Emilie at Lake Morey (late 1920s)
Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, Vermont.
Fairlee is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 988 at the 2020 census. Fairlee is home to Lake Morey, which claims to have the longest ice skating trail in the United States.
Lake Morey has played a central role in the growth and development of the Town of Fairlee. Founded in 1761, Fairlee is home to one of the oldest established lake communities in Vermont. The first seasonal lakefront cottage was built in the 1880s followed by a succession of cottages, camps and inns dotting the shoreline as its popularity as a summer recreational destination grew. The lake now hosts a town beach and public boat launch in addition to two Aloha Foundation camps, the Hulbert Outdoor Center, the Lake Morey Resort, and numerous family-owned cottages.
Originally known as Fairlee Pond, the lake was named after an area resident, inventor Samuel Morey. In 1795, Morey received a patent for the use of a steam engine to propel watercraft. He fabricated a side paddle-wheeled steamboat in his workshop near the lake. Local legend has it that lack of recognition for this steam-powered, side paddle invention, as well as lack of commercial financial backing, prompted Morey to scuttle his boat, the Aunt Sally, in his namesake lake.
The lake’s surface area encompasses approximately 545 acres. It is relatively shallow with a mean depth of 28 feet, a maximum depth of 43 feet, and a shoreline of approximately 5 miles in length. The lake is largely surrounded by forested hills rich in pines, hemlock, birch, maple and other trees. These forests include hiking trails, natural habitats, diverse species and important (but fragile) ecosystems. Lake Morey is home to bald eagles, several species of herons, loons and other wildlife. Summer visitors enjoy boating, fishing, and a myriad of water sports. A frozen lake surface in winter brings ice fishing enthusiasts, snowshoers, and intrepid skaters who enjoy a 4.5 mile ice-skating trail (the longest in the US).
Emilie at Lake Morey (late 1920s)
Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, Vermont.
Fairlee is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 988 at the 2020 census. Fairlee is home to Lake Morey, which claims to have the longest ice skating trail in the United States.
Lake Morey has played a central role in the growth and development of the Town of Fairlee. Founded in 1761, Fairlee is home to one of the oldest established lake communities in Vermont. The first seasonal lakefront cottage was built in the 1880s followed by a succession of cottages, camps and inns dotting the shoreline as its popularity as a summer recreational destination grew. The lake now hosts a town beach and public boat launch in addition to two Aloha Foundation camps, the Hulbert Outdoor Center, the Lake Morey Resort, and numerous family-owned cottages.
Originally known as Fairlee Pond, the lake was named after an area resident, inventor Samuel Morey. In 1795, Morey received a patent for the use of a steam engine to propel watercraft. He fabricated a side paddle-wheeled steamboat in his workshop near the lake. Local legend has it that lack of recognition for this steam-powered, side paddle invention, as well as lack of commercial financial backing, prompted Morey to scuttle his boat, the Aunt Sally, in his namesake lake.
The lake’s surface area encompasses approximately 545 acres. It is relatively shallow with a mean depth of 28 feet, a maximum depth of 43 feet, and a shoreline of approximately 5 miles in length. The lake is largely surrounded by forested hills rich in pines, hemlock, birch, maple and other trees. These forests include hiking trails, natural habitats, diverse species and important (but fragile) ecosystems. Lake Morey is home to bald eagles, several species of herons, loons and other wildlife. Summer visitors enjoy boating, fishing, and a myriad of water sports. A frozen lake surface in winter brings ice fishing enthusiasts, snowshoers, and intrepid skaters who enjoy a 4.5 mile ice-skating trail (the longest in the US).