Hickok Falls and Water Wheel

by Louise Smith Posted on November 29, 2015
Hickok Falls and Old Water Wheel, Barryville, NY. 1905 postcard.
Another view of the Hickok Falls and Water Wheel.

I am hoping that one of my Halfway Brook readers has the originals of these postcards and could scan them for me. (For print work I need larger images.)

Also if anyone has any information about the Hickok Falls or the old water wheel and (I assume) sawmill I would appreciate that.

My great-great-great-grandparents Asa and Esther Hinman Hickok and family arrived in Lumberland around 1813, and lived a couple miles above Barryville.

I imagine it was in the area where Hickok Brook meets Halfway Brook. They were my first relatives to arrive in the area.

I am currently working on a story about two granddaughters of David Hickok (brother of Asa) visiting Mary Ann Eldred Austin and Justus Hickok (Asa’s grandchildren) in the town of Highland, New York in 1854.

If you have information or can scan the postcards, please contact me: info (at) halfwaybrook (dot) com. I will give you more details regarding scanning the postcards. Thank you.

Posted in Info/photo request, Postcards | Comments Off on Hickok Falls and Water Wheel

Revisiting 1942 Flood in Barryville

by Louise Smith Posted on November 22, 2015
Barryville Afloat. Photo: H.I. Briggs.
Flooding of the Delaware River from the Methodist Parsonage. Photo: H.I. Briggs.
A favorite photo of mine taken by my grandpa Briggs: “We were all down on the bridge.”

I thought my Halfway Brook readers might enjoy the larger images even though a few of these photos have been posted before:

May 1942 Flooding

Barryville Afloat.

I have rescanned them larger and/or with some tone.

Click on photos twice for largest size.

Barryville-Shohola Bridge in the distance. Photo: H.I. Briggs.
Looking towards Barryville from Shohola. Photo H.I. Briggs.
Posted in Barryville, Brooks and Ponds, Farewell to Eldred, Old Photos | 2 Comments

1940 Shohola-Barryville Bridge

by Louise Smith Posted on November 9, 2015
Shohola-Barryville Bridge being built. Photo: H.I. Briggs.
Shohola-Barryville Bridge being built. Photo: H.I. Briggs.
Another view of the Shohola-Barryville Bridge being built. Photo: H.I. Briggs.
View of Shohola-Barryville Bridge from River Road.
Photo: H.I. Briggs.
Posted in Bridges, Farewell to Eldred | Comments Off on 1940 Shohola-Barryville Bridge

Delaware River at Barryville?

by Louise Smith Posted on November 8, 2015
View of Barryville, NY from across the Delaware River in Shohola, PA. Photo taken by H.I.Briggs.

This photo is from my recent finds at my mother’s home. I think it is a view of homes and a garage? in Barryville, possibly Shohola on the Delaware River.

Can any of my Halfway Brook readers help? I assume it was taken around 1940.

Click photos to make them larger.

Update: It is Spring House Garage on River Road in Barryville. Thank you!

Closeup of buildings.
Posted in Where is this? | 4 Comments

Recipes from Grandma Briggs

by Louise Smith Posted on October 25, 2015
Mrs. Sheen and Myrtie Briggs standing in front of the Methodist Parsonage.

In my vast collection of photos and information related to the Town of Highland, NY, are scans of recipes of my grandmother Myrtie Briggs who lived in Barryville from 1935 to 1945. Her Canadian War Cake was on an earlier post.

Here are a few recipes Grandma had with names of people who lived in the area: Mrs. Lang and Mrs. Steele from Barryville; Mrs. Brodmerkle and Mrs. Clark from Eldred; plus a favorite of mine, Cherry pudding cake, and Chocolate Joy cake, which sounds very good).

Click on the image to make it larger.

Bread and Butter Pickles from Mrs. Lang, Barryville.
Dill Pickles from Mrs. Broadmerkle, Eldred.
Cruellers, Mrs. Steele, Barryville.

Continue reading →

Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments

1925 Christmas: 36 Dolls

by Louise Smith Posted on October 18, 2015
Some of the 36 Dolls sent to the Briggs Children Christmas 1925.
Dolls and books Christmas 1925.

At half past three o’clock on the morning of October 4, 1925, a 1922 Model-T Ford covered with the dust of many states rattled through the Bowne Memorial Gateway of Drew Theological Seminary and came to a labored halt.—Marion Furness.

Not knowing where to go, Irwin pitched the tent right in the middle of the campus. Next morning it caused no small stir. In fact it was in all the papers, even over to London, England.

Laura and Mildred had over 36 dolls sent to them that Christmas. Some of them were packed up and sent to cousins.—Myrtie Crabtree Briggs.

See more on the first part of the story and comment by Drew University Archivist Matthew Beland: August 1925: The Briggs Family Drives East.

I found the photos of the dolls when I visited my mom recently. It was fun to see photos of the “rest of the story”—some of the 36 dolls I had heard about.

References:
Furness: Eastward Ho!, The Christian Student, November, 1925; excerpt from Grandma and Me, p. 28.

Myrtie Briggs: Grandma and Me, pp. 26, 27.

Posted in Farewell to Eldred, Old Photos | 1 Comment

Clambake at Chester’s

by Louise Smith Posted on October 4, 2015
Clambake at Chester Middaugh’s around 1940.

Cornroast and Clambake
Every summer a group of folks would get together at Chester Middaugh’s house for a cornroast and clambake—including my great-uncle Lon Austin and the Briggs’ family.—Farewell to Eldred, p. 212.

The back of this photo said “Chester’s.” I don’t know if it is at a clambake, cornroast. There is watermelon on the table and cornstalks in the background.

Three by the table: Mildred, Laura and Mary Briggs. Boy in stripped shirt on right, John Briggs, next to him is their mother (my grandmother) Myrtie Briggs.

Does anyone know any of the other people? Click on the photo twice to get the largest size.

People in photo courtesy of my Mom 10/7/2015: Left: A brother of Mr. Quick; Mr. and Mrs. Quick from Barryville; Mr. Deats, Lottie Dewey, Uncle Lon Austin, Frank Dewey. In front from left: Mildred, Laura and Mary Briggs; unknown lady; Chester Middaugh is behind the watermelon that Irwin Briggs cut; Dewey’s son; John Briggs; Myrtle Briggs; friend of the Malconians; Mrs. Malconian and Rev. Malconian.

Posted in Farewell to Eldred, Old Photos | 2 Comments