A Frog Farm?
Peterson Pond was used for aquaculture during
the Great Depression...and it supplied the country's
desire for Frog's Legs...or did it?
Most people passing through Union Hill will notice the roads have to jut around a body of water that is either called Peterson Pond or Swan Lake, depending on the source of their GPS maps. What people don't realize is that, according to local legend, Peterson Pond was a major farm for Frog Legs, supplying much of the USA during the great depression.
An Atlas Obscura article has more information on the craze of frog farming that swept the country during the Great Depression, and ultimately went bust.
What locals have shared is that, before becoming the center of the Eastside jet-set, Swan Lake was substantially smaller and like some during the depression, the owner used it to farm frogs. We have varying accounts of the success of the business, but one thing is certain in our humble opinion... listening to a bull frog croak while enjoying a drink on your deck and watching the sun set over the water sure is peaceful.