Before bikinis on McClelland’s Beach, women wore quite a bit more clothing. We would hate to think about what would have happened if one of these fully-skirted women fell overboard in 1902. This picture is from the digitized version of “A History of Dickinson County”, by R.A. Smith, once only available in rare, hard-copy first editions, now available free at http://iagenweb.org/dickinson/history/history1902btoc.htm. The photo was taken about a mile west of McClelland’s Beach, according to the book. Many thanks to the IAGenWeb Project for their efforts at making history and geneology accessible to all.
By the time beach owner and McClelland descendant Mildred Bartels hit the scene, below, swim garb had evolved a bit. Mildred often swam across Spirit Lake for exercise, probably not length-wise, but to somewhere on the eastern shore. Knowing that Mildred Bartels was born in 1906, and based on tips from the fashion swimwear history site fashion-era.com, we’re guessing this is a 1930’s photo.
Interested in living on the lake? We have city amenities and you can live here all year. Cruise McClelland’s Lane and 104th by car. Many lots are not posted for sale, but available, so if you see something you like, take a photo and contact our realtor.
Like history? Read also:
Younger Margaret McClelland’s story of her brush with the outlaw
McClelland’s Beach founder was a hero in 1866
Grandma Bartels’ recipe box: Bean Hot Dish
Railroad depot museum a treasure trove of Dickinson County history
