Archives for Watchic Lake Memories

Ice in the Early Days

Ever wonder how people chilled their milk, meats, veggies, and of course their beer during the warm summer months on the lake? Ice from an ice-house of course.  David F. Drew writes in his book An Almanac of the Paine Neighborhood and Watchic Pond From 1800 to 1935 “When my family came to camp in the spring and fall, our first chore was to get a piece of ice for the icebox. It would be covered with sawdust or hay
Read More

Two Trails early 1900’s

Have you ever driven past the current Two Trails Diner at the intersection of Rte’s 25 and 113 and wondered how it used to be? We recently came across a some post cards (back in the day of one cent stamps) and and a newspaper advertisement for the “2 Trails Tourist Camp” and “Two Trails Tearoom” all from the early 1900’s. Check them out and send along any stories you may have of the old Two Trails and we’ll try to
Read More

The Porches – Camp for Boys or Home for a German Spy?

Ever wonder what it must have like back in the 1940’s to attend a summer camp? Funny enough, not too different from today… boys from the city would come out via the train (not car) to stay at the camp for one to three months to learn fishing, swimming, boating, etc.  Parents, then as now, were concerned about the food, the safety, and what their boys would be doing day in and day out. The Porches was not cheap –
Read More

Watchic Lake of Yesteryear (early 1900) – by Donal Greenleaf

In 1949, Donal Greenleaf wrote a wonderful memoir on his summers as child on Watchic Lake at what is now the camp at Watchic Rd 7 (TCV for “Twentieth Century Views”) . Thanks to his niece, we have posted the full memoir here. Below are some excerpts of the Watchic experience of hundred years ago. I first came to Watchic at the age of 12 in 1902, the month and the day I know not, but I rather suspect it
Read More

First Fish – by Paul McNulty

I had enjoyed fishing as a kid and an adult, which was one of the reasons we chose a place on Watchic Lake. I have lots of fond memories of fishing with my two sons, but this one is special as my youngest son had just caught his first fish. This was about 1995.
Read More