Rick Jacobel, Summer 1958

Rick Jacobel (left) & Family at Lake Ballard (Denny's cabin), 1958:

"There were blueberry bushes that grew in the wild. I remember going out early one morning to collect a colander of the blueberries so that my mother could add them to the pancake batter for our breakfast." - Rick

Rick inside Denny's cabin in 1958 - with friend Snapper T. Turtle, Jr.!

Where The Buffalo Roam... inside Denny's cabin!

Lake Ballard as seen by Rick from Denny Giriat's dock in 1958:

"I used to spend hours out in the row boat with my fishing pole, catching sun fish, and then throwing them back into the water." - Rick Jacobel, 2008

Click on any image to enlarge. And many thanks to Rick for sharing these great memories!

(This page was updated September 21st, 2008)

Joe Krantz's

(Photo by Jim Molloy - August 2008)

Back in the 50's, Joe Krantz's cabin on the west side of the lake was the pride of Lake Ballard. Actually, it still is, even overgrown and abandoned. Because it's still there, like the last of the Mohicans, visible in the August wood.

Lots of Paradise, Act Now!

This is where it started, when in 1931, city dwellers could purchase of piece of heaven for less than a hundred dollars... to fish and boat and swim all the August-day long!

No Interest Charge!

...

The above image is split into two for legibility (click on each image to enlarge). Putnam Lake is in the Patterson area, about 12 miles east of Ballard Lake. The ad is from 1931 - notice the styles - when development of Putnam County was gathering steam as a summer getaway.

Sit Up Straight! Stop Figgiting!

St. James Catholic Church, Route 6, Carmel, NY (postcard image, c. 1940's)

Note: Correct spelling is "fidgeting" - meaning; to move about restlessly, nervously, or impatiently. As kids, we fidgeted a lot in church because we wanted to be someplace else. Like back at the lake swimming!

Lake Carmel Fire House

(Route 52)

Route 52 (North) & 311 (East) Junction, postcard image c. 1950... located about 1/2 mile north of Lake Carmel firehouse pictured above. Click images to enlarge.

Downtown Brewster, NY

Postcard image

Click here for more Brewster photos!

Al's Grocery, Rt. 52, Lake Carmel

Postcard image, 1950's

Downtown Carmel, 1953

Postcard Image (click images to enlarge)

Many thanks for this photo to Skip & Rob Pearlman, descendants of Max Pearlman, the owner.

Update 9/9/09: Carmel Diner, downtown Carmel, NY - circa 1953. See the Carmel Facebook Page (link), where you'll find many interesting historical pictures of and around Carmel. The above is only a sampling, but an excellent one since a number of Ballard Crew members were well acquainted with the Carmel Diner. In fact, a few of us might have been sitting inside at the counter enjoying a hamburger when the above shot was taken. Remember, this was the pre-McDonald's era when cows were cows and life was new!

Update 9/30/10: Skip Pearlman has added some great photos of the Carmel Diner (former) to his Facebook page - including photos of the original diner. Click Here to view.

Bolla's Restaurant - Bottlegate Farm

Postcard images, c. 1946/7(?)

Entrance to Olsen & Johnson's dairy farm was flanked by two giant milk bottles. For a period during the mid-1950's, the restaurant was known as "Bolla's." Mr. Bolla, or "Chef Bolla," had formerly worked as the sous chef at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC.

Update: The following image was taken by Jim Molloy in mid-January, 2009. The former Olsen & Johnson (popular comedy team of Vaudevillian fame) property is currently known as Bottlegate Farm:

Note: Technically, Bottlegate Farm is in "Kent" (a/k/a Town of Kent, also "Kent Lakes"), although "Carmel," about 8 miles further south, is the mailing district.

In The Army... then

1960

Pvt. Jim Molloy and Jim Molloy Sr. - just before Pvt. Jim deployed to Germany. Photo taken in front of the Molloy's cabin (our cabin), the Baptist camp's former mess hall.