1971
Handicapped Village is established providing work, recreational and support services in a non-institutional environment for physically and mentally handicapped persons.
Clear Lake Federal Savings and Loan builds a new office building at the corner of South 4th Street and 1st Ave South at the prior location of the Chappell Clinic building.
1972
Woodford Island is donated to “the people of the state of Iowa” by Esther Woodford Ashland and L.E. Ashland after being in the same family since 1898.
1975
Clear Lake Junior High School, corner of 2nd Avenue N. and N. 8th Street, burned. The new Clear Lake Junior High School, 1601 3rd Ave N., was dedicated on January 22, 1978.
Clear Lake was connected to the Interstate 35 highway system south to Des Moines. Interstate 35 north to Minneapolis was still under construction.
“Mr. Band Master”, John Kopecky, celebrated his 90th birthday, and his 50 years of directing the Clear Lake High School bands.
1977
In 1977 the State of Iowa mandated that Clear Lake must find a source of water other than the Lake, which had always been the City’s water supply. In 1981 work began on a new well, to withdraw water from the Cedar Valley and/or the Jordan aquifers.
1979
The first annual event to commemorate Buddy Holly’s final concert was held at the Surf Ballroom.
The popular old Lighthouse Drive-In, located near the Surf Ballroom, was torn down in August.
1980
Several of Clear Lake’s most prominent citizens died in the early 1980s. They included: Attorney E. B. Stillman; businessman L. E. Ashland; Clear Lake Bakery owner William “Bill” Burkhardt; Nan Clack, 93, a longtime area nurse; French cooking expert Jo Ann Fangman, killed in an auto accident along with her daughter, Kathy; Richard Van Slyke, 58, a longtime Clear Lake funeral director; former Clear Lake Mayor E. L. Secory, 83, founder of E. L. Secory and Sons plumbing and heating; T. G. Burns, 89, superintendent of schools in Clear Lake from 1938 to 1957; Frank Perc “Percy” Walker, 91, who guided the First National Bank of Clear Lake through the Depression in the 1930s.
1982
For three consecutive weekends in January, Clear Lake was at a standstill as temperatures of 30 below zero, wind chills as low as 100 below and deep, drifting snow forced closing of businesses, cancellations of events and abandonment of travel plans.
1984
The City Council approved a recommendation by the Parks and Recreation Department in April to move the passenger room portion of the 70 year old Milwaukee Road train depot to an area north of the Daughters of the American Revolution Park (DAR Park).
1985
The Clear Lake Fire Museum was dedicated with Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and many state officials in attendance. The museum was the first of its kind in the state.
The Corner Drug owned by Dick Casey and Robert Tanner moved from their long time location at Main and 3rd Street to the old Cerro Gordo Bank Building at 4th Street and Main.
1987
The Park Hotel on Main Street, the successor to the Rogers and Elk Hotels and the 1870 Lake Hotel at Main and S 3rd Street was demolished.
The “Lady of the Lake”, a 24-foot wide paddle wheel vessel, made its first official cruise around the lake in June.
1988
An estimated 600 people gathered outside the Surf Ballroom in June to witness the dedication of a monument to rock and roll legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and pilot Roger Peterson. Clear Lake city crews replaced street signs officially changing 2nd Place North to Buddy Holly Place in honor of the late singer.
1990
The Trolley Trail recreational trail between Clear Lake and Mason City was opened in the fall of 1990. The trail was dedicated to the memory of Michael Secory, a Clear Lake youth killed in a bicycling accident while riding along Highway 18 between the cities. The path now offers safe travel on an asphalt path on the south side of old Highway 106.
1991
A sudden ice storm and freezing temperatures caught most Clear Lakers off guard on October 31, Halloween night. The lake was officially declared frozen on Monday, November 4 which was the earliest freeze in Lake history.
1992
A pristine section of lake shore property located on the south side of Clear Lake was forever dedicated to the nature lover’s use on June 23. One hundred and one acres, to be known as the Woodford-Ashland Lone Tree Nature Area, will be protected from development thanks to a conservation easement granted to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation by the descendants of the Woodford and Ashland families. The land remains privately owned although they allow low-impact public use. The farm has been in the family more than 100 years.
1993
The United Methodist Camp, on Clear Lake’s south shore, was sold to private developers who constructed brick condominiums where camp buildings had been.
William Burkhardt sells the Clear Lake Bakery including the bakery garage.
1994
In September, the Dean Snyder family purchased the Surf Ballroom in order to restore and preserve the landmark. Asked why he wanted to purchase the property, Dean said, “My wife likes to dance; if she liked to fish, I would have bought her a fishing pole.”
The CLEAR (Clear Lake Enhancement and Restoration) project was designed to protect and improve the water quality in Clear Lake. Federal, state and local monies were being used to monitor sources of contamination and injurious run-off into the Lake which will provide guidance for programs to improve water quality.
The first Christmas by the Lake event was held. Events include homes decorated for the holidays opened for tours, strolling musicians, with a night parade followed by fireworks over the lake.
1997
The All Veteran’s Social Center’s clubhouse constructed in 1929 was razed after ceasing operations in 1962.
1998
Clear Creek Elementary School was dedicated in October.
Construction began on the Cerro Gordo County Wind Farm. The wind farm consists of 56 turbines occupying 2.4 acres on a 2,100 acre site south of Clear Lake and Ventura.
Clear Lake Bank and Trust expands by demolishing the 1983 Patterson building and the 1900 Silsby building to create a half block banking facility.
1999
After considerable study and controversy, the Clear Lake City Council gave final approval to a plan to extend the Sea Wall along the shore to 4th Avenue North. The four block project included placing large rip rap along the shoreline, a brick paver sidewalk close to the Lake, and a green space.
A spectacular fire destroyed the landmark Ritz Hotel on the south side of Clear Lake. The club, named for its original owner Charles Ritz, dated back to the early 1920s. According to historians, the central part of The Ritz was actually the 1882 Oakwood Hotel. It was moved on skids to its site at Bayside, on the lake’s south shore, from a location on a hill to the east, in the area known as Oakwood. The Ritz – unique for the customer selected own meat from the meat counter – was a favorite eating spot for several generations of locals and vacationers.