The Mansion Traditional Cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(regular)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This cache is located near a beautiful mansion constructed in 1912 as a summer home for Edward J. Lehmann and his family. The Mansion has been restored to the grandeur of its elegant past courtesy of the wonderful people of Lake Villa.
6/2012-Added a hint.
History
In the 1880s Edward J. Lehmann purchased land between Cedar Lake and Deep Lake. He was the founder of the Fair Department Store on State Street in Chicago. He built this mansion and a private resort with a sumptuous 150-room hotel to entertain friends, guests, and vacationers. Lehmann worked with city officials to build a railroad station in Lake Villa to bring tourists to his resort. The station was on the Wisconsin Central Railroad line and opened in July of 1886.
The arrival of the trains led to the creation of a new industry in Lake Villa. In the winter, blocks of ice were cut from the lake and shipped to Chicago by train. The industry Lehmann introduced provided those in Lake Villa with steady income until the invention of refrigeration.
If you spend time around the area, you will hear the legend surrounding the mansion. Men cutting ice on the lake long ago were part of a chain-gang. A prisoner escaped using an ice saw to slash the guard's neck. He pushed the guard in a hole left by an ice block and pushed the ice on top of him, burying him alive. The legend says you can still hear screaming near the lake on cold winter days. This is why the lake area has grown over and locals stay away.
There is a Civil War Reenactment and Living History Weekend around mid September. This includes a Civil War ball. You can also get a tour of the mansion on that weekend for a fee.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
qbjarq gerr jvgu gur ovttrfg qvnzrgre
furys shatv