Discover Smith Mountain Lake
SUMMER 2016
15
14
campground was listed in directories
that were circulated all around the
world.
Woodrow’s
health
eventually
deteriorated. He had a second heart
attack, and his asthma worsened.
He and Mable had to close Smith’s
Paradise. They could have sold their
land for a tidy profit to one of the many
potential buyers who approached them
but, instead, they divided the land
among their children in a lottery-type
drawing. Today, passing boaters would
never realize there was once a thriving
campground and marina along that
stretch of shoreline.
Janet and her husband,Warren, built a
home where the store and marina had
been. Dianne and husband, Jay Hugh
Hall, built further back in the cove.
Barbara (Smith) Conner built where
the log cabin used to be, and brother
Michael’s lot was next to hers. Harry
L Smith and his wife, Barbara,
have a weekend getaway
where the rental cabins were.
Linda and Marlen Davis have
a weekend getaway and boat
dock where the campsites
were once located. Over the
years, Smith Mountain Lake
has greatly enriched their
lives, and remains the perfect
spot for family gatherings and
weekend retreats.
They all still remember
with fondness the old days,
when Smith’s Paradise came
to life each summer with
visitors from other States and
countries. The fresh batch of
4-H’ers each year renews old
memories, as they’re seen exploring
the shoreline in their colorful canoes.
“Weall learnedhowtoswim,driveaboat
and ski growing up on the campground,”
recalls eldest granddaughter Wanda
Davis. “Grandpa’s rule was we always
had to wear some type of life preserver
if we were near the water, no matter
what.”
She also recalled, with a laugh, how
Woodrow tried skiing once, much to
the delight of his grandchildren. He was
wearing his bib overalls and an orange
life jacket, an image no grandchild
would ever forget. Although all the
Smith siblings and their spouses learned
to ski, Michael mastered it better
than anyone. He could slalom and ski
barefoot among the best of skiers on
the lake.
Many local folks were disappointed
that there was no mention of Smith’s
Paradise in the documentary film
produced by PBS in celebration of
the Lake’s 50th anniversary, especially
considering that it was the first marina
on the Blackwater, and among the first
on the entire lake.
The Smith Family still lives and gathers
at Smith’s Paradise for birthdays,
holiday weekends and lakeside parties.
Linda, in honor of husband Marlen’s
birthday, has held annual celebrations
over the years, drawing crowds of
300 or more. Marlen is a well known,
long time builder in Franklin County
and surrounding areas. He has built
many homes on Smith Mountain Lake,
along with boat docks, restaurants,
clubhouses and condominiums.
Sadly, Janet lost her husband, Warren,
this past winter after many years of lake
living, and her brother, Harry, passed
away in March, 2015. Although Harry
and his wife, Barbara, did not live on
the lake full-time, he did serve as a
plumber for lake residents for many
years.
Woodrow died in 1994 at the age of
80. Mable died in 2002 at age 84.They
both lived long enough after retirement
to see their children and grandchildren
enjoying the lake, first as a campground
and then as the family retreat.
WESTLAKE
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