In the video above, Herman Rademacher tells the story about how Crystal Lake disappeared. He explains how Walter Serbe wanted to sell the Crystal Lake property, but was thwarted by issues with the developers. Walter “blew up the dam,” and the water “disappeared.” Herman also talks about the railroad bed that ran nearby the lake. Arnold Nichols bought the railroad bed, and sold it piecemeal to different individuals. Herman’s father had leased the portion that ran behind his house from Jersey Central Railroad. At that time (in the early 1940s), the telephone lines also ran on the same land behind the house. Later, a water line was laid in that right of way.

The postcard pre-dates the time period of being able to write a short letter on the back of the card. In this case, Mr. Daniel Howell of Mauricetown, N.J., received this very short note from D.C. Kauffman. Kauffman writes, “Chester, N.J. Merry Xmas to you. Why don’t you write?”

The card was published by local printer George E. Conover & Sons. The image on the card shows a narrow Crystal Lake with a wooden rowboat in the foreground and trees and other foliage along the lake’s border. The card was postmarked in 1905.

Video transcription available here: Disappearance of Crystal Lake Video Transcription.

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Exhibit Publication Date: Published in 2015. ©Copyright Chester Public Library