Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-08-11
VISITS old HOME
IN VERMONT
G. r. Baker, of Los Angeles. Gal.
Former Resident of Ridgeway,
on Visit to Virginia, the
Home of His Birth.
FOUND THE OLD
SWIMMING HOLE
Says the Interest of the Old. Home
Still Remains, But Not. to the
Degree it Used to Be.

G. r. Baker, former resident,
who was here from Los Angeles a
short time ago on visit to his
brother A. C. and F. H. Baker, is
now in Vermont visiting the home OF
his birth Vercennes, and writes us
as follows:
Camp Addison, Aug. 1.
Editor Public Opinion:
Dear Editor:-Today finds us
resting from boating and fishing and
NE attended services about four
Eiles up the lake in a delightful
grove of hickories, oaks, evergreens
and elms with foliage sufficient to
keep the sun from reacing g us under
them.
To our right, as we faced the lake,
was Arnold's Bay, a historic place
where Benedict Arnold sunk his
boats to keep them from being cap
tured. They are said to still lay at
the bottom or the bay.
The lake was discovered in 1909
by Samuel De Champlain who made
the first voyage through the lake,
who on July 80, 1909, fought bat
tie with the IroQuois Indians on the
point opposite Port Henry where
the Champlain memorial, a beauti
full marble and granite monument
some fifty feet in heighth and which
above the base has dozen round
pillars repose which the ornamental
gothic top is placed and upon this
top is a powerful lamp which by
Right lights this narrow passage for
ioats to pass in safety. Within
about twenty rods of this beautiful
or course l had old brothers that did
structure the writer came upon
earth and was permitted to live
there the first seven years of his
life. There We're six of us children.
so that we made use of all possible
shapes, like boats, even to our faith
er's hog troughs, and when he and
mother were at church we dragged
the troughs into the lake and had
them anchored there on their re-
turn. The big fiat rock is still there,
but does not give up any of the
secret pranks of our boyhood days
OF course | had older brothers who
did the head work and / just tod
died on behind but memory will
not let it loose. The interest of the
old home still remains, but not to
the degree it used to be.
Recent years have brought fine
Improvements about the Point as the
French Fort (Fort st. Fredrick)
has all been excavated, the grounds
dug out and new walls now sur
round the entire fort showing the
extent of this fort complete, as when
the French We're forced to evacuate
the place they Dlaw it IN and il &c
mained in ruins until patriotic
iron man from across the bay
at Port Henry bought the grounds of
both the forts and all are now in
good condition of repair. with a
caretaker with good substantial
house between the two forts who
furnishes information, and is very
agreeable gentleman (afd old sol
dier.)
The grounds and buildings of the
English fort are more than double
the size of the French fort and the
high earth bank hide now nearly all
but the chimney tops from view,
great relics of barbarity. The writer
visited the fort at Ticanderoga,
where much more extensive relic
is and better state of repair. A
feature of the enclosure is a stair
way of some fifty steps and through
the wall down some hundred or
more feet steep to the waters edge,
and up through this stone stairs
came the daring Ethan Allen who
bluffed the lusty English, demanding
their surrender in the name of the
Great Jehova and the Continental
Congress" The fort has fine
museum and the entire fort is in
good condition. 1t is the best relic OF
the revolution the Writer has ever
seen.
The farm conditions are peculiar.
Lands here are selling at 500 to
$50 per acre. as to improvements
The buildings have been in existence
FOR a hundred years and over. qpvs
are the continuous means of support
With the apple crop as a-surplas.
fund and this in some oacaS 10 n fna