When she was 8 years old, Lottie experienced a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ trip back east to New York to visit family and to accompany her father in his search for medical treatments.  The year was 1911 and travel was made by steam train and horse drawn carriages.  From western Washington to New York’s Findley Lake to Northeast, Pennsylvania, Lottie describes all the new sights and sounds in her book, When I Was a Child.  She also tells of additional stories and events specific to Findley Lake that have long since been forgotten.

The picture is of an Excursion Boat on Findley Lake built by her father, Philip Swartz and his brother, affectionately known as ‘Uncle Lew’.

Around Findley Lake  (Images of America)

Another excellent resource on Findley Lake is a book put out by “Images of America” – Around Findley Lake.  According to it’s description, it “recounts the story of a mill village that in the late 1800s began to develop into a prime destination – a social gathering place for not only local residents but also members of wealthy and socially prominent families…”  One such family mentioned throughout the book is the Swartz Family.  In fact, on the very front cover is a picture of brothers Louise and Philip Swartz aboard their Excursion Boat.