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Saturday, July 31, 2010

Candlewood Lake History: The Romance of the Rocky River

 

Sometimes you are at the mercy of an estate sale service.  They have a business to run and they don't have to care if the right piece gets a good home. They work on commission, or they have contracted for a flat fee, either way you can't always cajole them into giving you the price you want. If you are lucky enough to find a treasure on the 2nd or 3rd day of the sale you'll have desperation on your side...they are happy to unload even the smallest item because even though it's small it still represents one more in the sold column.  While I still prefer to treat each sale like a "dig" and uncover something cool, I have now gotten used to looking at the high-priced treasures at the table by the cashier, sometimes it's a jewelery case and sometimes it's just a pile. I used to ignore it thinking all the fun in discovering it is gone at that point. Then, I started to find some success.  On the left is my case in point.


 While hunting a couple of weeks ago I came across a sign for a New Milford estate sale  and decided to check it out.  The house was a ranch with many rooms and a large workshop in the basement. Though my partner and I searched and searched we found little to be interested in. This was also a well organized sale with a meticulous price on everything that wasn't nailed down.  That much organization is my kryptonite, sucking all my superpowers away. Suddenly I can't see in the dark crevasses of the basement or garage, the tactile sense for feeling the back edge of a closet shelf is gone, and my super-haggling mind meld is deadened. I had seen the valuables by the check-out as we entered and now as we made our retreat I took a second look.  



(click on any image for a larger view) I don't read a lot of romance stories but I did recognize the Rocky river. Living near one of the largest man-made lakes in the East, one gets to know a little of its history. I will keep it short, much like this 14 page booklet did. Candlewood lake was born out of the Rocky River basin. The valleys that may have been carved by much of the rocky river are what made the Lake possible for a power project in the 1930's. Read the book, it tells the whole story. Click the "Read More" link below.






Even though it was listed for $10, I felt it was a rarity and would make a nice gift for the local historical society (some day). I pitched them for $5 and got what I wanted.

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