George E. Travis Jr. was born in Lawrence, MA, but his family removed to Medford, MA shortly after his birth. He was raised and educated in the city of Medford. George Travis took an interest in carpentry and joined the local union, Carpenter’s Local 111; he was a member of the union for seventy years. In 1929, Travis purchased two small tracts of land in Windham, situated near the center of town; he purchased both from Ethel Whitehead of South Boston, MA. Both plots were near the antique home he later purchased, and in which he raised his family with his wife, Mildred. It was only one year later that Travis purchased two lots of land in the Lake Shores Development Trust along the west shore of Cobbett's Pond, near the north end. He purchased lots 26 and 27 in block B, which was not too far from the shoreline, although there was another block of lots directly in front of block B. The entire development consisted of 975 lots, each of which was approximately twenty feet by one hundred feet. Amenities for those who purchased lots included a playground for young children and a community beach. Although the price Travis paid for his lots was not recorded in the deed, many similarly sized parcels sold for between $20 and $50; his lots likely being towards the higher end of the range considering their close proximity to the waterfront. Just over a decade later Travis, then known by the nickname "Bud", opened Bud's Corner at the south end of the pond where Rogers Field is today. The local institution sold refreshments to those spending their summer on the pond.
Ca. 1930s photograph of a summer cottage on the pond
Below is a slideshow of 1930s photographs taken at Cobbett's Pond. All photographs were discovered in an album kept by the Travis family. If anyone is able to identify the people or the summer cottages, please contact me as I'd be greatly interested
