A. L. Hoover Auditorium
The large entertainment center is named for Lakeside's General Manager (1926 - 1945) A. L. Hoover. It was through a generous gift from the Hoover Family that enabled completion of the large auditorium whose construction had stalled during the onset of the Great Depression. That gift enabled the completion of the project that is still the heart of the Lakeside entertainment'
Hoover Auditorium is home to the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra that performs frequently with outside artisans and of course, favorite movie night. When the auditorium first opened was originally called the Central Auditorium with 3000 seats. The new building replaced a wooden structure on the site used as a gathering spot for residents.
The Hoover Potato Digger
In 1885 Isaac W. Hoover patented the Hoover Potato Digger which he had introduced to the public a few years before at the Chicago World Fair. By 1916 the Hoover Manufacturing Company (located in Avery) was shipping 5000 machines a year . Two years later, Isaac and his wife Hannah, built a cottage at Lakeside.
The Hoover's only son, Arthur L. Hoover, served as secretary of the Hoover Manufacturing Company until it was sold to the John SDeere Plow Co. in 1926. He then served as gfeneral manager of the Lakeside Association from 1926 - 1946 and was responsible for many of the improvements enjoyed today, including the Hoover Auditorium.
Thanks to a donation from the Hoover family, the Lakeside Central Auditorium was completed during the depression. In 1949, the auditorium was renamed the "Hoover Auditorium" in honor of the families assistance. In 2009, a refurbished Hoover Potato Digger was placed near the southwest corner of the the building.
