What counts as Lake Country, and how did it get its start?

About 30 minutes west of Milwaukee is an area called Lake Country, which is home to lakes of various sizes and offers recreational opportunities year-round.

But exactly where (and what) is Lake Country?

That’s what one reader asked What the Wisconsin? — where reporters take on questions about our state, our communities and the people in them.

"Just read the article on where 'Up North' is," a reader named Nessie wrote. "I think there is similar vagueness on where 'lake country' is, but at a smaller scale. I didn't see any reliable sources trying to take a stab at a definition/boundary."

To answer that question we consulted books, research papers and experts on the area.

What are the Lake Country boundaries?

Lake Country is an informal name so there are no set boundaries on where it starts or ends.

Yet unlike the battle over where "up north" begins, our research didn't uncover much drama around where Lake Country is.

Generally, Lake Country is considered to be the northwestern part of Waukesha County. It includes the communities of Delafield, Hartland, Oconomowoc and Pewaukee.

"We consider the area west of Pewaukee Lake to be the Lake Region or Lake Country of Waukesha County. Not sure exactly when this term was first used, but it was very early," John Schoenknecht, volunteer researcher at Waukesha County Historical Society, said.

Some people may consider Big Muskego Lake and other lakes that are further south in Waukesha County as being part of Lake Country, but they’d be in the minority.

How many lakes are in Lake Country?

It depends on both what you consider a lake and what you consider Lake Country.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reports that the state as a whole has 15,000 lakes.

However, Wisconsin has some "lakes" that have an area of less than 5 acres — which many people would define as a pond.

The largest lake in the county is Pewaukee Lake, with an area of 2,437 acres. Some of the smallest in the county have an area around 3 acres.

The Lakes of Lake Country include Pewaukee, Ashippun, Nagawicka, Oconomowoc, Okauchee, Pine, North, Upper Nemahabin, Lower Nemahabin, Upper Nashotah, Lower Nashotah, Beaver, Keesus, Fowler and Lac La Belle.

Though Lake Country has no hard and fast boundaries, volunteer researchers that we talked to at both the Waukesha County and Oconomowoc Area historical society both generally agree on that list of lakes.

How did Lake Country start?

Though Lake Country is mostly home to year-round residents, it wasn’t always that way. For many years Lake Country was a summer resort destination for people from Chicago and Milwaukee.

Lake Country began to rise in popularity due to the expansion of the railroad through Waukesha County in the late 19th century. With the area now accessible by railroad, Lake Country began to establish itself as a premier summer getaway.

Various hotels and resorts were built throughout the area in the late 19th century such as Draper Hall in Oconomowoc, which once hosted President Grover Cleveland.

Most of these hotels and resorts closed around the start of the Great Depression and some of them no longer exist.

Draper Hall,for example, was torn down in the late 1960s and condominiums were built in its place.

Lake Country moved from resorts to residences

Even as hotels and resorts began to close its doors, Lake Country lived on.

Initially, the wealthiest of summer visitors began to build their own vacation homes there. Gradually, more people started to live in the area year-round. Up until the end of 1920s, residents who worked in Milwaukee could pay an annual fee to ride the Nashotah Club car, which shuffled commuters to the city and back daily.

The rest of the 20th century began to welcome more permanent housing, and the area gradually transitioned away from being a resort destination.

It's still Yacht Club country

Right around the turn of the 20th century, when Lake Country started to establish itself as a summer destination, yacht clubs began to pop up in the area. Most of these clubs were established in the 1890s and centered around sailing. Some have since expanded to include bars, fine dining and tennis. Many of these yacht clubs (such as Pewaukee Yacht Club and Oconomowoc Lake Club) are still operating today.

Who can access Lake Country?

Today Lake Country continues to provide the area with various aquatic activities. Sailing, paddle boarding, kayaking, fishing and other motorized boating are common in the summer months. Most of the lakes are accessible to the public, but may require a lake access permit.

Sources: Oconomowoc: Barons to Bootleggers by Barbara and David Barquist, Oconomowoc Area Historical Society and Museum, Waukesha County Park System, Encyclopedia of Milwaukee, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

What's What the Wisconsin?

Is there something about Milwaukee or Wisconsin that's been puzzling you? We've got experts who know how to find answers to even the smallest (and sometimes the most interesting) questions. When we can, we'll answer with stories. Submit your question at bit.ly/whatthewisconsin.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What is Lake Country, and what lakes does it include?