Early '80s Enfield Teenager Photo Contest Results; Prize Winner Announced

ENFIELD, CT — Nearly three weeks ago, Enfield Patch published its most recent reader contest, this one aimed at remembrances of area teenage hangouts from the early 1980s. Without the ability to Google answers, as has been the case in other contests, I knew it would be more difficult, but I had no idea it would be this tough.

Not only did no readers correctly answer all the clues, most did not even get half of them right. Some pf the photos had no correct guesses at all, while some others were identified by a majority of the entrants.

The premise was recent pictures of some of the long-ago haunts us clean-cut, innocent teens frequented during our high school days. Seeing so many incorrect answers emailed in made me wonder: am I the only one who remembers these places? God, I hope not!

Seven readers tied for the most number of correct answers, so they were entered into a random drawing. The winner of a $25 Frank Pepe's gift card is Eileen Campbell.

Here are the photos with the correct responses; photos by Tim Jensen/Patch unless otherwise indicated.

IN ENFIELD

This empty storefront at 481 Enfield Street most recently contained Carr Hardware, but 40 years ago, Friday and Saturday nights were alive with the sounds of Donna Summer, the Rolling Stones, Olivia Newton-John, the Bee Gees and more at Enfield Roller World.

Before a huge subdivision was built in the southern part of town known as Buckhorn Estates, just a few dead end streets were there, surrounded by woods. This is the entrance to a wooded area at the westernmost part of Neelans Road.

Now home to Odin's Keep Axe House, this portion of the Enfield Plaza on Route 5 was the site for many years of Enfield Lanes.

All this growth makes it hard to fathom, but four decades ago, this hill (now obscured) was all sand, and on top were some of the best bonfires of all time. It is adjacent to what is now the Scantic River State Park on Powder Hill Road, but back then, it was referred to as simply "The Cliffs."

IN NEARBY TOWNS

Most people got this one right, recalling heading out after school (or usually, instead of school) to partake in the fun at Lake Mark in Stafford.

This one is kind of like Woodstock; if you remember it, you ;probably weren't actually there. This little connector off Muddy Brook and Green roads in Ellington, at the end of the S-curve on Route 140, led to a wooded bowl area on the left. We called it "The Party Road." Enough said ...

Another one that nearly everyone got correct was this unmistakable breathtaking view from the observation tower atop Soapstone Mountain in Somers. If that tower could tell stories ... um, I believe my initials are still carved in the framework, just as they are in the penalty box at the Enfield Twin Rinks.

No one got this one, which surprised me, having been victim to the old "cop-shining-the-flashlight-in-at-3 a.m." routine one night. Just over the state line on Route 5 in Longmeadow, make a left turn onto Bark Haul road, then a right onto Pondside Road. In the 1980s, this entryway led to a favorite parking spot, behind the leaf dump.

AN HOUR AWAY

The location furthest away from Enfield is the one that had more correct responses than any other. I'm probably getting my facts mixed up, but I believe when the legal drinking age in Connecticut went up (either to 20 or 21), it was still 18 in Vermont. Hence, a caravan of cars sped up I-91 for about 50 minutes to Brattleboro, where several establishments thrived on Flat Street.
Photo: Google Maps

Tell us your memories of any of these spots by emailing tim.jensen@patch.com.