Article: Colorful character promoted American Indian cultures.(Neighbor)(Lake County Discovery Museum)

Byline: Diana Dretske

One of the most colorful men in Lake County's past is also one of the least known, Colonel John Vidvard (1853 to 1919) of Grass Lake.

Vidvard was born in New York, but came to Chicago in 1884, and for a time ran the Sans Souci amusement park there. He became captivated by the Chain O' Lakes region and bought property on Grass Lake in about 1898.

Vidvard, a wealthy man and "keen sportsman," was not the type to simply retire to his resort property and forget the world. He spent his retirement promoting the preservation of the Grass Lake lotus beds and American Indian traditions.

He accomplished these goals by ...

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