January 1935

by Louise Smith Posted on January 1, 2015
John Briggs, Freddy Dieckhoff, and Mary Briggs next to the Delaware River. The river is at flood stage and the ice is breaking up. Photo courtesy of Mary A.

January 1935
Tuesday, January 1, eight inches of snow fell and drifted. Bill Meyers Jr. plowed. Anna took the mail over to Bill and Lottie Meyers.

Erwin Avery delivered the milk with a tractor Wednesday and Thursday.

Thursday, January 3, the snow plow finally got to the Leavenworths.

Thursday, January 10, Clara went to see Laura McBride. Friday Clinton took Clara and Jim to the dentist in Monticello. Clara had three teeth pulled. Jim had his teeth cleaned and a tooth pulled.

Mort Austin had written to his brother Ell that his son Bob was in the C.C.C. in California. The Civilian Conservation Corps was part of the Roosevelt’s New Deal. It was a public work relief program from 1933 to 1942 for unemployed, unmarried men, ages 18–25. Around January Raymond Austin received a letter from Bob in California, with his take on C.C.C. Camps. The first page was missing.

Bob Austin, Calif., to Raymond Austin, Staten Island
January 1935
The work is about 20 miles from Camp. If it wasn’t for the long ride in the morning, it would be very nice out here as we don’t have to work very hard. I have become used to the Camp, but I can’t get used to the cold.

We are quartered in barracks, but we have to sleep in double deck bunks in which there is a bag that we stuffed with straw the first day we came. It was very uncomfortable at first, but I can sleep on them just as well as if I were in a bed.

The barracks are very unclean since they raise quite a dust in the morning which settles on the two by fours and the boards which the beds are made out of.

We have to eat out of mess kits and it is very hard to get them clean as sometimes the water we have to wash them in is not very warm. They promised us table service over a month ago, but we haven’t got it as yet. Continue reading →

Posted in Austin letters, Farewell to Eldred, World War II | Leave a comment

October through December 1931

by Louise Smith Posted on December 30, 2014
Lucille Wait, Betty Boyd, Shirley Sanders, Dorothy Wait, Janith Boyd, Arthur Austin, Billy Boyd and King.
Dr. Gutfruend and his granddaughter Shirley lived in this house which originally belonged to the Sloneks. Later it was called Under the Pines. Photo courtesy of CSMyers.

October 1931
John Love finished a driven well (machine pounded rather than by hand) on Thursday, October 1.

Ken McBride was over to play with Jim Leavenworth on Saturday. They often got together in October.

The middle of October Garfield Leavenworth started remodeling their kitchen for Ella’s new stove. Three days later, Ella had moved into her kitchen and the new stove was set up. Kate Love visited again.

Garfield started work for Walter Tether. At the end of October Garfield worked for Dr. Gutfruend. Dr. Gutfruend and his granddaughter Shirley Sanders lived in the old Slonek house that would one day be called, Under the Pines. Perhaps Garfield did some repairs on the old house. Garfield did put shingles on his own porch.

There is a photo of Shirley Sanders with several children from Eldred with my dad and his St. Bernard dog King. The group had gone swimming behind the library one day when King got in the water and they had a hard time getting him out. Continue reading →

Posted in Book excerpts, Farewell to Eldred | Leave a comment

Happy 100th Birthday

by Louise Smith Posted on December 29, 2014
Dorothy (Dot) Calkin at graduation.

A belated Happy 100th Birthday to my (Austin) second cousin Dorothy (Dot) Hale. Dot turned 100 on December 25, 2014! Dot was born to Burt and Lillie Austin Calkin. Lillie was the only first Austin cousin of my dad Art Austin, who was a year and a half old when Dot was born.

My family had lost contact with favorite cousin Lillie’s family in the 1950s. One of my special memories while working on the Halfway Brook Series, was not only to “find” Dot’s niece Kathy T. through email (and meet her in person); but to be able to talk with Dot on the telephone. What neat, neat ladies!

(And fun to find out that Dot, like myself, likes to make chocolate chip cookies and freeze them, so there are always some choco chip cookies in the house!!)

Lillie had given her Austin photo/letter treasures (not found in my family collection) to Dot who passed them along to Kathy. Such a great addition to the Halfway Brook books 2 and 3. A special thank you to Dot and Kathy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOT!!

Dorothy with her big brother Dale.
Posted in Farewell to Eldred, People, Then or now | 1 Comment

Androscoggin Swinging Bridge

by Louise Smith Posted on December 14, 2014
Androscoggin Swinging Bridge in Maine.

I have really enjoyed learning about other places and famous people that are connected somehow to Halfway Brook.

HalfwayBrook contributor Joan P. sent me photos her friend took of Maine’s Androscoggin Swinging Bridge because of the tie in with the Roebling Bridge photos I have posted.

The Bridge crosses the Androscoggin River and was constructed by John A. Roebling’s Sons Company in 1892 for mill workers walking from the Topsham neighborhood to the Cabot Mill in Brunswick.

Roebling’s three sons, Washington, Ferdinand and Charles, built their father’s company into the world’s leading producer of wire rope, with four factories and nearly 8,000 employees at its peak…
—http://roeblingmuseum.org/about-us/the-roeblings-sons-co/

Androscoggin Swinging Bridge in Maine.
View of Androscoggin Swinging Bridge in Maine.
Posted in Bridges | 1 Comment

Parker Hotel

by Louise Smith Posted on November 23, 2014
Parker House postcard courtesy of CSMeyers.

J.Y. Parker first built a Hotel on the northeast side of Eldred’s four corners. By 1900 he had built the Parker House which still stands, southeast of Eldred’s four corners.

The photos in my Halfway Brook books are in black and white, so thought I would share these postcards in color. As many of you know, the Parker House also housed the Post Office at times.

Parker House Postcard courtesy of CSMyers.
Posted in Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, Farewell to Eldred, Postcards, The Mill on Halfway Brook, Then or now | Leave a comment