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Lake History
If you have information or articles about our Lake that your would like to share, e-mail them to: admin@lakehenrypa.org
From: Betty Stoner
To: admin@lakehenrypa.org
Subject: Lake Henry History
I’ve enjoyed reading your web site, especially since I have lived in Maplewood most of my life.
First, a response to the person who is looking for buildable land on the lake {See Emails To Lake Henry}. No, I don't have any land for sale, but I remember the little boathouse and picnic area that were mentioned. Bob and Jessie were long gone in my memory. The boathouse and convenience store were taken over by Sheldon and Sarah Black. They ran a nice little business, renting rowboats, as well as selling bait, cold soda, ice cream, candy, and sundries. Sarah and Sheldon also ran the Maplewood General Store, which is still standing across from the fire hall, but has been converted into an apartment.
The Lake Henry pavilion was frequently used for family reunions and church groups. I was disappointed several years ago to discover that the area where the boathouse and landing had been redeveloped. The old road was gone and houses had replaced the pavilions, store, and dock.
My main reason for writing you is to contribute to your history & photo gallery pages. Back in the day, my grandfather, his father and brothers helped with the ice harvest on Lake Henry. Each block of ice was cut by large handsaws and then poled to a staging area, where the blocks were loaded onto ice boats (like stone boats, if you remember the term). Teams of horses took the blocks to the ice house, where they were stored in sawdust before being shipped out.
I am attaching pictures that someone in my family took of the ice harvest one winter long ago. I hope they will add to your understanding of the lake’s history.
A sad part of Lake Henry’s history was the plane crash that claimed the life of Bobbie Coates. The pilot of a "Flying Boxcar" (a C-119B cargo carrier), knowing that his plane was having trouble, tried to ditch his plane in the lake. He didn’t quite make it and lost his life as the plane crashed into the home of the Coates family. Bobbie was a classmate of mine and I will never forget him. Maplewood Fire & Rescue Company assisted in the rescue and recovery operations. Their auxiliary provided coffee, hot food, warm clothing, and blankets for the emergency workers.
I remember accompanying my grandfather to search his farm, trying to locate the soldiers that were believed to have been on the plane before it crashed. There was only one other casualty, the co–pilot, whose body was found in a wooded area near the lake.
My grandmother was a maid for the Silkman family and later became the postmistress for the Maplewood Post Office. My grandfather ran the old general store and rented carriages to railroad passengers who were on their way to the old Lake Ariel amusement park. (I am also attaching a picture of the old Maplewood railroad depot.) The Maplewood of my youth, a village that doubled or tripled the size of its population in the summer months, was a perfect place to grow up. Many things have changed, but Lake Henry still retains the rustic charm that William Silkman sought for his family.
Betty Stoner
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