The Lakeport Rotary Club was chartered as Rotary Club # 2029 on May 6, 1925.  Rotary International is comprised of more than 33,000 clubs in more than 200 countries worldwide, and boasts approximately 1.2 million Rotarians around the world. 

The Rotary Club of Lakeport was born in an era when Fitzgerald's newly published "The Great Gatsby" chronicled exciting adventures in regions that thrived on bootlegging during the Prohibition and the remnants of frontier justice.  Lakeport was such a town in the 1920's.

"UPSTAIRS AT THE LAKEPORT"
The Hotel Lakeport was the home of the
LAKEPORT ROTARY CLUB for 26 years.

In the 1920's, Lake County was in the midst of a boom. This created many new subdivisions and a substantial increase of new residents and visitors.

 

Prominent businessmen visiting from San Francisco, tiring of the inconvenience caused by the absence of a local Rotary chapter, decided to begin a club for Lakeport.

Lead by John Deadrich, local businessmen met April 11, 1925 at the Lakeport Christian Church for an "organizational meeting".  Six days later the 23 charter members of the Lakeport Rotary Club held their first meeting.  After moving to several sites the Lakeport Rotary Club finally settled into its "permanent" home of 26 years at the Hotel Lakeport pictured above.

"LADIES NIGHT"
Pictured above is a photo taken in March of 1930
of the Lakeport Rotary Club enjoying "ladies night".  Lakeport Rotary Club members and their spouses
are wearing the native costumes of Rotary
member nations around the world.

Service above Self

The early years of the Lakeport Rotary Club were not all fun and games, as shown in the picture to the left.

During the Great Depression of the 1930's, and in the days of World War II, the Lakeport Rotary Club accepted the responsibility for being the primary social service organization   serving the needs and welfare of Lake County's poor and needy.

Many Rotary Club projects over the next few decades were to spearhead the Library Park Gazebo, downtown benches and trash containers, build the Garden at Lakeside Hospital, and work on the High School athletic fields.

We, the current members of the Lakeport Rotary Club, are very proud of the traditions of the early founders of the club, and we hope that, through our humble efforts, we can honor their memories while serving the needs of the future generations of Lakeport for another century.

Click here to learn more about the History of Rotary International