KEEN LAKE CAMPING & COTTAGE RESORT NEWSLETTER
Your Family Resort
In The Poconos
Edition No. 1
May 2004
Celebrating
Keen Lake's History

    Keen Lake Camping and Cottage Resort is nestled in Wayne County, the northernmost region of the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains. Wayne County, resplendent with tranquil mountain lakes and verdant pastoral farmland, has a rich and varied history.

   Settlers who flocked to the area in 1798, named the county after General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, a hero of the Revolutionary War. It was in Wayne County that Horace Greeley and a group of colleagues began the campaign to elect Abraham Lincoln. Dick Smith wrote the beloved carol, Winter Wonderland, while looking out over Honesdale's beautiful central park, and it was here that Christian Dorflinger glassware took the country by storm.

   Railroads and canals played a part in the county's development as well. Even as early Wayne county settlers cleared thick forests for homesteads and farms, New York, Philadelphia, and other cities to the east were encountering a shortage of wood and fuel. Coal deposits over the mountains to the west in nearby Lackawanna County would relieve the shortage if an economical method of transporting the coal to market could be found.

   The solution was a combination of canal and railroad. In 1823, the Erie Canal in New York was nearing completion. New York State gave its blessing to the construction of the Delaware and Hudson Canal on a 108-mile waterway to run between Honesdale and the Hudson River terminus near Kingston, New York. Work began in July 1825 and was completed in 1828. This unique railway system ran through the entire length of what is now Keen Lake Campground and Cottage Resort. Campsites are nestled along the rail system's former tracks in a cluster known as Gravity Lane, named in honor of this railroad.

   Keen Lake has been a part of the Keen family since 1814 when Elihu Keen purchased 400 acres on what was then known as the Elk Forest tract. Keen Lake, first called, Canoe Pond, was considered the best of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company reservoirs. Two beautifully constructed stone arch bridges were built by the company to carry the track of the Gravity Railroad from Honesdale to Carbondale. Later the steam engines used the tracks, and Keen Lake was a railroad stop. A stone dam, which was created in the 1800's to help push the canal boats along by raising the water level, still exists.

   James, the great, great grandson of Elihu, and his wife Dorothy Keen built Keen Lake Camping and Cottage Resort, which is now owned by four of their seven daughters, Janet, Jennifer, Jane, and Jim Ann. The office to the resort is located on the site of the original family homestead, which was destroyed by fire. The Keens were stonemasons by trade and also operated timber and gristmill businesses. In addition to these industries, they were suppliers of ice. Huge blocks of ice were carved out of the frozen lake and transported via the Gravity railroad to the Hudson canal in Honesdale and subsequently transported to Kingston, New York where they were marketed to homes as a way of preserving food. Ice blocks awaiting transportation were stored in the large stone structure known as the Ice House. Many of the Pioneer Camping sites are nestled among the foundations of this building.

   There are other buildings of historical significance on Keen Lake grounds. Hermit Island, which is now home to a two-story log cabin style cottage, was once the site of a popular dance hall. Guest would board a flat boat that would ferry them across Keen Lake to picnics and dances. The Keen House, an1872 farmhouse, is located in the middle of the Keen Lake grounds. This private residence became the Keen family homestead after the original homestead was destroyed by fire. The building had originally housed ice-harvesting workers who were relocated to another residence owned by the Keen family. The Keen House is home today to family members. Gracing the lakeside is the School House cottage. This well-preserved one-room schoolhouse serviced the children of Canaan Township from 1848 to 1894. It has been restored and is now a popular lakeside cottage rental unit. The Pre-Civil War Barn cottage was once home to a Blacksmith Shop, and has been designated as a historical landmark.

   Keen Lake Camping and Cottage Resort will celebrate its 50th anniversary this summer.

 
   
NEWSLETTER SUBCRIBER CAMPING SPECIALS

May's Cottage Rental Special
Reserve a Cottage Rental Unit for 3 nights or longer between May 1st and May 27th during mid-week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday) to receive a 25% discount off the Cottage Rental fee and a free one day rowboat rental ($25 value) PRINT COUPON

May's Merchandise Special
Reserve two nights or longer starting on May 9th and receive a 20% discount on all store merchandise! (Excludes food, sundries and cigarettes) PRINT COUPON

May's Camping Fee Special
Reserve four or more sites for the weekend of May 21 - 23 for a 2 night stay and each site will receive a $10 discount off your camping fee! PRINT COUPON

 
CAMPING RECIPES

 

Sitting around the campfire is a wonderful place to congregate in the evening to discuss the day's events, plan tomorrow's discoveries, tell ghost stories, relax and cook dinner! The campfire smoke does something unspeakably wonderful to the flavor of the food and the conversations wafting around in the breeze. Whether you choose something very simple or a very elaborate production, your family will gather around. It's a time for bonding, so why should the cook be anywhere but with the rest of the crew! With a little preparation at home, those doing the cooking will still be in this picture.

Choose a few of these recipes to try on your next trip and see what wonderful flavors and memories develop. Feel free to email us your own special recipes so we can share them in our next Keen Lake Resort Newsletter!


CAMPFIRE KABOBS:Print this recipe

Diced Chicken or Steak
Diced Onion
Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh Mushrooms
Diced Potatoes
Diced Green Pepper

Directions:
Pour a bottle of Wishbone Italian Dressing over all ingredients and let them marinate. (When camping, place in a large freezer bag). Usually marinate 1 hour or so, the longer the better. Put all ingredients on skewers and grill over an open fire.

Michelle Inman
Indiana

PAN FRIED FRESH FISH:Print this recipe

Boneless fish fillets
White corn meal
Peanut Oil (enough to cover fillets completely)
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Pre-heat peanut oil to "smoking hot", about 350+ degrees. Fillet fish and remove skin, thoroughly wash off the meat ( removes the strong fishy taste ). Lay on foil, wax paper, etc. and sprinkle with generous amount of salt & pepper on both sides. Drop into a bag of white corn meal and shake to cover meat. Drop into fryer or pan containing peanut oil and let cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown - be sure not to overcook). Remove, let drip-drain, then sprinkle just a little more salt on both sides ....AND ENJOY, ENJOY!!

The secret to the great tasting fish is in making sure they're cleaned good before cooking, and the peanut oil!

John B. Frascello
Jacksonville, FL


CAMPFIRE CHICKEN:Print this recipe

This recipe will make anyone enjoy the comfort of a warm fire.

Ingredients:
15-20 chicken wings
Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning
Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil

Instructions:
Fold aluminum foil to make a large pocket for the grill. Place chicken wings on foil and sprinkle Mrs. Dash and Herb Seasoning on chicken. Cover with foil and cook at least one hour, or until chicken is lightly crispy. When done, unfold aluminum foil and enjoy the chicken at the campfire.

Unknown Author
CAMPING WITH PETS
Keen Lake Resort is a "Pets Welcome" campground. We are pet owners and we are happy to have your pets accompany you when you and your family visit Keen Lake. We, too, travel with our pets, and know that it up to us to make sure our pets are comfortable and enjoy the trip as much as we do. We've found these pet travel tips helpful and hope that you will, too.

Bring a supply of your pet's regular food. Some pets are very sensitive to changes in their diet. Having food on hand that your pet is accustomed to can avoid stomach upset and diarrhea.

Pets can be sensitive to changes in water, also. It this is the case with your pet, you may want to use bottled water. Have plenty of water available for your pet while you are traveling. Some pet centers offer spill proof bowls.

Make sure your pets are properly licensed and tagged with identification information including the name of your pet as well as your name, address, and telephone number. We also recommend bringing along some photos in the event your pet becomes lost.

A bored pet can get into trouble. Your pet needs something to occupy his time while you are swimming, boating, driving, or seeing the sights. Bring along his favorite toys so he can have fun, too.

Be prepared with a first-aid kit, which should include any medications your pet must have in addition to cotton swabs, tweezers, antibacterial ointments and the like. This would be a good place to store your pet's medical history.

Store an adequate supply of paper towels, plastic bags, and a pooper scooper in your RV. As pet owners we always have to be ready for the unexpected.

Ask for the park's pet rules in advance of your arrival. You may also want to know the name and location of the nearest veterinarian centers in the event of an unexpected illness.

Your advanced preparation will make both you and your pet happy campers.Keen Lake Resort provides an established set of pet guidelines with the most sincere intentions to provide for the safety, well-being, and enjoyment of all of our camping guests. Please click here to review our pet guidelines and pet owner responsibilities.
     
LOCAL EVENTS
Keen Lake Resort - May Activities Schedule

The Red Barons - Phillies Minor League - Lackawanna County Stadium -Click here for the May schedule dates

 

Jewel - The Kirby Center Public Sq, Wilkes-Barre - May 13, 2004

 

Lewis Black - The Scranton Cultural Center Scranton - May 14, 2004 - 8:00PM

 

Bill Cosby - The Kirby Center Public Sq, Wilkes-Barre - May 15, 2004 - 9:00PM

 

6th Annual Children's Fest - Wayne County Fair Grounds, Honesdale - May 22, 2004 - 10AM / 4PM

 

David Bowie - Ford Pavilion at Montage Mountain Scranton - May 27, 2004 - 7:30PM

 

    
CAMPING COMEDY

A man carrying two buckets of fish was stopped by a game warden in the Poconos recently as he was leaving a lake well known for its fishing.

The game warden asked the man, "Do you have a license to catch those fish?"

The man replied to the game warden, "No, sir. These are my pet fish."

"Pet fish?!" the warden replied.

"Yes, sir. Every night I take these fish down to the lake and let them swim around for a while. I whistle and they jump back into their buckets, and I take em home."

"That's a bunch of hooey! Fish can't do that!"

The man looked at the game warden for a moment, and then said, "Here, I'll show you. It really works."

"O.K. I've GOT to see this!" the game warden replied.

The man poured the fish into the water and stood and waited. After several minutes, the game warden turned to the man and said, "Well?"

"Well, what?" the man asked.

"When are you going to call them back?" the game warden prompted.

"Call who back?" the man asked.

"The FISH."

"What fish?" the man asked
     
     
 
We hope you've enjoyed the 1st Edition of the Keen Lake Newsletter. If you have any comments, suggestions, or recipes then feel free to contact us at: camping@keenlake.com