Lake Naomi- The Millers & A House That Defined a Destination

What started out as one story has now become a collection. Now that the founding narratives have been documented in my series, this story has come to light due to its significance to the history of Lake Naomi, which stood out during my research, and deserves a story of its own.

After reviewing the other writings, which I hope you will take a look at, this one focuses on three men who made Lake Naomi a reality. While yes, the two sons of Thomas Thompson Miller came to the Poconos for fortune, I couldn’t help to see the underlying story of why the father came to this spot in the first place; to get away from a smoggy industrial city for some peace and quiet, relaxation, some fishing, and some great mountain air. Thomas came here for many of the same reasons we came here. Let’s dig in.

This story is just one in a series I’ve been researching that began as an effort to rebuild my youthful memories of growing up on Lake Naomi in the Poconos starting in the 1960s. As the stories came together, I wanted to start an online dialog with others who might also remember. I’ve created an associated Facebook Group, called Lake Naomi Memories, for anyone to share their memories that will help create a digital footprint on the web. Oh, and they’ll certainly help me remember as well. Link below

1800s Getaway

Long before Lake Naomi sparkled as a summer retreat, a modest waterway shaped the valley in Pocono Pines. This stream was Upper Tunkhannock Creek, sometimes misremembered in old references as “Tuckhonneck”, a high-quality coldwater fishery that rose from Stillwater Lake and meandered east to west through the low ground. It carved a simple, direct path: entering the basin at what is now Naomi’s eastern inlet, flowing steadily along the valley floor, and exiting where the modern dam and spillway stand today.

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Join the Facebook Group – Lake Naomi and Pocono Pines Memories

Start your experience with a live look at the Club Beach at Lake Naomi – Livecam Click Here
North Beach View – Click Here

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The Pocono Pines area was called Tompkinsville in 1860 because the settlement grew around the enterprises of Andrew W. Tompkins, a local mill owner and businessman whose name appears prominently on the 1860 Monroe County map below. Tompkins established a sawmill and related operations on the Tobyhanna Creek in the mid-19th century, and the little industrial hamlet that developed there naturally took his name.

Mid – 1800s

Early Settlers to the Pocono Pines/Pocono Lake Area – 1860 Tobyhanna County – Click here to enlarge. On the green/pink Tobyhanna/Coolbaugh County boundary, you will see the DL&W Railroad. Start there; that’s Mt. Pocono, and what was Sullivans Trail (RevWar) would later become Route 940 west. Starting at Mt. Pocono area: James Gentle, Robert Gillmore, Jos. Fry, Jos. Sharpless, Palmer McNeil. Naomi Area: Francis Smith, Fred K. Miller. Pocono Lake area and South of 940: Geo. Bullock, Abel Gibbens, Jesse, and Nathan Sharpless.

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In the mid-1800s, before dams reshaped the watercourse, the creek ran clear and narrow through a wooded, marshy valley. Accounts of Thomas Miller describe the stream as lively, fed by the cool outflow of Stillwater Lake. It wound its way past open meadows and dense groves of hemlock and pine, its riffles teeming with brook trout. Fishing was not yet a sport in the modern sense, but rather a daily rhythm of rural life, providing food on the table and time spent outdoors in the fresh air of the Pocono Mountains. And Thomas Miller loved it. So, he staked his claim in 1883 and purchased a substantial 500-acre investment in what was then known as Tomkinsville. Now we have to keep digging, as we saw on the map above a Fred K. Miller right about where Thomas said he made his first land purchase. There’s no record we can find of any relation between Thomas Miller and Fred K. Miller, but it does seem like quite a coincidence.

Sidebar:
Another Miller before Our Miller

Frederick P. Miller (1805–1880) was among the early pioneers who left Jackson Township to settle in Tobyhanna Township. In 1846, he first appeared in the tax records as the owner of 450 acres of wooded land and half interest in a sawmill. From that point forward, he steadily expanded his holdings—recorded with 633 acres in 1846, 868 acres in 1848, and by 1849, more than 1,200 acres. Early tax rolls identified him as a lumberman, but by 1852 his occupation was listed as farmer, reflecting the transition from timber clearing to cultivation.

Recognizing another local need, Miller also became an innkeeper during the 1850s. He established a stagecoach inn, essentially a small hotel, on Sullivan Road in Tompkinsville (present-day Pocono Pines). The inn stood on a tract just beside what is now the corner of Firehouse Road and Route 423, serving travelers and locals at a time when the area was still a remote frontier.

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Returning to our Miller Story, Thomas Miller, one of the earliest settlers in the Pocono Plateau, found the “Tackhonnock Creek” both familiar and revered. He recalled slipping through thickets along its banks, rod in hand, listening for the splash of trout darting beneath undercut roots. Local boys competed over who could pull the first catch at daybreak, often using simple poles cut from saplings and bait gathered nearby.

It was Thomas Miller’s investment that would later be acquired by his son, Franklin, who, along with his brother, would seek their fortunes in the area.

The Original Naomi Pines House

Thomas Miller’s Naomi Pines House was opened by Frank Comfort Miller in 1888, following extensive renovations and upgrades to the original Miller homestead. The Naomi Pines House was planning to become a summer resort destination, leveraging the local springs and drawing early tourism to the area. In the early years (late 1890s to the early 1900s), Frank and his brother, Rufus W. Miller, would co-develop the area more extensively, including the creation of Lake Naomi, which utilized their Pocono Spring Water Ice Company’s backdrop. This backdrop was incorporated to dam the Upper Tuckhannock Creek, creating a lake. But here’s where they were very smart. The two recognized what their father already knew; they put caveats on their purchases, designating the area for recreation and community and recreational purposes in addition to ice harvesting. Little did the two know that what began as Miller Lake would become what it is today.

Below is one of the earliest photos we could find of what was Thomas Miller’s first investment in the Pocono Pines area. Records indicate that Thomas made a purchase of 500 acres, including the area around both sides of the Upper Tuckhannock Creek, where he’d call his getaway home.

Announcement for the Summer of 1888

At the earnest solicitation of friends in Easton, Newark and other places, I erected this New Boarding House in the Autumn of 1887.

The rooms are large and airy, designed for solid comfort, and are all furnished throughout with new furniture, etc.; the beds all supplied with best quality mattresses, springs and bedding. To those who are acquainted with this beautiful place will be only too glad to hear of this announcement. To those who are not acquainted, notice what can be said in its favor.
It is healthful, none more so, romantic and homelike.

It stands on the summit of the Pocono Mountain, 1800 feet above the level of the sea, surrounded by a magnificent grove of white pine, double spruce, hemlock, etc. The ground in these woods is mostly clear of underbrush and covered with pine cones, in many places making it like carpet to walk on.

Several large springs are on this place, bubbling up from the earth at a temperature of 9 degrees above freezing. One of these large springs supplies the house with pure cold water. This spring is particularly noted for its medicinal properties.

Oh! broken-down constitutions, nervous people, dyspeptics, those afflicted with liver complaint, kidney affection, etc., come drink of this water and be cured.

To the strong and healthy it is a delightful auxiliary to aid you to continue in this happy state. This water is so cold that unless desired, no ice is ever needed. The overflow of this spring passes through a new stone spring house, thus keeping the cream, milk and butter fresh and cool, satisfying the wants of the most critical epicurean.

To add to the enjoyment and comfort of the guests at this delightful summer resort, the beautiful Tobyhanna, a pure mountain stream passes along the pines, etc., on which I have several bateaus that are free to the guests of the house. This stream affords boating for at least two miles. Pond lilies, flowers, etc., abound on this stream. The air is made fragrant on part of this stream with the perfumes of the pines and flowers. This stream abounds with trout. Ladies and gentlemen participate in hauling in the speckled beauties. In the latter part of June and July the woods are decked in beautiful array with wild flowers and rhododendrons. The scene of the rhododendrons in all their variegated colors surpass description. From July on, the woods and meadows abound with whortleberries, strawberries and raspberries. Table supplied fresh with berries morning and evening if desired.

The temperature is always cool during the day, rarely over 65 to 75 degrees, and is scarcely felt on account of a breeze which usually comes up with the sun. The nights are always cool.

In a word, we do not aim at fashion, but at pure comfort which can be surpassed nowhere, and rarely equaled for enjoyment and recreation. We endeavor to combine home life in a mountain resort. My son, Frank C. Miller, of Belvidere, N. J., will manage the business at this beautiful summer resort, who will take great pleasure to accommodate all who will favor him with a call. The table will be supplied from its own gardens and the farm, as to vegetables, etc. And in all other respects none will have the slightest cause to complain.

A large piazza, eighty-one feet in length, extending the whole front of the building, and a large well furnished parlor, with piano, etc. There will be provided for the use of the guests lawn tennis sets with first-class courts and other out-door sports and games, all of which are intended to add to the enjoyment of the guests.

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Terms

Eight Dollars ($8.00) per week, with the exception of three extra-large rooms, which will be Twelve ($12.00) Dollars per week.

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References

For reference as to my correctness of the description, etc., of this place, I respectfully refer you to the Hon. Henry Green, of Easton, Judge of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. H. J. Reeder, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, of Northampton County, Pa., Prof. T. C. Porter, D.D., L.L.D., of Lafayette College, Easton, Pa., John F. Gwinner, Esq., cashier of the First National Bank, Easton, Pa., E. J. Richards, Esq., cashier of the Northampton County National Bank, Easton, Pa., Rev. H. M. Kieffer, A.M., Pastor of the Third Street Reformed Church, Easton, Pa., Rev. Ford C. Ottman, pastor of Memorial Presbyterian Church, Newark, N.J., Rev. Rufus W. Miller, pastor of Sacred Reformed Church, Reading, Pa., the Hon. Samuel S. Dreher, President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Monroe County, and the Hon. John B. Storm, of Stroudsburg, Monroe County, Pa., present member of Congress.

Very respectfully yours,
Thomas T. Miller
Easton, Pa.

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Naomi Lake Boarding House Brochure 1912

While the Miller brothers continued to develop the lake region and their ice harvesting business, Franklin’s son Rufus E., not to be confused with his brother Rufus W., was put in charge of developing, expanding, and marketing what would become the Naomi Pines Boarding House. Think of the area like most families with large properties did, where they split up land, brought family members to the area, built, making a sort of compound. This one, I’d call it the Miller Compound. I found this really great brochure that was offered c.1912 about the house and area.

Below is a partial extract and restoration of a 14-page booklet created in 1912 to promote the Naomi Pines House and the beauty of the area:

Rufus Eilenberger Miller was born in Frenchtown, New Jersey, on November 12, 1881. He would go on to live until August 4, 1949, living almost his entire life in the Poconos. He was 67 years old when he died, just a few months shy of his 68th birthday.

Naomi Pines Historical Photo Collection

All Good Things…

1948 Fire Devastates Historic Naomi Lake House

In the early morning hours of Saturday, January 31, 1948, a devastating fire reduced one of the Pocono region’s most familiar landmarks to ashes. The blaze, which broke out between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m., consumed the 60-year-old inn in less than two hours, erasing nearly half a century of resort history at Lake Naomi.

The flames began in the hotel’s dining room under circumstances that were never fully determined. Within minutes, the 2½-story wooden structure was engulfed. Despite the efforts of the Pocono Pines Fire Company, summoned as quickly as possible, the firefighters arrived too late to save the 16-bedroom hostelry. By the time the blaze had run its course, nothing remained but the foundation and smoldering ruins.

At the time of the fire, the hotel’s owner, Harry Eberhart, was not on the premises. His wife and two children, aged 13 and 9, were inside, along with caretaker Francis Pochak. They managed to escape the inferno with only a few belongings. Fortunately, no lives were lost, but nearly everything else tied to the property’s long history was destroyed.

Eberhart estimated the financial loss at $50,000, a staggering figure for the time, only partially covered by insurance. The hotel was in the midst of renovations for what was to be its 50th summer season of operation, a milestone that now would never be reached.

Harry Eberhait, who had taken over the property only a year and a half earlier, was well-known in the region. A former teacher in the Whitehall Township school system, Eberhart had also served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he attained the rank of lieutenant. After the war, he returned to teaching before leaving education to manage the Naomi Lake hotel. His plans for improving and continuing the hotel’s legacy were tragically cut short by the blaze.

Legacy

For the residents and vacationers of the Pocono Plateau, the destruction marked the end of an era. Since the turn of the century, Miller’s Hotel had stood as a gathering place for visitors drawn to the lake’s cool summers, natural beauty, and recreational opportunities. Its absence was deeply felt in the community and among returning families who had made the hotel part of their summer traditions.

Though Miller’s Hotel never rose again, its destruction became part of the larger story of Pocono Pines and the surrounding resorts that shaped the region’s identity in the 20th century. For longtime visitors, the fire was not just the loss of a building, but the end of a beloved tradition that had stood for nearly fifty summers on the shores of Naomi Lake.

In 1960, Harry Eberhardt, along with Anna Eberhart, constructed the Lake Naomi Motor Lodge on the site where the Naomi Pines House once stood. This establishment included a small diner-style restaurant commonly referred to as “The Coffee Shop.”

Later, in 1968, the VanGilder family purchased the Lake Naomi Motor Lodge from Harry & Anna Eberhart and converted the small coffee shop into what became Van Gilder’s Jubilee Restaurant, giving rise to the beloved local institution it is today.

Gone is the residence of Rufus’s grandfather, Thomas T. Miller, who bought the property back in 1883. In 1958, a new roadway would take the place of the abandoned railroad. Rufus E.Miller’s old stone house still remains in the background today.

Know the big island in the middle of Lake Naomi?
Comfort Island, located directly offshore from the former Camp Owasisa, the name “Comfort” honors Frank Comfort Miller, the prominent local developer who, along with his family, was instrumental in the creation of Lake Naomi in the 1890s. Given the Miller family’s significant influence on naming conventions in the area, including the use of family names for roads and lake features you see today.

More Fun History – Historic Pocono Area Postcards

Internet’s Largest Postcard Collection – Lake Naomi & Pocono Mountain Memories

See What Was Happening While Naomi Came to Be in the Gilded Age (1870-1960s)

Pocono Pines and Early Lake Naomi -The Gilded Age (1870s-1963)

My Series to Honor the History of Lake Naomi & the Pocono Pines Area

About The Author

I decided to write these stories down because a friend of mine, with whom I grew up, now lives on Lake Naomi and still sends me photos of the Lake Naomi Club trophy case, where my name, along with my father’s and brothers’, lives on (Thanks, Sue). Thank you for allowing me to document this life experience for the record.

Brooks founded Mr. Local History and the Mr. Local History Project along with his wife, Jill. Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, and raised in Westfield, Brooks graduated from Westfield High School in 1980 and later from Bryant University. For over two decades, Brooks, along with his brother Brian and younger sister Cee Cee, spent their summers on Lake Naomi with their parents, Frank and Caryolyn Betz, who had lived on Canoe Brook Road since the mid-1960s.

He and his family owned the Pocono Boathouse (Pocono Pines, PA) and the Cranford Canoe Club in the 1960s through the 1990s.

There are likely many gaps in the history that I hope to fill, along with a return visit to Lake Naomi to reminisce and reflect on these stories. This story is part of a series dedicated to the history of Lake Naomi, Pocono Pines, and the memories of my family spending time together. Thanks for reading.

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