A History of Four Cottages

Rochester School Systems Comes to Bass Lake

BY TOM HUGHES

As far as I can tell Mr. Carpenter, a science teacher in the Rochester School System came to Bass Lake around 1919.  He was so impressed by the beauty of the lake that he went back to Rochester and got several more teachers interested in coming to the lake. Each assisted the other in constructing their cottage.  Mr. Carpenters cottage is #50 

The other teachers that came up were  Mr. Rottman (#131), Mr. Johncox (#29).  These two were industrial art teachers and accounted for much of the planning.  The forth was Mr. Kellogg (#30) a school principal.  Mr. Johncox’s and Mr.. Kellogg’s cottage are still owned by the family of the original builder.

Carpenter, Johncox and Rottaman had a long and happy time at the lake.  Not so for Mr. Kellogg.  He passed away the year that the cottage was completed.  The Hughes family purchased the cottage from Marion Christie  (daughter of Mr. Kellogg) in 1977.  Judie Hughes has been in residence every year since 1929.

Mr Rottman and Mr. Johncox decided that they would each build a sailing dinghy.  These sailboats were things of beauty and every piece of rigging and hardware was constructed by them.  For years they raced each other on the channel.  Of the two only Mr Johncox’s survives in their boat house.  The maintenance and repair of the dingy was undertaken by Mr. Burton and Bob Johncox.  The elder Johncox was ready take the dingy out to the middle of the lake and sink it as it had fallen into such dis-repair.  Mr. Burton pleaded with him to allow him to undertake the needed repairs.  Those were accomplished and the dingy survived.  Bob Johncox put in a new transom and Betty Burton made a new set of sails and about 10 years ago it made its first sail in over 30 years.  It has not been in the lake since.