Lakeside Ballroom, Guttenberg, IA
Iowa Ballroom Project
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photo from the NBEA web site
photo submitted by Steve Brown
photo from the NBEA web site
from the NBEA web site:
The early years:
Written by Barbara Kann, as told by Carl Kann (Barbara’s father) and May Kann (Barbara’s aunt).
photo from the NBEA web site
Entertainers that have played Lakeside Ballroom.
The
ballroom has a capacity of 945 people. It has held over 1,500 for
dances numerous times with some bands drawing over 2,000
enthusiasts. It can comfortably seat 450 people for dances and
800 for banquets. The ballroom is used frequently for
anniversaries, sales, auctions, banquets, and wedding receptions.
It is also used for major dart and ping pong tournaments. The
floor is still in its original 1 & 1/4" white hard maple. The
floor has withstood 3 major floods - the last one in 1965 where there
was 5' of water covering the floor.
The early years:
Written by Barbara Kann, as told by Carl Kann (Barbara’s father) and May Kann (Barbara’s aunt).
Lakeside
was built by William (Hubert) Kann in 1927 on a vacant lot on the north
end of Guttenberg for an original cost of $27,000. It was to be a place
for his children and the local citizens to congregate, play music and
have fun.
Bill and his wife, Josephine, were exceedingly interested in music. Their living room was actually a music room with large oak cases containing just about every musical instrument available at the time. There were violins, clarinet, saxophone, flute, mandolin, guitars, and a large piano that dominated the room. While today’s living room might boast a chair and sofa, theirs had chairs with music racks. If business was slow in his General Merchandise store, after dinner Bill would relax in the living room, pick up his violin, while his wife accompanied him on the bass and the children could select whatever they wanted to play along. Many, many evenings were spent entertaining each other with music. Bill hired a music teacher from Dubuque to come once a week and give classes to the children. Miss Schaetsley arrived on the local train from Dubuque on Friday night, had dinner with the family, taught the children all day on Saturday and returned to Dubuque in the evening. Daughter, May, remembers her first piano recital at three years old. Her feet didn’t touch the pedals but she performed for an array of guests.
As the children entered their teen years, Bill had a family of very talented musicians and was concerned with his children’s activities as any parent today. He combined his concern with his business knowledge and decided a ballroom would be a good venture. He turned to his friend, Louis Bahls, to discuss the mechanics of a good dance floor. Though uneducated as a tradesman, Louis was a genius with the blending of woods, how to make them fit and grow together. Many long evenings were spent in the discussion of a good floor, while the two gentlemen leaned back in their arm chairs, and braced their feet against the pot belly stove in the back of Bill’s store. A dance floor should be something so comfortable that people wouldn’t get tired. It should give spring to their movements.
To enhance the sound effect of their building they imagined a ceiling with hundreds of little lights flickering on a blue background. Lattice work over this would soften those tones. Bill hired Louis Schroeder, a local carpenter, to do the actual building.
Son, Carl, just returned from his trip with the Dollar Steamship Lines as a musician to help the family open the new Lakeside facility. Major bands were hired through an agent in Chicago, but Bill’s children had formed their own band and played during the intermissions. Daughter, May, was a genius at the piano and had won an audition to the Julliard School of Music in Chicago. Carl played an array of reed instruments, including a baritone sax. Leo played bass. Bill’s children were so talented they could play any kind of music from classical through waltzes to the fox-trot. They all played by ‘ear’. They heard the music, could join in or repeat the melody. They did not need the written notes, and were able to play over 2200 different tunes. The band had no drummer, so they invited James (Ed) Schweikert from Osterdock to join the band.
The local paper, Guttenberg Press, carried weekly updates of the building of Lakeside. Headlines announced the purchaser of the first ticket, John C. Kuempel, who also turned out to be the oldest person attending the dance.
There was no lock and dam in Guttenberg at the time, so the ballroom market area included Glen Haven and Cassville, Wisconsin. Bill purchased a river launch to motor to the towns in Wisconsin, pick up guests and deliver them to the Guttenberg side of river behind his warehouse. There they were met with a Studebaker limousine to carry them to Lakeside on the north side. All this travel was free or included in the price of the night’s ticket.
Lakeside was a family affair. It wasn’t long before the evening of music was preceded by afternoon ball games arranged by son, Bill. Guests could picnic in the yard, participate in an afternoon game and enjoy an evening of music and dance. The extravagant floor that the two gentlemen had spent so many nights discussing was a tremendous success. People loved to dance on it and never seemed to get tired.
Son, Edmund (Sonny), was in charge of food, beverage and maintenance at the facility. Bill purchased a surplus plane for him from the Navy, Hispana Suresa, to keep a steady supply. Sonny flew the plane and landed in the field just north of Lakeside. The painted the name Lakeside in large letters on the roof of the building to use for aerial dead-recognition navigation, the only method of navigation at the time. Lindberg and other pioneer aviators used Lakeside as a checkpoint flying from Minneapolis to Chicago and St. Louis. The name Lakeside remained on the rooftop as an aerial checkpoint until it was removed years later with a new roof.
One episode stood out in daughter May’s memory. She was recalling the visit to Lakeside by a beauty queen, Peaches Browning. Peaches came from the east and stayed overnight with the family. May couldn’t remember what the young lady was queen of, but she well remembered the look of pride on her father’s face as the 60 year old gentleman, with Peaches on his arm, walked from the bar room across the dance floor with dancers parting to make the way. On stage he introduced the beauty queen to the delight of his beaming wife and envious buddies, who proceeded to jovially poke each other in the ribs/ The hall lights dimmed and hundreds of lights in the sky blue ceiling flickered in assorted colors to enhance the first waltz of the evening. Bill stepped onto his expensive dance floor with Peaches. It was an evening remembered 75 years later.
Bill and his wife, Josephine, were exceedingly interested in music. Their living room was actually a music room with large oak cases containing just about every musical instrument available at the time. There were violins, clarinet, saxophone, flute, mandolin, guitars, and a large piano that dominated the room. While today’s living room might boast a chair and sofa, theirs had chairs with music racks. If business was slow in his General Merchandise store, after dinner Bill would relax in the living room, pick up his violin, while his wife accompanied him on the bass and the children could select whatever they wanted to play along. Many, many evenings were spent entertaining each other with music. Bill hired a music teacher from Dubuque to come once a week and give classes to the children. Miss Schaetsley arrived on the local train from Dubuque on Friday night, had dinner with the family, taught the children all day on Saturday and returned to Dubuque in the evening. Daughter, May, remembers her first piano recital at three years old. Her feet didn’t touch the pedals but she performed for an array of guests.
As the children entered their teen years, Bill had a family of very talented musicians and was concerned with his children’s activities as any parent today. He combined his concern with his business knowledge and decided a ballroom would be a good venture. He turned to his friend, Louis Bahls, to discuss the mechanics of a good dance floor. Though uneducated as a tradesman, Louis was a genius with the blending of woods, how to make them fit and grow together. Many long evenings were spent in the discussion of a good floor, while the two gentlemen leaned back in their arm chairs, and braced their feet against the pot belly stove in the back of Bill’s store. A dance floor should be something so comfortable that people wouldn’t get tired. It should give spring to their movements.
To enhance the sound effect of their building they imagined a ceiling with hundreds of little lights flickering on a blue background. Lattice work over this would soften those tones. Bill hired Louis Schroeder, a local carpenter, to do the actual building.
Son, Carl, just returned from his trip with the Dollar Steamship Lines as a musician to help the family open the new Lakeside facility. Major bands were hired through an agent in Chicago, but Bill’s children had formed their own band and played during the intermissions. Daughter, May, was a genius at the piano and had won an audition to the Julliard School of Music in Chicago. Carl played an array of reed instruments, including a baritone sax. Leo played bass. Bill’s children were so talented they could play any kind of music from classical through waltzes to the fox-trot. They all played by ‘ear’. They heard the music, could join in or repeat the melody. They did not need the written notes, and were able to play over 2200 different tunes. The band had no drummer, so they invited James (Ed) Schweikert from Osterdock to join the band.
The local paper, Guttenberg Press, carried weekly updates of the building of Lakeside. Headlines announced the purchaser of the first ticket, John C. Kuempel, who also turned out to be the oldest person attending the dance.
There was no lock and dam in Guttenberg at the time, so the ballroom market area included Glen Haven and Cassville, Wisconsin. Bill purchased a river launch to motor to the towns in Wisconsin, pick up guests and deliver them to the Guttenberg side of river behind his warehouse. There they were met with a Studebaker limousine to carry them to Lakeside on the north side. All this travel was free or included in the price of the night’s ticket.
Lakeside was a family affair. It wasn’t long before the evening of music was preceded by afternoon ball games arranged by son, Bill. Guests could picnic in the yard, participate in an afternoon game and enjoy an evening of music and dance. The extravagant floor that the two gentlemen had spent so many nights discussing was a tremendous success. People loved to dance on it and never seemed to get tired.
Son, Edmund (Sonny), was in charge of food, beverage and maintenance at the facility. Bill purchased a surplus plane for him from the Navy, Hispana Suresa, to keep a steady supply. Sonny flew the plane and landed in the field just north of Lakeside. The painted the name Lakeside in large letters on the roof of the building to use for aerial dead-recognition navigation, the only method of navigation at the time. Lindberg and other pioneer aviators used Lakeside as a checkpoint flying from Minneapolis to Chicago and St. Louis. The name Lakeside remained on the rooftop as an aerial checkpoint until it was removed years later with a new roof.
One episode stood out in daughter May’s memory. She was recalling the visit to Lakeside by a beauty queen, Peaches Browning. Peaches came from the east and stayed overnight with the family. May couldn’t remember what the young lady was queen of, but she well remembered the look of pride on her father’s face as the 60 year old gentleman, with Peaches on his arm, walked from the bar room across the dance floor with dancers parting to make the way. On stage he introduced the beauty queen to the delight of his beaming wife and envious buddies, who proceeded to jovially poke each other in the ribs/ The hall lights dimmed and hundreds of lights in the sky blue ceiling flickered in assorted colors to enhance the first waltz of the evening. Bill stepped onto his expensive dance floor with Peaches. It was an evening remembered 75 years later.
photo from the NBEA web site
Entertainers that have played Lakeside Ballroom.
Late 20's thru the 30's
The 40's and 50's
The 60's and 70's
Throughout the timespan of Lakeside Ballroom, local bands made it big here. Some of those include: Gary Willie and his Countrymen, Frank Barry and his Music Masters, Southern Comfort, Sounds of Nashville, Dealer's Choice, and Tussle.
Little
Benny & his Ten Tiny Tots, Coon Sanders Original Nighthawks, Ted
Weems Orchestra, Zez Confrey Orchestra, and the 10 member "colored"
orchestra, Jesse Stone and his Blue Serenaders, who played their hists
"Baby Girl" and "Waiting For The Moon".
The 40's and 50's
Jan
Garber Orchestra, Art Kassel Orchestra, Rex Morgan Orchestra, Leo Greco
and his Pioneers, Tom Owens Cowboys, Johnny Kettleson, Johnny Cash,
Brenda Lee, Andy Doll, Tommy Overstreet, Guy Lombardo, and Lawrence Welk
The 60's and 70's
Everly
Brothers, Herman's Hermits, The Echoes, Hank Thompson, Mickey Gilley,
The Grassroots, Vixen, Bullet, Tommy James and the Shondells, Head
East, and Tommy Overstreet.
Throughout the timespan of Lakeside Ballroom, local bands made it big here. Some of those include: Gary Willie and his Countrymen, Frank Barry and his Music Masters, Southern Comfort, Sounds of Nashville, Dealer's Choice, and Tussle.
from the IRRMA web site (2001)
A Musical family
with the need for a place for their children to enjoy and share their
talent brought about the building of Lakeside ballroom at Guttenberg in
1927. William Hubert "Bill" Kann and his wife Josephine, decided
there needed to be a place for their children and local citizens to
congregate, play music and have fun. The cost of construction was
$27,000.
Kann knew that his dance floor needed to be special. He enlisted the help of his friend Louis Bahls. The two would lean back in their arm chairs with feet braced against the pot belly stove in Kann's general merchandise store, discussing a good "floor plan". They wanted something so comfortable the dancers wouldn't get tired. The floor should give spring to their movements. They also took into consideration sound effects and lighting. A local carpenter, Louis Schroeder, did the actual construction on the lakeside.
A visionary, Kann knew his children, May, Edmund (Sonny), Carl and Lee, had talent so he had their family band play at the intermission when the big bands were on break. he also knew the people would travel some distance to have fun.
No lock and dam system existed in Guttenberg at that time so his market area included Glen Haven and Cassville, Wisconsin. Kann purchased a river launch, traversed the river to the Wisconsin Towns, picked up the guests and delivered them to the Guttenberg side of the river behind his warehouse. There they were met by a driver with a Studebaker Limo to transport them to the Lakeside. All of this was free or included in the price of a night's ticket to the ballroom.
The extravagant floor Kann and Bahls spent so many nights discussing was a tremendous success. People loved to dance and never seemed to get tired.
Because of Sonny's enterprising methods, the Lakeside became a landmark. Sonny was in charge of food, beverage and maintenance at the Lakeside. His father purchased a surplus Hispana Suresa plane from the U.S. Navy so he could keep up with the demand for supplies.
Sonny would land in the field north of the ballroom. They painted Lakeside in large letters on the roof of the building to use for aerial navigation. Pilots only had their sight to depend on for navigation in the early days of Lakeside.
Lindbergh and other pioneer aviators used Lakeside as a checkpoint flying from Minneapolis to Chicago and St. Louis. It was many, many years later before the letters were removed when a new roof was constructed on the Lakeside.
The big bands kept the sound of music filling the Lakeside until the '60s when rock and roll music impacted Iowa's entertainment scene. The ballroom with its wonderful dance floor and sterling reputation, provided a perfect venue for the music that would rock the nation for generations to come.
Kann knew that his dance floor needed to be special. He enlisted the help of his friend Louis Bahls. The two would lean back in their arm chairs with feet braced against the pot belly stove in Kann's general merchandise store, discussing a good "floor plan". They wanted something so comfortable the dancers wouldn't get tired. The floor should give spring to their movements. They also took into consideration sound effects and lighting. A local carpenter, Louis Schroeder, did the actual construction on the lakeside.
A visionary, Kann knew his children, May, Edmund (Sonny), Carl and Lee, had talent so he had their family band play at the intermission when the big bands were on break. he also knew the people would travel some distance to have fun.
No lock and dam system existed in Guttenberg at that time so his market area included Glen Haven and Cassville, Wisconsin. Kann purchased a river launch, traversed the river to the Wisconsin Towns, picked up the guests and delivered them to the Guttenberg side of the river behind his warehouse. There they were met by a driver with a Studebaker Limo to transport them to the Lakeside. All of this was free or included in the price of a night's ticket to the ballroom.
The extravagant floor Kann and Bahls spent so many nights discussing was a tremendous success. People loved to dance and never seemed to get tired.
Because of Sonny's enterprising methods, the Lakeside became a landmark. Sonny was in charge of food, beverage and maintenance at the Lakeside. His father purchased a surplus Hispana Suresa plane from the U.S. Navy so he could keep up with the demand for supplies.
Sonny would land in the field north of the ballroom. They painted Lakeside in large letters on the roof of the building to use for aerial navigation. Pilots only had their sight to depend on for navigation in the early days of Lakeside.
Lindbergh and other pioneer aviators used Lakeside as a checkpoint flying from Minneapolis to Chicago and St. Louis. It was many, many years later before the letters were removed when a new roof was constructed on the Lakeside.
The big bands kept the sound of music filling the Lakeside until the '60s when rock and roll music impacted Iowa's entertainment scene. The ballroom with its wonderful dance floor and sterling reputation, provided a perfect venue for the music that would rock the nation for generations to come.
photo submitted by Steve Brown