Clarey's Bayside, better know as Bayside Park
Some areas that are open to metal detecting are the town parks located throughout Vermont. No matter what you do, make sure to be careful about leaving the area looking better than when you found it. Remove old trash that you come across and make sure to cover any holes that you may dig. Parks can be a great area to metal detect in. Many parks are used by all sorts of different people. What I want to focus on today is to dig a little deeper into the park's history to find out how old the park really is. If you find that the park is old then this the coins and items that you will discover here will be older and worth quite a bit more. Because it is a park, you always have the opportunity of discovering rings, necklaces, watches etc...
One such park is Bayside Park located in Colchester, Vermont. I researched the area and found out that it used to be called Clarey's Bayside and was a popular spot in the early to mid 1900's. You know what that means. Silver Coins! I searched for old photos of the area and am including them in the History section of the post. By using the older photos and comparing them to the photos of the area today, one might determine where the old buildings used to stand. Check for areas that were being used more often in the older pictures, "baseball field, courts, people gathered etc.. Then figure out where those spots are today. By doing so you can then narrow down your areas to search. I bet you will find a lot more older targets that way too... If you get a chance to get out and make any discoveries, let me know.
History:
Older residents of Chittenden County
will remember the first big establishment on the bay which catered to all ages
and types of people bent on recreation. In 1927 George F. Clarey opened
Clarey's Bayside, Inc. Vacationsist's paradise. On his 25 acres, again on the
south side of the bay near Coates Island, Clarey put up numerous housekeeping
cottages and cabins, as well as a pavilion for ballroom dancing, square dancing
and roller skating-to say nothing of pin ball machines and bingo, or beano as
it was first called.
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| Bayside From Lake Champlain, Malletts Bay, VT |
Pavillion activities were only a
portion of the entertainment fare at Clarey's. One could swim from their
private sandy beach, and from its shoreline set out for boating and fishing.
The recreation park featured a baseball diamond, lawn basketball court, volleyball
couert and areas for badminton and ping-pong. In the "shady grove"
one found open fire grilles, picnic tables, shelters, and a children's
playground. According to Clarey's granddaughter, "Many school picnics and
other annual outings staged by clubs and similar organizations were held at
Clarey's. She adds that pie-eating contests were one of the special feature
highlights on square dance nights.
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| Clarey's Bayside Cottages, |
About ten years ago the pavilion
burned in a spectacular blaze, and thereafter for a time Clarey's daughters
continued to rent the cottages and cabins. In 1969, however, the two owners,
preferring to see the area used for recreation rather than for residential
development, sold the land to the town of Colchester, which was able to procure
both state and federal funds to assist in the purchase. From this exchange grew
the present Bay Side Park.
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| Deluxe Cabins at Bayside, Lake Champlain Malletts Bay |
This town recreational area so
impressed the Chittenden County Historical Society that in 1971 the Town of
Colchester received one of nine awards made that year recognizing outstanding
scenic and architectural improvements.
Today, in
1975 Colchester is conducting a whole series of activities to satisfy every
type of recreational need. The park is annually the center of Colchester's big
Fair Day held on the Fourth of July, with its traditional features of an
all-day picnic, a parade and fireworks after dark.
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