1840 Lumberland Census

by Louise Smith Posted on May 11, 2014
Lumberland Town Supervisors from Lumberland History booklet.

In my mother’s super collection was a Lumberland Centennial booklet, which includes a list of Lumberland Town supervisors from 1798 to 1976. (Click on the image to read.) There are more familiar names in this 1840 census, including Johnston, writer of Reminiscences (which often includes his scathing and judgmental descriptions of the town’s inhabitants); Daniel Van Tuyl; Jacob Stage; my relatives: Fanny Austin and her son’s family Augustus Alonzo Austin; and Abraham Ingersoll, whose wife will eventually be the subject of a post.

Again, some of the names are difficult to discern, in some cases they were left out altogether.

Thomas Billings
Chauncy Thomas
James Dandridge
Isaac Young
Robert Johnston
Calvin P. Fuller
J.W. Johnston
Jane Johnston
Abraham Ingersoll male 1 under 5 1 30 to 29; female 2 under 5 1 20 to 29
Gardner Ferguson
Daniel Van Tuyl Continue reading →

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1963 House on Steges Road

by Louise Smith Posted on April 28, 2014
Empty House on Steges Road, 1963.
© Jmeyer Photography (used by permission).

I was happy to receive some “Eldred” photos taken by J. Meyer, grandson of Joseph and Florence Meyer, mentioned in “Farewell to Eldred.”

Does anyone know who owned this house on Steges Road, in 1963? It was empty at the time, and the next house down from Abe Hulse’s little bungalow.

As long as I am asking questions, does anyone know the correct way to write Stege’s Road? Stege Road; Steges Road; Stege’s Road; Steges’ Road; or something different?

Update: I was sent this as the location. Click on the image to make it larger.

Posted in Do you know who I am | 1 Comment

There really is a Lumberland, NY

by Louise Smith Posted on April 23, 2014
Welcome to Lumberland sign, 2007. Photo Gary Smith.
Lumberland Town Hall, July 2007. Photo: Gary Smith.
Close up of Lumberland Town Hall. Photo: Gary Smith

Continuing on after seeing the Pond Eddy Bridge, we took the road that went by the Town of Lumberland’s Town Hall.

Fortunately, I had done some research on the area, and was quite excited to see a Welcome Sign to the “Town of Lumberland, established in 1798″—just as I had read.

As we continued on to Eldred, I tried to locate where my Austin relatives had lived on Proctor Road, but was not successful, as the houses were not still standing (although I have been told that a current home was built on one of the old foundations); I was not very knowledgeable about the area; and I was overwhelmed with so much green—grass and trees!

Posted in General information, The Mill on Halfway Brook | Comments Off on There really is a Lumberland, NY

NY 97 Opened August 30, 1939

by Louise Smith Posted on April 12, 2014
NY Route 97 was officially completed from Port Jervis to Hancock on August 30, 1939. Hawk’s Nest photo taken by Mr. Krause, courtesy of Kevin Marrinan.

August 30, 1939, N.Y. Route 97 from Port Jervis to Hancock, was officially opened.

Several events were held to mark the road’s opening, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Port Jervis featuring the mayors of Port Jervis and Hancock and a motorcade procession that traveled the length of the highway.

In all, it cost $4 million (equivalent to $66.8 million in 2012) to build N.Y. 97. The portion through the Hawk’s Nest cost $2 million (equivalent to $33.4 million in 2012) to construct.—wikipedia.org.

September 1939
Germany invaded Poland on Friday, September 1. The world would soon be at war.

“Fighting in Europe. Germans and Polish so far,” Ella wrote on Saturday.

Sunday Clara and Ella took care of Jimmy so Anna and Bill could help Lottie Meyers with her boarding house.

Monday Lee and Garfield ran more cement in the barn.

Thursday the groceries were delivered from Al Randolph’s Royal Scarlet.

Friday Ella wrote, “Babies both have teeth.”

“War still on between Germany, England, etc.,” Ella penned on Saturday.

In his Fireside Radio Chat Sunday, September 9, President Roosevelt said he fervently hoped the country could stay out of the war. Continue reading →

Posted in Farewell to Eldred, World War II | 1 Comment

Hawk’s Nest Road, 2007

by Louise Smith Posted on April 8, 2014
Hawk’s Nest Road, 2007. Photo: Gary Smith.
Hawk’s Nest sign photo courtesy of Mary A.

I was excited to be on the Hawk’s Nest Road on the way from Port Jervis to Eldred. My mom had mentioned the road and I knew that car companies sometimes filmed cars driving along the wonderfully winding road.

It has been fun to trace Hawk’s Nest Road through information and photos/postcards—from a dirt path in the early 1800s to its official opening as a paved road from Port Jervis to Hancock, NY, on August 30, 1939.

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The beginning of Halfway Brook Books: Port Jervis 2007

by Louise Smith Posted on April 5, 2014
July 2007. The Smiths cross the Port Jervis bridge on the way to Eldred. Photo: Gary Smith.
July 2007. Closeup of Port Jervis bridge. Photo: Gary Smith.

I plan on posting the names of the folks in the Lumberland censuses during the years 1840 to 1860. I have a couple families mentioned in the Halfway Brook Books and the censuses that I would like to feature. However, I have gotten sidetracked with searching for my Ralph Austin’s family as well as daily life.

So for now, I thought it would be fun to post a few photos from Gary and my visit to Eldred in 2007. It had been well over 40 years since I had visited Eldred. And that many years since I had seen my second cousin Cynthia.

Cynthia had agreed to write her memories of her grandfather Garfield Leavenworth, brother to my grandmother Jennie Louisa Leavenworth Austin, for a 50-page booklet (if we could find enough information) which I planned to write on my Austin grandparents whom I had never met.

What a fun adventure it has turned out to be.

Gary and I and our two youngest stayed at a motel in Pennsyvlania. (Thanks for the correction Cynthia.) The next morning we crossed the Port Jervis bridge on the way to Eldred to meet Cynthia.

Posted in Bridges, General information | 2 Comments

1830 Lumberland Census

by Louise Smith Posted on March 28, 2014

There are more familiar names in the 1830 Lumberland Census. If you have done much research with censuses, you will know the difficulty of being accurate, hence the question marks.

John Williams
Asa Daily
William Huff
John Smith
A. McIntyre
Elisha Daily
Henry Haines
Hiram Clark
Oliva Decker
Martin G. Austin
Sylvester Higgins
? Hendrickson
T? Daily
Joshua? W. Clenning?
Henry Hoofman
Lydia Wire
Henry Case
Hickney
John Higsby?
Thomas Black
Samuel Wells
Robert Darrah
Moses Clark Continue reading →

Posted in Censuses, The Mill on Halfway Brook | 1 Comment