February 1904

by Louise Smith Posted on February 27, 2015

Joseph Maier kept records of the costs of rebuilding his Pine Grove Farm boarding house on Crawford Road. The cost of freight to Shohola, Pennsylvania, and the bridge toll was also added in. Mr. Maier first wrote for quotes on the cost.

Joseph’s list of costs for building courtesy of the Bosch Family.

Joseph Maier, Eldred, to Andrew Paye
February 7, 1904
Dear Sir,
Will you please give me a price on 3,000 Shultz hard brick, the same kind I bought of you once before and the same kind you furnished W.F. Proctor a boat load.

The price is to be delivered to Shohola. You pay the freight. I will draw them myself from Shohola.

Give me your lowest cash price money ready when the brick arrives at Shohola.

Also, how soon could you get these brick for me.

The sooner the better. Let me know at once so I can give you the order if everything is OK, and oblige.

Yours respectfully, Joseph Maier

More of Joseph’s costs for building, courtesy of the Bosch Family.

Joseph Maier, Eldred, to Robert A. Greig.
February 15, 1904
Dear Sir,
I write to you to come back. I wanted to see you in regards to some dry white pine lumber.

I want to commence to build, but I cannot as I have no dry boards. Could you let me have 2 or 3 thousand feet? I want some wide boards for Cornish casing and face boards. Please let me know if I could get the lumber right away.

I will get Mr. Daily or if you like your sister to count the lumber for you.

I want to take it to Mr. Daily to have it planed so I can use it at once. I could go up and get what I want and take it to the mill.

Let me know what your lowest cash price is per M, and I will pay you at once as I cannot commence to build until I get dry lumber.

So please be so kind as to answer this at once by return mail and oblige.

Yours Respectfully, Joseph Maier Continue reading →

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February 1941–1945

by Louise Smith Posted on February 25, 2015

I hope everyone is staying well, safe when they travel, and drinking lots of nice warm beverages—tea, hot chocolate, or coffee. I lived through almost 40 winters in Michigan, but this winter in the midwest and northeast sounds major.

If you would like to read the February entries of the 1940s, I have included the links to the posts I did last year.

February 1941

February 1942

February 1943

February 1944

Winter 1945

Posted in Book excerpts, Farewell to Eldred, General information | Comments Off on February 1941–1945

February 1940

by Louise Smith Posted on February 24, 2015
Bradley’s Restaurant and Bar with Ed Rider’s 1933 Pontiac. Photo taken around 1940 (in warmer days), by Mary M., courtesy of Kevin M.

February 1940
Thursday, February 1, Ella wrote, “Children in except Stella. Oliver Dunlap called.” Friday Jim visited Roy Horton in the evening.

Monday, February 5, Garfield put his sister Charlotte’s wood in for her. Bill and Anna took Garfield to get the last of his teeth pulled on Wednesday. Bill and Anna each had a tooth filled. Lottie Meyers stopped by to see Ella for a second.

Friday the men stoned Garfield and Ella’s well up to about five feet from the top. Sunday, February 11, Garfield visited Charlotte.

Monday Lee, Charlie Sergeant, and Garfield finished stoning the Leavenworth well; Lee worked some on his place; Anna and baby Jimmy visited Ella all day; Goldie stopped in; Jim worked at Wormuth’s; and Ella found out that George Crandall (Jennie Crandall’s husband) was in the hospital. What a day!

Tuesday Garfield and Lee laid out Lee’s cellar lines. Mary Sergeant was there all day. Lottie Meyers visited in the afternoon.

The blizzard on Valentine’s Day (which would have been Sherman Leavenworth’s 97th birthday) had started raging early the previous evening. Bill Meyers Sr. and Jr. plowed, which was awful difficult. The blowing and drifting continued into the next day. Continue reading →

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February 1939

by Louise Smith Posted on February 23, 2015
Herman Bosch’s ice truck, on the east side of Eldred. Photo courtesy of the Bosch Family.

February 1939
Monday, February 6, Goldie worked for Mr. Tether cutting blocks of ice (icing) to put in the ice house.

Tuesday Anna and Bill became proud parents of James (Jimmy) Meyers. Wednesday Garfield and Ella went to see their first grandchild.

Thursday Jim Leavenworth visited his friend Orville Clark.

Saturday Frank Bartle enjoyed dinner with the Leavenworths. Goldie and Stella were in. Lee worked for Harry Wormuth.

Wednesday Anna was still in bed. Thursday and Friday Clara helped Anna. Thursday Lee worked on his place by Echo Hill, and at Harry’s on Friday.

Sunday, February 19, when Garfield and Ella visited Alvah and Mary Sergeant, Garfield put Alvah’s front room ceiling up. Lee and Clara visited Bill and Anna.

Monday, February 27, the meter man came—cost: $3.46.

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February 1937

by Louise Smith Posted on February 22, 2015

Mills House when Highland Lake was called “Venoge.” Photo courtesy of Kathy T.

February 1937
Monday, February 1, Anna Leavenworth visited the Meyers.

Friday the Austins spent the evening at Garfield and Ella’s. They stopped by a couple more times during the month.

Ella finished piecing Clara’s log cabin quilt in February.

Garfield did a job for Emile Four one day. He repaired a guitar for Mr. Briggs (Irwin and Johnny stopped by to get it), and worked on a violin for Alexander Mills (a brother of Dr. George Mills).

Alex and George’s grandfather had built the original Mills boarding house which Elizabeth Mills (their mother) still managed. Alex’s wife Minnie was a daughter of Chris and Meta Meyer and had grown up in the Spring House in Barryville.

Spring House when Minnie Meyer Mills was Proprietor. Spring House was first owned by George Layman. Photo courtesy of Keven M.

Posted in Boarding Houses, Farewell to Eldred | Comments Off on February 1937

February 1936

by Louise Smith Posted on February 20, 2015
Irwin Briggs often visited Garfield and Ella. Sometimes his family went with him. The Briggs Family Band: Irwin, Laura, Mildred, Mary, Myrtle, and Johnny with the trombone. Irwin’s homemade “cello” is in the right hand corner.

February 1936
Sunday, February 2, Ella went to Highland Lake with Clinton to see her aunt Jennie Hull. Jim went to see Mort and Jennie Austin.

Wednesday Ella wrote, “Clinton went to town. Bill was here in the evening. Blizzards out west.” Thursday Clinton drove his aunt Jennie Hull to spend the afternoon with his mom, Ella. Friday Clinton snow plowed for the County, widening the roads.

Sunday, February 16, Jim went to the Austin’s for dinner. Austin Smith stopped by with an old violin (he had gotten from Mr. MacIntyre) for Garfield to fix on Thursday.

Sunday, February 23, Dr. Gutfruend was called to check on Anna who was sick.

Friday, Mr. Briggs and the Austins were at the Leavenworth home. Mr. Briggs bought a cello for $11. Saturday was leap day. Mr. Briggs and his son John were at the Leavenworths all afternoon.

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February 1935

by Louise Smith Posted on February 20, 2015
Arthur Austin ready for work at the Sullivan County Highway Department.

February 1935
Monday, February 4, was cloudy and colder in Eldred. Clinton cut ice blocks for Perry Foster.

Friday, February 8, Ella started a star bouquet quilt.

On Friday Arthur Austin received his assistant typist score of 86.53 on the June 1934 test he had taken at the New York Department of Civil Service in Albany.

Art worked for Emily Stevens at the Post Office. His next job, clerical in nature, would be for the Sullivan County Highway Department.

Monday, February 11, Ella started a feather fan quilt. The following Monday she made her daughter Anna a dress.

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February 1933

by Louise Smith Posted on February 19, 2015

1907 postcard showing ice on the Delaware River in Hancock.

February 1933
On Friday, February 3, Jennie Austin spent the day with Ella.

The following Tuesday Clara and Anna went to town to get slab bacon from Claude Angell, the butcher. It cost $1.59.

Thursday night 12 inches of snow fell. Mid-February Lawrence Crandall was in an auto accident. He died the next day.

Lawrence Crandall had run Cold Spring Farm with his wife Matilda. The Leavenworth men went to Larry Crandall’s funeral.

The next day Austin Smith was at the Leavenworth’s for his violin lesson.

Saturday Lynn and Mildred Hill Myers were at Garfield and Ella’s for the evening. Clinton went to visit the Wolff’s.

The last day of February, Garfield got a piece of sawdust in his eye.

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February 1932

by Louise Smith Posted on February 18, 2015
Herman Bosch and others cutting and harvesting ice blocks on Bosch Pond. Photo courtesy of the Bosch Family.

Harvesting ice on Bosch Pond. Photo courtesy of the Bosch Family.

February 1932
“The Japanese and Chinese are fighting,” Ella wrote on February 1 and 6.

What little snow was on the ground was gone by the end of the first week of February.

Bill Meyers Jr. stopped by a few evenings the second week, perhaps to see Anna. Clara Leavenworth went to a bridal shower for Bill’s sister Dorothy.

On a clear, warm day, in mid-February, Jim played with Carl Dunlap. Garfield started porch screens and did a little work for John Love. Grant Sergeant stopped by for supper and the evening. He was joined by Bill Meyers.

Garfield made Ella a flower stand and started on a table. Clinton and Garfield worked at the Scouts cutting ice for four days.

At the end of the month, Clinton and Herm Bosch went fishing at Montgomery Lake. [Montgomery Lake was close to the Leavenworths. Bosch Pond was on east side of Eldred.]

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February 1931

by Louise Smith Posted on February 17, 2015

February 1931
Sunday, February 1, was a busy day. Ella [Leavenworth] sold Lottie Meyers 1-1/2 quarts of milk. Kate Love was there in the afternoon and Garfield gave music lessons in the afternoon and evening.

Thursday Anna went to school, but not Jim as the schoolhouse was too cold.

A few days later, Clara went to work for Aunt Lizzie Wilson. Anna went to Beach Lake with the basketball team the day before Valentine’s Day.

Thursday evening, February 19, was a house full of company—Grant Sergeant, Billy Meyers, and the Wolff brothers.

Ella thought the last week of February felt like spring. She sent in an order for 100 chicks to arrive in May.

Though the weather was clear and felt like spring to Ella, Grant and Clara skied over at Alvah Sergeant’s. Clinton was working; Anna and Jim were in school. Bill Meyers Sr. helped Garfield with his Ford engine.

At the end of the month, Mr. Elijah Moore (a carpenter at the Boy Scout Camp) had dinner with the Leavenworths.

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