The Pocono Mountains Premier Haunted House, Then & Now
With Halloween just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to feature a photograph that Lewis Reed took of the Saylorsburg Lake House Hotel, now the site of The Pocono Mountains Premier Haunted House, Hotel of Horror. The aging Lake House Hotel in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, once a vibrant Poconos retreat, was a popular hotel for the region’s tourists who were looking for fun on nearby Saylors Lake. During the hotel’s heyday, its staff was booking rooms a year in advance. Today, the former hotel’s fame is generated from its annual Halloween haunted-house attraction.
Lake House Hotel (THEN): The legend of the Lake House Hotel spans more than two-hundred years. According to local folklore, during World War II, many of the employees at the Lake House were called to assist in the Pennsylvania National Guard, leaving the local asylum with one lone security guard to watch over the entire building. The inmates escaped, made their way to the hotel and took it over. The insane patients performed experiments on the guests. What was once a renowned resort for the rich and famous, became a torture chamber.
The Lake House Hotel, Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania. Photo taken by Lewis Reed, 1915.
Lake House Hotel (NOW): The hotel was purchased in 1990 and turned into an Antique Co-Op, and then in 1992 saw its first haunted house attraction. The Hotel of Horror and Altered Nightmares are both indoor, walk through Haunted House attractions featuring live actors and paranormal activity housed in the 200 year old “abandoned” Pocono Mountain resort once called The Lake House Hotel in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania. This 2022 season will celebrate the 30th year that the Hotel of Horror has been fascinating and horrifying legions of fans from the far reaches of the United States and even internationally. To all the readers of this blog: Have a spooky, enjoyable and very safe Halloween!
The Hotel of Horror, The Pocono Mountains Premier Haunted House Attraction
Tribute to Richard Lewis Gartner, Third Generation Dodge Dealer
Co-written by Jeanne Gartner and Barry Gartner
Rick Gartner, 3rd Generation President/Dealer Principal of Reed Brothers Dodge.
This is a very special post in honor of Richard Lewis “Rick” Gartner who passed away on Thursday, October 6, 2022 at the age of 68. Rick fought a short, courageous battle against a relentless and cruel enemy. He was diagnosed with bladder cancer on the day of his birthday on January 25, 2022. Nine months later it took him despite his strong will to live and willingness to do anything to get a chance to beat it.
I am Rick’s older sister, Jeanne Gartner, and author of this blog, and Barry is Rick’s younger brother. To celebrate Rick’s life, Barry and I decided we would co-write a tribute to honor his memory. At first, I hesitated to write such a personal and lengthy post here, but then I realized Rick would have gotten a big kick out of having his older sister and younger brother write about him. Tragically, sometimes we do not get to keep people we love for as long as we want, but though Rick’s life was shorter than we wanted, he lived a full life and accomplished a lot with the time he had. Rick was a large part of Reed Brothers Dodge for more than three decades of his life, so it only made sense to honor him here.
Business path.
In life, it is a rare thing to know where your path is going to lead. For Rick, even as a young man, it was very clear that his path would lead to following in the footsteps of his father, Lee Gartner, and his grandfather, Lewis Reed. Rick started working at Reed Brothers Dodge part-time when he was 15 years old. To learn the business, he started at the bottom of the company in Used Car Get-Ready and the Parts Department, and worked his way up. After graduating from Gaithersburg High School in 1972, he studied dealership management at the prestigious Northwood Institute of Automotive Marketing in Midland, Michigan. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Automotive Marketing & Dealership Management in 1976. After graduation, he worked as Sales Associate from 1976-1982, and served as Sales Manager from 1983-1992. When his father retired and became Chairman of the Board in 1993, Rick was designated as President/Dealer Principal, making Reed Brothers Dodge a third-generation dealer.
Interests.
Rick’s interests were broad and varied. He enjoyed annual trips such as camping and salmon fishing up north with friends and fraternity brothers, as well as ATV trips to Hatfield-McCoy trails in the Appalachians, and white water rafting at Ohiopyle and Youghiogheny Rivers. Anyone that knew Rick well knew of his love of the water. He enjoyed boating, fishing, crabbing, traveling, and being near the water. As a keen shooter, he also developed an extensive collection of firearms. For many years, he was an avid coin collector. Fascinated with snakes of all kinds, he kept many as “pets” over the decades, including Ringed-neck, Hognose, Black Rat, Eastern Racer, and numerous species of Boa Constrictors.
Younger years.
Rick played Little League Softball with the Colts and Little League Baseball with the Yankees. He loved ice skating and ice hockey in the winter at Summit Hall Turf Farm in his hometown of Gaithersburg, Maryland. Rick was a member of the Cub Scouts and attained Webelos rank at age 8-10. In elementary school, Rick was appointed Lieutenant of the AAA Safety Patrol, which may have very well been his first leadership role. At the age of 11, he joined Boy Scout Troop 937 at Grace Methodist Church and reached the level of Star Scout. Some of the merit badges he earned were in backpacking, cooking, first aid, swimming, lifesaving, and signaling. Rick played trombone throughout junior and senior high school and was a member of the Gaithersburg High School marching band.
Shared childhood memories.
All of us must have done crazy things along with our siblings in childhood. Below, Barry shares a unique insight into Rick’s childhood that only a brother can provide.
We both used to love climbing the Maple tree in the front yard. We also both (hate to say it) used slingshots to kill any bird we could get a bead on in the yard. Mom used to tell us, “Don’t shoot anything unless it’s a Starling”, but when she started finding dead Blue jays, Robins, etc. around the yard, the slingshots were taken away for good (should have picked ’em up, I guess).
Battles around the cherry tree: pocket as many off the ground as you can (the rottener they were, the better), then game on.
When they were building the apartments behind our house, we used to make mud balls and let them dry, then we’d climb up a tree and throw them at the construction workers.
We used to play Mumblypeg all the time (it’s an old Indian knife game). You stand facing each other, with legs apart, and whoever throws the knife closest to the foot (without hitting it), wins. One time (outside in the front yard), we were playing with homemade “spears”. For the first time in all of playing, I put mine right through his tennis shoe and into his foot. After pausing in shock about what had just happened, he pulled the spear out and chased me several times around the house before I finally ran inside and back to our bedroom, where he promptly pummeled me with a football helmet.
Then there’s the time we set the house on fire……Lighting small patches of dead grass where the tomatoes were grown, then putting out the fire with a firecracker. One time it didn’t go out, and while I ran to get a bucket of water on the side of the house, Rick tried to put it out with a dead branch, but it fanned the fire up under a bush in the corner of the house. Mom and Dad weren’t home, so Della (our housekeeper at the time) called the fire department. It burned the bush and siding in that corner. When mom got home, she was so thoroughly beside herself, that she simply said, “wait ’till your father gets home”.
Boy Scout mischief.
The Summer Boy Scout Camp experience would not be complete without a little bit of mischief. Pranks and practical jokes are intertwined with the spirit of Summer Camp and, I believe, in the spirit of childhood in general. And I think I now realize why that is.
At scout summer camp (2 weeks, usually at Goshen or Gambrill), we initiated the “newbies”. Outside of each tent was a bucket of dirt, and a bucket of water. Newbies would get an early morning wake-up, by us, yelling “FIRE” and tossing in the bucket load of dirt, followed by the bucket of water.
One year, we were set up on what was called “Hurricane Hill”. The tents were set up on wood platforms in case there were high waters from rain. A storm did come in one night, and flooded a creek that was very close to our campsite. We looked at this as another opportunity to “initiate”, so we slid the platform and tent (while occupied) over to the creek and sent it floating away.
Another year, a very large group of scouts (several hundred as I recall) had to leave early, and left us (and others) with barrels full of corn. I remember both of us (along with everyone else in our troop) complaining to our scoutmaster as to why we had to use this for literally every meal: corn in the morning pancakes, corn in the mashed potatoes, corn in the soup, and corn on the cob. Needless to say, this led to a backup line at the latrine on many occasions.
Grateful for the memories.
There were many wonderful aspects to Rick’s life, and many ways that he touched our lives. He will be remembered as a loving brother and as a friendly, kind-hearted person who made his mark in the world not with grand gestures or a fancy title, but by the basic goodness of his heart and generosity of his character. Although we feel Rick was taken far too soon from this world, we know that he lived a wonderful and fulfilling life. We will miss him every day and feel so lucky to have shared a lifetime of precious memories with him. Rick, this is for you. May your soul rest in perfect peace.
We love you… Jeanne and Barry
Here is the link to his Obituary for friends and family who follow this blog: https://www.fellerandclark.com/obituary/Richard-Gartner?fbclid=IwAR1JSmYKLOgi_iakH-SGqlSUF9TwD3Z7AIywly1gL5BJ2-qWJqoX863Fz3c#obituary
Reed Sister’s on Excelsior Motorcycles (1912)
Back in the early part of the last century when the motorcycle was still new and a novelty, it was often used for Kodak moments. Lewis Reed has a number of photographs showing relatives and other unknown people on their motorcycles in the period of the early 1900s through the early 1920s. In a time when you could ride a motorcycle at age fourteen and on the roads there were more motorcycles than cars, sisters Eleanora, Geneva, and Eva Reed also appeared to also enjoy the thrills of motorcycling.
Eleanora Reed, and Lewis Reed’s sisters Geneva and Eva proudly pose on Excelsior motorcycles, 1912. In doing so, they declared their embrace of the new technology. For many, a motorcycle portrait was also a kind of declaration of independence. (Note they are all sitting “side-saddle” as true ladies of the time would have been expected to do).
While women have been enthusiastic bikers ever since motorcycles were invented, they have had to push back against deeply ingrained attitudes. Women in the first half of the 20th century were expected to dress fashionably and conservatively, and above all, remain ladylike. Sitting astride a motorcycle was considered uncouth: the same as riding a horse with a leg on each side. During this time, female pioneers like Amelia Earhart and Annie Edson Taylor pushed the envelope of expectations for women and set the stage for the Roaring Twenties flapper era.
Edgar Reed and an unidentified lady sitting side-saddle on an Excelsior motorcycle.
Instead of having a motorcycle as a source of transportation, gentlemen of the days oftentimes used it to spice up their sunny weekends and impress ladies. Outfit relevance dictated a gentleman to be presentable and neat, so when going for a spin, Edgar Reed is wearing a leather jacket, full-length boots, necktie and sporty cap with goggles.
Woman and toddler pose on an Excelsior motorcycle. (The toddler’s sporty little cap and goggles are only for show: she won’t be going for a ride!) The motorcycle seems to be well equipped with extras including: a headlamp, a handlebar-mounted Klaxon horn, and a well-padded passenger seat on the back.
The above photo is, without question, one of the best posed photos on a motorcycle that I have come across in my grandfather’s albums. The toddler’s sporty little cap and goggles make the image. Just imagine how excited she must have been to sit on that big machine.
Woman and toddler on Harley Davidson Motorcycle
Then & Now: Barnesville (Sellman’s Depot”) Train Station, 1912
BARNESVILLE (“Sellman’s Depot”) B&O TRAIN STATION (THEN): Barnesville Station, constructed circa 1873, this frame building apparently housed the post office as well. The station house in 1874 was referred to as “Sellman’s Depot”, and was named for William 0. Sellman, owner of the lands on which the station was built. Development began around 1873 when the railroad came through and the town was gradually abandoned with the advent of interstate highways and automobiles. The station was demolished in the 1950’s.
Barnesville (Sellman’s Depot”) Train Station. Photo by Lewis Reed, 1912.
BARNESVILLE MARC STATION (NOW): Built about 1930 as the first metering station for the Washington area gas supply, this building was saved from imminent destruction by concerned citizens dedicated to both the preservation of the visible past and revitalization of the railroad. On February 16, 1977 the historic metering station owned by the Washington Gas Light Company traveled 23 miles by road from Rockville to begin a new existence as the Barnesville railroad station. The squarish little structure had a makeover after the move. It was painted inside and out and and a wide overhanging roof was added just below the original roof line, giving the building more an authentic “train station” look, and it was re-dedicated on October 10, 1977. Snuggled up against the woods, surrounded by trees and shrubbery in a rural area just south of Barnesville on Route 109 (Beallsville Road), the station today is a pretty sight.
The metering station installed at Sellman station by the tracks which today serves as the Barnesville (MARC) Station. It was moved here from Rockville in 1977 for preservation. Image from Wikimedia Commons.
Source: The Montgomery County Story Newsletter, Vol. 37, No.1, February 1994. “Train Stations and Suburban Development Along the Old Baltimore and Ohio Railroad” by Jo Beck
Down Memory Lane: Rockville VFD Carnival
Montgomery County Sentinel, Friday, Sept 9, 1932
On this date 90 years ago the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department held its first annual carnival.
From The Daily News, Frederick Maryland, August 10, 1932:
At a special meeting of the department August 5 it was unanimously voted that a carnival should be held on the Fairgrounds from September 3 to 10, inclusive. The first event will be a fireman’s parade and hook-up contests with three cups being offered as prizes. Other items of interest will be the baby show, the old-fashioned square dance, and the public wedding. An automobile and fifteen cash prizes are to be given away during the carnival.
The Carnival Parade
The carnival parade always kicked off the celebrations and were held on the first day, with the intent of drawing the spectators to the carnival grounds. There were always a few high school bands in the lineup, and most of the floats were simple, many being your average flatbed farm wagons decorated with yards of colored crepe paper and sponsored by a local business. Following the procession, teams of 10 men each, engaged in a tug-of-war contests in front of the dancing pavilion at the fair ground.
The June 1960 Rockville Sanborn map below shows the location of the Rockville Fire Department Carnival Grounds. From what I have been able to piece together from newspaper archives, the carnival began in 1932 and closed sometime in the early 1970s. The carnival office and administrative building used to be the one-room doctor’s office built for and used by Dr. Edward E. Stonestreet from 1852 to 1903. It was donated to the Montgomery County Historical Society and moved to the complex in 1972.
Rockville Fire Department Carnival Grounds location, circa 1960. Courtesy of the Library of Congress digital collection of Sanborn maps.
All of the buildings, including flood lights, fencing and metal frames for carnival stands, on the 10-acre site on the Rockville Pike were permanent fixtures all year long and remained unused until the carnival. In 1947, a 70-foot dance pavilion with detachable side walls was built by labor and materials donated by members of the department and Rockville citizens. Over the years, department members built the 12 red and white wooden buildings on the grounds.
View of the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department Carnival buildings across from Beall’s Esso on Rockville Pike, circa 1960s. Photo credit: RVFD Photo Archives.
The Rockville Fire Department held its annual carnival during the month of August. The eight-night carnival was the staple of the organization’s fundraising for several decades. Locals came to the carnival every year to enjoy the rides, win raffle prizes, listen to the live music every night and most importantly, to eat the food. It was the perfect place to catch up with friends, ride a few rides and maybe win a gold fish that might actually remain alive by the time you got home.
Valuable prizes given away nightly. Prizes by General Electric:
- 4-Speed Record Player
- Vacuum Cleaner
- Portable Transistor Radio
- Roll Around Fans
- Toaster Ovens
All prizes — including the automobiles, and the items like vacuum cleaners and record players as grounds prizes — were bought by the Department. Nothing was donated except the time and work of the volunteers.
Not One, Not Two, but Three…
It is exciting to note that for many years, a car was the grand prize given away at the carnival. Three spanking new automobiles were awarded to lucky ticket holders.
Automobiles were given away as Grand Awards. Photo credit: RVFD Photo Archives.
Win this new Chevrolet! Photo credit: RVFD Photo Archives.
Win this new Ford! Photo credit: RVFD Photo Archives.
Car tent, ca. 1950
Beauty Contest, Wedding to Highlight Carnival
A public wedding and a bathing beauty contest for “Miss Rockville” highlighted the eight-night carnival on August 12, 1949. The contest winner receives $75 and have the honor of representing the firemen in a September contest at Sandy Spring for the title of “Miss Montgomery County Fireman of 1949.”
The Evening Star, August 17, 1949
From The Evening Star, August 17, 1949:
Rockville’s Volunteer firemen are beginning to believe in sawdust wedding aisles as lucky omens.
All 17 couples who in as many years have been married in public at the Rockville fireman’s carnival have lived happily ever after – at least without a divorce.
And the firemen are counting on this year’s couple, Arthur Fleming, 21, Rockville Post Office employee, and his 18 year old bride, Dorothy Lucille Campbell Fleming of Gaithersburg to maintain that record. The two were married last night at the carnival, and like their predecessors, they spoke their vows over a loud speaker in view of a merry-go-round and walked down a sawdust aisle edged with 5,000 onlookers.
Chief W. Valentine Wilson originated the public wedding at the Rockville Carnival back in 1932. The firemen provided a $500 set of furniture, the wedding license, ring, minister, bridal gown, bridegroom’s and ushers’ white tie and tails and flowers.
Some of the town folk weren’t too much in favor of the idea and almost talked a town minister out of performing the ceremony. Later they found out the ceremonies are all very solemn affairs with no frivolity and bystanders even whimpered. For the 17 weddings, State Fireman’s Association Chaplain James C. Minter has conducted the ceremonies. Most of the nuptials ran smoothly, but the Chief remembered one that edged on the border line. That was the time a bridegroom, kneeling at the altar with his bride, whispered, “I can’t get up.”
As to why the marriages have been such successes, Fire Department General Counsel David E. Betts, thinks he has the answer: “If they love each other enough to be married at a carnival public wedding under the populace’s eyes, they’ve got enough love to hold them together for life.”
1968 Carnival Program
The Music
Music has been a big part of the carnival over the years too, as big-name country acts performed at the fairgrounds. There were floor shows each night featuring artists such as Conway Twitty & the Twittybirds, Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens, Jimmy Dean, Patsy Cline, the Osborne Brothers, and many others.
Nightly entertainment featured attractions such as a trapeze artist, hillbilly comedy, Punch and Judy show, old fashioned hoedowns, the Jamboree Boys of television fame, a western rope spinning and whip act, thrilling acrobatic on the slack wire, comedy juggling act by Billy Dale, the Ringling Brothers circus clown, and the Blue Mountain Boys. And nightly dancing in the Pavilion to the music of Sid Graham’s “Five Tones.”
Also appearing were the Shirleyettes with Linda Rita Peluzo, a versatile young lady who danced, sang, and played the accordion. The Eng Sisters, a Chinese trio, entertained with modern song. Carol Bo Barnstead, a flaming baton twirler, appeared with the young Jean Kruppa and Bert Bottamilla on drums.
From The News, Frederick MD 07 August 1965:
Local talent such as the Rockville Municipal Band under the direction of Frank Troy, the Tune Twisters with the Darnell Sisters, and Johnny Glaze and the Night Hawks will round out the entertainment for the two week period. Proceeds from the carnival will go toward payment of a $15,000 Miller-Meteor Cadillac ambulance and a $62,000 Peter Pirsch, 100 foot aerial ladder which were put into service to meet the demands of a growing community.
1961 Cadillac Ambulance by Miller-Meteor. Photo credit: RVFD Photo Archives.
The Games
“Dime to play, dime to win, come on in!” The games – The Duck Pond, simply pick up a floating rubber duck out of the water, turn it over to see your prize. Dunk Tank, Rifle Range, Hoop-la (throw hoops around pegs), Balloon Pitch, Teddy Bear Toss (get ring completely around bear stand for 1st prize), Guess Your Age, Cigarette Wheel (spin the wheel and win unfiltered cigarettes)… Lucky Strikes, Camels, and other horrible brands. Lamps (ring toss over miniature lamps was a lot harder than it looked). Panda Bear Stand, ring a coke bottle to win one. Test your strength on the “High Striker” (driving a puck up a tower with a hammer to ring the bell). Rifle Range, 25 cents for shots with a carnival rifle at rotating ducks you just fired away for prizes. And for those a bit older, the favorite game was Bingo.
The closest thing to “big” trouble the carnival ever had was the escape of a mouse from the “guess-which-hole” mouse game. A stand that year featured a game in which a live mouse was put on a board with several numbered holes. Players bet on which hole the mouse would choose. When the mouse was put on the board, it got scared and ran away! It was the only mouse, so two firemen had to chase it all over the grounds to catch it. The game was discontinued after that incident.
In 1935, county residents, in a special referendum, gave the Fire Department and other non-profit community and church groups the right to hold raffles and bingo games.
Cigarette wheel at RVFD Carnival. Photo credit: RVFD Photo Archives.
Lucky Number Ball Game at RVFD Carnival. Photo credit: RVFD Photo Archives.
Calling Bingo at RVFD Carnival, August 1961. Photo credit: RVFD Photo Archives.
The Rides
The heart of the historic fireman’s carnival was the rides – Ferris Wheel, Kiddy Automobiles, Merry-Go-Round, Kiddy Aeroplanes, Scrambler, Loop-O-Plane, Round Up, Dipper Dive Bomber, Octopus, Paratrooper, Live Pony Rides, Kiddy Train, Kiddy Boat Ride, Space Chaser and Tank Ride. The rides were operated by a commercial firm. Everything else was staged or staffed by the volunteer firemen and their families, plus friends of the department who donated their time. For parents, a lot of enjoyment came from seeing their kids having such a good time. Below are a few samples (only) of the rides that were featured at the carnival.
The Scrambler
This ride is fast — really fast. Proving that rides don’t have to go high to make you question all of your choices, The Scrambler is something you shouldn’t ride if you’ve eaten within your current lifetime. Picture this: the ride has three arms. On the ends of each of those arms are clusters of individual cars, each on a smaller arm of its own. When the Scrambler starts, the main arm and the little arms all rotate. The outermost arms are slowed and the inner arms are accelerated, creating an illusion of frighteningly close collisions between the cars and passengers. The Scrambler proves that you don’t have to go on a roller coaster to lose your lunch or have the wits scared out of you.
The Octopus
One of the most entertaining rides that you can go on at any carnival is called The Octopus. The arms go up and down multiple times during the ride, but it is the spinning action of the ride itself which causes the carts to automatically spin, making this one of the most fun rides ever created.
Paratrooper
The Paratrooper, also known as the Parachute Ride or Umbrella Ride is a type of carnival ride where the seats are suspended below a wheel which rotates at an angle. The seats are free to rock sideways and swing out as the wheel rotates.
Tilt-a-Whirl
The Tilt-a-Whirl ride wildly spins in countless directions at variable speeds. Calculated chaos ensued. Those who look a little green or lose their lunch of hot dogs, cotton candy, and soda pop are probably just coming off a Tilt-a-Whirl.
Loop-O-Plane
The Loop-O-Plane is just what it sounds like: Mechanical arms take riders, over and over, in a stomach flip-flopping, upside-down-turning loop.
The Round Up
The Round Up has been a popular ride on the American carnival midway since the 1950s. Riders stand against the wall and as the barrel begins to spin, they are stuck to the wall. The barrel soon raises in the air at a 70 degree angle.
The Food
Did I mention the food? Carnivals are a feast for the senses. The smells of food floods the air with the toasty, oily, salty smell of french fried potatoes mingled with scents of buttered popcorn, spicy pizza, burgers, hot dogs, and other tasty treats. Those french fries in a paper cone with vinegar… didn’t you just love those french fries? There was fried chicken that Colonel Sanders would have to salute. And as if that was not enough, there was snack time. The night would not be complete without cotton candy or a caramel apple. And I would be remiss to not mention the infamous funnel cake, which is either loved or hated; there is no middle ground.
For hundreds of children who grew up in the Rockville area, the carnival is where they held their first job. It was such a great tradition and a real community effort. Unfortunately, due to increased call volume, the fire department had to end the annual event. Carnival revenue has since been replaced by a combination of public funding, private donations, and commercial income.
It made a lot of money for the fire department, and by the end of each evening there were quite a few happy young girls to be seen in the crowd, carrying a large stuffed animal and accompanied by a smiling young man.
Sources of Information:
Library of Congress digital collection of Sanborn maps
Chronicling America digitized newspapers
Newspapers.com historical newspapers
Books
Related Resources
Copyright Notice
Reed Brothers Dodge History (1915-2012) by Jeanne Gartner is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Reed Brothers Dodge History 1915 – 2012 
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