The Lodge
In 1906 Robert Tindale founded Camp Wonposet on the site of the fishing and hunting lodge which had been built on the site where Chief Wonposet's tribe had hunted and fished more than a century earlier.
What building was this?
For generations campers looked at this photograph which hung on the north wall of the dining hall and wondered what role this building played in the early history of Wonposet and where it had stood. One evening while Mac, Wilkie, Terry and George were playing Setback, the picture fell, revealing a copy of the Torrington Register from 1901. The main headline was "Showers bring relief from heat," but the mystery remained unsolved.
Camp Wonposet painted from the lake
Tens of thousands of times many of us admired this painting which sat on the west wall of the dining hall. The camp had not changed much in the sixty or more years since it had been painted. The dining hall provided many happy memories. I remember: (1) Mr. E. H. Anderson welcoming me to the camp when I first arrived. (2) Mac (John McKenna, Sr.) and Swen Peterson/George Walsh leading Red & Blue Competition (3) Mr. Romul, former head chef at the Liederkranz in Geneva. He made the best roast beef I have ever eaten but in his later years served too much Ravioli (not Mac's favorite). Mr. Romul's favorite quote: "What do you mean we have eggs every other day? I only make them three or four times a week." (4) Rainy day games (5) Carl Hostnik teaching us to make a bed. (6) Camp chants: Moooooooose, Yves Yves Bizien, Bizien......... (7) Tony Wright playing ragtime on the piano (8) The Banquet (9) Endless announcements (10)Sit where you want days. It did my heart good to have many of my campers from cabin 3 come back to my table (11)Mrs. Hostnik doing all the waiters' work. (12)Watching the moon walk on a small black and white television (13)Sitting up nights eating peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and drinking hot tea while correcting lifesaving examinations. (14)Dave & Marylyn Anderson sitting at the head table with many visitors from the past. The list goes on and on.... Continued
