Hidden Lake (Connecticut)

[2] In 1929, Wilbur Lewis of West Haven, Connecticut purchased property from farmers and local residents including the Wilcox and Brooks families, just north of the Killingworth border along what is now Route 81.

The wives and children would stay for the week while the husbands came on weekends or commuted directly from work.

Bingo and card games were played and any money earned helped support the Hidden Lake Association.

The clubhouse had a stage and country music star Slim Cox used to play at square dances.

Its mission was to “provide for the improvements of the land in said territory and for the health, comfort, protection, and convenience of the inhabitants."

Original deeds noted that village residents had the right to use the lake for boating, bathing, fishing, and recreational purposes.

The Association also set strict building regulations in terms of cottage locations, roofs, and siding materials.

The lake is dammed at the south side and feeds into the cranberry bogs in Killingworth, Connecticut.

Ducks, osprey, Canada geese, buffleheads, mergansers, and an occasional loon are seen on the lake.

In 2009, the Board began a program to monitor and control the lake vegetation and improve conditions for swimming, fishing, and boating.