Lake Hopatcong Then Now 2008 Author:Martin Kane It was called the jewel of the mountains. Within easy reach of large cities to the east, Lake Hopatcongs large size and location at over 900 feet above sea level made it the perfect destination. Within a few years after train service began in the 1880s, there were hotels, cottages, and camp sites being built. From hotels with 300 rooms to simple... more » camp sites, Lake Hopatcong soon had it all. On a typical summer evening the choice of activities might include listening to jazz at various hotels, dancing at one of the dance halls, entertainment by big name vaudeville stars at one of the pavilions, a dock or theme party, or a visit to one of the lakes two amusement parks. Weekends were filled with events from boat races to water carnivals to beauty pageants to recovering from the previous evenings activities. There were few dull moments as Lake Hopatcong had become a major northeast resort.
The original Lake Hopatcong Then & Now was published in 2003, was a huge success and is now out of print. The new 2008 edition captures many sites at the lake as they appeared during the lakes resort years and then looks at the same locations in 2008. Author Martin Kane documents how Lake Hopatcong has changed in the past 100+ years. See where hotels and grand pavilions once stood, competing amusement parks thrilled visitors, and some of Americas rich and famous owned cottages. The reader will never look at Lake Hopatcong the same way again!« less