Pond Eddy Bridge, 2007
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NY 97 Opened August 30, 1939
August 30, 1939, N.Y. Route 97 from Port Jervis to Hancock, was officially opened.
Several events were held to mark the road’s opening, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Port Jervis featuring the mayors of Port Jervis and Hancock and a motorcade procession that traveled the length of the highway.
In all, it cost $4 million (equivalent to $66.8 million in 2012) to build N.Y. 97. The portion through the Hawk’s Nest cost $2 million (equivalent to $33.4 million in 2012) to construct.—wikipedia.org.
September 1939
Germany invaded Poland on Friday, September 1. The world would soon be at war.
“Fighting in Europe. Germans and Polish so far,” Ella wrote on Saturday.
Sunday Clara and Ella took care of Jimmy so Anna and Bill could help Lottie Meyers with her boarding house.
Monday Lee and Garfield ran more cement in the barn.
Thursday the groceries were delivered from Al Randolph’s Royal Scarlet.
Friday Ella wrote, “Babies both have teeth.”
“War still on between Germany, England, etc.,” Ella penned on Saturday.
In his Fireside Radio Chat Sunday, September 9, President Roosevelt said he fervently hoped the country could stay out of the war. Continue reading
Posted in Farewell to Eldred, World War II
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Hawk’s Nest Road, 2007
I was excited to be on the Hawk’s Nest Road on the way from Port Jervis to Eldred. My mom had mentioned the road and I knew that car companies sometimes filmed cars driving along the wonderfully winding road.
It has been fun to trace Hawk’s Nest Road through information and photos/postcards—from a dirt path in the early 1800s to its official opening as a paved road from Port Jervis to Hancock, NY, on August 30, 1939.
Posted in General information, Then or now
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The beginning of Halfway Brook Books: Port Jervis 2007
I plan on posting the names of the folks in the Lumberland censuses during the years 1840 to 1860. I have a couple families mentioned in the Halfway Brook Books and the censuses that I would like to feature. However, I have gotten sidetracked with searching for my Ralph Austin’s family as well as daily life.
So for now, I thought it would be fun to post a few photos from Gary and my visit to Eldred in 2007. It had been well over 40 years since I had visited Eldred. And that many years since I had seen my second cousin Cynthia.
Cynthia had agreed to write her memories of her grandfather Garfield Leavenworth, brother to my grandmother Jennie Louisa Leavenworth Austin, for a 50-page booklet (if we could find enough information) which I planned to write on my Austin grandparents whom I had never met.
What a fun adventure it has turned out to be.
Gary and I and our two youngest stayed at a motel in Pennsyvlania. (Thanks for the correction Cynthia.) The next morning we crossed the Port Jervis bridge on the way to Eldred to meet Cynthia.
Posted in Bridges, General information
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1830 Lumberland Census
There are more familiar names in the 1830 Lumberland Census. If you have done much research with censuses, you will know the difficulty of being accurate, hence the question marks.
John Williams
Asa Daily
William Huff
John Smith
A. McIntyre
Elisha Daily
Henry Haines
Hiram Clark
Oliva Decker
Martin G. Austin
Sylvester Higgins
? Hendrickson
T? Daily
Joshua? W. Clenning?
Henry Hoofman
Lydia Wire
Henry Case
Hickney
John Higsby?
Thomas Black
Samuel Wells
Robert Darrah
Moses Clark Continue reading
Posted in Censuses, The Mill on Halfway Brook
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Town of Lumberland, 1820
Thomas Dunn
James Dunn
Joseph Reynolds
Oliver Calkins
Michael Brannon
Moses Dexter
Joseph Whight
Jacob Maiyat
William H. Skinner
Daniel Roberts
Jonathan Dexter
John Wood
Peter Van Auken
John Dickinson?
Frederick A. Roosa
Archibald Mills
Joseph Drake
Daniel Drake
John Corwin
Samuel Knight
John Riter
Ezekile Tuthill
Samuel C. Tuthill
James Hartwell
Samuel C. Myers Continue reading
Posted in Censuses, People, The Mill on Halfway Brook
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1810 Lumberland Census
Stephen Carmichael
Richard Van Etten
Oliver Calkin
Michael Brennen
Jeremiah Lilley
Campbell Allen
Samuel O. Cudington
William Middaugh
Phillip Culp
William Huff
Barnabus Snow
Carey Dunn
Alex Carmichael
Thomas Crumus
Joseph B. Hinckman
George Adiner
Samuel Walker
John Whaley
Cesse Cady
Jonathan Dexter
Henry H. Scott
Thomas Dunn
William Dunn
Sol. D. VanScoten
Charles W. Smith
John VanGelder
Peter Van Auken Continue reading
Posted in Censuses, The Mill on Halfway Brook
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Winter 1945
Wednesday, January 24, when it was snowing and blowing most of the day, Ella started a Lucky Star tablecloth for Eleanor Bosch. Austin Smith and his son Dale visited the Leavenworths.
Thursday it was 10 below zero in Eldred; and negative 26 at Highland Lake.
The terrible cold and snowy winter weather was referred to in a letter of Charlie Bosch and later in a letter of my dad Arthur Austin.
Charlie Bosch was practically snowed in at Highland Lake when he wrote his grandson Billy Bosch a lively letter at the end of January.
Charlie Bosch, Highland Lake,
to Willie Bosch, Queens, N.Y.
Sunday, January 28, 1945
Dear Little Billy, Mom, and Pop,
Just now it’s all snow at Green Acres [later called Green Meadows on Highland Lake] and 27 to 25 below. You sure couldn’t stand it as it is so cold.
We have to stay in the house and keep the stove red hot. It’s so cold the Rabvards [Billy’s pronunciation of “rabbits”] won’t come from under the porch. I feed them cabbage and frozen apples and rye bread…
There’s so much snow—4 feet in the woods, 30 inches on the fields. Continue reading
Posted in Farewell to Eldred, World War II
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February 1944
Wednesday, February 2, Anna Leavenworth walked to the Islip Post Office and bank. She bought two bonds, one for her niece Charlee and one for herself. Then she went to a “brush party” with five others. Monday Anna worked on a relief afghan.
In Eldred on Tuesday, Garfield started to make a violin. Ella sold a pineapple tablecloth for $7. Mary Sergeant was there for the day.
Wednesday Jimmie B. (Anna’s cat) in Islip was no longer on his milk regiment, or soon would be off, as Anna walked to Islip and bought a third bond, groceries, and liver for Jimmie.
It was clear and cold on Wednesday in Eldred when James K. Gardner died. (He was buried on Saturday.) James was a great-grandson of James Eldred, and the father of Edna Gardner.
On Valentine’s Day Ella got a letter from Grant Sergeant. She forwarded that letter to Jim.
Goldie got his induction papers on Saturday. Millard Hulse got his induction papers on Sunday.
On Thursday, January 24, Anna in Islip talked to her sister Christina in Eldred.
Monday the Leavenworths got two tons of coal from Mr. Wolff. It cost $23.90.
Posted in Farewell to Eldred, World War II
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February 1943
In Eldred on Wednesday, February 3, Ella Leavenworth received her third letter of the month from her son Jim.
“February 4, Guadalcanal is finally in American hands. United States’ first land victory over Japan,” wrote Ella on Thursday.
On Friday there was a letter from Jim and one from Stella.
Friday Aida went for oleo—first to Randolph’s and then to the A&P.
It was rainy and terribly icy Saturday when Aida went to Randolph’s for bread. There was a letter from her brother Ell. In the afternoon Robbie Bosch was over.
Saturday Ella received “a lovely letter from Jim.” Jim’s cousin Bill Austin in Mississippi wrote his brother Raymond.
Monday, February 8, was sunny and blustery; Tuesday was cold and icy. Wednesday morning Aida walked to Randolph’s. In the afternoon she went to see Mary Bosch.
“He is sort of blue [sad],” wrote Ella after reading Jim’s letter on Wednesday, February 17.
Thursday the snow was very deep and the weather cold. Katherine Dunlap was able to get to Aida’s, even though the road through the lane was terrible.
Friday morning Katherine gave Aida a number of papers when she visited. In the afternoon Aida went to the A&P and Randolph’s. Continue reading
