A Look back in time ...

1960 thru 1967

Written by Pat in 1967

The buying of stock was not compulsory until April, 1960.  In 1957 and 1958 Ken W. sold considerable stock to raise money for the installation of electricity in camp.  Some members did work for the camp and took their pay in stock.  Others bought a share when they wanted a light pole installed to bring electricity to their lot.  At a special Stockholders meeting held April 24, 1960, it was voted that every membership couple or single must subscribe to one share of stock.  At the same meeting, the By-laws were changed with nine directors now necessary.  This was later amended to seven directors as it now stands.  May 1, 1960 the corporation became a non-profit tax-exempt one.  In September, 1965, it was voted that each adult member must hold a share of stock.  At the 1966 annual Stockholders meeting, it was voted to reduce the value of each share from $50 to $10 – the other $40 from each share reverting to camp improvement use as ‘initiation fee.’  $10 for stock and current dues upon joining.

Before this plan was adopted, several times members were assessed yearly sums for specific improvements, as the dredging of the pond, etc.  One way or another money has to be raised.  So much for business, now on to more interesting, pleasant subjects.

To give you a bit of pre-Solair history of this location, for those who are interested, this whole area and much beyond was once a logging community.  Down in the woods beyond are numerous cellar holes where were once the homes of loggers and their families, a schoolhouse also.  Our pond, dam and the sluiceway where our waterfall is, are all that remains of the saw mill.  The road into camp and the unkept ones that wander off into the woods were once logging roads.  I’ve been told that after the Civil War, the Ide family was granted over a thousand acres for logging purposes.  The original purchase of this land for the camp was made from a descendant.  Sam Ide, and I expect the property the camp has acquired since was also part of this Ide Family grant. 

I’d like to relate to you the story of Florence’s first visit to view this area and the first year in camp as she told it to me.  It was in the early spring that she and her husband, Willard, accompanied “Charles Alexander” to this place he had located.  The road was visible but grown up and MUDDY.  They drove in a distance.  Florence’s car got deeply mired and Alexander had quite a job getting it out.  From that point they walked and came to the remains of the bridge (near the gate).  All that was left was one stringer across the spring-high, dark and COLD-looking water.  The other stringer and flooring had long ago collapsed into the water.  With Alexander holding one hand and Willard the other, she slowly inched her way across the slippery stringer.  When they came to where the culvert now divides the pond and lagoon, that bridge was gone so they walked down the side of the lagoon to the dam and crossed over by way of a tree trunk lying across the sluiceway.  This was their way of entrance and exit from camp the first year.  When they began to stroll around the area where the Lodge now stands, the somewhat level area in back and over to where Al and Rita’s cabin, Mary and Jim’s trailer, etc., are and admire the beauty of the trees and laurel, Florence said, “THIS IS THE PLACE.”  As she spoke of the beauty which was enhanced by big snowflakes falling on the firs before they left, several times mentioning the Laurel and how careful they were to preserve it as they built, one got a vivid picture of how much this all meant to her.  It was to be the culmination of a dream.

After the group purchased the land, the entrance bridge was built first.  Then  Capt. Greene, the caretaker, built a small cabin for his use.  This still stands as the front portion of John and Laura’s cabin.  At first, members came just for the day or slept in their cards but as soon as they could, they built a large tent platform, acquired an Army mess tent and that became the camp dormitory, sleeping twelve to fifteen people.  As nearly as I can ascertain, it stood where Mary and Jim’s trailer and the road to Alan and Joyce’s cabin is now.  Florence said she went to the Salvation Army and anywhere she could find cots and toted them in her car.  She used her own sheets and slips, begged old blankets from family and friends, which she covered with all sorts of material.  She remarked that some were funny to look at but they were clean, whole and kept people warm.  And so, they slept the first year.

Up at the Lodge area, she hired a man to take out several trees at a cost of $32 and another to build the Community fireplace that still stands in back of the Lodge – Cost $30.  I’m not just sure whether this was done the first year or after the Lodge was built, but it was in the early days.