A Wright County Monitor article from July of 1957 told of the formation of a new organization in the area, the Lake Cornelia Improvement Association. The group’s mission, according to the article, was “to make Lake Cornelia and the surrounding shore area one of the finest recreation areas in this vicinity.” Over 60 years later, the lake association and those goals are still going strong.
In an effort to continually improve the Cornelia area, the lake association is particularly proud of the recent completion of a multi-year project- three granite signs. Lavon Marshall, the secretary of the lake association, said the idea for the signs goes back a decade. She explained the group had asked Dave Sadler to help them form a masterplan for the lake, including goals, improvements and additions they could undertake. One of the big ideas was to add signage around the lake.
The idea was not seriously pursued for a few years, but in 2015, the group had their first fundraiser. Though the group eventually gathered donations from association members and received grant money from the Wright County Charitable Foundation, the sign project hit a few snags over the years that Marshall says slowed up their efforts.
Marshall explains when her husband John joined the board in 2016, he gave the project the boost it needed. After having a surgery and thus having some downtime in the winter of ’17 to ’18, John really got to work planning. He contacted Mike Ewing with Ewing Funeral Home and Monument for some suggestions. With Ewing’s advice, they decided to go with granite for the signs. They also opted for a simple design with the lake name and a sailboat.
Three signs at different locations around the lake were unveiled in 2018. Over the next couple of years, the lake association added a few touches to the project to beautify the area around the signs. Rick Rasmussen donated his time and worked on the rock landscaping that truly made the signs special. Rasmussen said he was happy to be able to help and enjoyed the project for the fact that it adds to the county.
Marshall said the association is pleased with the signs. “They really turned out great and add to the lake,” said Marshall. She noted that they still have some plans in mind to really make the signs shine…by adding lights in the future.
Besides the spiffy new sign project, Marshall explained that the Lake Cornelia Improvement Association stays active in other ways. They spray for mosquitoes and have helped the county park provide playground equipment and establish the trail around the lake. They organize fun festivities for Fourth of July every year, including a meal, kids’ games, boat parades, and cap it all off with an impressive firework show, paid for by the association.
They also are instrumental in sustaining the quality of the lake. The association maintains the well that helps keep the lake at a satisfactory level for recreational enjoyment. With the dry summer, the lake was down over a foot. Consequently, the pump was turned on recently for the first time in years, and water can be seen flowing into the lake.
With the help of the Lake Cornelia Improvement Association, this fun Wright County recreational destination and home of so many will be a wonderful location for years to come.
