It is August 30, 1887, Grover Cleveland is President of the United States and Queen Victoria is celebrating her Golden Jubilee as Queen of England while forty young men from Meadville, with an avid interest in boat racing, begin forming the Iroquois Boating and Fishing Club. Some of the members had been racing boats on an old French Creek feeder canal near Meadville but now had in their possession property fronting the east side of the lake which they leased to the new organization. It is believed that this location only a little over a century before had served as camping grounds for Iroquois Indians which is probably how the club acquired its name. A charter was drafted in October of the same year listing the club's purpose as: "The maintenance of facilities for boating and other innocent or athletic sports, and for the preservation of game and fish, including a club for such purposes and for social enjoyment."    Although you no longer need to ride a train from Meadville and then take a horse and carriage to the club as in the late eighteen hundreds, you are still greeted upon arrival with the arresting view of Conneaut Lake. A spacious parking lot leads you to flowing lawns with a beach and dock area much as it was a hundred and twenty years ago. Only a major fire in 1928 keeps you from stepping into the original Victorian clubhouse. Member's love of the lake had them rebuilding and updating as soon as possible - a tradition in effect to this day, as the club is continuously being revitalized.    As hard as it is to pull your self away from the water, it is only a momentary sacrifice since inside we continue to find welcoming accommodations. Through the lobby into the fireplace room a cozy fire may wait for us on a chilly evening while live music is performed on the dance floor. The comforts of the member lounge include a full bar with an excellent wine selection and member dining along a full glass view of the lake. If the weather is sultry, we can try the all season patio, with tractable window walls so no matter what the weather we can enjoy the view of Conneaut Lake as we dine right on the water. Possibly our function is more formal and we require the elegant main dining room with its crystal chandeliers, fine dining settings and northern lake view.    The spectacular water view is everywhere and the club is elegant and inviting but the best is yet to come. Our culinary trained chef and professional staff will present a fine dining experience to compliment the environment you have just entered. The menu is gourmet, complete and varied with made to order selections. Satiated from your meal and the attentive service it will be hard to think about leaving the Iroquois Boating and Fishing Club, but not to worry with a hundred years of solid foundation there are many more to come.