King's Sandy Beach

Sandy Beach: A North Pond Landmark

During the mid-1800s through the early 1900s, much of the development around Congamond Lake — then known as Southwick Ponds — centered on picnic groves along Middle Pond. The eastern shore boasted Hatheway’s Log Cabin Grove, the western shore offered the first-class Railroad Pavilion Hotel, and the south end drew crowds to the Lake House and Saunders Grove. By contrast, North Pond — particularly its northern shoreline — remained undeveloped.

Formerly King's Sandy Beach (Courtesy of Richard Cowles Photography)

In 1914, on the sandy northeastern shore of North Pond, a small lakeside cottage appeared. Its owners named it "Sandy Beach" — a private retreat set against one of the lake’s most inviting stretches of shoreline. The cottage’s name was inspired by the gentle curve of light-colored sand meeting the clear water, a feature rare enough on Congamond to become a landmark for boaters who often picnicked there.

Two years later, in 1916, Nelson G. King purchased the Sandy Beach cottage along with hundreds of acres of surrounding lakefront property. At the time, the land was still largely untouched woodland, dominated by birch trees that gave the area a quiet, secluded feel. (The remaining 160 acres of the original tract were later sold, in 1920, to the Hathaway & Steane Tobacco Company. In 1923, Hathaway leased an additional 9 acres from Nelson.)

Sandy Beach

Nelson was born on August 27, 1863, in Monon, Indiana. When he was three years old, his parents moved to the Feeding Hills section of Agawam, Massachusetts, where he would spend the rest of his life. As a young man, he began chopping railroad ties, but quickly decided it was more profitable to be the boss than the employee. That decision led him into the lumber business, where he became one of the largest taxpayers in Feeding Hills. By 1916, Nelson owned vast tracts of timber—an estimated three million feet of pine.

 

Nelson King

Nelson originally planned to harvest the timber around the Sandy Beach cottage and then subdivide and sell the land for residential development. But the natural beauty of the site inspired a different vision, a destination for the public to enjoy. He began by renting out campsites, then building cottages—most made from pine cut on his own land. He quickly transformed the property into a public bathing, swimming, and boating destination that drew families from across the region.

The name Sandy Beach, already attached to the cottage, loosely became the name of Nelson’s new recreational venture. He added bathhouses, boat rentals, and picnic spots, making Sandy Beach one of New England's most popular summer destinations, which became known for hosting community events — from water ski shows to corn roasts — that brought hundreds to the lakeshore.

By June 1919, Sandy Beach officially opened with 36 cottages, a picnic grove, and plenty of room for swimming, boating, and fishing. The cottages had colorful names like “Jazz Inn,” “Star Cottage,” “Ain’t-We-Got-Fun,” “Laf-a-Lot,” and “Idle Hour.” (In 1922, a group of young women from the Springfield telephone office pooled their money together and rented a cottage for their summer weekends and off-duty days, christening it "Blue Bell.")

 

By 1921, Nelson added a dance hall, transforming the quiet lakeside retreat into a hub of summer nightlife that rivaled the highly popular dance casino Curtis Babb had built at Cottage Grove, on the Suffield, Connecticut side of Middle Pond, in 1915. Lit by lanterns, the hall glowed warmly against the birch woods, and where the original Sandy Beach cottage had once stood as a peaceful private getaway, evenings now echoed with laughter and the rhythm of live music drifting across North Pond. 

 

In 1922, the property — now known as King’s Sandy Beach — was electrified, further brightening the festive atmosphere. True to his generous spirit, Nelson also opened the grounds to local Boy Scout troops, who camped, swam, and used the boats and facilities free of charge, even during the peak summer season.

King's Sandy Beach Dance Pavilion

In 1924, Nelson remodeled the Sandy Beach Dance Pavilion, removing the central support beams, replacing the orchestra pit with a raised platform, and expanding the dance floor to hold up to 600 people. He also added a pay station telephone (the original name for a public payphone) for guests’ convenience. The grand reopening took place on July 26, when Hartland’s Orchestra of West Springfield played to a lively crowd of approximately 300 guests. The night was such a success that another dance was held the following Tuesday, and from then on, weekly dances became a tradition. All summer long, crowds flocked to King’s Sandy Beach on Tuesday and Saturday nights to dance the night away.

In 1925, the schedule shifted slightly, with dances held on Wednesday and Saturday nights — ensuring that King’s Sandy Beach remained one of the most popular entertainment destinations on Congamond Lake. Popular big bands of the day, including Coates’s Orchestra and the Imperial Orchestra, kept the dance floor filled, while just outside, the cool waters of North Pond lapped gently against the sandy shoreline that had once inspired the cottage’s original name. 

Over the years, King’s Sandy Beach expanded into speedboat rides, and sales of outboard motors, bicycles, and lawnmowers. The King family became a dealer for Elto Motor Company, Old Town Canoe, Evinrude, and even DuPont paints.

A Dramatic Rescue on the Lake

On a summer afternoon on July 19, 1936, a serious boating accident at King’s Sandy Beach nearly turned fatal. Around 3:00 p.m., Mary B. Messenger, 65, of Springfield, was floating on her back a considerable distance from shore when she was struck by a speeding motorboat named "American Girl." The boat, operated by Carl D. Daniels of Somersville, Connecticut, had been approaching when Messenger, hearing the engine, rolled over in the water. Daniels spotted her at that moment, tried to turn, and cut the motor, but it was too late. The collision left Messenger with two severe breaks in her left forearm—bones protruding through the skin—and multiple contusions.

Laurence King, Nelson’s son, quickly rowed out to the injured woman and pulled her from the water. Amazingly, she kept herself afloat despite being seriously injured. A doctor vacationing at King’s Sandy Beach responded to cries of “Doctor! Doctor!” and administered emergency first aid at the scene. Daniels then transported Messenger to Springfield Hospital (today's Baystate Medical Center), where she was admitted in serious condition. (American Girl was well known locally—just months earlier, it had been hailed for rescuing homeowners stranded during the historic Connecticut River Valley flood.)

In December, the Massachusetts State Police filed a criminal complaint of dangerous operation of a motorboat against Daniels. Eventually, the case resulted in a not guilty verdict and was dismissed.

However, Mary and her husband had filed suit. The defense argued that Mary’s own negligence contributed to the accident, but the court found in her favor. On September 14, 1938, the civil case concluded with one of the largest judgments ever returned by the local district court in a damage suit at the time. The judge awarded $4,806 in total damages: $3,670 to Mary Messenger for her injuries and $1,136 to her husband for medical and nursing expenses. (Mary Messenger continued to spend time at her cottage at King’s Sandy Beach into her later years. She died in North Carolina on December 18, 1960, at the age of 90. Carl D. Daniels passed away on December 2, 1984, at the age of 79.) 

 A Day of Sorrow – 1968 Drowning

Tragedy returned to King's Sandy Beach on June 9, 1968, when two young Springfield brothers, Michael Leo Corliss (8) and Brian Karl Corliss (7), drowned while surrounded by large crowds of boaters and swimmers. The brothers had been enjoying the day with their sister, an aunt, and their parents. The boys went back into the water shortly after eating around 5 p.m. and did not resurface.

Unidentified swimmers discovered their bodies floating about 35 feet from shore, roughly 10 minutes apart. Despite immediate efforts, including examination by Dr. Arthur J. Logie, the medical examiner, both boys were pronounced dead at the scene. (Authorities were baffled as to how two boys could drown with so many people around them.) 

The Later Years and Legacy

Nelson G. King passed away on June 19, 1953, leaving behind a legacy that had defined the recreational life of Congamond Lake. After his passing, his sons, Laurence N. King and Harold A. King, assumed full-time operation of the grounds. King’s Sandy Beach continued to thrive into the 1960s, hosting water ski shows, corn roasts, and a variety of special events that drew loyal crowds summer after summer.

However, in 1969, after more than half a century of fun, King’s Sandy Beach closed, marking the end of an era for the Congamond shoreline. In 1970, the bathhouse, the store, and other buildings were torn down. The property, once anchored by that original 1914 Sandy Beach Cottage, had left an indelible mark on the region’s recreational history. 

Today, the former King’s Sandy Beach property is the North Pond Conservation Area, land protected in perpetuity for its natural, scenic, and native habitat protection.

 

 If you enjoyed this story, please click the appropriate button below, as this helps gauge the type of content readers like when developing future story ideas. 

Keep the stories you enjoy coming by making a donation.
Your generosity helps pay research expenses for producing content.

Shop History and more on Amazon

Amazon may pay the Southwick Time Machine a small commission for any purchases you make when you access your Amazon account through any of the Amazon links on this page.

Edited Out/Author's Additional Research Notes

•  Some sources say that Nelson and his parents relocated to Southwick in 1866 and Feeding Hills in 1872. 
•  In addition to his lumber business, Nelson King farmed tobacco in Feeding Hills.
•  Nelson’s brother, James L. King, was a sheep raiser who lived in Arizona for about 25 years. He died in Oregon Junction, Arizona, in 1910 at the age of 44.
•  Nelson G. King married Isabelle Nye, daughter of George Nye. Isabelle had three brothers and one sister. One brother, Valie Nye, went insane. Isabelle’s sister’s married name was O.B. Messenger, who may or may not have been related to Mary Messenger. 
• The sand at "Sandy Beach" may have been from when they dug the old canal. 
  
•  In 1919, King’s Sandy Beach opened. Nelson expanded into the boat business, calling it Nelson King & Sons; later renamed Birchwood Marina.
  
•  The cottage section later became known as Birchwood Marina.
•  The Sandy Beach dance hall (sometimes called Sandy Beach Ballroom or Sandy Beach Pavilion) was added in the 1920s. Around 1927, it may have been forced to change its name when the Sandy Beach Ballroom opened at Crystal Lake in Rockville, Connecticut. 
• King’s Sandy Beach was known for its annual corn roast (a longstanding free event).
•  In 1925, the Town of Southwick issued three dance hall permits: King’s Sandy Beach, the Lake House’s Palais de Danse (”Dance Palace”), and Domenick Gavioli (who later owned Domenick’s Spaghetti House and the Anchor).
•  In 1931, the Nye and King families ended up in court over a land dispute or possibly probate.
•  In 1931, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts considered buying King’s Sandy Beach for a trout rearing pool at Cold Brook. See sidebar below.
  
•  In 1931, advertisements promoted King’s as offering picnic grounds, boating, fishing, swimming, speedboat rides, and cottages for rent. “A real thrill awaits you in one of these smooth, fast outboards. Don’t deny yourself the joy of ELTO.”
•  In 1932, Nelson King sold complete motorboats starting at $95.
•  In 1934, Nelson King applied to the Town of Southwick for a license to keep, store, use, and sell 1,000 gallons of crude petroleum and its products in underground tanks at King’s Sandy Beach.
•  Two youths broke into a cottage at King's Sandy Beach (1934). See sidebar below.
  
•  In 1939, Harold A. King was one of three men charged with operating a motorboat in a dangerous manner. They were found not guilty. Harold was also convicted twice of overspeeding.
•  Nadia (Hill) King was born July 30, 1907, and died December 20, 2006. She married Laurence Nelson King.
•  Laurence Nelson King died on December 16, 1964.
•  On July 31, 1966, the Kwan Junior Water Ski Club held a show at King’s Sandy Beach featuring barefoot skiing, pyramids, and comedy “water clowns.”
•  In 1950, Marvin Sjostrom, a senior at Agawam High School, built a motorboat for his industrial arts class and kept it at King’s Sandy Beach. See sidebar below.
  
•  King’s Sandy Beach operated from 1919 to 1969.
•  Laurence’s son, Robert Nelson King, later formed a ski show group and even built a floating ski jump. He died on January 26, 2021.
•  On October 2, 1971, Edward Martin drowned while swimming about 75 yards off the former King’s Sandy Beach. That same year, a 21-year-old man drowned off Birchwood Marina.
•  On August 21, 1976, Henry E. Houghton (26) of West Springfield picked up a 15-year-old Springfield girl hitchhiking in Forest Park and raped her near Birchwood Marina. He was sentenced to 7 to 10 years in prison. He was released on parole on January 1, 1982. (On July 18, 1982, Henry allegedly raped a 12-year-old girl who he allegedly held at knife-point and forced to perform oral sex on him. When he attempted to have intercourse with her, she escaped - but not before he urinated on her face. He served time but was exonerated by DNA and released in 2021.) 
•  In 1976, authorities respond to a car fire near Birchwood Marina. Turns out that the car was stolen car from Springfield and torched in the woods.
•  In 1997, due to strict environmental regulations and mounting costs, Northeast Land Development (owners of the former King's Sandy Beach property) announced plans to raze 15 cottages at North Pond.
•  Members of the Save North Pond Committee held an open house and block party at the Southwick Inn on August 6, 2016, as part of fundraising to purchase and preserve 146 acres of land along North Pond. The group aimed to raise $5 million by spring 2017.
•  From 2016–2017, fundraising efforts successfully preserved the undeveloped shoreline of the North Pond Conservation Area.
•  Ongoing problems at the North Pond Conservation Area have included rope swing accidents, littering, dumping, fighting, and complaints of vulgar language from swimmers. To limit liability, the town cut down trees with rope swings, but new swings quickly appeared.
•  A brawl once broke out at the North Pond Conservation Area and spilled onto South Longyard Road, prompting Southwick officials to consider reducing the parking lot size, closing trails, and posting signage to curb overuse.

 Sidebar

Trout, Cold Brook, and a Hatchery

In 1931, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts considered purchasing part of the King’s Sandy Beach property at Cold Brook for use as a trout-rearing pool. The neighboring parcel is now owned by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife).

At the same time, Southwick’s Willow Brook Trout Hatchery, founded in 1926–27 on Loomis Street, was already struggling under the weight of the Great Depression. By 1929, the hatchery sold fresh trout for table use at $1.25 per pound, with deliveries offered to Springfield, Holyoke, Longmeadow, and West Springfield. Orders were placed on Thursdays for Friday delivery.

The business faltered and was forced into bankruptcy in 1932. The new owner pivoted: instead of home delivery, customers could catch their own trout for 65 cents a pound. Today, the old Willow Brook Hatchery grounds are part of the Lake George Sportsman’s Club at 427 North Loomis Street.

 

The 1934 Cottage Break-In

• October 9, 1934 – Two youths, one from Springfield and the other from Chicopee, broke into a cottage at King’s Sandy Beach. They stole a ring, a pair of field glasses, and several household items. (Some reports list the date as October 15.)
• The Arrests – One of the youths was caught six days later. The other fled to Canada but was arrested upon his return to the U.S. on January 21, 1935.
• The Sentence – Both were found guilty. A judge ordered each to pay a $25 fine.

 

 Marvin Sjostrom’s Boat Project (1950)

In 1950, Marvin Sjostrom, a senior at Agawam High School, built an outboard motorboat as part of an industrial arts workshop project. He dedicated more than 135 hours to its construction, completing nearly all of the work himself except for some assistance with painting and finishing. The boat, which featured two passenger compartments with seating for six and a storage cupboard in the forward deck, was powered by a 10-horsepower Mercury outboard motor. Sjostrom kept his boat at King’s Sandy Beach.