Memories of Skeleton Lake by Paul Temple

would take half a stick of dynamite, light the fuse, and throw it in
the lake. The shock killed the fish (including the minnows and the
undersized), and they floated to the surface. Bill Wilson told my
brother Bud that he had done this. Some used gill nets.
The bays near the mills were covered shore to shore with log booms.
When I first saw Beemans Bay, it was full of logs. Loggers could and
did walk across the bay on logs. The bark on the logs polluted the
water and killed the fish.
Not many remember that Bill Wilson started a mink farm, and some
of the teachers invested in it. He had cages stretching a couple of
hundred feet where some of the cottages are today. Mink are vicious
little creatures—they could easily bite off a finger.. One night, an intellectual
bleeding heart staying at the lodge sneaked out and opened
all the cages and the mink escaped. Bill never found out who did it,
but he was clever—he put lots of food in the cages,. left the doors
open, and most of them returned. I guess they liked the food better
than their freedom. The investment in this enterprise was a disaster.
Mink dont like noise and confusion, and the cages were right behind
the dance hall. When they are agitated, they eat their young, and
the young were Bills profit.
Today, I call them the good new days because dedicated persons have
spent much of their time and talent to preserve the lake. Ill mention
just a few year-around residents as examples.
Nancy & Sandy of Troy Cove Marina completely renovated the property,
adding beautiful landscaping—rare for a marina. Of course this
increases the value of everyones property.
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