Much has changed with this little place since it once stood as an ice house storage building on the shore of White Lake.
I remember it as this small, three room camp. As you walked into the place there was an immediate door to the left that went into a narrow room that once housed the chemical toilet.
From what I've been able to find online, this place was once owned by the Babcock family before being purchased by Nelson R. Olney. I believe at some point back in the late 1940s or early 1950s, Mr. Olney rented the place out to the school teacher that taught at the school. The school sits next to the (above) building. I'll present some more on this building at another time.
The camp has (since the 1950s) undergone some major changes. Mr. Olney let his 4th son, Donald H. Olney, live there for a time prior to his son's subsequent enlistment in the Air Force sometime in the early 1960s. After that, Mr. Olney's 3rd son, Richard, bought the one acre property and the adjoining open field. This field can be clearly seen in the above picture. It is to the left, and it was used for growing potatoes. There were several families around Woodgate that had gardens. Mr. Olney's primary property and homestead located a little further down Bear Creek Road was identified as a farm. Nelson Olney, Sr. was the oldest son of (originally) three sons born to Archie and Elva Chandler Olney.
The Chandler homestead (pictured here) passed in ownership from Nelson and Uretta Moon Chandler to their daughter, Elva. Elva Chandler Olney then passed the homestead to her oldest son, Nelson Ray,Sr., and his brother, Lee Emerson. There originally had been three sons, but the youngest boy, Charles, died due to an accidental hunting incident involving a careless placing of the shotgun he took with him that afternoon. I'll share the rest of that story at some other point in time. This is a view from the east side of the Chandler/Olney homestead. That woman looks to be Mrs. Uretta Moon Chandler, with two of her children.
(names unknown at this time)
This is a picture of the west side of the Chandler/Olney homestead. This picture looks to have been taken in the middle 1950s. The person in the picture is unidentifiable presently. The homestead was subsequently 'control burned' in the early turn of this century by Robert C. Olney, Sr., with the help of the Woodgate Volunteer Fire Department. The reasons stated for the destruction of the building has a very involved and interesting story to it. One that I am not at liberty to share at this time.
The end of a spectacular building... family homestead, birthplace to both Chandler's and Olney children... shameful, say's the Woodgate Farmer.
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