I have used some of this information before but the photographs are all first timers.
These photographs were taken at “The Meadows” near Capac, St Clair County, Michigan around 1939.
My Aunt Gladys remembers that her father Dr. Albert B. Cleage Sr and a bunch of fellow doctors bought it. It was to be a place where everyone could get away and the kids could meet and play… big house on the property with a porch that wrapped around 2/3 of the house… dances on the porches… near Capac Michigan… they sold it later. She kind of remembers parties on the porch… a getaway other than the Boule or Idlewild … her brothers and their friends spending a couple weeks at the meadows during the summer and brother Louis packing the provisions.
Some entries about the Meadows from Hugh’s brother Henry’s diary, several years earlier in 1936.
August 29 Meadows
Arrived at meadows at about 7:30 (getting dark) Had seen Velma before I left – I have her ring now – after had gotten our trunk in – we went down to creek – other’s brought some wood up and started a fire – I stayed down watching the creek and the farm – as it was dark they worried and came and got me.
August 30 Meadows
Sunday Richard’s club gave a picnic – we played ball off and on all day. Daddy came out and brought Bobby – wrote two letters – Velma and Carolyn. Bobby deliver them.
Last night when the others were in bed Morrow, George, Paul, Hugh and I sat around camp fire and sang – Nice but a little chilly (Benard’s parents came out)
August 31 Meadows
After breakfast some of us went swimming – after that we all worked on a raft till dinner – chopped heavy logs from a fallen tree – tied together with grape vines and barrel wire – after dinner went & christened it “Frogy Bottom” & launched it – it immediately sank – logs were too heavy – were we mortified – the same group sat around the campfire again sang after dark.
September 1 Meadows
“Gee! but I’m blue, and so lonely, I don’t know what to do, but dream of you!” (a song I like to sing out here)
Boys are playing horse shoes just after dinner – we fished and swam today – George caught a pretty large bass and I, trying to throw him across river to Morocco – threw him in.
I like to get on the hill and look down towards the creek in the evening and watch – The other nite I was there, Morocco, George, Hugh and Benard were chopping wood. Louis and Paul were sitting further down the hill with their arms full of wood – It was almost nite – The faint light from the west gave the scene a surreal quality – The grass uneven, the rolling land, the giant trees, the creek, all outlined in this light and the boys too reminded me of an illustration in the book “Tom Browns School Days.”
I hope it was the fish and not George that Henry threw in.
I’m pretty sure it was the fish since he was trying to throw him to ‘Rocco.
Those are some good looking fish he caught! Love the diary entries.
It sounds like a good time at the Meadows. If Hugh caught those fish with that stick and string, then he certainly had no need for an expensive rod and reel.
I remember fishing with a stick and string when I was pretty young but I only caught much smaller fish.
I gather there’s no ship building tradition in the Cleage clan! At least the raft got an appropriate name for a sinker. Henry’s descriptions are wonderful.
I’m afraid our building skills lay in inland directions. We seem to live far from the sea, unfortunately.
That sounds like a wonderful cottage experience.
Nice pix, and the diary entries were fun reading. I especially enjoyed the part about the “Froggie Bottom” raft that sank. Awwww. Hard work all day, gone in a moment. But I’ll bet they had a good laugh about it for many years thereafter. :))
The Meadows sounds like it was an idyllic getaway and a lot of fun.
Perfect photos for the prompt, and the diary entries are very appropriate too. Lovely to have them!
It’s nice when there’s a diary to help flesh out the events of a photo. Interesting.
That last paragraph is very poetic.
Sounds like they had an idyllic time there…what a great idea and how it must have bound the family together. I’m always amazed people can catch fish with a rod like that..perhaps it’s the different fishing conditions. I used to like fishing with my dad but I don’t think either of us liked having to kill the fish.
I used to like to fish. Didn’t mind putting the worms on the hook or taking the fish off but there was a gap of decades and then I was middle aged and had no desire to thread a worm on a hook or deal with the fish, aside from cooking and eating them.
The diary entries give a real sense of place to go with the photos.
Wonderful family moments, and I especially am fond of the entry on September 1st!
It paints a wonderful picture. Henry should have written a book about his boyhood.
Sounds so relaxing. I wish I was there too!
Wish I was too.
We continue to be amazed by your family archives. Diaries as well as photos, clippings, letter, and postcards. And fish too.
Such detailed diary entries certainly help to paint an idyllic picture, but the real picture of fishing with a homemade rod is worth a thousand words.