City of Clear Lake, Iowa

11/06/2025

🕰️✨ ✨🕰️
Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some cherished moments from our community's history! Each week, on Thursday, we are going to "throw it back" and share a piece of our community history with you.
What an amazing edifice on the eastern side of our 3,600+ acre lake created by glaciers long ago. Did you know that this beloved landmark in our community was once the site of an amazing dance hall? Built at the "Foot of Main" this lovely building was sadly destroyed in a tornado in August of 1931. The Seawall was built on the footprint of the ruined White Pier Dance Hall. In the photos you can see a colorized postcard from the time period showcasing the White Pier. A black & white photo shows the immense damage by the tornado.
Following he massive clean-up, plans to build the seawall as a beautification project were presented to the Clear Lake City Council on March 18, 1936. The construction of the Clear Lake Seawall was a part of President D. Roosevelt's 2nd New Deal as a construction project of the Work's Project Administration (WPA). Workers for this project came from the Transient Division of the WPA located in Mason City. Two shifts of 35 men worked 10 hour shifts each day. Many men learned new skills including stonework. Not only was the stone from local farms but so was lumber and fill dirt. The project was completed on May 15, 1936, and is the ONLY WPA constructed seawall in Iowa. The Seawall is 300 ft long and 12 ft tall. The wall is 5 ft thick at is base & 18 in thick at the top of the wall and built of uncoursed field stone granite from local farm fields. Photos that you see show the architects drawing and early lakeside view of the structure.
Flood light fixtures were initially installed and the seawall had wooden stairs at the south end of the wall.
Although sturdily built, weather did take its toll on the seawall over time and the strong mortar that had been developed began to fail. Determined to save the Seawall, the City of Clear Lake sought out the perfect restoration architects and contractors to accomplish the task and by Memorial Day of 2022, all work was completed. While work was taking place on the seawall, work began on having the seawall listed on the National Register of Historic Places beginning in October of 2021.
The Review Committee (SNRC) of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs review all data submitted and consider approving the nomination of Clear Lake's Sewall to the National Register of Historic Places. The committee unanimously decided to nominate our seawall to the National Register of Historic Places indicating that they acknowledge the seawall's historic importance at the local and state level. The next step in the nomination process of the seawall is to be acknowledged at the national level and worthy of preservation as part of our nation's heritage. On Friday, January 6, 2023, the City of Clear Lake and the Clear Lake Historical Society received notice from the National Historic Landmarks Program of the National Park Service that Clear Lake's Seawall, constructed in May of 1936, had been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
On September 1, 2023, a public ceremony was held to rededicate the 1936 Seawall and dedicate the new plaque indicating placement on the National Register of Historic Places. The Clear Lake seawall is truly a beloved landmark in our community. Let's hope that it remains sturdy for the next 87 plus years.
All photos are from the Clear Lake Historical Society Photo Collection.

11/05/2025

🚧 Road Closure & Detour Alert 🚧

N 20th Street will be closed to through traffic today, November 5th, 2025, to allow for repairs to the railroad approaches.

During this time, traffic patterns will be adjusted. We ask all drivers to use caution, follow posted detour signage, and watch for workers in the area to help keep everyone safe.

Please refer to the map below for closure and detour details.
If you have any questions, please contact the Engineering Department at 641-357-5267.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation while this important work is completed!

11/04/2025

🌞 Good morning, Clear Lake — it’s Election Day! ✅

🗳 Polls are open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. today. Offices on the ballot include Mayor, Ward 2 City Council, and At-Large City Council.

Polling locations are below and Ward Maps are attached for your reference:

• Ward 1: Zion Lutheran Church, 112 N 4th St
• Ward 2: City Hall, 15 N 6th St
• Ward 3: Church of Christ, 2010 14th Ave N

Still not sure which ward you’re in? Visit the Cerro Gordo County Elections page to look it up. https://cerrogordo.gov/auditor/elections/

11/03/2025

Attention, everyone! Our regular council meeting of Monday, November 3, will begin at 5:30! 🎉 If you want to stay in the loop with what's happening in our community, make sure to tune in at 5:30 to the livestream by clicking on the link below.
https://www.cityofclearlake.com/newsview.aspx?nid=5953

11/01/2025

🍂 Time to “Fall Back”! 🍁

Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend — don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before you go to bed on Saturday night (November 1). ⏰

It’s also a great time to check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to help keep your home safe this season. 🔋🏠

Enjoy the extra hour of sleep, Clear Lake! 😴☕️

10/31/2025

🍁📚 November is full of fun at the Clear Lake Public Library! From storytimes to book clubs and special events, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this month. 🍂✨

Oh, how the time flies when you fill it with all kinds of activities! 🍂 📚

10/31/2025

🎃👻 Happy Halloween, Clear Lake! 👻🎃

It’s time for costumes, candy, and spooky fun!
The suggested trick-or-treating hours in Clear Lake are 5:30–7:30 p.m. tonight.

🏈 Clear Lake Lions Playoff Football kicks off at 7:00 p.m. at Lions Field!
If you’re heading to the game and would like to welcome trick-or-treaters early, feel free to turn your porch light on sooner so the little ghouls and goblins know they’re welcome!

A few friendly reminders to keep everyone safe:
🍬 Stay on sidewalks and cross at corners.
💡 Carry a flashlight or glow stick so you can see — and be seen!
🎭 Make sure costumes fit well and don’t block vision.
🚗 Drivers: please slow down and watch for trick-or-treaters.
🏠 Visit homes with porch lights on and remember those magic words — “thank you!”

Have a safe, sweet, spooktacular Halloween night — and Go Lions! 🦇🕸🍫🏈🦁💛🖤

10/30/2025

🕰️✨ ✨🕰️
Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some cherished moments from our community's history! Each week, on Thursday, we are going to "throw it back" and share a piece of our community history with you.
Clear Lake's Main Street has changed over the years as businesses come and go. Some of those business changes have been the result of times changing and/or the needs of the people. As you may know, the first permanent settlers in Clear Lake were Joseph Hewitt and James Dickerson and his family in the late spring of 1851.
The very first place of business in Clear Lake was a general store on Main owned by Mr. T. S. Palmer in 1855. The year 1868 saw Mr. Carpenter's grocery store open as was r. Manning's agricultural implement shop. Clear Lake also needed a livery and that was opened in 1869 and welcomed folks needing supplies to build homes and businesses. The Palmeter brothers opened a hardware store in 1880. Main was bustling with activity.
Our focus for today's article centers on the need for furnishings. The furniture store owned by the Coates brothers burned in 1871 and Clear Lake was ready for a new permanent store. Wilcox Furniture on Main is closing its doors after serving the community for 73 years. The history of this business is fascinating. The location of the current store evolved from four earlier businesses. One was McGowan Hardware on the corner of Main and N 5th St. from 1907-1969. Two others were Mr. Bert Williams' funeral home and furniture store. That's correct, often funeral homes and furniture stores were connected since the furniture store owner could also make caskets. Another business was People's Gas & Electric (PG&E).
Enter Mother's Best Flour salesman, Mr. Wendell Wilcox. He found out from one of his customers Earl Ashland, that the Williams furniture store/funeral home were for sale and in 1947 Wendell purchased both from Bert Williams. In 1951, Wendell decided to build a new funeral home and he asked his brother Wayne to move to Clear Lake with his family to run the furniture store. The new funeral home at 314 N 7th St opened and Wayne began to expand the Wilcox Furniture footprint. He purchased McGowan Hardware, Clear Lake Appliance and the PG&E building. Months of remodeling led to a large showroom for furniture, bedding and carpet. Wayne's daughter Janelle (Wilcox) Sargent currently owns the business and Gene Madsen is general manager.
The two photos from the Clear Lake Historical Society collection show the business in a late 1950's black and white photo. The color photograph shows the building as we know it today. We in Clear Lake now bid farewell to a long-time business. Thank you.

10/29/2025

✅ 🗳 With the City Election coming up next week, we’ve been receiving questions about where to vote. Do you know your polling location?

Here’s a quick reminder for Tuesday, November 4 (polls open 7:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.):

• Ward 1: Zion Lutheran Church, 112 N 4th St
• Ward 2: Clear Lake City Hall, 15 N 6th St
• Ward 3: Church of Christ, 2010 14th Ave N

Not sure which ward you live in? Ward maps are attached for your reference or you can look it up on the Cerro Gordo County Elections webpage. https://cerrogordo.gov/auditor/elections/

10/28/2025

📬 The newest City Newsletter is on its way — and it’s packed with updates you won’t want to miss!

From community events and city reminders to behind-the-scenes insights, this edition is full of ways to stay informed and involved in Clear Lake. Here’s a first look at what’s inside 👇

🗳️🇺🇸 Make Your Voice Heard – Vote on November 4
Get the info you need before heading to the polls!

🚔 Meet Gracie D***s!
Our Police Department’s new Community Service Officer—stop and say hello when you see her around town!

⏰🏢 Don’t Forget!
Daylight Savings + important City Office closing reminders (set those clocks and plan ahead!)

👨‍💼🤝 A View from the Mayor’s Chair:
Celebrating Clear Lake’s incredible non-profit partners who help make our community shine

📚✨ At the Library:
New programs, book clubs, and fun ways to spark learning and connection

❄️🔥 Winter Safety Tips from the Fire Department
Helpful reminders to keep your home and family safe as temps drop

📝🏙️ From the City Administrator’s Desk
Wrapping up his first few months on the job, he shares reflections and updates

🎒💪 CLAW Highlights
Fresh updates from the Clear Lake Athletic & Wellness Center

💌 Want to read it now?
Click below for early access, or watch your mailbox to enjoy it with your morning coffee: https://www.cityofclearlake.com/pview.aspx?id=2506&catid=71

10/27/2025

🎃👻 Trick-or-Treat Time, Clear Lake! 👻🎃

As a reminder, suggested trick-or-treat hours are 5:30–7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31 🍬✨

Get those costumes ready, fill up your candy buckets, and let the spooky fun begin! 🦇🍭

⚡ Heads up! The playoff football game kicks off at 7:00 p.m. at Lions Field, so if you want to welcome trick-or-treaters a little early, flip on your porch light and join the candy parade!

🎉 Have a safe, fun, and fang-tastic Halloween… and Go Lions! 🏈🎃

👻🎃 Trick-or-Treat Alert! 🎃👻

Clear Lake trick-or-treating is set for Friday, Oct. 31 | 5:30–7:30 p.m. 🍬✨

Costumes on, buckets ready—let the candy collecting begin! 🦇🍭