A way of life destroyed

The article in today's Hartford Courant (May 9, 2005) was read with a great deal of interest and it got me to my computer to Google Cave Hill Camp, which lead me to your website. Instead of working in the garden, I spent about 2 hours browsing your articles about the old summer resorts, looking at the old postcard pictures of Moodus as it once was and reading the history of what happened to "downtown."

I grew up in the village of East Haddam - but remember Moodus with much fondness - and every time I pass through that area now on my way to visit my parents' graves at St. Bridget's Cemetery, I have a pang of regret for what once was.

I no longer live in East Haddam - but remember well what used to be downtown Moodus. My uncle, Tommy Sipples, was the owner of Tommy's Barber Shop. I remember how every teenager wanted to have a job as a soda jerk at Bill's. Everyone knew Sam Pear and exchanged local news at Ray McMullen's Drug Store or just on the "street." It is so sad that all of that is gone and all that Moodus has is that horrible strip mall. More than buildings were lost -- the sense of community and a way of life in a small town was also destroyed

Yes, there were problems in the center that needed to be addressed but what happened to Moodus is so sad, especially when you see what has happened in Chester, which was even more run down.

I plan to download your articles so that I can save them for my children to read and just to reread and remember what once was. I especially love the pictures from the old post cards -- it is a walk down memory lane for me.

The article in today's Courant just barely touched on what was a major industry in town. It never mentioned Banner Lodge - where oddly enough, my son as a teenager worked in the kitchen for two summers. I remember Ceil Banner from when she was my fifth grade teacher at Nathan Hale.

We locals would complain every summer about the influx of cars as the New Yorkers invaded our town. But I think those that still live in East Haddam/Moodus have lost something that can never be regained. I only hope the people that still live in town think of this when they complain about the Goodspeed Opera House. It is the one link to the past that the town has that is also providing it with a place in the present -- and hopefully the future. To quote: "Don't kill the goose that lays the golden egg." While Essex and Chester grow and prosper, East Haddam is trying to kill its one chance. We are supposed to learn from history. Unfortunately, that is not always true.

--Dorothy DeGiorgi

Frank Davis Resort a wonderful place

My memories of family vacations are always in vivid color when thinking of Frank Davis Resort. Each Christmas I'm reminded of it's magical touch on my childhood by a Christmas ornament I had made at one of the arts & crafts workshops. It has a tiny figurine inside a clear plastic ball with worn writing that reads, "To Coo Coo-with love"

From the car that traveled into the water to the children's parades, it was a wonderful place that I can keep coming back to each year. Thank you!

--Lauren Field

Great times at Banner Lodge

I just wanted to thank you for maintaining this website and adding to it as time allows. It's the only website I can find that brings back all the great memories I have vacationing at Banner Lodge.

Even though the pictures & brochure are from the 40's & 50's it still looked pretty much that way when we started going there in the early 70's. Our last vacation there was August 1979. I really miss that place and have nothing but great memories there and wish it was still up & running so I could stay there again. In the last 15 years or so I've visited the place 3 or 4 times and just can't believe what I see.

One of our first vacations there, my parents thought it would be fun for me & my sister to attend the Banner day camp. I wasn't too happy since all I wanted to do was spend my day in the pool or rowing around the lake and making laps around the island. I was really good at the race car arcade game they had there & one day during some rain the camp counselors had a little contest that I won. For winning I was given a green Banner Lodge t-shirt that I still have to this day. I will not part with it, even though it's not even close to fitting me.

I hope others have appreciated your work and have as good a memories as I have. During a couple of vacations I became friends with Jack Mather's son and we hung around some. We exchanged addresses but never wrote each other. When I think back I wonder what some of the people are up to now, like Jack's son. I'm sure besides having lost Jack Banner, that dancing Harry & probably Jack Mathers are gone also.. Jack had some wardrobe for his evening gigs in the very low ceilinged night club that my parents would occasionally allow us to go to with them.

The food was great and every time I smell an onion bagel or onion roll I remember those fresh rolls at every meal.

Well, I'm sorry for going on and on like this but I just have such wonderful memories and miss the place so much I wanted to share it with you. I hope you continue to add more and more stuff to the website and hopefully pictures from the 60's & 70's. If I had some I'd gladly share them but whatever photos my father took during our trips there are more than likely long gone by now. Thanks again.

--Joe

Dirty Dancing at Grand View

As a family, we spent several weeks every summer at Grand View. First,when the "senior" Pivnicks were in charge and later when Seymour and Phyllis Picnick ran the Hotel. Then, when I was old enough, I became a counselor at the hotel. It really was like the movie "Dirty Dancing."
Some of the regular guests included Jonathan Winters wife and Johnny Carson's first wife. Al Jarvis (from Hartford) was the bandleader and in subsequent years we kept in contact with him after he moved to Palm Springs, California and worked at the Canyon Club Resort.
They were among the best years of my life. I have other postcards and lots of photos, as well as a million stories to tell. I also used to take the kids to your chicken farm on field trips. This was in the late 50's, early 60's. Finding your website brought back many, many memories. Thank you!
--Alice Elkins

Sharing cabin leads to marriage

I had been wondering if the resort still existed. I would love to share a story.

In 1958 (age 20) I was at Banner Lodge for a week around July 4th with 3 girlfriends sharing a cabin. Joel Grey was the Saturday evening performer. Torrential rains started and even came into the main rec hall. Some guys who were staying in a cabin a bit down the road complained about having to walk back in the rain. So they all shared the cabin with the 4 of us that night. It was lots of laughs and "clean fun."
One of the boys and I hit it off, started dating when we got back to NYC, ended up getting married the following April. Even though we did divorce after sixteen years, Banner Lodge still holds lots of good memories for me.

--Ellie Miller

Summer crowds in Moodus

I have just spent at least two hours going through page after page of your website, reliving old memories of Moodus.

I am now 79 years old and remember the frequent visits to my grand-parents home located across the street from the Methodist Hill Cemetery and next to the Old St. Bridgets Church. They and my great grand-parents are buried in the southwest corner of the cemetery.

I remember the 1930s and the stream of people who walked back and forth from the camps to the center of town, all summer long. How they mamaged the steep hilll is beyond me. They never walked in the dirt path but chose to walk on the pavement.

My uncle, Raymond Harris, was a good friend of Jack Banner so I remember stopping at the Lodge several times. There was a famous singer named Lanny Ross who would visit us from time to time when he was at the Lodge.

I too am deeply saddened by the destruction of Moodus as I can vividly picture the Town as it was. My great-grandfather, Asa Harris, was a Dancing Master who gave lessons at the Music Hall and the Machamoodus House in the late 1800's. There was an article about him in the Deep River paper back in the 30's, which I gave to the Amasa Day Museum.

Thank you for your fine efforts.

--Richard D. Harris, Avon, CT

Zero Mostel and the Banner family

I just stumbled across the web pages on Banner Lodge. I found it very interesting since Claire and Lou Goldblatt are my great aunt and uncle. Lou's brother Morris Goldblatt is my mother's (Myra) father. My mother spent time there when she was a child.

I spent a few summers at Banner Lodge with my parents and brother when I was a preteen. If I recall family lore correctly, Pop Banner bought the farm from the Mostel family, as in Zero, who were related to the Banners. I recall seeing an old man sweeping the parking lot every morning as we went to breakfast -- I think I was told it was Zero's father, but perhaps it was Pop Banner.

Claire and Lou returned to New York in the off season (Claire ran a dress shop) and remained good friends with Zero -- they would have Zero and his family over for dinner. After Claire and Lou retired to North Miami Beach (where I would visit them as I was in and out of Miami several times in the 1970s and 1980s), I believe Zero would stay with them there.

Just thought you'd like to know that you touched some lives today.

--Bruce Steinberg, Alexandria, VA