Submitted by: Gail Arnold
Time Period: Around 1950
While looking for photos online for the hotel I grew up in, I came across the 1950 Census. It listed the hotel’s guests and owners as occupants–I’m probably one of the few still alive. It was once known as the Sconondoa Inn, where the current post office stands on Peterboro Road. The Sconondoa sign was gone, I remember it as Wetmore’s.
We lived there from the late 1940’s through 1951, when my folks quit managing the hotel. In my research, I looked up the owner, Gilbert C. Wetmore, and his wife. He and I were “chums” together, and I have pictures of us. He made Vernon Downs what it was in the day.
We always sat on the side porch, by the ballroom entrance. Our living room faced out from the side the sign is on in the photos. The coatroom was used as my parents’ bedroom. Going right, were the kitchen and delivery parking lot. We used to ice skate on the pond out back, I was little and could only use baby skis.