(Click to enlarge)This bright, sunny photo was taken in 1960, and shows Dianne Leuck's mom posing in front of their cabin, the "Ponderosa." The photographer (probably Dianne's dad) was standing on the small road which led to Joe Krantz's place. Immediately to the right and out of frame was the Sweeny's cabin, and just below that Leuck's dock. I think you'll agree that this photo really captures the light and shadow so typical of the era. You can also view the original Ponderosa post here.
Photo added 4/25/15:
Note: The "Ponderosa" (aka "The Spring House") had been previously occupied for many years by the "Judson's," Ballard relatives. The Judson family left the cabin in the early 1950's. And at least one, our own Charles Brooks, went west - all the way to California!
4 comments:
Nice.....almost looks like a painting...it was a good spot to stop when I rode my bike thru there as a kid and get a drink of water from the overflow pipe(to the left of the mailbox) that came from the spring.
George P.
Yes George,
We all have many memories of the spring water pipe that was once part of a small spring house that the Ballard Brothers set-up for drinking water to supply the Baptist camp and also local residents on Milltown Rd.
One time Mom Molloy had myself and a friend ( Richie Van Wagner ) accompany her for a walk around the Lake to fill her gallon jugs. We each carried one. On the way as we were negotiating the most difficult part of the trail
(rocks sticking up everywhere )the largest Black Snake I ever to this day saw at Lake Ballard jumped out and sipped across the path. Mom's bottle went straight up in the air all the way to the clouds and then came down on the rocks. Maybe not quit that far up but the site of her terror had Richie and I laughing for five minutes. Little boys that we were. That was around 1957.
She there after drove the car to the spring. The water from the spring was the best. Always cold and tasty. Sad those days of being able to drink water direct from the source are over now.
Bill Molloy
This is wonderful to see. I was just driving through the area for the first time in a very long time with my wife, telling stories the way we used to, before internet and blogs... My grandparents bought 16 acres of land in 1935, jut down the road from Milltown & 52, what was much , much later (80's I think) named "Lavelle Lane. It was just a dirt approach going way up the side of the mountain, to a hunting cabin that had no heat, electricity or water. From 1935 to 1964 (when he retired) it was a vacation/work in progress to eventually become a year round residence by 1964. I summered there from 1960 to 1970, and those were the best days of my life. When my grandfather "piped" the house for water, it consisted of a small electric pump in the crawlspace, which I was overjoyed to help service as a kid. Whenever you turned on a faucet, or flushed the toilet, you would hear the squeaky old girl come to life inches under the floorboards with a "schtunk,schtunk,schtunk" sound, until the 20 gallon reserve tank was again full. It was great - as kids we used to get in trouble for flushing just to hear the pump start! The water came from a spring on the property, that was likely the same spring as the one overflowing to the left of the mailbox here - given the proximity of the properties, and height of the mountain. I have never tasted water so good, and I now live in Sullivan county and get well water from the NYS protected aquifer supply - nowhere near as good. I used to walk to Kemps farm for eggs with my grandmother, and stop at Flossie's (Ballard's) for a soda, and walk to Connie's (Smalley's) for cigarettes with my grandfather. Ahhh, those were the days - and I thank you for helping me illustrate a wonderful time in my life to someone who I wish could also have seen it then. Best to all past residents and visitors to that great area!
Thank you for the nice pictures. The lady in the picture is my grandmother, Mildrid Leuck. We used to spend many, many weekends in the Ponderosa Cabin. That brings a lot of great memories on the lake.
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