Lakota Club: A Historic Vermont Retreat
By Jennie Shurtleff
In the early 19th century, the Woodstock area’s streams teemed with fish. But over time, environmental changes from increasing development and overfishing by both locals and visiting sportsmen led to a sharp decline in fish populations. In response, many landowners began posting their land to protect the streams that crossed their property—hoping to preserve what remained for their own use.
It is not surprising, then, that private fishing and outdoor clubs began to appear across the greater Woodstock area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These clubs offered their members both reliable access to fishing and the opportunity to enjoy nature and spend time with fellow sportsmen.
One of the oldest and best-known of these in the Woodstock area is the Lakota Club.
Lakota Club with pond in background.
Located about nine miles from the Village Green in Woodstock, Lakota was officially incorporated in July 1891. Though that distance may seem minor today, it would have been a considerable journey by horse and buggy—about an hour and a half. The club’s lodge sits at an elevation of 1,870 feet, more than 1,000 feet higher than the village, offering cooler summer temperatures, woodland views, and glimpses of local wildlife.
The club takes its name from the Lakota people, a Native American tribe. In the Lakota language, the word means “those who are united”—a fitting name for a club founded on the principles of friendship and shared outdoor enjoyment.
Lakota Lake.
The idea for the club began with a small group of men—including W.O. Taylor, E.P. Tewksbury, O.E. Taylor, F.S. Mackenzie, Harold S. Dana, Frederick Chapman, and F.B. Dana—who envisioned a rustic lodge where they could escape to fish and socialize. They chose a spot about an eighth of a mile from a small bog then known as Luce’s Pond.
As interest grew, the vision expanded. When the club was incorporated, it issued forty shares of stock at $100 each, for a total valuation of $4,000.
Photograph of some Lakota Club members in the early 1900s.
By 1894, just three years later, the Vermont Standard published a detailed article describing the club's impressive evolution. The original bog had been transformed into a scenic lake surrounded by over 700 acres of club-owned forest. While the article claimed the lake was 40 acres—formed by clearing 35 acres of woodland—modern aerial measurements suggest it was closer to 15 acres.
Though the founders originally planned a modest hunting cabin, they ultimately built a spacious, two-story, shingled lodge, suitable for entertaining families and guests. A steward was hired to manage the property, with additional staff to prepare meals. In 1894, board cost $2 per person per day (from June 15 to September 15), with horses boarding at 75 cents per day.
Club members could invite guests, with prior arrangement, for stays longer than two days.
Meals often featured freshly-caught trout or salmon, along with hearty fare like creamed chipped beef, salt pork, chicken, steak, lamb chops, and even pigeon pot pie.
The Standard praised the clubhouse as a “gem of convenience and beauty.” The 20-by-30-foot reception room, finished in black ash and pine, featured a large stone fireplace topped with a deer head—shot the previous year in Maine by Franklin S. Billings. Snowshoes, boat oars, and other gear adorned the walls.
Reception Room, adorned with rustic furniture and sports memorabilia.
The dining room, 16 by 20 feet, was known for its excellent food, prepared by Mrs. Furber. A well-equipped kitchen sat just behind it. The cellar was spacious and stone-paved, while upstairs, feather beds and quality furnishings awaited in the bedrooms. Two toilet rooms were fitted with marble washbasins, mirrors, and flush “water closets.” Cold spring water piped from 500 feet uphill provided steady pressure throughout the building.
Early 20th-century postcard showing the lake, lodge, and boathouse
About 330 feet from the main lodge stood a 20 x 30 foot boathouse that had hemlock-bark siding that gave the structure a charming, albeit rustic, appearance. It held four finely crafted lapstrake boats. Nearby, a stable made of upright spruce slabs housed two Jersey cows, the steward’s horse, and visiting members’ teams. A chicken coop and pig pen completed the farmyard scene.
A vegetable garden supplied fresh produce, and an icehouse—stocked with ice cut from the lake—ensured cool storage. A woodpile provided ample stove fuel.
The lake itself was stocked with 57,000 trout, and, according to the Standard, many of the previous year’s fry had already grown into “great, lusty fellows.”
The boathouse can be seen in the left side of the above aerial image.
On the right hand side of this aerial photograph are some of the outbuildings that make up the Lakota Club.
Beyond fishing, club members and their families enjoyed games like hide and seek and charades, as well as swimming—often by the dam, where they could bathe freely and in privacy.
For many families, Lakota became a tradition passed through generations. As described in the book Lakota: 1881–1991, published for the club’s centennial:
“One member remarked recently, ‘The best thing about the Club is its tradition, passed down through the generations from the original members, most of whom were related to each other.’”
Indeed, one prominent Woodstock resident, Oel Billings, has no fewer than 13 descendants who became Lakota members. These include founding members, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren.
More than a century after its founding, Lakota remains a beloved private retreat. Its members continue to enjoy the same peaceful scenery, crisp breezes, and quiet fishing excursions that first inspired its creation. The club stands not only as a beautiful outdoor sanctuary but also as a living tradition—an enduring expression of friendship, family, and the Vermont wilderness.
The glasses and decanters shown above belong to the Lakota Club and are decorated with gold from Bridgewater; The decanter in the center has the name “Lakota” on it. (Note: These items, which are currently on loan from the Lakota Club, are on display at the Woodstock History Center.