History of the National Athletic Club

In the spring of 1892, a mere handful of young men, boys you might say, between the ages of 18 and 25 were inspired by the idea of creating an organization—a social and athletic club—where they could unwind after a hard day's work and engage in the sports they cherished. Their goal was to develop themselves both mentally and physically while nurturing the ambitions of other young men who, with their natural talent and ability, might someday become a shining star in the sports world. Thus, the National Athletic Club (NAC) came into being.

This tiny seed of an idea flourished swiftly. No sooner had the concept been discussed than, on May 27, 1892, the National Athletic Club was formally incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois. The first meeting under this state charter took place on June 2nd of that year in a modest room at Fisk and 20th Street. Little did those young men know that the history of NAC would eventually lead to a celebration of its 100th anniversary.

Good news spreads quickly. It wasn't long before many other young men began inquiring about this unique organization. Memberships grew so rapidly that larger accommodations became necessary to host future meetings. A more spacious club room was obtained on Racine Avenue, then known as Center Avenue.

Throughout this period, it's important to remember that membership was restricted to single men aged 18 to 25, as stipulated by the club's by-laws at that time. However, due to the tremendous popularity of the club and the friendships formed through their lively picnics and dances, many young married men expressed interest in joining the National Athletic Club. Consequently, the by-laws were amended to include young benedicts from the neighborhood, allowing the NAC to expand its roster into a sizeable organization capable of great accomplishments.

Around 1916, that "ol' devil" progress surged again through the veins of the fearless leaders of the National Athletic Club (NAC). Demand for larger quarters was rising, and the only suitable location found was at Fox Lake in Ingleside, Illinois. For approximately three years, all activities focused around a group of rented cottages, as members sought the ideal spot to establish their Summer Club House. The beautiful and scenic large lake offered many delightful areas, yet no final decision was made until the perfect location satisfied everyone involved. Finally, in 1918, two lake shore lots measuring 135 feet by 299 feet were purchased by the club. They set up temporary housing accommodations, consisting of a small frame building reminiscent of the first Club Room meeting at Fish and 20th Street. However, this was just the beginning—no sir, not with these young and ambitious planners. In 1919, the Fox Lake Summer Home truly began to take shape as one of the beauty spots on the lake. A large, three-story Club House—the only one of its kind on the lake—was under construction. It was like a small hotel in the making, with sleeping quarters for at least 100 persons, complemented by a spacious and airy dining room with adjoining screened porches. All in all, it had everything a modern social and athletic club might need, including a modern sewage system of seven batteries. The sprawling grounds, adorned with massive shade trees, rendered it an ideal retreat in the countryside.

The building itself covered an impressive area of 3200 square feet, measuring 40 feet in width and 80 feet in depth. The dormitory on the entire third floor, along with several rooms on the second and first floors, was complete in every detail. Despite having this ample space, a second large building was constructed primarily as a dining room and kitchen, with the second floor dedicated to a locker room. Because of these enhancements, the original temporary building was repurposed into an engine room and repair house. While making these substantial improvements, a number of fishing boats were built to cater to members focusing on the rod and reel department, as fishing had emerged as the most popular pastime. Members and their guests could often be found enjoying a swim along the warm and sandy beach, fishing to their hearts’ content, or simply lounging comfortably on the lawn chairs of the Club House. Despite the hard work and effort required to make the National Athletic Club an outstanding symbol of good fellowship, members still carved out time to relax. However, there was still much work to be done; an Ice House was necessary since local ice distributors couldn't keep up with the demand. They couldn’t let their catch spoil, as that would not sit well with their friends back home. Thus, the solution was to build an ideal Ice House, which held at least 110 tons of ice, with the lake supplying all the ice during winter months.

With the completion of the Ice House, everything was finally in shipshape at the National Athletic Club. Members could finally unwind and enjoy themselves. For many years, families and friends of members came regularly to relish the wild and natural life in the great outdoors, amidst beautiful and pleasant surroundings. Several members have spent their vacations there. While the Club House is restricted to men, their wives, children, and friends enjoy full privileges during the day, though they cannot spend the night. This rule does not apply to male guests. Since the inception of the Summer Club, the ‘No Women’ rule in the dormitories has been in effect, although the women have successfully negotiated one day each year for "Women Only," usually occurring in mid-August.

With the vision of moving our club house of today to the lakeside in the coming years, the current members of the National Athletic Club (NAC) are demonstrating a positive outlook. New members are eager to meet and socialize, providing opportunities to unwind and relax with friends, go fishing, hunting, and engage in the strong brotherhood that defines our social and athletic club. This commitment helps to strengthen the bonds of friendship within a great club.

In the future, it will be evident that today’s members were dedicated to leaving a legacy for future members to appreciate and remember us by, honoring the contributions of those who came before us.

FIRST COUNTRY CLUB HOUSE

Believe it or not, as Ripley would say, here is a picture of the first club house at Fox Lake. Built in 1918, this cottage became the pride and joy of the National Athletic Club members. It featured modern outdoor plumbing—complete with cold water at the pump. The dormitory, encompassing the entire cottage, squeezed in eight cots. Some of the old-timers still ponder how these eight cots managed to accommodate 30 or 40 men over a weekend; of course, if someone got up in the middle of the night, it was always a challenge to reclaim their bed, as there were usually 5 or 6 others ready to jump in.