The name Gene Cavich always will be remembered on Barron Lake. Whether it’s by his friends, fellow athletes, or former neighbors. Or, by those who have lived, do live, and will live on the street named for him—Gene’s Circle.
Gene’s parents, Jack and Anne Cavich, in the late 1940s, purchased some land on Barron Lake in the Bonners Woods area. They subdivided the property and built their home on Gene’s Circle—naming it after their son. “It was very nice of my folks to do that,” Gene said. “I mean, I certainly didn’t have any inclination of it at all, but I appreciate it.”
The property was bordered by what was known as Bonners Woods on one side and Breezy Beach on the other. “We were the first home in there. It was solid woods—a very beautiful lot on the shores of the lake,” Gene said. The Cavich home was built around 1949-50. Additional lots along Miars Drive were purchased from the Miars Century 21 Real Estate Office and Gene recalls many of his former neighbors, including the Lynds, the Giadeskis, the Averys, “Grandpa Wingeart,” the Collimers and the Weavers.
Gene talked about his very active lifestyle all year long while living at the lake.
“Baseball was big with the boys from Barron Lake,” he said, noting they played in a league for 13-to-17-year-olds at Thomas Memorial Stadium in Niles. “We won the Niles City Championship for two to three years in a row and also beat an all-star team from the city,” adding that lake area members included Jim (Smoke) Stover, pitcher; Guy Moore, catcher; Jim Cousins, first base; John Brawley, second base; Roger Fausch, short stop; Larry Van Lue, outfield; Glen Lawson, outfield; and Lee Nicks, outfield. Cavich played third base and was the catcher. “Our coach was Adam ‘Chub’ Lynd, a wonderful person, and my neighbor,” Gene said.
In the fall, the guys switched up the playing field. “We played tackle football without pads over at the Barron Lake school with some of the neighborhood kids, like Bob and Denny Calvert, Jerry and Ron Wingeart, Clayton Kelly, Leo Graul, Jim Kenny and Walter Jann, to name a few,” he said.
And then came basketball at a home on the curve near Prospect Point. “The Brawleys had a cement driveway about a quarter to half size court. Kids would come from the lake area and the city to play,” he said.
Many winter activities revolved around a frozen lake. “My family had flood lights on the front of the home so adults and kids could skate at night. And we played hockey. Of course, I had to shovel the snow,” he said with a laugh. Gene, and his friends John Brawley and Larry Van Lue also went rabbit hunting in the woods and surrounding areas. “John and Larry were good shooters,” he said. “I was not!”
Living on a lake, of course, meant good times in the summers, too. “I used to go to Kugler’s all the time to play. We had a lot of fun at the beach swimming, diving and playing ‘King of the Raft.’ I also walked the lakeshore from my home almost every day,” he said. “My dad bought a small rowboat. In those days, the highest motor on that lake was about a 25 horse. But there weren’t many. I’m sure that’s changed quite a bit.”
A lot has changed on the lake as at one time it was home to the Hunter Ice Company. He recalls there was a Hunter Icehouse situated on the property his father purchased. (Editor’s note: History stories published over the years tell of there being two icehouses along the west end of the lake, as well as an office for the company.)
“My dad’s property, that was an old icehouse. And there was a railroad track that ran behind it,” Gene said, noting the icehouse was located near the middle of the property. “The only thing that was left when we moved there was a basement. I’ve seen old pictures of that. My grandparents planted a garden near that area for me at one time, but I never watered it, so it didn’t last long,” he said.
Gene recalls with great fondness his time on Barron Lake. He lived in the home until 1965 when he left to attend Western Michigan University, where he continued playing football. He went on to be a defensive coach for the Broncos and an assistant football coach at Benedictine University in Illinois, where he was inducted into the 2016 Hall of Fame.
Story as told by Gene Cavich. Written by Jodi Marneris September 2022
