Anyone who lives on or near Barron Lake now or in the past knows about Kugler’s Beach. It was a favorite spot to thousands of people every summer from 1950 to 1997. When Kugler’s Beach closed, the property was sold to a developer. Four houses now lay claim to the land and one of the property owners has thoughtfully preserved a piece of the past, or maybe it’s more of a post from the past.
The owner of the house that sits where the beach parking lot was, recalls when they were beginning to build their home 20 years ago, there were two brick posts near the street side of the property. Those brick posts were located exactly where the entrance of the Kugler’s Beach parking lot was. The posts were connected by a gate.
When the current owners bought the land, the gate was gone but the two brick posts were intact. They wanted to keep both as a way to preserve the history of the property. (One still stands, but unfortunately, a truck hit one of the posts and damaged it.) You can see it as you drive by on Barron Lake Road.
The homeowners talked about what excavators uncovered when preparing the lot for the house, including a well that was used to provide water to the beach bathhouse, which served cocktails, sodas, and a light menu.
Excavators also uncovered the footings for the Reid’s Resort dance hall that was on the property prior to becoming a public beach. When Reid’s Resort closed, the property was sold (1949) to Glenn Kugler, who ran Kugler’s Beach until he passed in 1968. Gary Hargreaves purchased the property and kept it as a public beach until 1997.
Is the brick post the last remaining evidence of the beach’s existence? Hardly. There have been many underwater sightings of part of the tall slide that once graced the water not too far from the shoreline.
And there are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of photographs out there boasting of good times at Kugler’s.
If you have any photographs from your time at Kugler’s Beach, and you would be interested in sharing those with us, please send an email to barronlakeassociation@gmail.com.
J. Marneris 6/11/24
