Grayslake Illinois Lake County Panoramic Resort Cottages Real Photo Postcard

Grays Lake, Illinois, transformed into a notable summer resort community during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, attracting visitors primarily from Chicago. "Cottage Row" refers to a cluster of these modest vacation homes built along the lake's shores, providing a seasonal retreat for urban residents seeking leisure activities such as boating, fishing, and relaxation in a natural setting. The architecture of these cottages typically reflected a functional, unpretentious style characteristic of early lakeside recreational dwellings.

The development of communities like Grays Lake was propelled by the expansion of railroad networks, which made once-remote natural areas accessible to a burgeoning middle class with growing disposable income and leisure time. These lakeside enclaves became significant for fostering an American tradition of seasonal escape from industrial cities, embodying a cultural shift towards valuing recreation and vacation as essential elements of life, and shaping the local economy around tourism and hospitality for decades.