2023 Holiday Issue

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HISTORY George Washington Did Not Sleep Here by MARTY KANE Photos courtesy of the LAKE HOPATCONG HISTORICAL MUSEUM One of the frequent questions we hear at the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum during programs and on historical cruises of the lake is if certain famous individuals ever lived at Lake Hopatcong. The names most often referenced include Alan Alda, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Farrah Fawcett, Al Capone and Babe Ruth. As a leading resort from the 1880s to the 1940s, it is not surprising some celebrities chose to spend time at Lake Hopatcong. Just as Aspen and Vail attract the rich and famous today, the lake was alluring to a prior generation. It was particularly popular with entertainers. In the years before air conditioning, most theaters closed for the summer. With its convenient location just 90 minutes by train from New York City, Lake Hopatcong attracted everyone from vaudeville headliners (who might stay several weeks at a lake hotel) to struggling performers (who could share a bungalow). Entertainers tended to congregate at two main sections of the lake. The Espanong Hotel in Jefferson hosted a who’s who of vaudeville and burlesque performers. A second actors’ colony developed around the Northwood section of Hopatcong where many entertainers rented bungalows, and Glasser’s Pavilion (later the Northwood Inn and now Lola’s) was the center of social life. The lake’s most famous residents over the years are: actress Lotta Crabtree, who owned a house in Mount Arlington from 1885-1920 and was a regular summer resident until 1900; inventor and industrialist Hudson Maxim, who owned a large estate on the west shore from 1901 until his death here in 1927; author Rex Beach, a summer resident from 1911-1917, who owned a home on Chicopee Road; and vaudeville and Broadway star Joe Cook, who hosted legendary parties at Sleepless Hollow, his 21-acre estate in Davis Cove. Lake Hopatcong’s appeal as a celebrity destination diminished as its resort status faded. While a few noted residents retained houses at the lake, most moved on to trendier destinations. Since questions persist, I thought it would be fun to respond to the myths and truths of whether certain individuals ever lived at or visited the lake. Alan Alda – False! While we cannot rule out that he ever stopped by Lake Hopatcong, the actor never owned a house at the lake. This tale seems to have originated on the Jefferson House tour boat years ago (alcohol may have been involved). Babe Ruth – True! The baseball legend did not own a home at the lake, but his 1939 visit to Cook’s place in Davis Cove is well documented. Al Capone – False! Lake Hopatcong was a major resort during prohibition, so it is not surprising that numerous speakeasies operated around its shores and alcohol was relatively easy to obtain. The gangster knew Cook and there were many hotels, so while it is possible that Capone visited, he never owned a house here. This rumor may have started because the former Lotta Crabtree house was once owned by John J. Dunne, a major bootlegger from Hudson County in the 1920s. Farrah Fawcett – True! George Barrie, former owner and chief executive of Fabergé, once owned the large home on the former Maxim property on Lakeside Boulevard in Hopatcong. Under his leadership, the company launched many cosmetic products and deployed celebrities to promote them. Fabergé launched an entire line of Farrah Fawcett hair care products during the 1970s, and the actress indeed did visit Lake Hopatcong during this time. George Burns and Gracie Allen – True! Burns and later his wife, Allen, both visited friends at the lake and stayed at lake hotels. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello – Partially true! Just before the comedy duo hit the big time, Lake Hopatcong was a part of Abbott’s life. During the early years of their marriage, Abbott and his wife, Betty, worked together as a Burns and Allen style comedy team, with Betty as the comedian. Though it is unclear when they first visited Lake Hopatcong, the Abbotts were in Northwood each summer from 1933 to 1936. The Lake Hopatcong Breeze referred to their rented cottage as “Abbott’s Castle.” In 1940, when Abbott and Costello traveled to Hollywood to film their first movie, their wives spent the summer at Lake Hopatcong. Thomas Edison – True! Edison was a frequent visitor to the lake in the 1889-1899 timeframe as he traveled to his mining operation on Sparta Mountain. Edison was a close friend of Maxim and most likely visited him at the lake in later years. Milton Berle – True! The comedian was a regular summer visitor at the Alamac Hotel in Mount Arlington in the 1930s. Bert Lahr – True! Before he became known as the cowardly lion in “The Wizard of Oz,” Lahr spent several summers in Northwood in the 1920s. Joe DiMaggio – True! DiMaggio was a documented visitor to the lake, as were New York Yankee teammates Red Rolfe, Lefty Gomez and Bill Dickey. Kelsey Grammer – True! Grammer’s grandparents owned a house at the lake and 34 LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS <strong>Holiday</strong> <strong>2023</strong> Left to right: Babe Ruth visiting Joe Cook’s home (Cook is kneeling), in 1939. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello on the Kate Smith (far left) Radio Hour, circa l939. Hudson Maxim and Rex Beach in the front seat with (unknown) friends, circa 1915.
the future actor visited when he was very young. Mario Cuomo and the Cuomo children – True! In the 1960s and 1970s, the politician and his family visited a lake home owned by Charles and Mary Raffa, the parents of Cuomo’s wife, Matilda. The Lake Hopatcong Breeze documents visits over the years by other well-known individuals, including L’Oréal founder Helena Rubenstein, singer and radio personality Kate Smith and footballer Woody Hayes. As many visitors to the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum have noticed, Joe Cook also contributed to this historical record. Cook had his guests engrave their names on a piano in his home, providing further documentation of some of the lake’s famous visitors. The signatures of comedians and siblings Left to right: At the Alamac Hotel with owner Walter Jacobs, center, are Milton Berle and his mother, Sandra Berle, in 1931. (Berle signed and sent this photo to the museum.) Bert Lahr (standing, third from left, ready to rumble) at the Northwood Inn in the summer of 1922. Groucho and Chico Marx; actress and dancer Ginger Rogers; writer and engineer Rube Goldberg; boxer Jack Dempsey; film director Frank Capra; and actor Dave Chasen are among the hundreds that can be seen on the piano, which now resides at the museum. Apologies if we have burst your bubble about Alan Alda but rest assured the lake’s shores have truly welcomed many other celebrities throughout the years. BOAT Rentals Sales Service FISHING Bait Tackle LAKE’S END M A R I N A —Kayaks For Rent— 91 Mt. Arlington Blvd., Landing, NJ (973) 398-5707 info@lakesendmarina.net YOU'RE INVITED! BREAKFAST withSANTA! December 9th & December 16th • 10am - 3pm HOLIDAY GIFT CARD SPECIAL BUY 100 IN GIFT CARDS, GET A 20 BONUS CARD ON US! 973-663-9600 • 24 NOLANS POINT PARK RD, LAKE HOPATCONG, NJ SCAN THE QR CODE FOR MORE! lakehopatcongnews.com 35
Page 1: INFORMING, SERVING AND CELEBRATING
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Page 6 and 7: Left to right: Michael Jarmus as He
Page 8 and 9: KathySellsLakeHomes.com LAKEFRONT S
Page 10 and 11: 10 Local Businessman Bets Big and W
Page 12 and 13: A four-generation family run busine
Page 14 and 15: Debut of Jefferson Winter Stroll Pr
Page 16 and 17: CHRISTMAS @ THE BEACON Join us for
Page 18 and 19: Love of Therapy Dogs Inspires First
Page 20 and 21: FAMILY BUSINESS SINCE 1996! 973-846
Page 22 and 23: Community Turns Out for Lake Cleanu
Page 24 and 25: Lake Cleanup (cont’d.) Fred Lubno
Page 26 and 27: Woman’s Club Helps Those in Hopat
Page 28 and 29: Hopatcong to Offer Traditional Holi
Page 30 and 31: Lake Hopatcong... A fine food and f
Page 32 and 33: Goodbye to My Lake Hopatcong Flower
Page 36 and 37: COOKING WITH SCRATCH © Cookies Are
Page 38 and 39: WORDS OF A FEATHER 38 Story and pho
Page 40 and 41: directory CONSTRUCTION/ EXCAVATION
Page 42 and 43: ORTHWEST EXPLOSIVES BLASTING CONTRA
Page 44: PLEASE JOIN LIVETHELAKENJ FOR THE 2

2023 Holiday Issue

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