Our Link to History
Lake Basile has a rich history.
Lake Basile's identity pre-dates the Civil War, when it was used as a "feeder" stream to the Farmington Canal system (also known as the New Haven and Northampton Canal), which was a major private canal built in the early 19th century to provide water transportation from New Haven to the interior to Connecticut, Massachusetts, and beyond. On average the Farmington Canal was 36 feet wide and four feet deep with a 10 foot wide towpath. The canal boats themselves were 85 feet long and were pulled along by horses or mules along its 56-mile length.
With the ground-breaking invention of the steam engine and the advent of railroads in the decades to come, the canal system was replaced by a railroad line (the "Canal Line") by the mid-19th century. A good portion of the new railway tracks were lain directly along the towpath of the former canal route. More recently, after the railroad system was abandoned over the course of the last 50+ years, the original route used by the canals and subsequently the railway has been converted to a recreational-use trail (the Rails-to-Trails project), known in these parts as the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. The remains of the old canal system were accepted into the National Register of Historical Places in 1985.
In the 1930's, the Lake was dredged to deepen her depths and create a permanent centerpiece for what was to become a small community of cottages, many of them summer homes little more than log cabins. Some of these homes still exist today!
Lake Basile's identity pre-dates the Civil War, when it was used as a "feeder" stream to the Farmington Canal system (also known as the New Haven and Northampton Canal), which was a major private canal built in the early 19th century to provide water transportation from New Haven to the interior to Connecticut, Massachusetts, and beyond. On average the Farmington Canal was 36 feet wide and four feet deep with a 10 foot wide towpath. The canal boats themselves were 85 feet long and were pulled along by horses or mules along its 56-mile length.
With the ground-breaking invention of the steam engine and the advent of railroads in the decades to come, the canal system was replaced by a railroad line (the "Canal Line") by the mid-19th century. A good portion of the new railway tracks were lain directly along the towpath of the former canal route. More recently, after the railroad system was abandoned over the course of the last 50+ years, the original route used by the canals and subsequently the railway has been converted to a recreational-use trail (the Rails-to-Trails project), known in these parts as the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. The remains of the old canal system were accepted into the National Register of Historical Places in 1985.
In the 1930's, the Lake was dredged to deepen her depths and create a permanent centerpiece for what was to become a small community of cottages, many of them summer homes little more than log cabins. Some of these homes still exist today!
Another interesting chapter in Lake Basile's history hearkens back to the pre-refrigeration era of the early 1900's, when Lake Basile served as a local "ice pond" for townspeople to harvest large blocks of ice during the coldest winter months. In fact, this is how Ice Pond Road in Granby gained its name!
The ice harvesting operation was very labor intensive and required horses and several hardy men using tools such as axes, crosscut saws, ice plows, and tongs. The ice that was cut and gathered in the winter was stored for year-round use in large “ice houses” with thick walls and sawdust for insulation. During the summer, local merchant “ice men” used to deliver blocks to residents on their routes via horse-drawn carriage once or twice a week for use in ice boxes to refrigerate food. Children used to follow hoping to get a cold treat on a hot day in the form of ice slivers!
The ice harvesting operation was very labor intensive and required horses and several hardy men using tools such as axes, crosscut saws, ice plows, and tongs. The ice that was cut and gathered in the winter was stored for year-round use in large “ice houses” with thick walls and sawdust for insulation. During the summer, local merchant “ice men” used to deliver blocks to residents on their routes via horse-drawn carriage once or twice a week for use in ice boxes to refrigerate food. Children used to follow hoping to get a cold treat on a hot day in the form of ice slivers!
Our Village Wellspring
Over the past 100 years, the banks of Lake Basile have been called home for some prominent local figures including children's author Clara Dean Marshall (who went by "Dean" around here), known for her nature-themed adventure stories as much as her personal eccentricities (Dean was known to sleep on a daybed on her porch year-round, bundled up in the winter!). In fact, while living in the "Granby woods" in the 1930's, her cabin on Lake Basile served as the model for the cottages featured in several of her books. A small island that still exists today at the North end of the lake plays a prominent role in three of her books ("Invisible Island", "Dig for a Treasure", and "Wish on the Moon"). Many years of Dean's life were spent in her humble log cabin on Lake Basile, with her fond memories of the nature around her forming the inspiration for her stories to delight young readers for generations. Dean continued to inspire youth with her love of letters well into her 80's, when she served as Granby's children's librarian.
Read The Granby Drummer's May 2011 article on Dean Marshall here (page 17).
Read The Granby Drummer's May 2011 article on Dean Marshall here (page 17).
Dean's original log cabin on Lake Basile and some images from her timeless stories are shown below.
Our Sense of Community
A generation ago, many of the residents in the Lake Basile area occupied seasonal cabins that were primarily enjoyed during the comfortable summer months, a charming reminder of the natural beauty and sense of peace that the lake habitat was known for. Lake Basile was a serene spot that beckoned to families who yearned for a vacation in their own backyard. Having this jewel of a resource available as the center for summer activities brought the neighboring community together in a way that no modern devices can match. Mornings spent fishing with Dad, swimming with brothers and sisters during the heat of the day, and nights filled with stargazing from the shore to a symphony of frogs were some of the simple joys that Lake Basile offered. Building on this sense of recreation and family, the greater lake community would get together during the summer and hold family-style "Steak and Lobster Nights" from the South end of the lake where a sand beach and volleyball court once stood. At the close of these events, the highlight of the evening came with a live auction of items to raise money for the upkeep of the dam and dirt road, including one of Dean Marshall's own books which often commanded the highest price of all! In those days, the lake was free from the excessive growth problems that is common in more recent times, even in the heat of summer! We are working very hard to restore the Lake to this condition and bring back these activities that built a strong sense of community.
Below are some photographs from these golden times:
Below are some photographs from these golden times:
Our Own Brand of Folklore
Lake Monster in the Farmington Valley?
According to some sources, Lake Basile is said to be home to our very own version of the Loch Ness Monster!
Believe it or Not! Check out Mysterious America: The Ultimate Guide to the Nation's Weirdest Wonders by Loren Coleman or The Hard-to-Believe-but-True! Book of Connecticut History, Mystery, Trivia by Carole Marsh. Both sources claim that somewhere under the Lake's surface lies a creature whose nature remains a mystery to this very day!
Campy Stories of Beasties
The Milwaukee Sentinel of August 7th, 1949 ran a bizarre story concerning an unfathomable monster said to be prowling East Granby, Connecticut. Under the headline: ‘Galloping Ghost Animal With Claws Has Town Sweating’, the full article is as follows:
"Bear? Gorilla? Horse? – Or is it some weird, mysterious animal? Uneasy residents in the Lake Basile section here asked those questions today after reports got around that there was a strange animal in the neighbourhood. The best description they could give was that it gallops like a horse and has the claws of a bear. No one has seen it. Some have heard it. But there for all to see were its claw-prints on the soft dirt road. Morgan J. Horne was among those who reported hearing it – at 10 minutes past midnight.
“It was nothing like I have ever heard before,” he said. “My wife had a horrified look on her face.”
The animal’s breathing, he reported, was “terrific, almost unbelievable” and a lot heavier than that of a horse.
“When we heard this galloping noise and the heavy breathing, our English sheepdog, Buddy, went crazy,” said Horne. “He almost went through the screen.”
Maybe the animal was two animals. An examination of the prints by Detective Anton M. Nelson of the State police suggested that. He said there were two sets of prints side by side, one large and one small. Sportsman Ronald I. Miller opined: “Must be either a bear or gorilla.”
Believe it or Not! Find the original article here: Milwaukee Sentinel
According to some sources, Lake Basile is said to be home to our very own version of the Loch Ness Monster!
Believe it or Not! Check out Mysterious America: The Ultimate Guide to the Nation's Weirdest Wonders by Loren Coleman or The Hard-to-Believe-but-True! Book of Connecticut History, Mystery, Trivia by Carole Marsh. Both sources claim that somewhere under the Lake's surface lies a creature whose nature remains a mystery to this very day!
Campy Stories of Beasties
The Milwaukee Sentinel of August 7th, 1949 ran a bizarre story concerning an unfathomable monster said to be prowling East Granby, Connecticut. Under the headline: ‘Galloping Ghost Animal With Claws Has Town Sweating’, the full article is as follows:
"Bear? Gorilla? Horse? – Or is it some weird, mysterious animal? Uneasy residents in the Lake Basile section here asked those questions today after reports got around that there was a strange animal in the neighbourhood. The best description they could give was that it gallops like a horse and has the claws of a bear. No one has seen it. Some have heard it. But there for all to see were its claw-prints on the soft dirt road. Morgan J. Horne was among those who reported hearing it – at 10 minutes past midnight.
“It was nothing like I have ever heard before,” he said. “My wife had a horrified look on her face.”
The animal’s breathing, he reported, was “terrific, almost unbelievable” and a lot heavier than that of a horse.
“When we heard this galloping noise and the heavy breathing, our English sheepdog, Buddy, went crazy,” said Horne. “He almost went through the screen.”
Maybe the animal was two animals. An examination of the prints by Detective Anton M. Nelson of the State police suggested that. He said there were two sets of prints side by side, one large and one small. Sportsman Ronald I. Miller opined: “Must be either a bear or gorilla.”
Believe it or Not! Find the original article here: Milwaukee Sentinel
Our Connection to Nature
Lake Basile, although relatively small for a lake, has the unique distinction of being one of only a few select bodies of water in Connecticut that is bordered by three separate townships (Granby, East Granby, and Simsbury), in addition to being accessible to the public via the popular Rails to Trails route running along Route 10. Many bikers and walkers alike have enjoyed the views that the South bank of the lake provides from a break in the trail near the East Granby / Granby town line, and thanks to a local Eagle Scout, the lake has two benches and an informational sign as well!
The lake is considered a "hidden gem" amongst local fishermen for its abundance of large mouth bass, which can be caught by the dozen (please practice "catch and release"). Locals on kayaks and canoes can be seen meandering across the lake's still waters on sunny afternoons. At dawn, beams of sunlight highlight the cool mist rising off the lake surface, a lucky greeting for early morning risers. The lake is a delight to bird watchers and nature buffs hoping to catch a glimpse of the numerous native New England fauna including beaver, muskrat, black bear, coyote, deer, racoon, fox, skunk, bobcat, snapping turtles, painted turtles, great blue heron, great egret, mallards, geese, swans, cormorants, hawks, ospreys, and even our national symbol - the Bald Eagle!
The lake is considered a "hidden gem" amongst local fishermen for its abundance of large mouth bass, which can be caught by the dozen (please practice "catch and release"). Locals on kayaks and canoes can be seen meandering across the lake's still waters on sunny afternoons. At dawn, beams of sunlight highlight the cool mist rising off the lake surface, a lucky greeting for early morning risers. The lake is a delight to bird watchers and nature buffs hoping to catch a glimpse of the numerous native New England fauna including beaver, muskrat, black bear, coyote, deer, racoon, fox, skunk, bobcat, snapping turtles, painted turtles, great blue heron, great egret, mallards, geese, swans, cormorants, hawks, ospreys, and even our national symbol - the Bald Eagle!
Benches and Sign!
Lake Basile has two benches and an informational sign courtesy of a local Eagle Scout. The benches and sign are located at the Lake's Southern shore, right off the path leading from the Rails to Trails route that runs by the Lake. We will be posting information and news about the Lake in the bulletin board, in addition to this website. The benches provide a peaceful spot that overlooks the Lake, for locals and travelers alike to enjoy while taking a break from the trail. Stop on by and sit a spell!
Do you have a piece of lake history, a treasured memory or a picture from the past that you would like to share with us? Please contact us at info@lake basile.org so we can include your memories on our website!
