Generations of families from near and far enjoyed Kennedy’s Resort on Barron Lake

During the first four decades of the 1900s, whether you were from Howard Township, the Niles or South Bend areas or as far away as Chicago, you knew of or perhaps visited Kennedy’s Resort, a popular vacation spot for many every summer. And, the place to be if you liked to dance.

In 1895 Richard Kennedy purchased 35 acres of west shore property and developed what was to be called Kennedy’s Resort, the lake’s first dance hall, on the property’s picturesque point. The resort was owned by Richard and his wife, who immigrated from Ireland, and their son, Louis Kennedy, who was the father of Dean (Victor) Kennedy, a longtime Barron Lake resident. Dean grew up living in the resort until 1942, when he served as a member of the U.S. Army in World War II.

The resort was converted to a skating rink in the late 1930s. Once the family sold the property, it became what many remember as Beachcombers, and since the early 2000s is a private residence.

Many thanks to Mike Kennedy, Dean’s son, and also a longtime Barron Lake resident, for sharing some of the photos his father saved from throughout the years.