The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1927-01-20
MT. LAKE PARK.
The Building of Mountain Lake Park.

Lake Park now stands, The Republic
cans Park correspondent writes fur
Their concerning the preliminary work:
We made complete outline survey
of the entire tract, finding many of
the old rails that had enclosed this
land for cattle range.
We then surveyed the streams and
watercourses and afterwards leveled
around for the lake, as the name,
Mountain Lake Park, was the one
chosen by the purchasers.
Mr.. John NJ. Davis was asked to
secure men to remove the underbrush,
so he selected the late William Hall
as the foreman and he and his men
worked on until winter came and then
in the following spring kept on until
about oneh undred acres had been
cleared.
1t was decided to make the owner
ship of the property stock corpora
ton limited to fifteen persons at one
thousand dollars share, which was
soon subscribed, and board of direc-
tors was selected, composed of Rev.
C. P. Masden, DR.. T. H. Logan, John
NJ. Davis, DR.. John F. Goucher and
DR.. j. B. VanMeter. The officers were
Rev. Masden, president; ]. c. Alder
son, secretary; A. L. List, treasurer;
J. NJ. Davis, manager or superinten-
dent.
The services of NJ. E. Fall, of Bal
timore, were secured in laying off and
mapping the grounds. When this work
was completed an excursion and an
auction sale was made, resulting in
the purchase of quite number of the
lots and in a short time after this
lumber for the construction of build
ings began to arrive from the nearby
saw mills. Cottages began to spring
up in many parts of the Park, so that
by July quite a number were ready
for occupancy.
Mrs. S. L. Allen, of Newburg, w.
Va, was the first one to occupy her
new home in the Park. Those who
built and occupied their cottages the
first year were Rev. C. P. Masden,
Rev. J. B. milford, J. c. Anderson, D.
c. List, Rev. John Thompson, Mrs. L.
E. Carr, j. C. Bardall, S. L. Allen, c.
NJ. Babb, c. w, Conner, Rev. E. w.
Ryan, G. W. Atkinson, Mrs. Martha
NJ. Mills, Miss Maggie S. Watson, Col
VIM. Beall, Col. w. H. Tarr Mrs. M.
J. Milholland, DR.. J. F. Goucher, Dr.
J. B. VanMeter, Judge Elliott and DR..
T.. H. Logan.
Davis & Townshend, then leading
merchants of Oakland, erected a large
two-story building and their families
occupied the upper floor as a resi-
dence and the lower floor was used
for mercantile purposes. j. A. Enlow
built cottage tent near the auditori-
UNI and lived in it during the sum-
mer months.
The auditorium was built and ready
for the first program, the Sunday
School Assembly, which began July
26th, 1882, and continued until Aug.
LIST. Among the speakers at this as
sembly were Rev. Jessie B. Young,
DR.. Thomas Guard, DR.. Lyman Abbott
DR.. VIM. N. Frysinger, A. A. Wright
and DR.. ]. B. VanMeter, and possibly
others. This and copies of the earlier
programs are still in the hands of the
writer.
During the first year, portion of
the Mountain Lake Hotel was con-
structed, since which time additions
have been erected until now it is four
or five times as large as the original
building.
The Sunday School Assembly was
continued for several years, or until
it was merged into the Mountain
Chautauqua, and for three years fol-
lowing the founding of the Park a
camp meetings was held which was
conducted by local and visiting minis
tiers, following which it was turned
over to Rev. John Thompson, who in
vited Rev. David B. photograph and
Dr.. Dugan Clark, ministers of the
Society of friends, who conducted the
meetings for several years, and which
under various leaders have continued
each year up to the present time.
The Christian Temperance Union
and other conventions were brought
here from time to time, making this
place prominent for large gatherings
for Christian and intellectual meet
ings.
Mr.. A. R. Sperry, of Paw Paw, w.
Va, leased plot of ground near the
spot where the postoffice building now
stands and erected postoffice and
railway station combined, which was
afterwards replaced by the present
station building erected by the Bal
timore and Ohio Railway Company,
and another building was then put up
for postoffice purposes.
The Association offered the railway
company one-half of the ice on the
lake each year if that corporation