About the Nuangola Lake Association

In 1888 the Triangular Lake Association was formed by Edward Jennings, Charles D. Le Grande, W. H. Rank, Peter Kaschenbach, A. F. Farr, W. H. Shepherd, Stephen Drum, Charles Price, M. Jevons, W. H. Squarry and William Gabel.  At that time the lake was known also as Three Cornered Pond.  When application was made for a post office, the petition was granted.  The Post Office Department, however, designated the village and lake as Nuangola because there were then three Triangular Lakes in the state.  Washington explained that the lake was known on U.S. maps as Nuangola, the name of an Indian maid who drowned here many years before.

When the Triangular Lake Association was formed, the only cleared spot around the lake front was an area along the west side where about twenty summer homes had been build.  The "Plot" extended from Jenning's cottage, now Ringawa's, to Gabel's cottage, now Dungan's, and was enclosed by barbed wire to keep out livestock.  On the east side, the only cottage was Kaiser's.  In 1891 a lodge or watchman's house was erected.  After it burned down in 1903, the present one was built in 1904 as a store and watchman's dwelling.  George Stackhouse operated the store.  The watchmen were Allen Dickerson (1890-1892), Matt Engler (1892-1897), George Stackhouse (1897-1907), Amos Storm (1907-1930) and more recently George Check, Leslie "Pet" Vandermark and Zane Morgan.

An uncovered platform was constructed of rough lumber in a wooded grove and was used for square and round dances.  Matt Engler could play one tune on the fiddle.  Boys and men would whistle the tempo, and Matt would adapt the tune to fit it.  Later a good floor and roof were added to the platform.

Shortly after the roof was added to the platform, Mr. Drum organized the first Sunday School.  Each Sunday a small organ owned by Mrs. Price Miller was carried to the structure to provide music for the service.  Some of the charter members of the Triangular Lake Association were among those who incorporated the Nuangola Chapel Association in 1898.

In 1903, at a cost of $302, Shepherd and Rust built the first telephone line which was strung on trees over the mountain from Alden.  The exchange for eight phones on one circuit was in the watchman's house.  The first operator was Myra Stackhouse.

The first Association sponsored boardwalk across the south marsh was built in 1904.  Until then, Mr. Jennings maintained his own walk across the swamp.

Recorded in Luzerne County Charter Book No. 6, page 173, on January 21, 1906, the charter for the Nuangola Lake Association lists these subscribers:  A. F. Childs, Frederick Moon, T. H. Carey, R H. Meyer, John Karboski, Brinton Jackson, Stephen Drum, C. W. Dodson, A. F. Farr, Alfred Hand, M. Jevons, C. D. Le Grande, Laura Miller, J. W. Raeder, A. C. Overpeck, W. A. Smawley, John Thomas, Charles Van Loon, W. H. Shepherd, H. C. Shepherd, Edward Jennings and V. B. Sheeder.

The Association built a dam at the outlet in 1907 and arranged logs and stones in such a way that hikers were able to walk around that end of the lake.  Earlier dams had been torn down during dry seasons by farmers below who wanted water for their livestock.  Runoff from the Nuangola outlet is one source of the Little Wapwallopen Creek.

The Association promoted events for family participation and community improvement.  They planned straw rides, water carnivals, hobby contests, get-togethers, dances; swimming, diving and canoe contests; all-season sailboat races, bazaars, art and craft classes, orchestra and band concerts, supervised young children and teenage clubs and movies.

Never intending to be primarily a social organization, the Nuangola Lake Association made decisions on projects only after careful deliberations about what would be conducive to safe, pleasant living.