New Blog 1: Willoughvale Inn

Sunday 4 November 2012

Willoughvale Inn

Willoughby Lake has inspired many people to poetic expression, including Robert Frost.

In 1909 before Frost had attained fame and fortune, he and his family camped in tents on the George Conley farm. A Doctor Wells owned the farm, which later became the WilloughVale Inn. The Conleys ran the farm for Dr. Wells.

Frost hoped to avoid hay fever from ragweed by spending the summer outdoors in northern Vermont. He had also heard that the Willoughby Lake region was a wonderful place for botanists, though he later gave up his botany expeditions because the summer pollen brought on his problem.

Frost's four children made friends with other children at the lake. One vacationer at the Myers homestead (Willoughby Farm) remembers that she and her sister played with daughter Lesley who was ten years old and son Carol who was seven.