About Tall Timber Lodge, Text

About Tall Timber

"Molded in the Sporting Camp Tradition"

Tall Timber Lodge was built on the northern shore of Back Lake in 1946 and has become one of the most popular sporting lodges in all New England. Located in the heart of northern New Hampshire’s unspoiled wilderness, Tall Timber is surrounded by the Connecticut Lakes, the headwaters of the Connecticut River, and many remote streams and ponds.

Our old-fashioned main lodge is the center of activity, with its large common room, full service dining room and lounge, Gift and Fly Shop, and eight cozy, air-conditioned rooms. The lodge’s collection of trophy mounts and baskets of photos tell the rich story of years gone by. You’ll find the common room a wonderful place to exchange stories, work on a jigsaw puzzle or just relax. Old acquaintances rekindle friendships and many new friends are made here year after year.

"The History of Tall Timber Lodge" by Vernon Hawes

The land where Tall Timber Lodge and Cabins is located was bought from Martha Day by Vernon and Pearl Hawes in 1941. The land was on both sides of Beach Road on the north shore of Back Lake. The area was a swampy jungle but over a period of time a sharp axe and thousands of yards of fill trucked in changed that. The location and contour of the shoreline were what made this spot. Later on, several adjoining lots were purchased - notably a lot on the east boundary of Tall Timber with a two story log cabin built by Russell Hawes and a lot on the west boundary with a log cabin built by George W. "Gramp" Hawes.

In 1945, a small area was cleared and a cabin put up and rented to hunters. In the spring of 1946, a thirty by seventy foot log building was constructed - not a post or anything, just a large log room. It was thought that this might be a lobby and dining room (now Apartments 1 & 2, and the dining room alcove). However, Saturday night dances were held to produce a little income. These were so popular that Saturday night was dance night at Tall Timber for a number of years. The room was also used for meetings and banquets, but the business built up to where there had to be more dining area and it had to be part of that big room.

In the meantime, building continued until there were ten cabins with two to five bedrooms each, guest rooms in the lodge and a dining room with all the supportive facilities - kitchen, walk-in cooler, laundry and storage room. By this time we had twelve on our staff. Pearl made out daily work sheets for the crew. She also wrote all the menus, ordered all the groceries and supplies and usually went after them with the station wagon or pickup. She had a great deal to do with the management and operation of the whole business. We were fortunate that she could, in case of emergency, take over the cooking or any part of the operation. We had one man or boy to help with the outside work. Sometimes we had a high school boy and for a number of years we had a registered guide in this position. This job was labeled "cabin" or "boat" boy. He did all sorts of outside chores. Some parties hired a guide for one day just to have a real cookout dinner. By the way, three of our cabin boys married three of our waitresses. This could be some kind of record.

Our season was May 1 to December 1 and there was plenty to do during the winter months. Much of the construction was done during that time of year. Our younger son, Warren, helped a great deal when home from school or work. I had a big workshop and we built a twenty-four by ninety-six foot boat and storage shed: twenty-six boats and eighteen outboard motors had to have maintenance work. Our son, Russell, worked for us during several winters. We put down oak floors in all of the cabins, the dining room and over thirty by seventy foot recreation room. We also installed picture windows facing the lake in all of the cabins. The lobby already had large picture windows. I mentioned that we had twenty-six boats. Fourteen of them were built by Herb Brown. I worked with Herb in his shop at First Connecticut Lake. Herb had been building boats for years with pine and cedar. I had marine plywood and oak and Herb never used anything but oak and plywood after that. These boats are still in use and like new because they have been taken care of. Wooden boats require a lot of care and reasonable use. Herb and I built four boats one winter and five the next.

In the meantime, our son Russell had bought Bacon's Cabins, renamed Driftwood. So the next winter, Herb, Russell and I built twelve boats - seven for Driftwood and five for Tall Timber. This was in the 1950s. The rest of our boats were aluminum, mostly fifteen and sixteen footers. Several twelve foot boats were kept at small outlying ponds.

In the winter of '66 and '67, we had some health problems. Pearl spent six weeks in Lancaster and Hanover hospitals. She came through it all fine but we figured we had pushed pretty hard and we could ease up a bit. We decided to sell.

In the spring of 1968 we sold Tall Timber to a partnership named Spencer and Abbott against my better judgment. I advised them against buying, trying to tell them it was not a partnership type of business except for man and wife. However, they wanted to buy and we had the property up for sale so we sold to them. The partnership lasted one season, then one of the partners and his wife pulled out leaving the other alone to operate it the next season. Things did not go too well and on my advice Tall Timber became the property of Vernon and Pearl Hawes once again. We immediately sold to Harold and Barbara Webster who took over in April of 1970 and had twelve very successful years. One major change they made was to open all year round taking snowmobilers during the winter season.

In June 1982, Harold and Barbara sold to Tony and Connie Caron. One change that they made is to make several guest units in what was the recreation room. They have a very good business so after forty years Tall Timber is still going strong.

We built Tall Timber on a shoe string and the shoe string had some pretty hard knots in it. But we had several things going for us. We could do anything that had to be done to build or maintain the place and we had some excellent wholesale contacts. One salesman put us wise to a coming rise in the price of nails. So we bought a ton of nails before the price doubled. This was just one of the many breaks we got. Our staff was our Tall Timber family. Some were with us a dozen or more years. They were tops, all of them.

We made a living and preparation for our old age but best of all we made many, many wonderful friends.

Written by Vernon Hawes, June 1985

[What's New?][About Tall Timber][Accommodations][Dining]
[Fishing][Hunting][Snowmobiling][Outdoor Activities][Links]
[Home Page][Full Page Layout][Frame Pages Layout]

Tall Timber Lodge ~ 609 Beach Road ~ Pittsburg, NH 03592 ~ 800-83-LODGE

Email Address: Vacation at Tall Timber