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The Gateway to Vermont
Take a stroll through history with a few postcards from the past. Special thanks go out to Mr. Joseph Doran and the Castleton Historical Society.
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The Bomoseen Inn, now known by locals as "The Dog" served as a boarding house for people passing through the area. The falls at the outlet of Lake Bomoseen played a major role in providing power to the gristmill, saw and slate mills of Hydeville.
Hydeville was named from Arunah & Pitt W. Hyde who were known for their business, political, and social leadership in the community. Railroad played a key role to the thriving area for tourism as well as shipping slate barges to distant markets.
The horse track and grandstand was built in 1892 for $750.00 accomodating 1200 people.
It was one of the biggest attractions of its time, wagers and spectators paid .35 cents admission. In 1893's Rutland Fair the Hydeville horses won more than all others combined.
Camp O-Wan-Ya-Ka provided area youths with supervised summer fun for several decades in the mid-1900's. Currently it is a Vermont Fish & Game Conservation camp for boys & girls. The camps' original name means " vision."
Built by local business men to board summer guests the Bomoseen Country Club, offers a great view. It can be found near Green Dump, which has been renamed to honor Edward Kehoe, a past town manager and VT Fish & Game commissioner.
Area locals could once see eagles nested on top of Cedar Mtn. SLate quarry, some still refer to it as Echo Mtn. because it returned a natural echo. Venturing off the shoreline is a submerged barge which sank at its mooring.
Lyman Johnson built the first wooden bridge to enable visitors to cross the north end of the lake (circa 1870). In 1962, a new bridge was dedicated to honor Jeremiah Grady, a town representative, found on a road called what else... Float Bridge Rd.
In 1845, 160 acres were purchased by the town for overseeing the poor. At an annual cost of $542.48, the poor became an uprising problem. By not only costing $, they trampled potato plants near the beach. Eventually the beach became a bathing area, a barn was converted into a concession stand with 16 bathing stalls. Now called Crystal Beach it has become a recreation spot for many summer days.
Rutland Railway Power & Light Company attracted county residents by the thousands to the Bomoseen Park. A trolley line brought a steady stream of visitors to enjoy the lake. Manicured grounds, badminton courts, water fountains, and an open dance pavilion were its main attractions.
1500 people danced to White's ten-piece orchestra at Gibsons Crystal Ballroom, which opened for business in June of 1921. Later renamed the Casino in the late 1930's, it hosted big name entertainers like Duke Ellington, Count Basie and the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra.
Only around for 16 yrs. the Arthur B. Cook Steamer was one of 3 steamers to carry passengers to the lake hotels from the Hydeville Depot. It also hauled slate barges from quarry operators on the lake.
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