Across Lake Minocqua from the Thirsty Whale lies the Beacons, a resort and timeshare property that was once the summer home of Fred. B. Snite, Jr. The Beacons’ distinctive lighthouse-style boathouse was built in 1908 and, according to local legend, was used by Snite to watch boat races, using mirrors and a periscope. Snite, son of a Chicago financier, contracted polio in 1936 at the age of 25, and spent the next 18 years lying on his back in a 700-pound respirator, which enabled him to breathe. famous as “the man in the iron lung” and “the Boiler kid,” Snite lived a surprisingly normal life and was known for his quick wit and ready smile. Using a chest respirator, he was occasionally able to leave the iron lung, but only for a couple of hours at a time. He married in 1939, and before he died of natural causes at age 44, he and his wife and three daughters enjoyed summers on Lake Minocqua.
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