White Lake, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
White Lake
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Hamlet and CDP
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 White Lake
Location in New York
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Sullivan |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
12786
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White Lake is a small community called a hamlet in Sullivan County, New York. It sits on the southeast shore of a lake that shares its name. This community was the closest place to the famous Woodstock Music Festival in 1969.
White Lake has its own post office. Its special code for mail, called a ZIP code, is 12786. In 2000, about 665 people lived here, making it the biggest community in the town of Bethel. The main building for the town's government, the Bethel Town Hall, is also in White Lake.
The lake itself is quite special. It's said to be the deepest lake in Sullivan County, reaching about 80 feet deep. Long ago, in 1843, people living there claimed that the biggest brook trout ever caught (weighing 8 pounds 14 ounces) came from this lake!
Local stories say that the Native American name for the lake was Kauneonga. This means "lake with two wings" because the lake looks a bit like the number 8. The name White Lake probably came from the white sand beaches and the white bottom of the lake. The northern part of White Lake is now known as Kauneonga Lake.
A Look Back in Time
Around 1804, a saw mill (for cutting wood) and a grist mill (for grinding grain) were built near where the lake's water flows out. In 1811, a hotel opened in White Lake. This was the start of the area becoming a popular place for vacations.
A book called The History of Sullivan County once wrote that doctors would often send sick people to White Lake to get better. It said that many people recovered in amazing ways. So, if you wanted beautiful scenery and a healthy climate, spending summers there was a good idea.
A writer named Alfred B. Street even wrote a poem about White Lake. Here are a few lines:
Hark! like an organ's tones, the woods
To the light wind murmurs wake;
The voice of the vast solitudes
Is speaking to the lake
In 1903, The New York Times newspaper described how to get to White Lake. You would take a train to Liberty or Monticello. Then, you'd enjoy a scenic drive over the Shawangunk Mountains to reach the beautiful lake. The newspaper said the hotels there were among the best in Sullivan County and that you could enjoy all kinds of water sports.
In the late 1800s, large, fancy hotels like the Mansion House were built along the lake's shores. Later, in the early 1900s, these grand hotels were replaced by smaller bungalow-style motels. White Lake became a popular spot in the "Borscht Belt" – a nickname for resorts in the Catskill Mountains that were popular with Jewish families. There were more than 24 hotels and camps in the area. One of these was the Fur Workers' Resort, which later became White Lake Lodge and then Camp Hi-Li. It was first for people who worked with fur, but they found summer was their busiest time, so they stopped running it.
In the 1960s, as the Borscht Belt became less popular, people tried new ways to bring visitors to White Lake. For example, the Monticello Raceway even tried to have harness racing (a type of horse race) on the frozen lake in winter!
Today, White Lake is home to Congregation Beth Sinai, a synagogue that is open all year. There is also a smaller synagogue, Temple Beth-El, which is open from July until the Jewish High Holidays. Several Jewish communities have summer bungalow colonies here, including the Satmar and Bobover communities.
Woodstock Festival Connection
In 1969, a man named Elliot Tiber had parents who owned an old motel called El Monaco on Route 17B. Elliot got permission from the town of Bethel to hold a music festival on the motel's land.
In July 1969, the town of Wallkill said no to the Woodstock Festival being held there. So, Elliot Tiber suggested that the festival organizers use his permit for the concert at his motel. However, the motel grounds were too small for such a huge event. Because of this, the producers decided to hold the festival on the farm of Max Yasgur. His farm was about three miles northwest of White Lake. This is how White Lake became closely linked to the legendary Woodstock Festival.
