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    • About Us
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    • By-Laws
    • Helpful Links
    • Pond History Book Project
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  • Home
  • About Us
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  • Minutes
  • By-Laws
  • Helpful Links
  • Pond History Book Project
  • Boat Tour of the Pond

richmond pond history book project

Under Development for late spring 2021 Publication Date

Updated January 18, 2021


                                       Table of Contents

             The History of Richmond Pond, “Limited Edition”


A joint book project of the Richmond Pond Association & Richmond Historical Commission


1. Introduction and Genesis of the Book (History of Richmond Pond Association & Richmond Historical Commission)


General Information about Richmond Pond (science of the pond)


2. Geography (& relationship to the Town of Richmond), geology, typography, etc.

3. Pond health, Diagnostic Feasibility Study, septic systems/sewer system; inlet dredging; pond management plan; monitoring of beaches & tributaries; weed management

4. The fishery; native & introduced species, with history of fish stocking; other wildlife


Old Times


5. Local Native American history (Native American lore/legend); early history of Richmond (maps, deed references); Shaker community

6.  First cottages & early evolution of camps & communities

7.  Raising the pond; the dam (1865), submerging the county road that crossed the pond

8.  Richmond town beach(es); creation of public boat launch (state-owned/town-managed); recent enhancements

9. The railroads (narrow gauge & regular), & their historic local uses, including ice harvesting

10. Legends/anecdotes - Prohibition activities; Pontoon planes during WW II; Scace’s boat rental service; water ski jump; others...


Camp Life on Richmond Pond


11. Camp Bluebird (Women’s Club of Pittsfield); Camp Marion White (Girl Scouts); its breakwater; failed Richmond Town Park effort; now privately owned

12. Old Elm Camp; Camp Pearson (Boy Scouts); Camp Allegro (Jewish girls camp); Lakeside Christian Camp & Conference Center (closed in 2020)

13. Camp Russell (on the former Branch Farm); initially boys only & overnight; now coed day camp (The Green Hand - a ghost story, anecdote)


Community associations


14. Branch Farm (history of Branch Farm; Boys Club role; condominium format)

15. Whitewood (initially Truran’s cottages); Truran’s boat rental service (1970s)

16. Richmond Shores (Lakeside Co., development began 1948)

17. South Pond Farm Condominiums (from Scace property; Town & RPA role in limiting its parameters)


Recent and Future Developments 


18. Tracy Brook Wildlife Sanctuary

19. 250th Celebration of Richmond @ Camp Russell in 2015

20. Hosting the Josh in 2018

21. Balderdash Cellars Winery

22. The Camp by Bousquet

23. Canal Restoration


Index, Footnotes & Acknowledgements


PROPOSED CONCEPT – A “collector’s” history book with photos, reasonably priced, to be developed & published by Troy Book Makers.

EDITORIAL GROUP – Ken Kelly, Gloria Morse, Kerry Hamilton, Valeri Reynolds, Jan Hartford, Susan Abramowitz

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION – Staff of each of the pond’s current & former camps, officers of the pond community associations & others are asked to provide summaries of their histories & interesting anecdotes, & photos, for possible inclusion.  Please submit them or direct questions to Ken Kelly at: kkelly@utica.edu.

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