Remembering The Wagon Wheel in Rockton

On Route 75 in Rockton there is an empty field where The Wagon Wheel Resort once stood.

According to The Beloit Daily News in 1934, construction began on what one day would become The Wagon Wheel Resort.

There is a rich history of The Wagon Wheel Resort.  The legends, the celebrities that visited, the stories continue to grow even years after the LAST fire that destroyed the facility in 1999.

People that have lived in the Rockton community for years all have great stories about The Wagon Wheel. Working there, eating there, staying at the resort and even skating at the ice rink.

A former school teacher I know used to work at the hotel as a teenager and is still in awe about the Olympians that stayed there.

There were a series of fires over the years that have made stories about The Wagon Wheel seem pretty questionable. Were there mob ties at one point, did Al Capone frequent The Wagon Wheel back in the day? I've heard these stories since I was a kid.

Bob Hope, Ronald Regan, Olympic hopefully and Olympic Superstars all visited and stayed at The Wagon Wheel. During it's most successful time, The Wagon Wheel Resort included:

• Hotel
• Swimming Pool
• Bowling Alley
• Ice Skating Rink
• Restaurants
• Candy Kitchen
• Theater
• Landing Strip

I drive by the 100+ acres that is empty, a few times a week. Will anyone ever rebuild? Is there a NEW Wagon Wheel Resort in the future?