Halfway Brook

Panic of 1873
A series of events led up to the Panic of 1873—a severe nationwide economic depression, which lasted until 1879:
• The Black Friday Panic in September, 1869, mentioned in 
an earlier post.
• The October, 1871, Chicago fire and loss of 200 million dollars in property over four-square miles.
• The 1872 Great Epizoötic or equine influenza when there [...]

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1872 Cartage Book of my great-grandfather.
Henry Austin’s 1872 Cartage book is not very large. It lists names and supplies. One of the pages lists hoops in batches of 1,000 and the cost. Sample page:
October 2, 1872
1 b Oats 1.30
Hay 4.50
Nov 6, 1872
1 bale of hay 230 lb. 4.60
1 b oats 1.30
stabling 2.50
Dec 2, 1872
2 b oats 2.80
1 b corn 1.55
1 b oats 1.50
2 [...]

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50 Warren St. in New York City around 1872. Photo courtesy of cousin Melva.

Envelope addressed to my great-grandfather Austin who worked
at 50 Warren St. in New York City.
My great-grandfather, Henry Austin, started his wagon delivery or carting business in the fall of 1866. He worked from 50 Warren St., New York City, around 1872. Henry [...]

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You may have heard of the money or greenbacks created during the Civil War by the U.S. government, which were backed only by credit.
After the Civil War ended, it was thought that the U.S. Government would buy back the greenbacks with gold.
In 1869, James Fisk and Jay Gould headed a group of speculators [...]

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Photo of ice breaking up under the Barryville-Shohola Bridge with a middle support. Photo courtesy of M.B. Austin.
One very cold morning, about the first of January 1865, three teams of horses and mules were crossing the Barryville-Shohola bridge with two heavy loads
of wood.
The upper cable of the bridge (completed in 1856) parted near the center [...]

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View of Delaware River from the Hawk’s Nest Road, Sparrow Bush, N.Y. Photo courtesy of H.H. Oset.
The road from Carpenter’s Point (now Port Jervis) to the Town of Lumberland. I’m not sure what year this postcard was made. In 1859, the Hawk’s Nest, as this road is called, was a one lane dirt road. It [...]

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Trees on the Leavenworth Homestead. Photo: Gary Smith.
My great-great grandparents, Sherman B. and Charlotte Leavenworth, had four sons. Sherman S., Hezzie B., and Atwell B., were in the Civil War. Son John E. was too young to fight in the Civil War, but fought out West with Custer.
The story is told that a tree was [...]

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United States Fractional Currency notes were issued by the U.S. Government during and after the U.S. Civil War due to the hoarding and shortage of coins in gold, silver, and copper in denominations of 3, 5, 10, 15, 25 and 50 cents. These notes were in use until 1876 and were redeemable by the U.S. [...]

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Chapter 8, Letters from a Soldier, lists some of the men of the Town of Highland, New York, that fought in the Civil War. A number of the men are mentioned in Sherman S. Leavenworth’s letters home.
56th Regiment
July 16, 1861
George Eldred, 25, enlisted at Newburgh, to serve three years; mustered in as a sergeant, [...]

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