The Inimitable Eliza “Lou” Ringling

Eliza “Lou” Ringling got her start under the Big Top, but her investment in the Dole Mansion and Crystal Lake community is the gift that keeps on giving today and tomorrow.

Celebrate Eliza “Lou” Ringling: Renaissance Woman and Visionary

Before Eliza “Lou” Ringling created a legacy in the Crystal Lake Community, she had various roles in the world-famous Ringling Bros circus. Wife of Al, the oldest Ringling brother, she was a snake charmer, trapeze walker, mind reader’s assistant and wardrobe supervisor for "The Greatest Show on Earth."

After retiring from the circus, the couple lived a quiet life in Baraboo, Wis. At this time they worked on the development of a resort at Mirror Lake and built the $100,000 Al Ringling Theater as a memorial for the Baraboo community. Al died in 1916, willing $325,000 to Eliza.

It was 1922, she and a group of investors, known as the Lake Development Company, purchased the abandoned and shuttered Civil War-era Dole Mansion and surrounding 1,000 acres in Crystal Lake. The transaction involved nearly a half million dollars and was one of the largest real restate deals handled in the area.

Under Eliza’s guidance, the Dole Mansion was completely renovated and became home to the Crystal Lake Country Club. And it is this vision that would bring to life the 1926 Annex addition to The Dole, and the Country Club Additions, now known as “The Gates.”

Ringling threw grand parties in the Ballroom at the Country Club, known for its grandeur and opulence.

Ringling Road, north of the Dole, is named after her. Lou’s Lounge at the Dole is also a nod to her legacy. Coming soon, the lounge will feature live entertainment and craft cocktails in a speakeasy-like setting.