also held fun events. These included fishing contests, beauty pageants, and boxing matches.
Challenges and Changes Over Time
Lake Ivanhoe was very popular until 1929. Property sales slowed down during the Great Depression. This was a time when many people lost their jobs and money.
In 1934, Chicago Bears football player Edward Sternaman started buying unsold land at Lake Ivanhoe. He wanted to turn the community into a white resort. He built fences to stop Black residents from using the beach and lake. However, the residents took him to court. A judge decided that the lake was a "public good." This meant everyone had a right to use it. Sternaman then gave up his plans and left the area.
After World War II, more Black families moved to Lake Ivanhoe. By the 1970s, it became a community where people lived all year. In the 1990s, a government housing program brought new white and Latino families to the area. This changed the mix of people living there. By the 2020 census, African Americans made up about 9 percent of the community's population.
Demographics
Demographics is the study of people in a community. It looks at things like how many people live there. It also looks at their ages, races, and other details.
The population of Lake Ivanhoe has changed over the years:
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2010 | 435 | — | |
| 2020 | 461 | 6.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
- In 2010, the population was 435 people.
- In 2020, the population grew to 461 people.
