I was very young when I lived across the street from Sherman Branch. When you first turn onto Camp Stewart Road you'll see two run down trailers to the left. We lived in the blue trailer when I was a kid. Back behind the trailer about half a mile there is another pond that I use take my cane pole out to and fish. Many afternoons after school I could be found fishing there. I remember there was a brass dinner bell on the shed behind the trailer and my mother would ring it to let me know it was dinner time and I'd come running across the field with my catch... mostly catfish. I must say I take great pleasure in seeing the trailer rusting away! I hated living in it! But I do have a lot of great memories of my father and I trekking out into the surrounding woods to hunt, fish and just get outside.
I'll check with my father and see what kind of history I can gather on the property that is now Sherman Branch and pass it on to you.
I live about 750 feet (as the crow flies) from that lake. You are very lucky to have lived so close to SB growing up! That place is magical, and I can't imagine living my life over again without it. I bike it, but I also hike it. I'm the one that has the shermanbranch.com website...I check to see if the gates are open, etc.
Do me a favor...I'd love to know some of the history of the land (who owned it and when type stuff)...drop me a note at markmanchette@shermanbranch.com - maybe we can get together some time in the park and you can give me a history lesson?
I grew up right across the street from what is now the Sherman Branch Mountain Bike Trails. Back when I was a kid, the land belonged to a fellow who had a flower, bush & tree nursery near the lake loop of the trail. I use to slip back on his property with an old cane poll and go fishing and swimming in his lake. Many times he ran me off and he eventually gave up trying after I kept coming back for the entire summer. I remember he actually sneaked up behind me one day while I was fishing at his lake and when I turned he also had a cane poll and the old fellow and I fished together. For two years I'd run out to that lake lot after school with my cane poll, fished, swim and helped him and his employees on his nursery, well as much as a kid could help. I was probably more in the way, but he and his employees always made me feel welcomed.
Riding at Sherman Branch brings back many great memories of being a kid.
