Lost in the Catacombs, June 1944

by Louise Smith Posted on July 31, 2013
Smiling Italians approve the Allied entry into Rome. Fifth Army. Rome area, Italy. 5 June 1944. National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland (111-SC-190313) courtesy of http://wwiiarchives.net.
American vehicles of the Fifth Army pass the ancient Coliseum as they begin to occupy Rome, Italy. June 5, 1944. National Archives and Records Administration (111-SC-190312) courtesy of http://wwiiarchives.net.

June 5, 1944, U.S. troops entered Rome.

Lost in the Catacombs
Art Austin arrived in Rome with the Fifth Army. He and his friends decided to visit the Catacombs. They managed to persuade the guard on duty at the catacombs, to let them explore where the early Christians had hid.

There was no electricity in the area, so there was no lighting in the Catacombs. But Art’s friend said not to worry as he had been a Boy Scout.

When they passed the same area more than once, Art decided he’d have to go with a better plan or they’d never get out. Since the men weren’t supposed to have been allowed there, Art figured no one would look for them in that location. Art reached up over his head and found the electric wires that were used to light the place before the war. He hung on to and followed the wires, until finally the group found their way out.

Posted in Farewell to Eldred, World War II | 2 Comments

1943 Barone Ricciardi’s Castle

by Louise Smith Posted on July 17, 2013
Barone R. Ricciardi’s card courtesy of Mary A.

Art Austin, Salerno, Italy
My dad Art Austin was with the 5th U.S. Army when they sailed on the Duchess of Bedford on September 9, 1943. They were a part of the assault waves of the landing at Salerno. The Duchess landed at Paestum south of Salerno.

The excitement started a few nights after the Paestum landing. I was comfortably relaxed in a bed in Baron Ricciardi’s castle—the first bed I had seen in months on end. My but it was grand! The Colonel winked when he gave me permission to guard the office that night, ‘if I felt like it.’ Without the proper authority, a foxhole, as usual, would have been my home. Of course, I felt like it—an understanding man, that Colonel.

Near midnight, however, a messenger rushed through the room wildly proclaiming, “The Germans are coming! Burn all secret papers.”

A groan from across the room proved that the Master Gunner, who was sharing the office defense with me, had heard the bad news. We hesitated a few moments. One who has not seen a bed in months, does not get up readily under any circumstances. But duty and self preservation demanded action.

We looked for clothing, secret office records, emergency chocolate rations; hunted for the absent Colonel’s belongings to take along (might as well be captured as to leave them behind); searched all night long until daylight found us in a safe location. Still, it was not a total loss. From that time on, everything missing on inspection days had been lost at the Baron’s.—Art Austin.

Posted in Farewell to Eldred, World War II | Comments Off on 1943 Barone Ricciardi’s Castle

May 1942 Flooding

by Louise Smith Posted on June 30, 2013
“We are all down on the bridge.” Caption and photo by Irwin Briggs.
The 1942 flood at John the barber’s house, past the Spring House. Photo of Irwin Briggs.
Flooding on the Delaware River in front of the Barryville Methodist Church. Photo by Irwin Briggs.

Monday, May 18, 1942, Aida Austin was disappointed she could not get her cracked wheat bread at the A&P. She stopped in at Andrew Parker’s for a paper and saw Bertha Sullivan and her sister.

When Aida was at Randolph’s on Tuesday, she and Marge Parker had a long talk about the war.

Thursday brought quite the thunderstorm and flood along the Delaware River. Anna Leavenworth in Islip was relieved to talk to her sister Christina Hirsch in the evening and find out she was OK.

The paper on Saturday, May 23, reported terrible flooding in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, where Carl and Annie Walters and their son died in a flash flood. Annie Walters was a sister to both Bill Meyers Sr. and Joe Meyer.—From the upcoming Farewell to Eldred book.

Posted in Brooks and Ponds, Farewell to Eldred, Letters and information | 2 Comments

Eldred-Austin Cousin Descendants

by Louise Smith Posted on June 28, 2013
Eldred-Austin Cousins at the Austin Farm on Proctor Road. Photo courtesy of Austin Family.

It’s been like Christmas here for several days. I did find a descendant of Justus and Mary Wells Hickok.

I have been pursuing for several years and I now have a third descendant of the Eldred-Austin Cousins (children of Augustus and Phebe Maria Eldred Austin) who wrote such lively letters in the 1860s.

Here are the Eldred-Austin Cousins whose descendants I have been searching for:

Alonzo Eugene and Isabelle Camp Austin (Descendants would be through Joseph G. and Olinda Austin Ayers.)

Mortimer Bruce and Mary Millspaugh Austin (Found!)

Henry and Net Austin Clinton (Their daughter married Francis Deal.)

Thomas J. and Addie E. Austin Thompson (Found!)

Edward D. Austin (Unknown if he married.)

Randolph and Tina Austin Laing (Unknown if they had children.)

Archibald and Rand Austin Paton (Found!)

James and Ida Belle Austin Brown (Unknown if they had children.)

Posted in Aida Austin Diary, Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, The Mill on Halfway Brook | Comments Off on Eldred-Austin Cousin Descendants

Farewell to Eldred TOC

by Louise Smith Posted on June 23, 2013

I am hoping to have the whole manuscript (with well over 1,000 photos) for Book 3: “Farewell to Eldred,” 1920–1950, ready for Gary within a couple weeks. Typically it takes another 2 months before the book is ready to go to press.

Each chapter usually includes World, National, and Local News. Most chapters have information on the Boarding House Ads for the corresponding year. I thought my Halfway Brook readers might be interested in the chapter titles.

Chapter 1: Most Pleasant Time of All, 1920
Introduction to the people, the area, and the Boarding Houses.

Chapter 2: The First Real Sorrow, 1921–1924
The year 1921 was a sad year for the Austins. It was a time of sorrow for some other families as well.

Chapter 3: A Fortunate Occurrence, 1925–1926
Eldred Central was built, making it possible for my dad to go to High School.

Chapter 4: Lights, Toasters, Radios, 1927–1929
Electricity arrives at the Garfield Leavenworth residence.

Chapter 5: Better Life in the Country, 1929
This chapter features the Boarding Houses in 1929. Continue reading →

Posted in Farewell to Eldred | 1 Comment

Asa and Esther Hinman Hickok

by Louise Smith Posted on June 21, 2013

Do anyone of my Halfway Brook readers know if anyone with the surname Hickok still lives in the Town of Highland?

Asa and Esther Hinman Hickok and their five children moved from Connecticut to what was Lumberland in 1811. Their daughter Hannah married James Eldred (my ancestors) after his first wife died. Their son Justus seems to have been the only other descendant who stayed in the area.

Justus and Mary Wells Hickok’s children:
David and Mary Russell Hickok had several children.
William and Almeda Drake Hickok had several children.
Robert Land (d. 1918) and Charlotte Hulse Hickok.
William and Mary Hickok Stidd.
Charles (d. 1923) and Sarah DeHart Hickok.

Posted in Info/photo request | 3 Comments

Madeleine Farm, France, 1923

by Louise Smith Posted on June 21, 2013
Madeleine Farm, near where McKinley died in October 1918. Photo taken by Aida Austin when she visited France in 1923.

Montfaucon, France,
October 12–17, 1918
McKinley’s outfit arrived in the vicinity of Montfaucon on October 12. They suffered casualties from the heavy shelling of enemy guns the next day. That evening the 11th Infantry took up a position around Ferme de la Madeleine.

At the Battle of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon (October 14–17), the Americans launched a series of costly frontal assaults that finally broke through the main German defences of the Hindenburg Line.

The enemy waiting until the forward movement is commenced, throws down a terrific barrage upon our front so that the division going ‘over the top’ at daylight (October 14th) with the 9th Brigade (60th and 61st Infantry) on the right, and the 10th brigade, 6th and 11th Infantry on the left, is immediately plunged into a perfect storm of shell fire which inflicts heavy casualties in its ranks at the very outset of the advance.—Moss and Howland, p. 287.

McKinley is Hit
It was our [11th Infantry’s] first day in the Argonne drive and we went over at 8 the morning of the 14th of October. We hadn’t gone far when we were held up by the German machine guns. They [Germans] were firing on us from three different directions and there wasn’t enough of the boys left to advance farther so we were forced to stop and dig in.

The Corporal of his squad being a casualty, [I] made [McKinley] Austin as I knew him, Squad leader and when we reached the hill which was Madelaine Farm, the German’s made it so hot for us we could not advance further. So I directed him to put his gun into action on the west of the hill.

Then I went on seeing the other gun put into action which was even more perilous and came back. Seeing him on the side of the hill I asked him if he had the gun in action. He said, no. He came back for a shovel. I paid no more attention to him then and went on to report to Capt. Dashiell who was killed later.—Sgt. John Popp letter. Continue reading →

Posted in Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, People, World War I | 2 Comments

Jennie Austin Gold Star Mother

by Louise Smith Posted on June 13, 2013
Service Flag with Gold Star, courtesy of Mary A.

It was a custom of families of servicemen to hang a service Flag in the window of their homes. The Service Flag had a star for each family member in the military.

Living servicemen were represented by a blue star, and those who had lost their lives were prepresented by a gold star.

This is the Austin flag with a gold star because of McKinley’s death, and a blue star for their son Raymond who also served during World War I.

The body of private McKinley Austin, who died in France October 14, 1918, arrived at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.M. Austin, in Eldred on Saturday from Hoboken, N.J.

Young Austin was 20 years old and enlisted in the 11th infantry of the Machine Gun Company, and was called to France in May of that year. The funeral was held at his home in Eldred at 1:30 o’clock on Wednesday. Rev. Mr. Ether, pastor of the Barryville M.E. Church, officiating.—News article, September 16, 1921.

It is curious as to who asked that McKinley’s body be shipped back, as the family story had been that Aida Austin went over to France in 1923 specifically to bring the body back.

Posted in Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, World War I | Comments Off on Jennie Austin Gold Star Mother