Yankee Lake The Documentary
History
FacebookTwitterThis page will be updated as new information is revealed. This history covers some of the Jurko family's geneology and many of the major events that took place at and around Yankee Lake over the past century.
Click on a link to jump to the desired section.
Timeline |
Bands |
Legend
"People are trapped in history, and history is trapped in them."
~James Baldwin
Timeline
1867 - Nov. - E.H. (Houston) Stewart is born
1884 - Oct. 15 - John Jurko born in Austria-Hungary (Romania)
1885 - Anna Jurko born in Romania
1906 - John Jurko enters the United States
1907 - Anna (Kalaman) Jurko enters the United States
1908 - Jun. 12 - John and Anna (Kalaman) Jurko marry
1910 - Feb. 1 - Valeria (Todut) Jurko born in Sharon
- Aug. 3 - Paul Jurko born in Hubbard
1917 - Apr. 6 - United States enters WWI
1918 - Sept. 12 - John Jurko fills out WWI Draft Card
- Sept. 29 - WWI comes to an end
1920 - John Jurko and E.H. Stewart buy farm property
-Jan. 16 - 18th Amendment goes into effect, Prohibition begins
-Aug. 18 - 19th Amendment Ratified, grants women right to vote
1923 - Jurko and Stewart begin building Yankee Lake
1924 - Contest held and Lake was to be named "Lingamore Lake"
- Dec. - 30ft of Lingamore dam destroyed, $1500 in damages
1925 - Jun. 15 - Stewart commits suicide in Florida
- Jul. 28 - The Lake opens as "Yankee Lake"
1927 - The Inn/Restaurant built out of old farm house
1928 - Aug. 3 - Ballroom opens with performance by Whitey Kaufman
1929 - Paul Jurko graduates high school
- Oct. 29 - Stock market crash, U.S. enters Great Depression
1930 - Elizabeth Crowe becomes the first mayor of Yankee Lake
- Aug. 25 - Rudy Valley draws 4000 crazed fans
1931 - Paul Jurko elected Mayor at age 21
- Yankee Lake Village is incorporated
1933 - Dec. 5 - Prohibition repealed by the 21st Amendment
1934 - Yankee Lake Village becomes official
1935 - Jul. 2 - Paul Jurko and Valeria Todut marry
1937 - Jul. 26 - John Jurko dies at age 51 from Pneumonia
1941 - Glenn Miller performs at ballroom to 4,200 fans
- Sept. 21 - Artie Shaw performs at ballroom
- Dec. 7 - The United States enters WWII
1945 - May 8 - Last German surrender. End of WWII in Europe
- Aug. 15 - Japan surrenders, bringing an end to WWII
1950 - Census lists 53 residents of Yankee Lake Village
1951 - Paul Jurko's Masury liquor store grosses $750,000
- State takes over and cancels Jurko's liquor franchise
1955 - Dec. 29 - Christmas fire burns down Jurko house
-3 neighbor children die in the flames
1958 - Shenango Valley Exposition draws 40,000 to Yankee Lake
1979 - The Lake is drained. The bottom turned into a motocross track
1983 - Apr. 9 - Valeria (Todut) Jurko dies
1988 - Mar. 1 - Paul Jurko dies
More to come...
This Timeline is still incomplete. If you notice any mistakes in this history or know of any missing events please contact me at jjurko@gmail.com
Bands
This is a list of some of the big names that have performed at Yankee Lake over the years
| Big Bands Glenn Miller Artie Shaw Jimmy Dorsey Tommy Dorsey Bennie Goodman Benny Jones Charlie Spivak Cab Calloway Johnny Martone Count Basie |
Henry Busee Rudy Vallee Duke Ellington Woody Herman Bob Eberly Helen O'Connell Motown Ike and Tina Turner James Brown |
Rock Bands Kansas Donnie Iris Willie Nelson Todd Rundgren Steppenwolf .38 Special Molly Hatchet David Allan Coe Lynyrd Skynyrd Ted Nugent ZZ Top |
Legend
This is a collection of family and community stories that have been passed down over the generations. As far as we know they are true, but only history knows for sure.
The Kidnapping
When Paul Jurko was a child he was kidnapped by the Purple Gang, a mob of bootleggers working out of Detroit in the 1920s.
He was mistaken to be the son of a rival gang and he was held captive in Cleveland for several days. The
kidnappers treated him well and fed him candy during his stay. Once the bootleggers realized their mistake Paul was returned
to his family unharmed.
Mob Hideout
During Prohibition it is said that the Jurko farm was used as a mob hideout and meeting place.
There was a secret room for the meetings built under the barn or farmhouse. There was also a five mile viewing radius from the top of the farmhouse
allowing them to spot any unwelcome visitors far in advance of their arrival.
Dillinger
It is said that John Dillinger frequented the Masury area in the 1920s and early 30s.
At the time Masury was called "Little Canada", because of the large amount of bootlegging and gambling taking place throughout the area.
It has also been said that at one time Dillinger hid out at the Jurko farm to escaped detection by the police.
