(from Peggy Guare Bouffard )

The West Shore camp was the second camp erected on Groton Pond. The first was the Plainfield Camp , which was on the east shore and to the north of West Shore. The original Plainfield camp burned and was rebuilt in the original design. I understand it burned again and was again rebuilt. That camp, after several different owners, has been rebuilt into a year round home now.

The West Shore Camp was started by 7 men, who worked for the Montpelier Wells River Railroad. Those seven men rented 300 water front feet and 300 feet back from a man named Miller , in 1893. They sought a place to get away and play cards.

Initially they tented in that site. The pictures reveal land with very small trees as the west shore of Groton Pond burned in 1889 or 1890. The East shore of Groton Pond was said to have burned in 1901.

As they wanted a dry place to cook and in 1897 built a kitchen. Pictures reveal they used the site thru the winter.

In 1901 they added the remainder of the camp. In 1904 they built the boathouse.

My Fathers Uncle, George Emmons, was one of the original 7. As the original men left ownership or died, the remainder of the group always handed the camp over to someone who was directly related to one of the original 7.

Some years later Mr. Miller sold the land to the States of Vermont. He specified that his original renters would be protected as long as they had the land. This was why the 7 decided to pass it on to a surviving relative.

The lease however was changed to 100 water front feet with 160 ft back. As the men was not fluent in reading and writing the change in lease was never identified for many yr.

Mr. Colton, one of the original 7 got in touch with Walter O’Brien , asking if he was married to Kate Emmons. She was George Emmons youngest sister, my fathers Aunt.

My father came to the camp in the forties with his family and Aunt Kate, however she died young. My father had become close to Walter as a young man and took care of him until his passing in the late 1950’s. My father acquired the camp from Walter’s estate in 1959. We continued to rent the land but owned the camp until the mid 1980’s when the State Of Vermont offered the lease holders the option to purchase

The land. They were 40 lots along the west shore that were leased and today only one of those lots remains leased.

Peggy Guare Bouffard