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Solair Recreation League - |
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Solair Recreation League - |
A Look back in time ...
The Beach (text from 1967)
When the group first came in 1937 and for several years after the beach area was marsh – sedge grass and bogs, bushes and trees to the water’s edge and beyond. In 1938 a bridge was built between the pond and lagoon with a little dock for boarding a boat. The timid people did their bathing by standing on the dock and sprinkling each other with a watering can. A few hardy ones dunked down into the water but the pond was too full of leeches and snakes for the tastes of most. So bathing was not an important part of life at camp for some time. During the period before a small area had been cleared to the pond, Al had cleared out the brook below the point where the little Red house (now Brown) of Fox Hollow Lane now stands. He carried in sand in a wheelbarrow and made a bathing area for the children.
Florence gave Al J. credit for most of the clearing of the beach, pulling out the sedge grass first. Al told me how he gradually made a path in back of the marsh and bushes to a spot near where the dock is now where they could approach the water over a board. He made the path by stopping at San Souci’s sand pit each time he came into camp, filling his pick-up truck and backing in to dump and spread the sand. After each trip he could back farther until he had a path to a little cleared area. That was the beginning of swimming. Then he, with help from members, began cutting trees and uprooting brush, enlarging the open area. In a letter from Willard (Lucy) he speaks of many weekends of working on the beach in such a manner. Al told of several ways they tried to get rid of the mud and muck at different times. Once it was trying to use a hand scoop, attaching it to his tractor pulling it on to the shore. Afterwards they had to carry the muck away as it smelled so. UGH! Another reference in Doris’ diary, Sept. 1959, tells of Dick, Scotty and Al enlarging the beach and carrying away the muck. Maybe this was the same time Al referred to, maybe a continuation.
Each time after clearing on shore or in the water, there were the trips to the sand bank for sand to fill with. So over the years, the sunning and swimming area was enlarged – all by hard, manual and often unpleasant work. Finally, in late 1956, machinery was brought in to dig a hole twenty feel around and ten feet deep so one could dive from the float without striking bottom. At the time the beach was considerably enlarged. Al stayed here to superintend the job until completion, Dec. 8, 1956.
In 1960 a culvert was put in with one outlet pipe, this being closed to raise the level of the pond. At the same time quite a bit of work was done in repairing the dam. Up to this time two bridges had been built, the first was washed away over into the lagoon or brook as I believe it was then.
In 1963, during the fall, machinery was brought in to take out that culvert, the pond was completely drained, the road bed dug down and two larger pipes put in, one over the other. In the spring, before the pond was filled again, the beach area was dredged from the culvert way around a bend, sixty feet out and eight to ten feet deep. Sand was spread along the shore and the lower pipe covered to let the spring rains fill the pond. The dam was also extensively repaired at this time. The height of the pond is now controlled by boards in the sluiceway. Many loads of white sand were spread on the beach. The next year the pond was lowered some and plastic was spread along the shore from the water level out and covered with sand to keep the oozy, clay soil of the pond bottom from working up through the sand. All these efforts over many years have changed a marshy pond to a pleasant beach and sunning area.
After Al J. got the beach cleared somewhat, he began to work back clearing the new recreational area and parking lot. This was the same story of cleaning out brush, felling trees and removing stumps, large boulders, etc., filling holes and then smoothing some parts at first by dragging an old bed spring around. He had help, but the bulk of the work was done by Al J. with crowbar, shovel and wheelbarrow, the same process as was used for the early developed roads. In 1956 a contractor was hired to bring in much fill for the parking lot – which made Pat in her Solairama remark about “the new look in the parking lot.” Thereby hangs the tale of the camp gaining new members – not right away, though. Norman (Bernice) was the driver of a truck hauling fill and he “fell” for the camp. He really FELL – not only in love with the place – also into the drink, truck and all! He was crossing the bridge between the pond and lagoon and over he, in his truck, went into the water on the lagoon side. Fortunately, there wasn’t as much water there as there is now. It was some years later before he persuaded Bernice to come to camp.
This section of camp has seen many changes since the first clearing started: the canteen, then the steambath in ’62, the teenage building in ’65, Bill L. spent one whole summer chipping out rock to make the drive from one level to the other near the steambath, more and more fill, etc. Now in ’67, we are enlarging the area for a new volleyball court, putting in shuffle board courts and other recreations. It is a story of constant change and improvement.
As with the parking – recreational area, so with the roads. At first a road to the lodge and adjoining area was enough, but after World War II, when the camp was re-opened after being inactive for about four years, there began to be a spreading out. The first few buildings except for Capt. Green’s and the Lodge which were pre-war, were built in the immediate area. The ones now owned by Al and Rita, Len and Ann, and Arnold and Vera are of early post-war vintage, also Al J’s. that one was the first individually owned, built by Florence’s son for a man named Atwood, later owned by Ann’s (Chaplain Bill) parents, then by Al. At about the same time Roger, then President of the club, built Al and Rita’s on a Tent Platform brought over from about where George and Mary’s cabin now is. Later Roger let it fall in disrepair and Al J. fixed it up for a camp rental. The other two were built for the camp and were rented also. Some time along the “Duplex” was built for rental by the camp, also. Then in ’50 Willard and Lucy started their cabin and in ’52 Bill S. built his. This started a scattering and also improvements of roads by the hand method mentioned before. Where there was a continual wet spot, flat rocks were laid in and covered with fill, and always the process of filling pot holes. In ’56, when Fernglades closed, we had a sudden influx of about thirty members from there that led to more sites and more roads. Also, according to Red, at that time he was building and talking and persuading others as to the joy of having a cabin. So in the fall of ’57 and ’58 having run out of sites on this level, trees were cut and a road bull-dozed out on the lower level, now called Fox Hollow Drive. Bob and Ella were the first to take residence there in their trailer now used by their daughter, Jan and family. Again in ’63 roads were cut through Whippoorwill Drive, etc. The cabins and tenting sites keep increasing, soon it will mean more cutting of trees and bull-dozing of roads to open more sites.
In ’59 four of the early cabins that were camp-owned were sold to individuals. In’57 the split-level with four small rooms had been built for weekend rentals. After acquiring and converting Eddie (Ivah’s) cabin and steambath building, the camp made both the duplex and split-level into seasonal rentals. At the present time the camp-owned buildings are: the Lodge, Canteen, steambath, Teenage Pavilion, two tool sheds, the Duplex, Split level and two Motel buildings and four toilet buildings. Oh, yes, I must add, two out-buildings for emergencies!!
The steambath idea was first brought into camp when Eddie (Ivah) opened one on the hill in May, 1958 – to which he later added the Dressing room. It was heated by a stove, serviced from the inside, with a tank of boiling water to make more steam. That meant, in the winter when it had its greatest use, bringing in several five gallon cans of water to fill the tank and provide water to douse the hot seats and the people, a popular practice. It was only the pranksters who ran to the pond or rolled in the snow. It was fun to watch them when they got going. At first Eddie was allowed to charge a small fee of which the camp had a percentage, but that practice was discontinued when it was learned that by charging, it left him liable for State inspections. Donations were then in order. In 1960 there began to be suggestions from some to have a camp-owned steambath near the beach. With that in mind, donations were asked for, camp help was enlisted and in 1962, in November, in time for the winter season, our present one was completed. The steambath and shower part was of plain cement construction and that winter it was discovered that blocks that stood in the cold all week did not readily heat up for the weekend. So the next fall insulation and siding were put on the inside of the steamroom and all went well until one wintry Sunday night after most had gone home, fire was discovered between the rafters, etc. Extensive damage was done, but before spring, all had been repaired, this time with fire-proof materials. The shower room had also been tiled and looked so nice. We thought we were all set but we hadn’t counted on the steambath becoming so popular during the summer months and the whole place getting such extensive use. Today it is far from attractive – it can’t stand up to the use and abuse it gets.
I nearly forgot to tell the story of the Teenage Pavilion. In 1965 we had a large active group who liked to get together, play their kind of noisy music, and dance. That didn’t set well with some of the older people who wanted to play cards and talk, the Canteen being the only center for both. So the young folks go together and raised the money by having games of chance during social times, bake sales, etc. They had a few money gifts by way of encouragement and help from parents and friends in the actual building. They also had gifts of lights, benches and tables and a record player but they maintain their own building, make their own rules and showing themselves as responsible members and an asset to the camp in helping around on various jobs. This year they have planted two Rhododendron bushes near their Pavilion in memory of their lost friend, Terry.
Spring 1990
Solair Postcard - 1990's ?
Late 1990's
Our beginnings... formation (1934-1937 thru 1957)
Water, Lights, Power, Facilities (1967 text)
Return to Solair History Main Page
See how we relax and unwind at Solair today
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