Giant City State Park lodge has unique history

MAKANDA, Ill. (AP) - The majestic Giant City Lodge sits at the highest point in Giant City State Park, but the park and lodge have a history of their own.

One of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's programs, Civilian Conservation Corps or CCC, was started in 1933 and enrolled young men to work on outdoor projects and improvements. Three CCC units were assigned to Giant City State Park.

Company 696, with nearly 200 men, remained at the park from 1933 until 1942. Company 1657 assisted for five months in 1934. Under the supervision of the National Park Service, the CCC undertook such projects as road construction, landscaping, foot trails, guardrails and general forestry improvements, The Southern Illinoisan reports.

In June 1934, the Company 696 began work on project 28 C, the Giant City Lodge and Cabins. Soon after construction began, it became apparent that more than one company of men would be needed, so Company 692 came to Giant City from August 1934 until November 1935.

The emphasis of the project was that it would reflect local atmosphere and decor, and many of the materials that went into the lodge were obtained locally.

The foundation was laid out in concrete. In keeping with the emphasis on local atmosphere, the walls of the Lodge were constructed of locally quarried sandstone. Illinois hardwoods were used in the woodworking in and on the lodge including white oak, pecan and shingle oak. An on-site blacksmith did all of the ironwork.

The lodge was dedicated on Aug. 30, 1936. The Chicago Tribune quoted Illinois Gov. Henry Horner as saying, 'œThis park will be a sanctified spot where our people will meet happiness and restoration and instructive interests. To that end it was created and to that purpose I dedicate it.'ť

Other projects included the addition of six more overnight cabins to accommodate the growing number of guests, bringing the total number of cabins to 12 in August 1937. These cabins did not have running water. They were furnished with furniture built by the CCC.

The CCC was asked to make 80 additional pieces of furniture for the lodge's lounge area. This furniture, made of local white oak and maple, remains in the lounge area today.

The Refectory Service Court, constructed of native sandstone with white oak pin rails and gates, was finished on Nov. 30, 1938. On March 31st, 1939, a concession stand was completed in the lodge building. It featured Coca Cola for 10ˆ¢ and ice cream cones for 5ˆ¢.

The projects that the 696th Company had started - but not finished -before disbanding were finished by the permanent park personnel and the Works Progress Administration.

In early 1946, work began on the existing cabins, which included plastering interior walls and adding plumbing and electricity.

The increasing dining room business created the need to add yet another dining room in 1958, which became known as the Bald Knob Room. In 1969, yet another dining room was added, which was named the Shawnee Room.

The biggest improvements to the Lodge since its construction occurred under Gov. James Thompson's Build Illinois Program beginning in 1985, more than 50 years after the CCC was commissioned.

'œBob Winchester, a state representative, suggested adding a soda tax and the money went to the Conservation Department (now Illinois Department of Natural Resources),'ť Richard Kelly said.

Under the new program, the 12 original overnight cabins were removed and 12 new cabins built on the same sites. These 12 new cabins are now known as the 'œhistoric'ť cabins. Another 22 new cabins were built around the lodge, along with outdoor swimming pools.

The Lodge was renovated with new infrastructure throughout, including a new Bald Knob dining and banquet rooms. The addition doubled the total dining room seating to approximately 400. The addition was designed to maintain its historic beauty, in keeping with the spirit of the park.

The 1980s also brought a new era of management and hospitality, as Richard A. Kelley with his 19-year-old son Mike become the lodge's sixth concessionaire.

Richard Kelly was a mess sergeant in the Army and had been around food all his life. Applying for the license to run the lodge seemed natural for him.

'œWe did a lot of cleaning and took some screens off windows to brighten up the place. We opened on March 1, 1981,'ť Mike Kelly said, adding that they shined it up, turned on more lights and made the lodge more welcoming to visitors.

Mike and Richard Kelly have been at the lodge almost daily since opening.

'œDad was a forward thinker. After two weeks of getting overwhelmed on Sunday lunch, he decided we would just do the chicken dinner,'ť Mike Kelly said.

That decision enabled the lodge to serve a larger number of people each Sunday. Today, the lodge's famous family-style fried chicken dinner is still the menu for Sunday lunch.

However, Mike wanted to make it clear that fried chicken dinners are available for lunch and dinner every day at the lodge. Guests may also order off the menu throughout the week, but the fried chicken is definitely the favorite.

The Kelly family does not own the lodge. It is an Illinois state park facility. Ownership aside, it is the Kelly family business.

'œEverybody in the family has worked at the lodge. They usually start hosting or busing tables and graduate to the waiting tables. Mikey (Mike's son) joined us a few years ago after college,'ť Mike Kelly said. 'œMy brother-in-law Jim Booziotis joined us years ago. He certainly has a big part in the business.'ť

For members of the Kelly family, working at the Lodge is a rite of passage. Mikey Kelly started working helping set and clear tables on busy Sundays when he was in about third grade. Of course, that meant getting some money for working from his grandpa.

'œThat's kind of the way it is. If you're in the family, you work at the lodge,'ť Mikey Kelly said.

He said he couldn't pass up the opportunity to work with family, his parents, grandparents and uncle.

'œWe all get along pretty darn well,'ť Mikey Kelly said.

On any Sunday, you will find Mike and Mikey Kelly and Jim Booziotis hard at work at the lodge. Kay Kelly is usually at the hostess stand and Richard is in his office, just off the dining room.

He makes the bills, he pays them

Richard Kelly still keeps a handwritten tally of each's day's business in a ledger book, just like his dad taught him to do at Kelly's Big Star. The bookkeeping is computerized, but he takes the computer printout and adds the numbers to the book.

'œI've carried my dad's habit into the business at the lodge,'ť Richard Kelly said.

They are lined up on the bookshelf behind his desk, along with one of his dad's ledger.

They joke that Mike Kelly makes the bills and Richard Kelly pays them.

Mike Kelly said that, in addition to family, they have been fortunate and blessed with a good staff, especially the past year and a half with COVID-19.

The walls give visitors an idea of how popular that fried chicken is, too. There are pictures of Giant City State Park, celebrities who have visited, politicians and family, as well as newspaper and magazine articles celebrating Giant City Lodge.

'œForty-one years have flown by and now three generations of family operate the lodge,'ť Mike Kelly said. 'œWe may be a little bit Mayberry, but it works.'ť

'œI have been so blessed,'ť Richard Kelly said.