Fond memories of Breslow's

My name is Stan Feinstein and my family stayed at Breslow's each summer from the 40's to the 50's. In 1950, at age 15, I received a call before the season started from the owner Meyer Breslow, who asked me if I'd like to be a busboy in the main dining room. I couldn't wait to get there. That year began the fondest of memories I have of my years ages 15 thru 22.

Let's start by identifying the Breslow family. Until the early 60's, the resort was owned by Meyer and Morris Breslow. Their wives were Clara and Bella. Each Breslow brother had 4 children: Meyer and Clara had Stanley, Jay, Paul and Abie. As a side comment, Abie's son Craig is a relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics (as of 2010). Morris and Bella had Charlie, Herbie, Yetta and Harold.
 

Perhaps some member of their families will see these comments -- the guests most memorable to me were: Saul and Frances Feinstein (my parents), Jerry and Jeanette Firtel, Morris and Janet Genzer, Bernie and Dorothy Keiler, Kelly and Bea Keller, Barney and Mary Kissel, Sol and Pauline Kleinfeld, Marty and Ann Lerner, Mike and Tilley Melnick, Harry and Ida Nadel, Harry and Gladys Orfuss, Max and Roz Polinsky, Pete and Gladys Solomon, Joe and Flo Wasserman, Bennie Weber
Morris and Anne Wertkin, 

The highlight of these years is that I met my future wife Helene Call who was niece of Meyer and Clara. We have now been married for 50 years.

I'll always remember:

-The mile walk to Miller's restaurant for grinders,
-The 4 mile WALK into Moodus just for the fun of it,
-Visiting Bill's soda shop and Weinstein's pharmacy to buy sodas and baseball cards,
-On rainy days, Meyer driving the old bus to the Moodus movie house, his head barely visible over the steering wheel,
-Meyer driving the bus to Bashan Lake for swimming. In later years he put in a new pool,
-Morris lugging bedding on his back between rooms,
-The weekend softball games with the guests and the Breslow boys,
-The softball games against the other Moodus resorts. The Breslow boys were all good ballplayers and we were unbeatable. We challenged Banner Lodge multiple times but they wouldn't play us. For the record, the softball field was moved 3 times, from in front of the old casino, to the corner near the arch and finally to beyond the new pool,

-The 1/4 mile walk DOWN to the OLD pool,
-The conversion of the old casino into guest rooms and the building of the new casino,
-As a waiter, hiding the apple pie deserts from the guests on Sunday,
-Sleeping with the other help in the barn attic,
-Getting investment tips from the guests (all tips went down),
-Breaking into the freezer at night to get extra food for the guests,
-Getting caught by Clara when backing out thru the freezer door,
-Playing 3 handed cut-throat pinochle with 2 seniors,
-and My weekend payday from tips for being a waiter.
 

All summers went too fast and now the Breslow's resort is a horse farm. Even the impressive arch has been removed. My wife and I visit Breslow's twice each summer and are dismayed to see the former Moodus center. Unlike Brigadoon, Moodus never returns.

THANK YOU BRESLOWs for a lifetime of memories.

--Stan Feinstein

Movie theater roadtrips

I love your website and visit it often.

 

We used to stay at the Grandview. Do you recall the existence of an old movie theatre possibly called the Haddam? I remember going there on a camp outing and it was typical of the old ornate bygone movie theatres. We went by a school bus from Grandview and I vaguely remember crossing the old East Haddam Bridge on Route 82 to get there. The time frame is late 1950's-early 1960's. Two movies come to mind that I saw there, Pollyanna and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

What was the name of this particular movie theatre? Where was the theatre located and when was it demolished? Thank you.

--Millie

The night our dog got sprayed

We went there for many years.  My youngest son was 2 1/2 so he could  not go to day camp.  He screamed every night when we went to eat and the babysitter took my son.

We are still friends with people that we met there and went with them every year at the same time since we met.  Unfortunately, many have passed away.  One couple is still around.

As you said, food and people was why you went there.  Accommodations were very raw.  We had a two bedroom cabin when we could get it.  We had three kids with us and a dog.  Oh yes, they allowed pets.  One night our dog got sprayed on by a skunk.  That was not fun.  Mrs. K gave me tomato juice to bathe the dog with.  It was not great but made things a little more bearable.

The Kabatznicks came to one of our boy's Bar Mitzvahs.  It was in Dec. so they could come.  I often wonder where their kids are.

--Joan Kniager

Playing in the Wopowog band

My dad, Hank Unrath, was in a small swing band that played at Camp Wopowog during the summer of 1942.  He is 90 now, but talks about Camp Wopowog and playing in the band there that summer.  He would like to know if there are any pics of the camp during that year, or especially of the band.  He said they all had to have "camp names."  Since he played the clarinet, his nickname was "Woody," the drummers nickname was "Sticks" and I don't remember anything else about the band.  Any info or anyone who was there that summer of 42 who might share some memories or post some photos or remembers the band would be hugely appreciated!

Thanks!

--Laura Miller

Fabulous times at Banner Lodge

I remember as a young teenager my parents took me and my brother and sister to vacation for a week in August of 1968 & 1969.  In fact it was 40 years ago exactly today that I remember driving as a family on Sunday 8/17/1969 from Framingham Mass.  The reason I remember the day is because I recall hearing on the radio the death of Dr. Philip Blaiberg. He was one of the first recipients of an artificial heart transplant, and the longest surviving one at the time.  Also I developed a relationship with a nice girl I met from New Haven who I kept in touch with for several years

The food, activities and entertainment were fabulous. It was a shame to hear what has happened to the property after Jack Banner's death.  I understand some New York investors purchased the properties in 2005 and plan or are building condos there.  The glorious days of the 60's will never be the same, only just a great memory.

--Randy Hecht

Orchard Mansion baked goods were a treat

My family went to Orchard Mansion for 1 week the summers of 1959, 60 and 61.  My brother and I looked forward to it each year with great anticipation.  There was always so much to do and a week was far too little time to pack it all in.  The Kabatznicks worked really hard. Herb was all over the place.  He drove a school bus during the off season.  They had a son Moise I believe a year or two younger than me (58) who used to participate in everything.  I believe they also had a younger daughter but she was not around as much.  I believe the Kabatznicks inherited the place from Rose's parents.

They had entertainment every night usually a movie a couple of nights a week that would break at least once.  Saturday night was the big night, everyone would go up to the barn for square dancing.  The biggest thrill was next to the entertainment building was the kitchen where Max the baker would be baking all the baked goods for the next day, as for everything at Orchard Mansion was freshly baked on the premises. If the kids begged enough and you were quiet during the entertainment Max would give you a roll to take back to the room. 

After the entertainment we would go back to the room and my parents would go to Banner Lodge to visit a cousin who was more well to-do then us.  If you told Herb you were going off the grounds he would have someone check on you every half hour, but everything was always safe at Orchard Mansion.  When my daughter was small, now 24, I wrote to them requesting a brochure and of course it came back with no such place.  I then wrote to Banner Lodge and I think it was a computer camp.  It was a simpler and better time and wonderful memories.

--Stuart Baum

Honeymoon at Hilton's

We spent a week at the resort in May 1954 one week before my husband was sent to Japan and Korea.  It was a wonderful week and the food and guests were great.  We still have pictures of the boat ride and us enjoying a night of entertainment by the guests including my husband.  We still have fond memories of that week, and pictures of the cabin we stayed in.

--Ruth and Harry Bolger