The trip to camp was definitely on lesser traveled roads in 1946. Even County Road 581 was still gravel. Beyond Perch Lake the road was a typical 2-rut logging trail. From National Mine travel time was 45 or more minutes. At first we went by way of Sagola Lake, the final portion being an old logging railroad grade. Eventually Pa tried the road toward Republic but heading south past Skinnies Lake. This was not as narrow & curvy and is now the much preferred route.
Speed wasn’t important then and we passed the time watching for deer, blueberries (Ma), certain scenic areas like the double 90˚ turn south of Helen Lake, ponds, spots wide enough to pull over in case of oncoming traffic, etc. The time it took to reach camp gave one the feeling of having traveled a long way (as on a vacation) and really being way in the bush. You know, away from civilization.
Besides the usual equipment for tire changing and repair, it was wise to carry an axe and saw to remove fallen trees and low-hanging branches. Also a shovel to fill in deeper holes that formed by traffic after rain. The road gradually improved with the much increased traffic to the new camps. I don’t remember when, but the county began to add gravel to bad spots and eventually began to grade the road. Now one doesn’t need to look for spots to pass oncoming traffic, although caution is still needed.
The biggest modernization occurred when the Channel 6 TV antenna was planted west of Perch Lake from its site on ‘signal hill’ by the Tilden Mine. The road was widened and paved from Perch Lake to the ELF station. This also brought electricity and telephones as far as Casey Lake. My young nephews bemoaned the modernization. Part of the adventure of going to camp was the old road and gas lights.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
PLANNING
PLANNING
The camp pa would build for our new lakeshore lot would be log construction. I don’t remember that there was any discussion about alternatives. In my recollection, that was the way houses, barns, saunas, & hunting camps were usually built by immigrant Finns. Grandpa’s house was log, later covered by metal siding. When pa obtained a piece of property for our home from grandpa in the 1930’s, the first building was a log barn. All of the buildings on grandpa’s farm (except the privy) were log construction. The newest building, a garage, was built with 2 x 4’s and boards.
A log camp would not be as easy to build as the now standard stud frame construction. But this didn’t dismay pa. He had learned the technique during his youth; witness all the log buildings at grandpa’s (animal barn, hay barn, wood barn, sauna, blacksmith shop, summer kitchen, and a garage). Of course I was tickled pink that we would have a log camp and was eager to help plan the layout. Given pencil and paper I had always doodled house plans rather than animals, cars or planes. Here was my opportunity to work on a real project.
It would be rectangular so you’ll ask, “How much planning could that take?” Just decide on the dimensions. In the ‘40s camps were still a modest size so pa thought 16 x 24 feet would be sufficient. Keep in mind, he was the one that would cut, move and work on the logs. But a room layout was needed to know where to cut window and door openings. This was right up my alley. I first divided the rectangle almost in half; the larger end for daytime activities and the smaller one for sleeping. It would be built on the highest part of the lot overlooking the lake. The long wall would be parallel to the lake for the view although the hillside was covered with tall jack pines and not much water was visible.
The larger south end would be for cooking, eating and socializing.(the cook stove, wood/coal heater, sink counter & cupboard on the east (woods) side, leaving space for a long table on the west (lake) side). The beds were on the north end, concealed by a bamboo blind that hung from a log beam tying the walls together. There were two entry doors, one in the middle of the south wall directly under the gable peak and a second on the wall facing the lake to enter a future sun porch. The result was a camp that could sleep 8 people on 2 double deck double beds and was roomy enough to cook for and feed a crowd. I was proud of the plan.
In DISCOVERY and PLANNING I have been writing about the early history of my family’s camp (later named Hill Top Haven) at Casey Lake. This may interest other Casey Lakers but my goal is to document it for the descendants of Gust and Eda Hill. My future postings in Carol’s Casey Lake Chronicle blog will continue in this line.
The camp pa would build for our new lakeshore lot would be log construction. I don’t remember that there was any discussion about alternatives. In my recollection, that was the way houses, barns, saunas, & hunting camps were usually built by immigrant Finns. Grandpa’s house was log, later covered by metal siding. When pa obtained a piece of property for our home from grandpa in the 1930’s, the first building was a log barn. All of the buildings on grandpa’s farm (except the privy) were log construction. The newest building, a garage, was built with 2 x 4’s and boards.
A log camp would not be as easy to build as the now standard stud frame construction. But this didn’t dismay pa. He had learned the technique during his youth; witness all the log buildings at grandpa’s (animal barn, hay barn, wood barn, sauna, blacksmith shop, summer kitchen, and a garage). Of course I was tickled pink that we would have a log camp and was eager to help plan the layout. Given pencil and paper I had always doodled house plans rather than animals, cars or planes. Here was my opportunity to work on a real project.
It would be rectangular so you’ll ask, “How much planning could that take?” Just decide on the dimensions. In the ‘40s camps were still a modest size so pa thought 16 x 24 feet would be sufficient. Keep in mind, he was the one that would cut, move and work on the logs. But a room layout was needed to know where to cut window and door openings. This was right up my alley. I first divided the rectangle almost in half; the larger end for daytime activities and the smaller one for sleeping. It would be built on the highest part of the lot overlooking the lake. The long wall would be parallel to the lake for the view although the hillside was covered with tall jack pines and not much water was visible.
The larger south end would be for cooking, eating and socializing.(the cook stove, wood/coal heater, sink counter & cupboard on the east (woods) side, leaving space for a long table on the west (lake) side). The beds were on the north end, concealed by a bamboo blind that hung from a log beam tying the walls together. There were two entry doors, one in the middle of the south wall directly under the gable peak and a second on the wall facing the lake to enter a future sun porch. The result was a camp that could sleep 8 people on 2 double deck double beds and was roomy enough to cook for and feed a crowd. I was proud of the plan.
In DISCOVERY and PLANNING I have been writing about the early history of my family’s camp (later named Hill Top Haven) at Casey Lake. This may interest other Casey Lakers but my goal is to document it for the descendants of Gust and Eda Hill. My future postings in Carol’s Casey Lake Chronicle blog will continue in this line.
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