Do you recognize any one

by Louise Smith Posted on November 9, 2012
Front row: Mary Briggs, ?, Gordon Knorr, Kay Randolph, Laura Briggs. Row 2: Paul Knorr, Frances Knorr holding Arlene, Mrs. Quick, Charlotte Middaugh Myers holding Marion Hulse, Minnie Nelson, Will Quick. Back row: Mildred Briggs, Hazel Angell, Mr. and Mrs. Dewey, Pearl Defeo in front of the Deweys, Stanley Myers, ? John Briggs, Alberta Myers, ?, Marie Hulse Photo from 2 sources.

It’s been very busy here the last couple weeks at Halfway Brook in Arizona as I have been majorly working on Book 3, Farewell to Eldred, which covers the years 1920 to 1950.

I have a rough storyline for the years from 1921 to 1947 so far. A number of the folks featured in this (somewhat fuzzy) photo make their appearance in one or 2 of the 4 diary records I have that cover 1931 to 1950.

I have had some wonderful photos and stories contributed to what I already had and am looking forward to incorporating all photos and information into the story of the Town of Highland and its residents in the years 1920 to 1950.

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Charlotte’s 1913 letter

by Louise Smith Posted on November 2, 2012

Charlotte Leavenworth, my great aunt, taught school for 50 years. She was 19 when she started teaching in Fosterdale. There she taught 8 grades for three years. Next, in 1911 Charlotte taught 50 students in grades 5–8 in Eldred. The following year she taught 8 grades in Tylertown. In 1913 Charlotte taught 7 grades in Wellstown, and graduated from the Port Jervis Training Class.

In the spring of 1913, Lon (Albert Alonzo) Austin, the Eldred School Trustee, must have offered Charlotte a teaching job in Eldred.

Charlotte's letter to Lon Austin.

Posted in Letters and information | 1 Comment

1914 Liquor License Holders

by Louise Smith Posted on November 2, 2012

Barryville
Meta Meyer: Spring House Hotel

Eldred
James Y. Parker: Parker House
Fridolin Straub: Straub’s German Hotel

Minisink Ford
Fred Graf: Highland Bridge Hotel

Narrowsburgh
Charles Beers: Oakland Hotel
Albert Meyer: Arlington Hotel

Yulan
Mary H. Metzger: Hotel

Pond Eddy
John McKechnie Sr.: Sky Farm
Jacob Portz: Mountain View House
William Rixton: Riverside Hotel.
—Certificate Holders in Sullivan County, Documents of the Senate of the State of New York; 137th session, 1914; Vol. IV No. 9 Part 2.

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1910 to 1915 Boarding House Ads

by Louise Smith Posted on October 10, 2012
Highland Bridge Hotel in Minisink Ford. Postcard courtesy of Kevin M.

Highland Bridge Hotel, Minisink Ford First class Hotel and Boarding House on the Banks of the Beautiful Delaware River. Good Boating Bathing, Fishing and Hunting; $8 to $10 per week. George A. Schulz Prop.—The Newtown Register, May 30, 1911.

Woodbine Cottage, Yulan Pleasantly situated; near all attractions, boating, bathing, fishing dancing; all home comforts. Address Mrs. A. John.—Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 12, 1910.

West Shore Cottage, Yulan Accommodates 40. Write T.W. Racine, Prop.—Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 12, 1910.

Minisink Lodge, Yulan On Washington Lake. Accommodates 60. Excellent table; 2 mails daily. McCormack and Haff, Proprietors.
—Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 12, 1910.

Mountain Grove House, Eldred Before making arrangements for your vacation write to Diedrich Schroeder, Proprietor. Mountain Grove House, Eldred, Sullivan Co., New York.—New Rochelle Pioneer, June 1910.

Highland Lake House 120 guests; 7 miles from depot; on water. Henry Asendorf.—Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1913.

Mills House 40 guests Mrs. Geo. Mills.—Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1913.

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World War II Honor Roll

by Louise Smith Posted on October 8, 2012
May 5, 1944 Honor Roll Program, courtesy of Mary A.

I have recently pulled together the diaries and letters from 1942 to 1945, to form the skeleton of the text for the years of WWII. The following is a list of the Service men and women that I gleaned from 4 sources, including the Honor Roll Program shown above.

If anyone has name corrections or additions, please leave them either in the comment section or email me: info (at) halfwaybrook (dot) com. Note: Those listed with the same last name are not necessarily related.

Also if someone listed is your relative and you know the branch they served in, the country they were in, and the years they were in service, it’d be great to have that info, too. Thank you so much!

Anderson, George
Austin, Arthur L., Robert C., Wallace, William
Balaban, Emil, William
Bartle, Franklin
Bodin, Paul
Bosch, Henry
Boyd, William
Bradley, Clarence
Briggs, Mary
Burgess, Adga Jr.
Campbell, Russell, Walter
Cantwell, John C.
Clark, Orville Continue reading →

Posted in Info/photo request | 1 Comment

1910 Boarding House Owners

by Louise Smith Posted on September 29, 2012

Near Highland Lake
Mort and Jennie Austin
Wilhelm and Mary Nellie Bosch
George W.T. and Martha Mills Myers
James and Margaret Mills Boyd
Elizabeth Gillespie Mills
Augustus Myers
Maria Middaugh
Stephen and Charlotte Myers
Mary Mills Wait

North, Central, and West Eldred
Greigs
Becks
Abel and Maria Myers
Fred and Juliana Straub
James Y. Parker
Sherman and Maria Leavenworth
Erwin and Norah Bradley Avery
Fred and Mary Bradley Myers
Joseph Maier

Washington Lake/Yulan
Atwell Bradley
Abel and Viola Bradley Hazen
Alfred and Sophia Kaese
Herman Barber
Adele Bodine Continue reading →

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Caruso and the Victor Talking Machine

by Louise Smith Posted on September 24, 2012

In 1910 Enrico Caruso, the famous singer, had been making recordings with the Victor Talking-Machine Company for 6 years.—wikipedia.org.

Aunt Aida heard Caruso sing and told me that all the things she had heard about what an objectionable person he was could hardly be credited, because anyone who could sing like that could not be a really bad person.—Melva B.

Victor and Edison Talking Machine Ad from “New Rochelle Pioneer,” July 1910.
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1910 Occupations

by Louise Smith Posted on September 20, 2012
1908 Postcard of Moonlight on the Delaware, Barryville, N.Y. From the collection of Aida Austin, courtesy of Mary A.

One of several items I am working on (besides getting ready for a daughter’s wedding in October—hence the fewer posts) for book 3 are the jobs the Town of Highland residents held in the 1920s.

Echo Hill and Mountain Grove lists occupations from the 1910 Census.

They included: Butcher, operator, hotel owner, clerk, realtor, laborer, boarding house owner, stone mason, livery, general store, blacksmith, school teacher, soft drinks delivery man, merchant, painter, engineer, clerk, fireman, lumberman, farmer, worker at glass factory, bridge worker, artist, bookkeeper, dressmaker, fireman, cabinet maker, machinist on farm, retired, sawyer at mill, ice cream parlor worker, and housekeeper, which, as we all know, involves a number of skills.

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