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Originally Posted by Sunbeam lodge
Does anyone have any historical information on Veasey Shore Road. I have heard that there used to be an estate or Lodge there and most of the land was owned by Eldrige or Pritzken. I also learned that the cottage on one of the lots was brought over from Beaver Island before J. Beaver owned it. There was a great old house with a big boathouse which is still there but the house has been torn down and the lot has been split. At one time there was a big apple orchard off the road I think it was called Haladegs orchard and the house is still there and the land is being farmed by J Moulton. There is a great hill called Millstone that has a terrific view of the lake. Just interrested in the history.
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Hi,
I grew up on Veasey Shore Road. My uncle was Algie Veasey, brother to Otis and Lew, who grew up in the homestead on Hale Road that was torn down for salvage in the early 70's. The apple orchards was started by Arthur Hale, retired superintendent for the Franklin MA school district. My dad and uncle planted the apple trees as wisps in 1935 or 36. The orchards and white house was called Haleledges. His wife was a Lincoln. Their daughter married an Eldridge and her son is a long time resident of Meredith. Eben Lincoln Shores were the nice secluded coves before the Beaver Is. landing. It's not secluded anymore. The trail up Millstone Mountain started across the road from the path down to Eben Lincoln. The Lincoln Hotel used to be up on Old Center Harbor Road near the top of Beattie Road. It was abandoned for years and burned to the ground in the early 50's. Bud Fitkin had the big place with the boat house at the end of the road right after Sunbeam. Nice guy, made his money in utilities. Always had spiffy cars. My old man was the caretaker on Beaver Island for John Shepard III after WWII and into the early 50"s. We lived there part of the year but I'm too young to remember anything but the big scary fireplace. My sister died in infancy and it's her grave site at the high point on the island. Ben Ames Williams owed Sunbeam, I think, and then became part owner of Beaver Is with a big time NY lawyer. He wrote several novels that became movies, one about a murder on an island that starred George Raft. There was a building on Cottage Road called The Red Camp that was moved there from Beaver over the ice. Like most, it was only used in the summer time because it wasn't insulated and sat on blocks.