Eldred, Back in Time

by Louise Smith Posted on March 1, 2020
Looking south from Eldred’s four corners.
Looking south from Eldred’s four corners.

Hello Halfway Brook Friends,

I hope this post finds everyone doing well.

It’s been busy times here in Cave Creek. October and November were intense times of editing Gary’s book, Deans Garage, The Future is Back, which was finally published in January.

November and December were exciting months with visits from two different families and a total of six grandchildren (the oldest is five). Then an encounter with a milder, though still miserable flu in January.

I continue to work on my next book, Abby, Laurilla, and Mary Ann; The Heritage and Legacy of the Daughters of Two Hannah Hickoks, 1635–1906.

As I have time, I plan to put up some of my favorite images from my Halfway Brook books. Today’s color postcard from Great Aunt Aida Austin’s collection is Eldred, perhaps in the 1920s or 30s.

Arthur Wilson’s General Merchandise is the first building on the right. Next is Wait and Boyd’s Garage. Parker’s Hotel is second on the left.

Posted in Then or now | 2 Comments

Halfway Brook Site 10 Years Ago

by Louise Smith Posted on November 3, 2019
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Pond behind the old mill in Aida Austin’s Collection.
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The Old Gristmill my mother walked by to go to the Barryville Schoolhouse around 1935.
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The Barryville Schoolhouse my mom attended.
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View of “downtown” Eldred sometime after 1900.

Ten Years ago this Halfway Brook Site was two months old. The post of the day was “Grandmother and the Bear.”

October 14, 2009 I wrote that The Mill on Halfway Brook was in its final, final edit. But it would be February 2010 before the first of the Halfway Brook books would be published.

The Mill on Halfway Brook included mainly stories and photos that had been saved within (or new provided by) the Austin and Leavenworth families (as well as research).

After The Mill on Halfway Brook was published, I began to get contributions of stories and photos from many people related in someway to Halfway Brook Village (Eldred), and the villages of what became the Town of Highland, Sullivan County, New York. What grand memories and friendships.

The Postcards on the left are from the collection of my great-aunt Aida Austin. They can be enlarged by clicking on the photo.

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Highland Lake Boarding Houses

by Louise Smith Posted on September 22, 2019
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Highland Lake Grove, Daniel Hallock, 1906.
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Lake View House, Highland Lake, 1914.
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Boyd’s Boat House, Highland Lake.
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Canoes on Highland Lake.
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Highland Lake Inn in the distance. Highland Lake.
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Highland Lake Inn on Highland Lake.
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The Highland Villa, Highland Lake.
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Lake Side Cottage, Highland Lake.
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Lake View Cottage, Highland Lake.
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Piermont Hotel, Highland Lake.
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Sunset View House, Highland Lake.
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Sunset View House, Highland Lake.
Posted in Boarding Houses, Echo Hill and Mountain Grove | Leave a comment

Yulan Boarding Houses, 1920

by Louise Smith Posted on August 4, 2019
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1905 Yulan Post Office.

Yulan Boarding Houses
Bodine’s Cottages, Henry and 
Blanche Bodine
Grand Vue, Bornstein
Park Hotel, Atwell Bradley
Cold Spring Farm, Crandall
Washington Beach Hotel, Henri Darriensecq
Laurel Cottage, Abel Hazen
Lakeview Farm, Kaese
Highland Cottage, Edith V. Kalbfus
Minisink Lodge, M.A. McCormick
Max and Minnie Vonderhorst
West Farm, Theodore West
Oakdene, Phoebe Owen
Pine Grove Cottage, Frank Owen

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Grand View Farm.
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Highland Cottage from Lake Washington.
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Minisink Lodge.
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The Park Hotel on Washington Lake.
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West’s Farm on the road to Washington Beach Hotel.
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Washington Beach.
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1909 Cold Spring Farms.
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Laurel Cottage, Yulan.
Posted in Boarding Houses, Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, Farewell to Eldred, Postcards | Leave a comment

Eldred Boarding Houses, 1920–1921

by Louise Smith Posted on July 28, 2019
Looking North to Eldred, 1906. Methodist Church on the left; Congregational Church on the right.
Looking North to Eldred, 1906. Methodist Church on the left; Congregational Church on the right.
Slonek Boarding House, 1906.
Slonek Boarding House, 1906.

Eldred, 1920–1921
Bradley House, Avery
Echo Hill Farm House, Leavenworth
Fred and Mary Myers
Ferncliff Lodge, Jackson Myers
Seven Oaks, Beck
Greig’s House
Straub Hotel/Bar, Juliana Straub
Parker Hotel, Emily Parker
Mountain Grove House, C.M. Austin

Rooms in Farmhouse to Let
Furnished for housekeeping; week, month or season; on the mountains; beautiful view; fishing, boating, bathing; lake on property; Sullivan County, Box 54, Eldred, N.Y.
—Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 1, 1920.—Farewell to Eldred, p.11.

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Pine Crest, 1910.
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Arthur C. Wilson’s Store on Eldred’s northwest corner, 1928.
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Barth’s Highland Cottage.
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Leavenworth’s Echo Hill Farm House.
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Austin’s Mountain Grove House.
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Abel S. Myers, Orchard Terrace.
Ferncliff Lodge, Jackson Myers. Postcard: Chuck M.
Ferncliff Lodge, Jackson Myers. Postcard: Chuck M.
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Barryville Boarding Houses, 1920

by Louise Smith Posted on July 21, 2019
Barryville Post Office.
Barryville Post Office.

Barryville Boarding Houses, 1920–1921
Torwood Farm: Kerr
Rose McQuirk
Spring House: Christian Meyer
Woodland Cottage: Colville
Handsome Eddy: Agnes Schwab
Maple Grove Farm: Anne Toaspern Cordes
Delaware View Inn (Side Hill): Eggers and Rothenback
Riverside Cottage: Louis and Mildred Warshauer

1906, Mrs. J. Wolfe, Hillside Farm, Barryville.
1906, Mrs. J. Wolfe, Hillside Farm, Barryville.
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1911, Mountain Top Cottage, Mrs. John Flieger.

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Maple Grove Farm, Barryville. Anne Toaspern Cordes was the Proprietor in 1920.
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The Old House at Home, John Kerr Sr., Barryville. In 1920 it was called Torwood.
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1906, Mrs. J. Wolfe, Side Hill Farm, Barryville.
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Woodland Cottage in Winter. Colville was the Proprietor
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Mount Pleasant House, Barryville. Wm. Wolfe, Proprietor.
Posted in Barryville, Boarding Houses, Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, Postcards | 6 Comments

The Summer Season

by Louise Smith Posted on July 14, 2019
Silver Stream Ice cream Parlor, Eldred, New York
Silver Stream Ice Cream Parlor, Eldred, New York, 1911.

I always looked forward to the time when school would be out, for I never was too fond of studying and, besides, my parents ran a small summer boarding house to which a few families brought their children year after year.

The summer season was the most pleasant time of all, for then the school bell did not interrupt the baseball games or the hours spent swimming with my city friends.—Arthur Austin.

I thought my Halfway Brook readers might enjoy seeing some of the old postcards I have of Boarding Houses in Eldred (where my father Art Austin lived at Mountain Grove House), on or near Highland Lake, on or near Washington Lake in Yulan, near Barryville, and one in Minisink Ford.

The postcards in the next few post are mainly from a collection that, as I understand it, now belongs to the Town of Highland.

Brooklynites and Long Islanders Enjoy a Bit of Country
At Yulan there has been no letup in the season since it began in earnest, about the middle of July. Although many guests went back the end of July, August vacationists are more than filling the places vacated.

Yulan: Bodine Cottages, Yulan Cottage, Park Hotel, and Highland Cottage.

Eldred: Bradley House, and Mountain Grove House.

At Highland Lake the fish are biting better than they did in previous years and many anglers are summering at the resorts to partake of their favorite sport.

Highland Lake: Sunset View, Mills House, and Park View.—Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 8, 1920.

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