Our Story

My name is John Jurko II.  I've been working on this project over the last several years.  It is a documentary called "Yankee Lake: The History & The Legend."  It is the story of my family, of my community and of the struggle for the American dream.  I am nearing the completion of this project and I need your help to preserve this little piece of Americana.

Yankee Lake is a small village in Northeast Ohio.  It was founded by my grandfather, Paul Jurko, as a way to sidestep the blue laws at the time, and allow for Sunday dancing at his ballroom. 

The documentary starts with the story of my great grandparents trip across the Atlantic, from their home country of Romania.  They came to the states in 1906 as farmers, but soon they became big-time bootleggers, shipping alcohol across the Canadian border and into New York City.

My great Grandfather, John Jurko, invested in some land with a real estate agent by the name E.H. Stewart.  Together they decided to develop the farmland into a resort, complete with a lake for swimming, a ballroom for dancing, and summer cottages for people to vacation.  Shortly after the damn was build Stewart came into financial troubles and took his own life in St. Petersburg, Florida.  From then on John took full ownership of the dream.

Soon a beach house was built and the ballroom quickly followed.  Big bands came from across the country to play in this massive structure for thousands of people.  Names like: Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, The Dorsey Bros., Bennie Goodman, Charlie Spivak, Cab Calloway, and Rudy Vallee.  If you lived in Northeast Ohio or Western Pennsylvania during the 30s, 40s and 50s, then you new about Yankee Lake.

This documentary covers my families arrival to the States, the building of Yankee Lake, and the struggles that went along with these times.  There are stories of bootlegging, hiding famous criminals, starting towns, tragic fires, kidnappings and the successes and failures of a family business.  But most of all it's the story of a loving family and a community during the tumultuous times of the early 1900s.  It's the story of Paul Jurko, the effect he had on his community, his love for people, and the legacy that he left behind.  The legacy that he left to his family, friends and community.

The Impact

Although this project is very personal too me, it's not just the story of my family.  I have interviewed dozens of people that have had some connection to Yankee Lake.  Some were family, some were friends, but many were people that I never knew before taking on this project.  All of these people were touched by Yankee Lake.  

I want to preserve this history for my family and the greater community.  I want these stories of courage, love, and community building to live beyond the memories of those I've interviewed.  I want to tell the story of my community's American dream, and their struggle through immigration, the Great Depression and the World Wars.  These are personal stories worth remembering, and I am asking for your help.

What We Need & What You Get

I have invested over $15,000 of my own money in this project.  I have spent countless hours traveling the country, shooting interviews and collecting photos and documents.  I have over 50 hours of footage and hundreds of pictures, even some 8mm footage of Yankee Lake.  I set the project aside for a year, but now I am ready to complete the film.

I am going to put all of these stories and materials together over the next several months.  If I can raise enough money, my plan is to complete this documentary by the end of February 2012, that's about 4 months from now.  But in order to put all of my effort into the completion of this project I need your help.

My goal is to raise $25,000 to complete this project in the next 4 months.  I need to raise a minimum of $15,000 to just scrape by.  If I can raise the full amount, I will use a portion of it to travel to L.A. and Florida to get a few key interviews from people that have stories of Yankee Lake's beginnings.  I will need money to acquire music rights and for DVD production.  There are several gear and software upgrades that I need in order to edit the feature length movie.  And to enable me to work full-time on this project, I will need to raise enough money to cover my baseline bills for 4 months. 

Together we can complete this project and share our history with the world for years to come.  I'm not asking for a handout.  Each level of contribution comes with special perks.  The minimum contribution of $10.  For $30 you will receive a copy of the finished documentary on DVD.  For each contribution above $30 you will gain extra perks, including screen credit in the film, an invitation to a private screening, and extended interviews from the documentary.  All of the perks and contribution levels are listed in the column to the top right of this page.

I am extremely grateful for any amount you can contribute, and I will put my entire being into making this an extraordinary documentary.  Thank you :)

Other Ways You Can Help

Even if you are unable to contribute financially, I am always on the lookout for stories, photos and footage of Yankee Lake and the Jurko family.  If you have anything that you think would enhance this history please feel free to contact me at jjurko@gmail.com.  But don't wait.  Contact me now before it's too late an the film is complete.

Also, please make sure to spread the word.  Let your friends and family know about this project on Facebook and Twitter.  Feel free to follow us by using the social buttons below this post.  Thanks again for all of your help.

Special Event: Nov. 19th Fundraiser Buffet

Thanks to everyone that came out and made the event a success.