The Old Assateague Island Hunting Lodges
Known today as a national park, Assateague was once the premier duck hunting destination on the east coast. Many local hunters built lodges, some for profit, but mostly just to enjoy the awesome hunting and to get away from their wives..........one lodge was actually called "The Hen-Pecked Lodge" but was burned down many years ago. I have photographed the remaining buildings which are now sealed. Included are imags of some of the interiors which a previous superintendent gave permission (at my own risk) to photograph. When the island became a National Seashore, owners were paid for their properties and given up to 25 years to continue to use them, this time has long expired and the NPS is just letting them "naturally rot away"...seems a shame to me, but after talking to Carl Zimmerman about them I understand the impracticability of the situation.. But A lot of history lost here. My fishing mentor, Capt. Mac Simpson, now 90 worked at some of these lodges when he was sixteen as a guide. He was kind enough to spend most of several winters hiking to all the clubs and telling me many a story of the "good ole days." Since then I have hiked and explored pretty much of the 12 miles of "Oversand Vehicles" area and re-photographed much as digital cameras have come a long way since 2003...enjoy! P.S. I have attempted to be accurate in my captions but I am not an historian nor claim to be one.....One other thing, the photos are in sort of an order and the captions contain information that was verbaly given to me by folks who actually experienced these wonderful places......,THE CAPTIONS ARE THE GOLD IN THIS GALLERY! The captions,at times, flow into the next image so if you have the time or inclination run through them in order.......allen
The Original Green Run on Birch's Creek, oldest image available.
This photo is the original Green Run Lodge, located on Burch's Creek. Date of the photo is unknown but it was prior to 1947. At the time of the photo it was just a gunning lodge, however it was enlarged later and slot machines were installed as well as a "formal" dining room. This was a very cool place! The slots attracted a new group of folks to the island including an aviation club who's members flew down on the weekends to dine and gamble. Airplanes were able to land on the beach and there was even aviation fuel available for the planes. The lodge was owned by the Jackson family. This photo is courtesy Dewey Parsons, a local pilot who landed on the beach many times. Dewey both fished and hunted Assateague all his life, well not "all" his life 'cause he ain't dead yet! Many, many thanks to him and his wife for showing me the aerial photos and giving permission to share them with you!
Note: Dewey has passed since this was written, Mac Simpson too.
Life at the lodge by Lee Jackson:
My name is Lee Jackson, Jr. My father , his two brothers and their dad bought Gren Run from Fred Bell out of New York City in 1935. He got thru squatters rights in the early 20's. I was born in 43 so I got memories that begin in very late 40's. My aunt Sara ( a sister ) took me, my younger brother and her three sons down to the lodge every summer -- for most of the summers. I went to McDonough ouside Balto., got to Jackson's Casino in early June, the rest were already there, and " down the bay" we soon headed. The ferry with Popeye the driver, the strange "fishing peoples" comunity", out by North Beach Coast Guard station( abandoned), then straight out to the hard sand, turn South and six miles along the surf, turn in at a telephone pole with that red reflector, back towards the bay, under the Green Run sign, on that deep sandy road to the lodge yard. Pile out and play time till mid Aug. Ole Pork Chops was there waiting for us every summer. A tap dancer from New Orleans who worked at the Casino in the summer and was the official cook at the lodge during the winters. Nice man. So was Popeye -- gave us kids candy for the ride over to Assateague. That was when we would see maybe five people all summer. Mom and dad would come down a couple weekends during the summer. The entire island to play on !Some mornings Aunt Sara would drop all us kids off on the surf every mile or so apart with a burlap bag to collect conch shells+ other unusual stuff and driftwood. The horse and cattle stayed in herds down by the surf-- get relief from those green headed flies. It was spookey walking thru those herds. No body else but me, they would look up , and the bulls would stare right at you, but I moved slowly thru em. Never comfortable doing that. The time a Navy blimp came right over us and dropped a thick rope to pull Aunt Sara's car out of the slow quicksand over on Fox Hill levels.Never forget that.. Shooting at fox at night driving along the surf -- headlights would show their red eyes, plus they froze. We would stop and each of us had three shots with a 22. Almost always missed, but fun. A quick dip in the ocean , then the long drive back to the lodge.Fun fun.Next day get packed lunches and take off exploring. Finding new lakes, cemeteries, Pope Island CC station -- sneak in and look around, etc etc. Could go on for hours. Me and one cousin are the only ones left. Another era. Glad I had the experiences. Lee Jackson
assateague island hunting lodge green run allen sklar assateaguephotos.com assateague hunting
![The first time I saw this photo I was flabbergasted, airplanes landing on the beach where I have fished for the last 20 years! The planes landed at Foxhill Levels. Is that neat or what! Thanks to Dewey Parsons for sharing the photo! RIP Dewey.<br />
<br />
Landing on the beach was a bit tricky especially for first timers, often the plane would nose over and bend the propeller.....no problem there was always someone who would fly a new one down in a couple hours. The bent props were hung on a lodge wall for "discussion"!<br />
<br />
A brochure, believed to be dated 1949-50, describes the [original] lodge as follows: "accommodations for 28 persons and<br />
facilities have been installed for men and women . . . inside showers and toilets, recreational rooms, with fire-place; billiard<br />
and card tables .. . large Electric Plant for light and power.... Bed lights for night reading with press button in each room for<br />
service to guests .. . modern sanitary sewerage system .. . the superintendent and his wife, guides and porters cater to the<br />
pleasure of guests. The Club also has a chef that knows Maryland cooking and how good food should be served .. . prepares<br />
and packs hot lunches for the Gunners ... . Porter Service is maintained at the Lodge, and not one item of service is missing . .<br />
.. Guides are all experienced . . . have followed the hunting business all their lives . . . All guides and employees are housed<br />
and roomed separately, hence their early morning preparations to go to the blinds do not disturb the guests until breakfast call<br />
is made ... . The Lodge has over 500 wooden Geese and Duck decoys; several motor boats, out-board motor boats, and<br />
several skiffs to haul decoys to the blinds. The Lodge also has one light draft motor boat, which has a covered cabin with a<br />
very light draught [sic], built just for going to and from the shore and Island blinds. . .Green Run Lodge has some 32 shooting<br />
blinds ... . We have Chesapeake Bay Retrievers at our Lodge. Guests are permitted to bring free of charge their Retrievers to<br />
our Lodge ... . Thousands of Black Ducks are hatched and reared in the Lakes at present, in fact more Black Ducks are reared<br />
at Green Run Lodge, than are legally killed there in Season .. . rates are $30.00 per day per guest for Duck and Goose<br />
shooting. This price includes Guides, motor boats to and from the blinds, room and board, including hot lunches and all<br />
conveniences thereto attached, also meeting you and party on mainland by motor boat or car, at a place we will designate ... .<br />
Our Airport is approximately 5,000 feet long and 2,500 feet wide ... . There have been seventy-nine airplanes on our Strip at](https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/The-Old-Assateague-Island/i-GfhCqcc/0/4d550ed1/Ti/AAA_7918sm-Ti.jpg)
Keith Holman
on November 12, 2018Any chance that you know any of the history of the house south of the Clements house off of Bayberry? It probably was a summer beach house rather than a lodge. Thanks for sharing these photos.
Kim Cherrix
on May 19, 2016You only show the lodges on the Maryland side of Assateague. There are a dozen more on the Virginia side.
Guest
on January 11, 2009thanks for preserving the history of the camps on AI . derf