--White Lake is one of five lakes in the Bladen Lakes region, the others being Bay Tree Lake, Singletary Lake, Jones Lake, and Salter�s Lake. Collectively they are known as the Bay Lakes and all are respectively shallow with the deepest reading at Singletary Lake of 11.8 feet.

At the turn of the century, in 1901, Ralph P. Melvin opened the first commercial operation on White Lake. By 1912, the first sightseeing boat "Lady of the Lakes" made its appearance. Around 1918 a few private cottages began appearing and other business ventures were started. One of the ventures was the White Lake Amusement Company (started by a group of Fayetteville businessmen) which was built and developed into what is known as Goldston's Beach. Hugh Goldston may have been one of the group; or perhaps he later bought the property and named it Goldston's Beach.

In 1921, W. M. Corbett opened Crystal Beach adjacent to Goldston's and in 1939 he installed the first amusement rides at White Lake. These have since grown into a full size operation at both Goldston's and Crystal beaches, where more than 20 different types of rides are available to the public at present.

My Aunt Addie Mae taught me to swim at Goldston's Beach... I still remember her holding me up while I was kicking and swinging my arms. The following summer I swam across White Lake and back... and got reamed by my parents when they found out.

Another early operation was Marshburn's Beach, begun in the 1920's, and located further north on the Lake. Every summer we spent a week or 2 weeks at White Lake when I was a kid 1930�s and 1940�s, but we always stayed at Marshburn�s Beach because my father liked the quiet days. My Dad was always very good friends with Mr. & Mrs. Marshburn and they would sit out on the front porch of the old hotel at night and talk about the �good old days�� but my favorite place was Goldston�s Beach and the adjacent Crystal Beach because that was where all the rides and games were� it was like going to a carnival.

In 1951, White Lake became incorporated and soon moved to insure that the crystal clear waters would always remain just that way, by voting to install a vastly adequate water and sewer system.

Six years later, the Lake's amusement centers - Goldston's and Crystal beaches - were devastated by fire with estimated damages of $250,000, but both owners immediately replaced their wooden structures razed by the blaze with modern brick facilities. Hugh and Jack Womble, nephews of Uncle Hugh, owned the beach at this time.

The tempo of development at White Lake has gradually picked up from year to year. Today it is estimated that there are approximately three dozen or more commercial or semi-commercial operations and over three hundred private cottages.