Diamond Island

[Descant]

I've been on Welch Island since 1950. No electricity until several folks chipped in $150 each to have PSNH run the underwater cable in 1960. We could have done phone at the same time, but not enough people wanted phones. Some didn't want electricity. As more development came to the island and more people asked for electricity the original "investors" got some of their $150 back.

Prior to that, mostly propane. There was a boat operating out of Glendale (a 28' Steelcraft named the "Pyrofax") that delivered propane to the islands. Gas stove, fridge and lights. Not new technology, but pretty common a generation earlier. Pumps of various sorts were used to draw water from the lake to an elevated storage tank, and gravity fed the sink and whatever water uses were needed, sometimes to flush toilets, but outhouses were still common.

People, weren't information junkies, so radio and TV weren't missed, although battery radios were available.

After electricity in 1960 or so, we added TV and other niceties. About 18 years ago, our TV antenna blew down over the winter, and we never got around to replacing it, although we have a huge supply of movies that we have all seen at least 4 times on DVD/VCR.

In a toast to modern, we signed up for satellite TV in May, 2013. So far, we haven't turned it on. Just not part of island lifestyle when there are so many other things to do.

After you've been here for a couple of generations, you learn that island living, even with electricity, is sort of a step back in time, to be away from all the rush and ignore TV news, etc. It is a great experience for children/grandchildren to experience a slightly different lifestyle without moving too far away from their norm. (The VCR only works on rainy days.)

Oh, we love the lake, we love the island, but when we go on vacation, we know that "Roughing it is slow room service." Another lifestyle.