Madison Lake History & Photography

Madison County Leader and Observer newspaper 8/17/1916 Grange Picnic Declared Off After consulting eminent medical and health authorities, the committee having the arrangements for the holding of the annual Madison County Grange picnic and which had been advertised to be held at Madison Lake Saturday, has decided to declare the gathering off for this year and as a consequence all the Granges throughout the county were so notified early in the week. This is due to the possible danger of spreading infantile paralysis and the scare that has taken hold of the people generally regarding this epidemic.

Hamilton Republican newspaper 6/15/1916 Big Picnic and Auto Tour The Chenango County Farm Bureau and Madison-Chenango County Holstein Breeder’s Club are cooperating to hold a big picnic at Madison Lake and an auto tour to visit a number of the best purebred dairies in Southern Madison County. Tuesday, June 22nd, is the date set for this big event. Following the basket picnic their will be speeches by Professor H.H. Wing of Cornell and other men prominent in the agriculture of the state. (Picture is NOT necessarily this event.)

Hamilton Republican newspaper 8/12/1915 Lightning at the Lake A bolt of lightning struck the big Elm tree which spreads its branches over the porches of the Leland Hotel at Madison Lake, last Sunday. With the explosion of the bolt, windows throughout the building were shattered, including two large panes in the dining room. The Crescent Dramatic Club of Utica, who were camping there, were in the hotel at the time.

Madison County Leader and Observer newspaper 8/5/1915 Madison County Grange Picnic The annual picnic of the Grangers of Madison County will be held at Madison Lake Saturday, August 14th. Addresses will be given by W.N. Giles, secretary of the State Grange, and by Hon. Samuel Jones, also a suffrage speaker. The Eaton Military Band will furnish music. These Grange picnics are the biggest and most interesting, especially to the farmer, of any held in Central New York. The committee tried to find some other place for the picnic this year, but it was finally decided that Madison Lake was the most accessible of any place, where there would be accommodations for the large number of teams that would surely be there.

Madison County Leader and Observer newspaper 7/16/1914 Six Brothers Acquire Lake Hotels The six enterprising Dawes brothers of Clinton, William, Frank, Fred, Edward, Earl and James all hustlers have purchased of the Lewis estate the property of the west side of Madison Lake, including three hotel and out-buildings, together with a summer cottage on the lake shore, and of David McLaughlin of Oriskany Falls, the hotel on the north end of the lake known as The Leland, with... three acres of land, all comprising what has been conducted for a number of years as a picnic and summer resort. While the resort has been quite popular in past years, it has declined to some extend recently. The new proprietors, however, propose to put the property in thorough repair and to restore it to it’s former popularity as a summer resort by conducting it in such a manner that the best class of trade will be attracted. Madison Lake is one of the prettiest small lakes in this section, and if it were more accessible would be visited more frequently by the people of the section who know of it’s beauties. However, with the completion of the state road of Madison and Hamilton in the near future, and the possible construction of the projected southern trolly line from Clinton to Norwich, the lake will be more accessible and will grown in popularity and patronage as a picnic resort. See more

Madison County Leader and Observer newspaper 6/25/1914 Proprietor of Lewis Pavilion Dies Charles Lewis, proprietor of the Fayette at Madison Lake, and one of the prominent citizens of the village of Madison, died very suddenly at midnight Saturday of apoplexy. His death was a great shock to the many friends in this section, where he was well and favorably known. He had conducted the lake hotel for the past twenty years. Saturday night, after the dance had closed at the ...lake, Mr. Lewis called his help into the reception room to pay them their wages. As he stood counting out the money he was seen to totter. He was carried to a lounge and Dr. Gifford called, but before the physician arrived, Mr. Lewis expired. Mr. Lewis had served on the board of education, was a Republican in politics, was a member of the K. of P. and was in the uniform rank of that organization and his death brings sadness to the hearts of many. See more

Madison County Leader and Observer newspaper 6/11/1914 Almon Cook of Oriskany Falls, 26 years old, lost his life in Madison Lake Monday afternoon, when the boat from which he and a companion, Leroy Perkins of Oriskany Falls, was fishing, capsized. Cook, weighted with his water-soaked clothes and being unable to swim, sank, and despite the efforts of his companion to assist him went to his death in thirty feet of water, 100 feet from the shore. Soon after the fatality, Per...kins summoned help from this village and Harold Johnson and John Ausman succeeded in bringing the body to the surface by grappling two hours after the accident. Cook, Perkins and two other men came to Solsville on the noon train and from there went to the lake to fish. They went out on the water and began fooling, which caused two of the men to go on shore. Cook and Perkins continued their fishing operations near the channel that leads from the lake to the upper end. Perkins claimed that while he was leaning over the side of the boat to take in a spoon hook, the boat capsized, throwing himself and Cook into the water. He could swim, but Cook was unable to swim a stroke and, weighted with his water-soaked clothes, quickly sank to his death in thirty feet o water. Perkins gave the alarm at once and Harold Johnson and John Ausman of this village hastened to the scene. Word had been sent to Oriskany Falls and the father of young Cook, Charles Cook, was present on the shore when his son’s body was recovered. See more

Hamilton Republic newspaper 10/9/1913 A Prize Black Bass Charles Luddington caught a black bass weighing 6 pounds out of Madison Lake recently.

Madison County Leader and Observer newspaper 6/12/1913 Champion Fisherman George Cole is champion fisherman for this vicinity. On Saturday afternoon he landed a German brown trout that measured 26 inches long and tipped the scales at 5 lbs 10 oz.

Madison County Leader and Observer newspaper 2/20/1913 Horses Went Through the Ice Prince Spooner came very near losing his span of horses Saturday afternoon when it broke through the ice while drawing ice from Madison Lake and went down three times. With prompt assistance from the men nearby, the horses were rescued but very much exhausted.

Madison County Leader and Observer newspaper 8/1/1912 Their Annual Bake The annual bake of the Madison County Social Club will be held at Madison Lake on next Thursday. The usual number of clams, lobsters, chickens, politicians and other fixings that usually go with such affairs are expected to be present.

Madison County Leader and Observer newspaper 4/7/1922 Hinman Purchases Lake Property Grove Hinman has purchased the Madison Lake property and is making extensive repairs. He expects to soon open the hotels to the public. He will also build several cottages along the shores.

Hamilton Republican newspaper 8/17/1911 Trophy Trout Mr. D.O. Parkhurst caught a brown trout Tuesday that weighted 3 lbs and 5 oz and measured 21 inches. He was a dandy.