The Bradshaws of Duck Harbor

By Vicky Bradshaw

The Bradshaw family history at Duck Harbor is quite a lone one My parents, Brad and Nancy, purchased the first lot from Roberta Teeple in 1975. My brother, Michael, bought the adjoining lot and then another on Schnakenberg Road that I currently call home. It was very exciting to have a home at the lake as young kids, with all the beautiful natural environment to explore.

We had been a camping family up until then and traveled the eastern seaboard for many years, having great adventures. We would now be making all our memories with family and new friends at the lake. Our first home was lost to an electrical fire, and sister Donna has retired to the mobile home that replaced it. I built (and I mean Jim Litzenbauer built for me) a little cabin with a deck on the property in 1990. It was great to have my own little space and accommodate the overflow of kids as our family grew and gathered here at the lake. Brother Mike made the necessary improvements across the creek and put a trailer of his own down there.

Subsequently, Donna, then her daughter Danielle, and now our nephew John have all put campers here and enjoyed this perfect little spot. My niece Danielle and her family now occupy the cabin, as Ron and I decided to put a permanent home around the corner in 2007.

I met my husband, Ron Valliere, in 1998, and he was excited to expand my cabin to two rooms with some improvements (but still no bathroom!). He was an avid outdoorsman, fisherman, and hunter. We joked that he really fell for me when he learned of my cabin in the woods. Most remember Ron well, as he was a skilled handyman and generous helper around the neighborhood. He was also the life of any party. We moved up here permanently in 2012 and have loved every minute of being a part of this lake community. I am so grateful for all the wonderful times here: the pig roasts, parties, and celebrations of all types with the Sandy Lane crew, and the get-togethers and dinners with my Laurel Lane neighbors. This is a true neighborhood in every sense of the word.

This place still embodies all the qualities of a tight-knit community that drew us here in the beginning. Though there have been some changes, I think most of the development has been thoughtfully done and enhances our lake life. The fishing, boating, hunting, and partying beat any comparison. We still have dirt roads and fire pits, four-wheelers and snowmobiles, and the most cohesive, friendly group of neighbors, always willing to lend a helping hand or celebrate an occasion together. I hope to remain here forever, volunteering at the Equinunk Historical Society, enjoying the lake, the woods, and all the people I have come to know and appreciate.

I LOVE THIS LAKE!