MeddyBemps Cottage Was in Our Family Nearly Fifty Years

My dad and mom purchased our camp on beautiful Meddybemps Lake Maine in 1946. They bought our camp (what cottages are called in downeast Maine) from "Donkey" Smith of Calais. There was just our camp and Tommy Denyer's cottage next to Reynolds Beach. Dad painted our place "Red" so from then on, we were known as the "red camp" near the beach. Cliff Reynolds owned the beach but our family had beach rights. Mr Reynolds also in possession of the field to our right, and he had all rented during the summer. Cliff had a complex agreement with the fields of beach, and boats for rent. He had space for people to tent and camping in the area facing the beach, with its hand pump to draw water and a snack bar and a place to launch a boat. I used to dive in front of our pier is growing before our red field, and I want to swim diagonally across the street to the beachRaft. It was crowded, the rule for swimmers, especially on a hot summer day. E 'was fun, a child in those days. Father worked in a paper factory (St.Croix Paper Co) in "Woodland" in Baileyville, Maine. If schools in Woodland leave for summer vacation, we would move Sprague children and our mother and remain there until Labor Day.

I could swim all day, go fishing and boating. I guess I never realized how happy I was then. I was able to jump into the boat and go to townDock. I bind to the port and go to Palm store. They sold gas there, and I have some ice cream and candy and food to get. The Palma family have always been friendly. E 'was Curtis "Chub" Palme and his wife, Alberta, daughters Betty, Maxine and Myrtle and a son Curtis. Carlo Ponti worked there too and it was a good guy. The shop was a meeting place for Meddybempsters and summer campers. There were managers and coaches as Cecil Ward and Ronald Cousins. Ienjoyed seeing Howard Allen there and I'd sometimes visit him at his nearby house. I hung around with Mark Ketchum, Jeff Orchard, Dale Sherrard, Johnny Hanson, Roger Holst , Jon Mahar and a few others. Sometimes, mom would have me run errands.

I'd sometimes go to the post office which was just a short walk from there over the bridge by Harry Smith's Dam and Lottie Lombards store to the the PO which was in the Everett Gillespie home. Once in a while, I'd get a glimpse of his pretty daughters, Nancy and Frannie. Later the PO moved further down Route 191 and Lottie's store was closed. I can still remember all the baskets hanging there and the distinct smell of sweetgrass from those indian baskets. Palmeter, s store remains as a friendly part of past days on the lake. After my chores, I would head back to the dock right past the little white church, a bubbling brook and back to my boat. Dad always had a power boat to use growing up and when I got a little older, I built my own hydroplane which I enjoyed skimming across the water. Kip Keneap had a hydroplace too but his was much faster than mine. Another one was owned by Ronnie Denyer.

Since we only had one car in those days, dad would bring bags of groceries that he purchased at Coulter's store in Woodland after work. On the weekend, we might go into Calais to shop or get food from the A&P or IGA. My favorite store was Western Auto and Todds Hardware but there was also a 5&10, W T Grants, Woolworth's, Fishman's, Bernadini's Peanuts (they had large hot peanuts and cashews that were greasy in the brown sack), Downeast TV and a few other places we liked to go. Those peanuts were so good, they rarely made it all the way back to camp. We ate them. Sometimes dad would take mom, me and my sisters to the St Croix Valley Drive-In Theatre. I can remember we always burnt a circular green smudge wick on the car dash. The were so many mosquitoes and black flies.

In those days, the speakers were on a pole. You put it in the window. This was before you could tune into a special frequency on the radio. A few other times we went to the movies in St Stephen, New Brunswick at the Queen Theatre. The Canadian border was only about 16 miles from our camp. Ever since the state theatre burned down, Calais was without a movie house. The last movie played there was "A hot tin roof". How ironic. It was a good life when life was simple. We had company most all summer brought more friends to play a lot of Cliff's Land. Many of his fields had the same tenants year after year. Most stayed for two weeks at a time. In late summer I had my remote "Ham" and my sisters were friends. We were playing cards on rainy days, the hot water in the days skiing and swimming every day. The thunder and lightning on the lake have been unforgettable. Lightning struck the lake with a load of noise, white caps coming down to the lake. It 'was quite a sight. Once, II remember lightning came through the window and bounced off the black stove. Some of the campers were frightened, but was equally exciting for me.

Meddybemps lake has many people of Maine and other eastern states. The lake is big enough is 8 miles long, 7 km wide fifty-two Islands. Some have dubbed the calendar to see this reason.There the country for most of these islands, and most were large boats. I've always been a bit 'jealous of the islanders.One boat I remember as a small child was called the "Dixie Clipper" owned by the Graham family. I had heard they had something to do with the dixie cup company. That was never verified to my knowledge. It might just as well have been a rumor but that family were quite well off just the same and had a huge cottage and a mile of shorefront. Some of the boats on the lake were more designed for ocean use, I thought.

Meddybemps was deep water in parts but was also known for it's many rocks. There were quite a few boats and motors that were damaged on that body of water. I soon learned where most of the rocks were. Many of these bolders just below the surface were soon marked with paint or buoys but every once in a while, we realized that some of them were overlooked. I managed to shear a few pins or two through the years and had to fix the outboard motor numerous times. I also remember the seaplanes that would land on the lake and sometimes we got to take a ride up above the lake. Ed Ketchum had a plane and so did Ed Arbo. Of course, so did the fish and game warden so we had to make sure we had our license with us and measured the length of our catch. Dad liked to go fishing after work and we'd generally have a fish fry 2 or 3 nights a week. We'd fry, bake and barbecue them.

I had the honor of filleting and cleaning the perch, bass and pickerel on occasion. The latter species usually ended up in a fish chowder. Mom was a good chowder maker and dad was known for his homemade clam chowder. Mom was also an expert pie maker. We ate well at the lake. Berries were also numerous. We would pick wild strawberries in July and raspberries and blueberries in Aug. They were good on cereal or in a large bowl with whipped cream. At the end of summer, this part of Maine had fields of blueberries to rake and be winnowed and then sent to Stewart's or Wyman's factories. There was lots of work for us children for at least two full weeks. We could earn enough money to buy our own school clothes or anything else we wished. I would usually work for Howard Allen or Forest Sadler way up on Conant's Hill. I could rake a lot of berries but my back was always sore at the end of the day. If you wanted really clean berries, they were hand picked elsewhere. Strawberry shortcake and blueberry cake were my favorites.

On Lake Meddybemps, we had the best sunsets too. We enjoyed many of them from our front screened porch.The sky was pitch black at night and you could see every star in the sky. Eventually I had a telescope on the porch but I must admit, it pointed at the beach on some occasions. We rode bikes on the camp road and had some baseball games in Reynold's field. Tommy Denyer each summer would get bunnies to raise from the rabbit man in Charlotte. Nelson Craig would let Tommy keep them in cages in his back camp yard and then take them back at the end of the summer. We children enjoyed those bunnies. They were all different colors. Grey, black, mixed and white.

Another interesting thing about Meddybemps Lake was that everyone waved to each other out on the water, even though we didn't know most of them. It was just a friendly gesture we all did. The lake was pleasant and even the elm trees were pretty and welcoming around the village. Eventually, the dutch elm disease took it's toll on those trees. Soon bright street lights were installed around the shore and on the highway. Upon Cliff's death, his son erected his new home on the beach.

Unfortunately, life doesn't stand still. However, I still proposed to my wife on that beach under a starry sky one summer evening. Later we bought the red camp from my folks. One of the first projects was to paint the camp another color. It was now the blue camp. Everyone now complained that they missed the red camp. I did add hot water and a shower which received approval never-the-less. We did get good use of that place growing up in a nearby town. We would view the foliage in the Fall. Dad would hunt there in Nov. His brothers and other hunters would stay right out there for a couple weeks every year. In the winter, we would drive out there to skate and play in the snow. Then, we've warm up by the wood stove and have lunch and drink hot chocolate. Spring would bring ice-out in late April. Sometimes, we were there when the ice disappeared and hopefully left the dock on the shore. Many a year, we had to repair or build new piers.

In the mid eighties, my wife and I moved to Calais from Massachusetts, started a business, and hoped to enjoy the camp like in the old days and my son might have an experience like I had. Having a self employment business, unfortunately doesn't always provide enough free time. This was the case for me but my wife and son did get to enjoy Meddybemps for a few years. Nothing stays the same of course, so I cling to those happy memories of long ago.

MeddyBemps cottage has been in our family for almost fifty years

My father and my mother bought our camp on the beautiful Lake Meddybemps Maine in 1946. They bought our camp (which the country is called Down East in Maine) from "Donkey" Smith of Calais. There was only our warehouse and Tommy Reynolds Denyer hut next to Beach. Dad painted our place, "Red", so from then on the beach we were known as "red field" in the vicinity. Cliff Reynolds in possession of the beach, but our family beach was right. Reynolds alsoin possession of the field to our right, and he had all rented during the summer. Cliff had a complex agreement with the fields of beach, and boats for rent. He had space for people to tent and camping in the area facing the beach, with its hand pump to draw water and a snack bar and a place to launch a boat. I used to dive in front of our pier is growing before our red field, and I want to swim diagonally across the street to the beachRaft. It was crowded, the rule for swimmers, especially on a hot summer day. E 'was fun, a child in those days. Father worked in a paper factory (St.Croix Paper Co) in "Woodland" in Baileyville, Maine. If schools in Woodland leave for summer vacation, we would move Sprague children and our mother and remain there until Labor Day.

I could swim all day, go fishing and boating. I guess I never realized how happy I was then. I was able to jump into the boat and go to townDock. I bind to the port and go to Palm store. They sold gas there, and I have some ice cream and candy and food to get. The Palma family have always been friendly. E 'was Curtis "Chub" Palme and his wife, Alberta, daughters Betty, Maxine and Myrtle and a son Curtis. Carlo Ponti worked there too and it was a good guy. The shop was a meeting place for Meddybempsters and summer campers. There were managers and coaches as Cecil Ward and Ronald Cousins. Ienjoyed, Howard Allen, and I sometimes find it in his house nearby. I go to Mark Ketchum, Jeff Orchard, Dale Sherrard, Johnny Hanson, Roger Holst, Jon Mahar and a few others. Sometimes my mother would run errands.

I would sometimes post office, shop a short walk from there across the bridge of the dam by Harry Smith and Lottie Longobardi, go to the PO, who was home in Everett Gillespie. Once in a while, I would do a better insight into hisDaughters, Nancy and Frannie. Thereafter, the PO moved farther down Route 191 and Lottie shop was closed. I remember all the hanging baskets and the distinct smell of sweet grass baskets Indians. s handheld and save them as part friendly in recent days on the lake. In my house I would like to work back to the right dock past the white church, a stream and go back to my boat. Dad had always grow for the use of a motor boat and when I became a bit 'older, I builtI liked my own seaplane skimming across the water. Kip had Keneap hydro site too, but it was much faster than mine. Another was heard from Ronnie Denyer.

Since we had only one car in those days would bring the Pope bags with food that he bought a store in Woodland Coulter after work. Over the weekend we could be in Calais for shopping or food for the A & P or IGA. My favorite Western Auto store and Todd was hardware, but it was a 5 and 10, Grant WT,Woolworth, Fishman, Bernardini Peanuts (they had great hot peanuts and walnuts, brown fat in that bag were), Down East TV and a few other places we like to go. Peanuts have been so good, but only rarely to the field. We've eaten. Sometimes Dad Mom, Me and my sisters, the St. Croix Valley Drive-In Theatre. I remember we always have a green wick burned round spot on the dashboard. There were so many mosquitoes and black flies.

In thisNow, the speakers on a pole. It was showcased. This was before you could tune to a particular radio frequency. A couple of times we went to the cinema in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, at the Queen Theatre. The border with Canada is about 16 miles from our camp. The State Theatre burned Calais side was not cinema. The film is the last time we played was "A Hot Tin Roof." How ironic. It 'been a good life, when life was simple. We had the most companies, allsummer brought more friends to play a lot of Cliff's Land. Many of his fields had the same tenants year after year. Most stayed for two weeks at a time. In late summer I had my remote "Ham" and my sisters were friends. We played cards on rainy days, the hot water in the days skiing and swimming every day. The thunder and lightning on the lake have been unforgettable. Lightning struck the lake with a load of noise, white caps coming down to the lake. It 'was quite a sight. Once, II remember lightning came through the window and bounced off the black stove. Some of the campers were frightened, but was equally exciting for me.

Meddybemps lake has many people of Maine and other eastern states. The lake is big enough is 8 miles long, 7 km wide fifty-two Islands. Some have dubbed the calendar to see this reason.There the country for most of these islands, and most were large boats. I've always been a bit 'jealous of the islanders.A boat I remember as a child, the "Dixie Clipper" from the Graham family has been called. I had heard that might have something to do with the Dixie Cup Company. This has never been verified to my knowledge. It could also have been a rumor, but the family was very good, the same and had a huge house and a mile of beachfront. Some of the boats on the lake, are designed more for the ocean, I thought.

Meddybemps was deep in some parts, but also for its many well-known rocks.There were quite a few boats and engines were damaged in that body of water. I just found out where most of the rocks were. Many of these boulders just below the surface just marked with paint or buoys, but every once in a while ', we realized that some were overlooked. I managed a couple of pens or two over the years and had to cut the outboard engine to fix several times. I also remember the seaplanes land on the lake, and sometimes we would have had a ride above theSee. Ketchum and had a plan and so did Ed Arbo. Of course, in order to have the fish and game warden, so make sure that we got our license and we have measured the length of our catch. Dad like to go fishing after work and we usually have a fish fry 2 or 3 nights a week. We fry, bake and grill them.

I had the honor of cleaning and filleting, pike perch and bass occasionally. This species usually ends in a fish soup. Mom had been a good producer of fish soup and Dadknown for his homemade clam chowder. The mother was also an expert cake maker. We also ate at the lake. Berries were also numerous. We have strawberries and raspberries and blueberries in July, in August you were to heal or cereal in a large bowl with the whipped cream. In late summer, this part of Maine had to rake blueberries and screened areas and then Stewart factories and Wyman. There was a lot of work for us children for at least two full weeks. We could not earn enoughMoney for our own school clothes or anything else we wanted to buy. I would work normally for Howard Allen Sadler or forest road to the top of the hill Conant's. I could rake a lot of berries, but my back is still sore at the end of the day. If you really wanted to clean berries were manually elsewhere. Strawberry Shortcake and Blueberry cake were my favorite.

Meddybemps Lake, we had the best sunsets. We enjoyed many of them was black as pitch in front of our night sky projected porch.Theand you could see every star in the sky. At one point I had a porch on the telescope, but I must admit, they straightened the beach on occasion. We rode bikes on the road of the camp and had a few baseball games in box Reynold. Tommy Denyer receive each summer to breed rabbits by human and rabbit in Charlotte. Craig Nelson would let Tommy take in a cage in his backyard and then take stock again in late summer. We children enjoyed those rabbits. They wereall different colors. Grey, black, white and mixed.

Another interesting thing was that all Meddybemps Lake greeted each other in water, even if we did not know more than them. It 'was just a friendly gesture, we all did. The lake was nice and the elms were quite inviting and around the village. Finally, the Dutch elm disease took a toll on trees. Lackluster street lights were installed along the coast and the highway. After CliffThe death, his son built his house on the beach.

Unfortunately, life is not quiet. However, I have proposed, on the beach, my wife, who under a starry sky on a summer evening. Later we bought the red field of my people. One early project was the color of the field in a different color. It was now the blue field. All claims that are now lost, bearing the red. I pour hot water and a shower, which has never been approved by-the-less.We got a good use of that place growing in a nearby town. We would like to see the foliage in autumn. Hunting dad would be there in November, his brothers and other hunters would stay right out there for a few weeks a year. In winter we went there to skate and play in the snow. Then you eat and drink and eat warm from the oven and hot chocolate. Spring ice-out would end in April. At times we were there when the ice disappeared and, hopefully, have the dock onShore. Many years we have had to repair or build new quays.

In the mid-eighties, the wife and I moved to Calais from Massachusetts, founded in mine, and he hoped to enjoy the field you like in the old days and my son could have the experience I had. With a stand-alone business, not always offer enough free time. This was the case for me, but my wife and my son got to enjoy Meddybemps for some years. Nothing stays the same course, so I cling to thosememories of the past.