Gager speaks of the community of Medford Lakes. Log cabins and its 21 lakes were the key selling points when the community in the Pine Barrens area of Burlington County was founded in the late 1920s and marketed as a vacation getaway for wealthy folks from nearby Philadelphia and its suburbs. More than 90 years later, it still is, except it is a year-round vacation style of living for the town’s 4,100 residents as well.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/6oaKCF8kw1686830981267/7216772668.jpg]
Mary Ann Meehan is president of Medford Lakes Colony, a nonprofit organization in charge of organizing activities for the tiny community. “Medford Lakes is still a spot for vacationing,” she said. “Lakers like to say that living here is a year-round vacation. The town is comprised of some beautiful log cabins standing side by side with newer construction, and the historic commission works hard to keep the cabins as close to original construction as possible.”
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/6oaKCF8kw1686830981267/6867888163.jpg]
Gager was born and raised in Medford, and is still nearby, residing on his family-owned Fox Chase Farm in Vincentown. Gager’s great uncle, Mancill Gager, who owned his own sawmill in Medford, built the first and most of the cedar wood log cabin homes in Medford Lakes.
Most still stand today. In fact. Meehan herself once lived in one of them. “In my cabin, the inside logs had the bark peeled away,” she recalled. “I remember taking loving care of those logs. At least once a year I would polish the finish, standing on a ladder and reaching as high as I could. The cabin was as cute as it could be.”
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/6oaKCF8kw1686830981267/3276268861.jpg]
In 1927, the current Medford Lakes was a part of Medford Township, and the area was desolate except for nature. “Leon Todd — he was the developer — along with a man named Clyde Barber, who lived in Houston, Texas. He had quite a bit of money at the time, and he wanted to get involved in investing in something up in this part of the country,” Gager said.
When the Medford Lakes Corp., founded in 1927, went into bankruptcy in 1931, Todd was able then to raise money from various sources, and he continued to build log cabin homes, as well as the biggest log cabin hotel in America, the Medford Lakes Lodge. In 1939, Medford Lakes broke away from Medford and formed its own borough. Gager added, “They formed their own government, and my great uncle, Leon, he became the chief of police there for 40 years.” After World War II, Medford Lakes became a year-round community as more regular homes were constructed.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/6oaKCF8kw1686830981267/6166776881.jpg]
“Although much has changed in the world since we moved here, the character and charm of our little town has rem...
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/6oaKCF8kw1686830981267/7216772668.jpg]
Mary Ann Meehan is president of Medford Lakes Colony, a nonprofit organization in charge of organizing activities for the tiny community. “Medford Lakes is still a spot for vacationing,” she said. “Lakers like to say that living here is a year-round vacation. The town is comprised of some beautiful log cabins standing side by side with newer construction, and the historic commission works hard to keep the cabins as close to original construction as possible.”
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/6oaKCF8kw1686830981267/6867888163.jpg]
Gager was born and raised in Medford, and is still nearby, residing on his family-owned Fox Chase Farm in Vincentown. Gager’s great uncle, Mancill Gager, who owned his own sawmill in Medford, built the first and most of the cedar wood log cabin homes in Medford Lakes.
Most still stand today. In fact. Meehan herself once lived in one of them. “In my cabin, the inside logs had the bark peeled away,” she recalled. “I remember taking loving care of those logs. At least once a year I would polish the finish, standing on a ladder and reaching as high as I could. The cabin was as cute as it could be.”
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/6oaKCF8kw1686830981267/3276268861.jpg]
In 1927, the current Medford Lakes was a part of Medford Township, and the area was desolate except for nature. “Leon Todd — he was the developer — along with a man named Clyde Barber, who lived in Houston, Texas. He had quite a bit of money at the time, and he wanted to get involved in investing in something up in this part of the country,” Gager said.
When the Medford Lakes Corp., founded in 1927, went into bankruptcy in 1931, Todd was able then to raise money from various sources, and he continued to build log cabin homes, as well as the biggest log cabin hotel in America, the Medford Lakes Lodge. In 1939, Medford Lakes broke away from Medford and formed its own borough. Gager added, “They formed their own government, and my great uncle, Leon, he became the chief of police there for 40 years.” After World War II, Medford Lakes became a year-round community as more regular homes were constructed.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/6oaKCF8kw1686830981267/6166776881.jpg]
“Although much has changed in the world since we moved here, the character and charm of our little town has rem...
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Jersey's Best (Digital) - 1 Issue, Summer 2023