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

Highland Lake Bible Conference

by Louise Smith Posted on October 2, 2015
Rev. Merle Fuller hands Mrs. Asendorf the check for $10,000, the amount of the down payment on the Conference Property.

Seated left to right: Secretary to Attorney Lyons, Mr. Lyons, Attorney for Mrs. Asendorf; Mrs. Asendorf; Stephen W. Zeh, Attorney for the Conference.

Standing left to right: Rev. Herbert Schmalzriedt, Secretary of the Board of Directors; Rev. H. Irwin Briggs, Treasurer; Rev. Wilford Kalbach, Council Member; Rev. Raymond Kalbach, Vice-President; Rev. Merle Fuller, President and Director.

Highland Lake Bible Conference
Formed by Merle Fuller in September of 1944. It would include the Myers’ Lake View and Asendorf’s Highland Lake Inn.—Farewell to Eldred, p. 303.

Posted in Boarding Houses, Farewell to Eldred, Old Photos | 2 Comments

Hawk’s Nest Road in Winter

by Louise Smith Posted on October 1, 2015
Mildred, Mary, and Laura Briggs on side of Hawk’s Nest Road circa 1940. Photo courtesy of Mary A.

I recently visited Mom in Michigan and found a few photos relating to the Town of Highland which I hope Halfway Brook Readers will enjoy as much as I did discovering them.

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1920 Barryville Glass Factory

by Louise Smith Posted on September 15, 2015
Barryville Glass Factory, Dam, and workers around 1920. Photo courtesy of Ed Wolff.
Glass cutters top row: George Liebla, Pat Palmer, Albert Wolff Norm Wolff; bottom row: Harold Quick John van Eastenbridge, Howard Pelton, Irving Quick, Frank Wolff, and an unknown man. Photo courtesy of Ed Wolff.

Town of Highland Occupations
Boarding houses were the main “industry” in the area, but there were still sawmills (belonging to Harry Wormuth, John Love, and others) and bluestone quarries which needed workers. The Erie Railroad employed many men.

The Barryville Glass Factory employed some 15 local people. Earl Palmer (who also was the bridge tender for the Barryville and Pond Eddy bridges) was a polisher and his wife Kate worked in the Glass Factory Showroom showing glassware for sale. The glass cutters included Albert, Norm, and Frank Wolff, sons of Charles and Janette Kerr Wolff. (We first met the Wolff family in Echo Hill and Mountain Grove.)—Farewell to Eldred, pp. 4 and 6.

Posted in Farewell to Eldred, Old Photos, People | 1 Comment

Bluestone in the early 1900s

by Louise Smith Posted on September 6, 2015

Parkers Glen bluestone dock in the early 1900s. PHoto courtesy of Minisink Valley Historical Society.
Cart loaded with a large bluestone from the Golbe Quarry in Rio, New York. The stone was sold to Alexander’s Hotel in Sparrowbush. This photo, taken between 1905 and 1907, is courtesy of Minisink Valley Historical Society.

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1954 Mr. Keller’s Backyard

by Louise Smith Posted on August 30, 2015
Photo of some of Mr. Keller’s wonderful creations. Photo courtesy of Doris S.

Mr. Keller—the Swiss friend of the Wolffs—had a wonderful, magical backyard. His place, on the road between Barryville and Yulan, had wooden creations that worked with flowing water. Cookie remembers yodeling music and waterfalls.—Information courtesy of friends Doris S. and Cookie W.

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Hillside Inn Memories

by Louise Smith Posted on August 23, 2015
Alfred and Helen Wolff bought Hillside Inn (formerly Metzger’s Bowling Alley and Dance Hall) and ran it as a restaurant. Postcard Courtesy of Kevin M.
Hillside Inn, 1954: Maria Fuchs, Alfred and Helen (L to R) in the back of the group (the others are my father, some friends from NJ, me and Cookie). Photo courtesy of Doris S.
Group of folks who had immigrated from Waiblingen Germany to the US in the 1920s standing on steps of Hillside Inn. Photo taken around 1964 courtesy of Doris S.

Doris Stegmaier Schmidt recently left a comment on this Halfway Brook site. She emailed me some more memories and photos relating to Hillside Inn which I thought Halfway Brook would enjoy reading and seeing. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

I think of the old days and the Hillside Inn a lot. About 10 years ago, my husband had found an article on Google that the Inn had burned down. My parents and I spent a lot of time there in the summers, and took other friends there also.

My mother, Clara Stegmaier, grew up with Helen Fuchs and Maria Fuchs (sisters) who immigrated to New York from Waiblingen, Germany. Maria worked at the inn as waitress and she had a house near the crossroads.

Louise (Cookie) Wolff, daughter of Helen and Alfred of the Hillside Inn, and I were together in the summers when my parents drove us from Philadelphia to Yulan.

The “German cuisine” (see comment), and my mother’s cooking was identical (Schwaebisch). My father loved the Rheingold beer, that I remember. Continue reading →

Posted in Boarding Houses, Farewell to Eldred, Old Photos, Postcards | 3 Comments