Lake Harvey Stories

Growing Up Stories by local West Barnet Garage Owner Gary

All of the following stories are true and from actual events that happened in my life, while growing up in the small Vermont town of Peacham. I realize that time has a way of changing minor details but it does not change the overall picture. I have written all of these stories as I remember them happening or in some instances as they were told to me. There will be no order in which the stories will appear; I will write them as they return to my memory.

I hope you enjoy reading about life in the 50s & 60s as much as I enjoyed living them…………...
Please visit my blog here: www.whenkidswereallowedtobekids.com

A Story & Some Pictures from Barbara Roggeveen

A bit of the history of the Red and Gray houses - The "red cottage" was the second house on the lake. A great aunt negotiated the purchase of the land from Jim Blaine (farm picture) sometime in the very early 1900's. The camp was built with 4 bedrooms on the second floor - walls went only about 6.5 feet high so we had occassional bats flying around. The outhouse (a two holer) was up the hill. We had a root cellar. The kitchen had an electric stove added after the rural electrification program, a wood stove with water tank on the side for warm water. The ice box was supplied with ice cut during the winter by Mrs DeGreenie (Serious question on spelling of name) whose farm house still exists on Roy Mountain Road. The Red cottage was surrounded by trees many of which were blown over in the hurricane of 1938. Several families shared the house - My grandparents N. Penn and Seraph Darling Bugbee; Anzonetta Darling Rollins, and Ben and Phoebe Darling Gadley.

The sisters and families all lived together during the summer with the women sharing the meal preparation usually fish from the lake and fresh vegetables from a garden. My Darling great grandparents who lived near Mosquitoville and then in S Peacham provided a horse and buggy, some chickens and the like to have for the summer. My father and his cousin Leonard Darling of S. Peacham (the well photographed farm owned by Alice and Gar Darling) would fish anywhere from Martin's pond, along S. Peacham brook and Harvey's lake. They earned money nailing together butter boxes at the South Peacham creamery - 1 penny per box. There was an abandoned farm on the hill where they played sometimes rolling milk cans down the hill to the lake. Cows and sheep roamed the hillside to the fence by the house. If someone forgot to close the gate they were there with us.

Gradually my father's generation and their children took over with Ned and Brock Rollins, and the Nate Bugbee and his sister Ruth Bugbee Williams sharing the house. Sheduling became difficult so my parents, Nathan and Dorothy Bugbee built the Gray House in 1952.

In the late 1950's or early 1960's Ruth and Earl Williams purchased the remaining shares of the Red Cottage. They had it raised up, turned 1/4 counterclockwise and added a bathroom, different kitchen, and enclosed sunroom. They sold it to the Frechettes sometime in the 1980's.

At this point our grandchildren are the 5th generation to spend their summers at the lake.

Note: We reserve the right to accept/reject submissions

To submit stories for consideration to be posted here please visit our contact us page.

So Much to Talk About.

We ask for any and all of your stories of Lake Harvey and life around our lake. The Association will review each story and there is a good possibility your story will get posted here.

Note: We reserve the right to accept/reject submissions

To submit stories for consideration to be posted here please visit our contact us page.

So Much to See.

Not only is there so much to talk about, but our residents have a lot to show you too. In our photos section you can view photos from the past, or even share your own photos of life at and around Lake Harvey.