Joe's Pond was a favorite recreational spot as far back as the 1800's. Here is a photo of a group of people from the Town of Cabot, Vermont, at a picnic somewhere on the shore of Joe's Pond, taken sometime before 1900. Included in the photo are Dr. M.D.Warren (1852-1927), J.M.Fisher (1833-1913), Henry Hills (1840-1913), Harvey S. Dow (1835-1919); Mrs. Moses Haines (1846-1940); Levi Cole (1842-1905) - just some of the names listed. I expect the photo was taken on the west shore of the lake, perhaps in the vicinity of where the Dr. Watt cottage once stood, where the Drown, Decker and Walker cottages are now. They would have traveled either over the Plain and down the Bayley-Hazen Road, or to Walden and then along Market Road, now Brickett's Crossing Road and West Shore Road.

Groups frequently got together for picnics in those days, coming by horse and buggy to favorite knolls or glens for a day of socializing. Those two fellows in the front row are probably holding bottles of blackberry wine or some other some other home brew. Hard liquor was frowned upon by the IOGT (International Order of Good Templars) that was active in the area at the time, yet there were many stills in Cabot, and nearly every farmer kept a barrel or more of hard cider on hand to offer a visitor something "to wet your whistle." (Photo donated to Cabot Historical Society by Julia A. Farrington in 1941.)