ABOUT THIS WEBSITE

My name is Sam Lewit and I worked at Lake Minnewaska in approximately 1976 and was there until Wildmere closed. I started working there as a dishwasher, and soon became a maintenance mechanic. I did everything... plumbing, electrical, painting, carpentry, road & trail grading to name a few. My specialty was keeping the Cleaver-Brooks steam boiler on the south end alive through the winter. I was involved in the early stages of building Windsong (the Phillips' house overlooking the lake). I always lived on the property. First in a room over the dining room. I then moved to the dormitory building next to Ken Jr.'s house. Finally we moved to a house (still there) near Ski Minne. I have so many memories from Lake Minnewaska. The people, the scenic beauty, the history, the tragedies.

I started this web site in 1997 after re-visiting Lake Minnewaska in 1995. Walking around among the picnic tables and lawn where the Cliff House and Wildmere were was extremely emotional for me. When I got home, I wrote a letter to the State to offer my help in starting some sort of tribute, visitor center or even just a plaque showing people that visit the area now what was once there.

It was after that visit when I decided to start a web site based on the history of Lake Minnewaska. After being up for about a year, I found out that Ken Phillips Jr had started a site, but due to his heavy work loads, has never really been able to find time to get it running. So I suggested we combine the two sites. And that is what we've done. He provides the vast knowledge of having spent his entire life at Minnewaska. I work on the "nuts and bolts" of running the site, and also the experience of having been an employee there.

If you have any ideas for improving the site, or you see or read something on this site which is not correct regardless of how small an error, please contact us.

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