Cottingham Beach

1. In 1906, old Jarrett’s Landing or “Buttermilk Station” was purchased by Mr. & Mrs. George Truesdell, platted into 25 lots and given the name Cottingham Beach. Even today, homeowners on the eastern end of the beach refer to their area as “The Landing”.

Cottingham Beach is located at the southeast end of the lake between Papakeeechie and Lake Wawasee.

Early on, a dirt road followed the shoreline in front of the cottages.

Cottingham Beach was quite natural in those days.

Lake Wawasee pictures can usually be identified by places in the background. Here you see Charles Johnson’s large dancing pavilion built at the water’s edge in 1919 for Friday and Saturday night square dances usually called by Ike Klingaman with his German accent.  Ike also was a sort of real estate agent for The Landing and collected cottage rent for absentee landlords.

In 1929, the dancing pavilion became the Johnson Hotel Annex, adding 18 sleeping rooms.  The hotel itself can faintly be seen in the background of the middle picture.

This 1974 aerial shows: from the top going counter-clockwise – Marineland Gardens (development began in the early 1960s); Cottingham Beach, the relatively new Bay Point Condos and the fish hatchery in its decline sandwiched between Lake Wawasee on the right & Papakeechie Lake on the left; on the far right is the Plaza Marina and Motel

This beautiful realtor aerial focuses on Cottingham Beach.

From this point on, colored pictures were taken from the lake in July, 2024; hopefully helping you get your bearings on the southeast end of the lake. Starting on the left is the 3rd and last phase of Bay Point Condominiums – where Johnson’s Hotel stood until Aug., 1971; to the right was Klingaman’s store and home which were replaced by Heil’s Haven & family home.

Klingaman’s slide stood on the Pier #355 condominium property – known to many as Heil’s Haven. These period pictures are thanks to Nancy Rehling, an Ogden Island resident, whose grandparents had a cottage on Cottingham Beach.  Notice the hand water pump at the top of the slide!

This picture shows all relatively new construction: The house pictured on the left would have been where the Klingaman house first stood; then torn down to build the Heil house. The middle house was victim to fire in Nov., 1996, damaging the neighboring houses to the point all three were torn down.  The middle one was rebuilt to almost replicate the original house on the property.  (Piers 356 – 358).

Sometimes pictures taken from the lake don’t capture the houses completely so underneath you see my best pictures of Piers #359 – #363.

Here you see those piers in the “back ends,” as my granddaughter would say – in the mid-1920’s – keep those newly planted twin oak trees in mind. Most build dates were taken from the Kosciusko County Beacon website.

This picture is taken from Pier # 360 (Mock, partial house on far left) toward the west showing piers #361 – #364 (Piers #361 (Moorman), #362 (Mario & Stacia Anderson Meriano and Barb and “Andy” Anderson) and barely seen #363 & #364 (Sue (Patterson) Kracke and sister, Judy (Patterson) Harper).

Notice the glacial rock seawall in front of these piers (Piers #359 (Isch), #360 (Mock) & #361 (Moorman). Had they been able to predict the future, those stones would still be in place – removing them and “transporting” them up the steep hill was not an easy task.

Let’s learn a bit about these piers which include FOUR 100-year-old homes, and one knocking on the door!

At Pier #359, built in 1920, this turquoise house with one door yellow and another orange was described by Cathy Isch Steffen, as a “fairytale cottage” created by her very artistic mother, Clarice, who was from Eureka, IL, where she remembered Eureka College student Ronald Regan as a “charming, friendly fellow.” Harry Isch owned Isch Hardware in Bluffton for more than 40 years and was described as “always having a smile on his face and kind words to share.”  In the early 1950s, Harry first built a little white cottage on the very end of Bayshore Beach; at the time, he could have bought the whole peninsula for $2,000!  Harry & Clarice soon bought the perfect size house for their family of 5 on Cottingham Beach.  Even though the family is spread throughout the world, they all try to gather for a week in the summer at the cottage. (built on the front of original cottage; Cathy’s brother, Dr. John Isch) The cute little blue house on the right, *Pier #360, was built after WW I, and is now owned by twins, Mike and Mark Mock.

Their great-grandfather, a glassblower, came to eastern IN in the early 1890’s gas boom. Seeking a good place to fish, he found Lake Wawasee.  At the turn of the century, he was offered 3 lots for $9,000! Before settling on pier #360, the family rented about every cottage up & down the Landing. When he did buy the house from its builder, the Yohn family, he thought the 1924 Essex car in the garage went with the place – what a disappointment to learn the sellers needed it to get home to Chicago!!!  In the ‘30s or ‘40s, a nearby 100-acre farm (maybe McClintic) went up for sale at $33 per acre, but since it was only growing cattails, their grandfather thought land near his home south of Alexandria that grew 160 bushels of corn or more to the acre was a better deal – outstanding yield back then!  Great times were had by all as shown in these 1950s era pictures of their parents, Kathleen and Malcom Mock.  The cottage has been in the family 81 years.  Mike is a museum board member, AND the person I have to thank for introducing me to Cottingham Beach and supplying the majority of the pictures I’ve used!!!

You know, I’ve always thought Hatchery Road was narrow, but imagine meeting this! Mike photographed the LILLYPAD II making its way from Somerset, KY, down E. Hatchery Road towards the DNR boat launch on June 12, 2006.  The road was closed starting at Wawasee Middle School; so, no worries!!  (It is 70’ by 20’, powered by twin V-6 MPI Merc Cruisers at 260 hp each and will carry 120 passengers.)

Pier #361, owned today by Terry & Bonnie Moorman, was built around 1915 by Loren D. & Amey Knox.  Their daughter, Margaret, married Byrl Shimer of Ft. Wayne.  Their son, Bob  Shimer,’s earliest claim to fame was that he was voted Ft. Wayne’s most beautiful baby in 1926!  After retirement, Bob and wife Elaine spent much of their time sailing on Lake Wawasee where they were members of the Crow’s Nest Sailing Club.  Black & white photos were contributed by their daughter, Nancy Rehling who now lives on Ogden Island. Another resident of this cottage at one time was Dr. Hart and his wife Jinx of Anderson – Becky Hart Fox’s parents.  Her son, Jeff Fox, is pictured with neighbor, Mike Mock.

Pier #362, on the left behind unidentified man, is currently owned by Barbara & “Andy” Anderson and their daughter, Stacia & husband Mario Meriano. This cottage is believed to be one of – if not possibly the oldest surviving structures on the Landing; listed as built in 1910.  It has been slightly modified – probably the front porch started out open. Stacia told me the twin Oak trees are super healthy, and her favorite memories are of her Dad hitting golf balls over the frozen lake from the front yard!  Once they found something the size of a nut, & upon closer examination, it was a turtle!!  Her golfer Dad, Andy, is here with us!!

Sisters Judy (Patterson) Harper and Sue (Patterson) Kracke own piers #363 and 364. Sue lives full time in the new house on the right, and their house on the left, built in 1918, remains in the family.  In the 1960s, their parents, the Pattersons from Anderson, bought the little house from the Spickelmeir family.

Pier #366 was originally built in 1928. Local, retired educators, Russ & Pat Mikel, purchased the house from their daughter.  The Mikels who live nearby in the country on family farmland, tore it down to build a new house.  I surely enjoyed meeting Sue and Pat who brought along the abstract for the property and a list of owners back to original owners of the land in the 1860’s.  As long as it is maintained, that shoreline gazebo is “grandfathered” in – it was built before current building codes.

Built in 1925, pier #367 has stayed in the same family since it was purchased by Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Spickelmeir of Indianapolis in the 1940s. Their daughter, Dee-Dee, married John Greer and his daughters, Susan Barnes & Sandy Humphrey share ownership today.  Having been a longtime resident of Cottingham Beach, Susan was able to share a lot of information AND some wonderful pictures!

Pier #368 was built in 1921 by Frank & “Toots” (Freida) Kaiser.  It is still in the family today, owned by their granddaughters, sisters Connie Kiser & Carolyn Kiser Calhoun (the “growing” fisherman is their brother, Larry Kaiser, at ages 2, 5/6 & 50 who has passed); Pier #369 was built in 1928, probably by Ed Netter, that’s grandson Ed Riley eating watermelon on the running board

Let me explain the top left picture: pier #368’s pier is being installed; pier # 369’s second story doesn’t show; and the 2 trees are where “Lump” Priest lived – it was set back from other houses so he had a big front lawn; other pictures labeled

The beach party, held at Pier # 371 every Labor Day weekend, was a farewell event for residents for 46 years. The event was started by Loren “Lump” Priest around 1925.  The 1971 event, Roger Isch, owner, included punch, hors d’oeuvres, watermelons filled with fruit and “Mulligan Stew.”

Pier # 371 looks like this today. #372 was built by Walter & Blanche Hughes of Hughes-Curry Packing Co.[1] of Anderson which eventually sold to Emge; there is Bedford Stone under that siding. *Even though I know pier #374 owners, Chuck and Sally Crow, pretty well – Chuck was my ride back & forth to Purdue – we haven’t connected on his knowledge of the property’s history.  The Beacon website lists it as built in 1925, so I guess Chuck has a year to get back to me.  Previous long-time owners of pier #375 were the Ezra & Minnie Shock family, followed by their son, Bob and wife Diane Dietrich Shock. The Shock farm was on the right side just before you go up the hill on SR13 towards North Webster.

Windstorms are no strangers to the southeast end of the lake as evidenced in these Susan Barnes’ pictures of uprooted trees in July, 1954.  The winter picture shows how the ice may creep right up into your yard; sometimes even rolling up the sod as it goes

Now (Scott & Janet Pipenbrink) a new house stands just east of the “free-way” or “sandy beach,” which is an empty parcel owned by the Turkey Creek Township Trustee used by pier companies and individuals to launch their boats & access the lake at no charge.

Leaving the Landing, I have no original owner information on piers #377 – #381. I’d appreciate any information you may have.

This next section of Cottingham Beach has a couple of hidden gems.

This is pier #382 as it appears today, owned by Jason & Angie Thompson and her parents, Joe & Rebecca Simpson. The springhouse near the lake was used by the original owner to keep fish bait fresh and cool.  This 1930 for sale ad has always intrigued me but until this program I didn’t know which house it was.  Inside this home is the original log cabin cottage – built around 1930 by my father’s uncle Bill Bowen of Albion! (Think W. C. Fields!)

This shows basically the home Angie’s grandmother bought in 1974 and left to her mother and father. Angie and her Mom would stay all summer – which used to mean Memorial Day to Labor Day.

She was told the fieldstone fireplace was built on the ground and pulled up by a team of horses; the windows are in the original location. Across from the fireplace you see a beadboard partition put in at one time to make two bedrooms.

The cabin opens up to an enclosed front room and on to a deck with a beautiful view.

I had the unexpected pleasure of meeting Kevin Kirkpatrick, owner of pier #383, built in 1918 – while I was parked in his driveway (with permission;-)! Parking is pretty challenging along East Hatchery Road.  He bought the house in 2016 from Dr. Peterson who really saved a gem (a tree fell on it, termites, etc.). The Kirkpatricks extensively remodeled it and made lake access more “user friendly.”

The fireplace front is original; the downstairs is lightened up by white paint, and the upstairs is original bead board.

This is a picture of Pier #383’s neighbors several years’ ago. I think it’s piers # 384 – #386 and a glimpse of #387.

Pier #386, built in 1920, was purchased by a very enthusiastic, supportive “Jim” Niezer in 1980 from a Mr. Reinhart. It’s been remodeled a little; no seawall just beach. Jim’s grandfather, Charles Niezer, looked all around the lake and found the sunset, purchasing the house on the Morrison Island point. His son Louis Neizer’s family lived there, and Sarah Finch (McBee) as a youngster, wrote the family letting them know she’d love to live there some time, if they ever decided to sell – guess what – it is now the Finch cottage on Morrison Island!  Pier #389 was the home of Jim & Jo Alford, a local high school teacher; I imagine it was  torn down.  Pier #390 is on the lakefront end of Cottingham Beach.

There’s a house around the corner on the channel that I didn’t find anything out about. The channel meets East Hatchery Road, and you come back into the main lake passing the houses on Bayshore Beach.

Cottingham Beach starts just past Pier #355 condos and extends to Bayshore Beach – bottom right.

Leaving the area behind, this is what it looks like from a distance and…

Ending with the sunset viewed across the lake. In all there are 7 Centennial Homes on Cottingham Beach and three knocking at the door!

Written in 2022 by Ann Vanderford Garceau for the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum based on historical research.  It is not to be used without permission from the museum.