October to December 1917

by Louise Smith Posted on April 17, 2013
November 3, 1917. “I am sending you some pictures I had taken in Chickamauga (Georgia).” McKinley is in front, second from the right. Photo in the Austin Collection.
McKinley (on the left) with a friend at Chickamauga, Georgia, possibly at Crawfish Springs, mentioned in his November 3, 1917 letter. Photo in the Austin Collection.

McKinley Austin, Chickamauga Park, Ga., to Jennie Austin
October 7, 1917
Dear Ma,
I am sorry you were worried about me. I might say though that it is best to always believe the best; you’ll hear of the worst. I have learned since I joined the army not to worry.

I would have written sooner this time, but we had 24 hours in the trenches, a long hike, and a couple of sham battles and I have been so tired when the day’s work was over, I didn’t feel like writing. The strike is over and we can go to Chattanooga when it doesn’t interfere with our duties. McKinley

McKinley Austin, Chickamauga Park, Ga., to Mort Austin
November 3, 1917
Dear Father,
I got out of the hospital alright. I wish I could get off and come home for a couple of weeks, but they are only giving short passes now.

I am sending you some pictures I had taken in Chickamauga. One of the pictures is of me on the bridge below Chickamauga, another of two fellows from the 52nd down at Crawfish Springs, another of another fellow and me at the same place and the other of a place on the road to Chickamauga. Continue reading →

Posted in Austin letters, Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, World War I | Comments Off on October to December 1917

Have you heard of any of these boarding houses?

by Louise Smith Posted on April 15, 2013

I have one more chapter to complete on boarding houses from 1925 to 1930 and my rough draft will be complete. There are a few folks who owned boarding houses that I have no info on. I am hoping one of Halfway Brook readers might be able to help me out.

Dorthea Gent, 46, boarding house, 1925

Rose McQuirk, 55, boarding house, 1925

Louise? Nashour 34, boarding house, 1925

Gus 37, and Barbara 33, Rothenbeck boarding house 1925

Mrs. Holden, 1930

Mary Hankins ran Rosemary Lodge, 1930

Alice McCaffry, manager, boarding house, 1930

Posted in Boarding Houses, Do you know who I am, Farewell to Eldred | 2 Comments

WWI Stamps and Certificates

by Louise Smith Posted on April 11, 2013
1918 U.S. Thrift Card in the collection of Mary A.
1918 inside of the U.S. Thrift Card in the collection of Mary A.

War Saving Stamps and Certificates were provided for in the bond act of September 24, 1917, and put in operation December 3, 1918.

Thrift stamps cost 25 cents each, but did not accrue interest. Sixteen thrift stamps on a thrift card could be exchanged for a war-savings stamp.

The war-savings stamps were to be affixed to certificates containing spaces for 20 stamps.

It had a face value of $100, if dated January 2, 1918. It matured January 1, 1923, when the Govern-ment said it would redeem it for $100.

If the 20 spaces were filled during December 1917, or January 1918, the cost was $4.12 for each stamp, or $82.40 for the full certificate.

Posted in Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, Uncategorized, World War I | Comments Off on WWI Stamps and Certificates

August 1917

by Louise Smith Posted on April 9, 2013

McKinley Austin, Chattanooga, Tenn., to Aida Austin, Eldred
August 4, 1917
Dear Aunt,

I am here and like it better than at Fort Slocum. We get better food and the officers seem better, though we had a fine sergeant there. It took over 34 hours to come here, counting from the time we left the barracks at Ft. Slocum, till we got here.

If I am lucky, and come back, I wouldn’t miss this for five thousand dollars. The trip down to here was worth a year of a man’s life. I’ll never forget it. I am sure. For the present, my address is: Mortimer Austin, 11 U.S. Inf., F Company, Military branch, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Your nephew, McKinley

McKinley Austin, Chattanooga, Tenn., to His Family, Eldred
August 4, 1917
To all family, relations, friends,

I am very well and certainly like this place. We left Port Jervis on the morning train instead of the 12:15. Of the 15 applicants, only 2, Al Delaney and I went. We were examined at Poughkeepsie and a bunch of us, 13 in all, were sent to Ft. Slocum. We got there late at night. Sunday we were examined again and four were sent back. Also we were vaccinated and inoculated for typhoid. My vaccination didn’t take, but the inoculation did.

Monday we got our uniforms and were assigned to our squads. Tuesday afternoon, we were told to get ready to go South. And we were examined again. About 7:30, we left our barracks, turned in our blankets and marched to the parade ground. The commander inspected us. Then we were sent aboard a ship and sent down the East River. Continue reading →

Posted in Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, People, World War I, World War II | Comments Off on August 1917

Dear Soldier Boy, April 1917

by Louise Smith Posted on April 8, 2013
McKinley Austin at his aunt Aida Austin’s house, 1917. Photo courtesy of Mary A.

My Tuesdays are meatless
My Wednesdays are wheatless
I am getting more eatless each day.
My house is heatless
My bed is sheetless
They’ve all been sent to the Y.M.C.A..
The bar rooms are treatless
My coffee is sweetless,
Each day I get poorer and wiser
My stockings are feetless
My trousers are seatless
Oh how I do hate the Kaiser.

Quite a poem, is it not?

Well let’s hope that there will soon be an end to this awful war.
—Your friend, Ruth Colville.

In 1917 McKinley (Mac) Austin (my dad’s oldest brother) enlisted in the Army for WWI. Raymond Austin would also enlist.

Ruth Colville who lived in Barryville at the time, was one of McKinley’s friends who wrote to him.

Posted in Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, People | Comments Off on Dear Soldier Boy, April 1917

Book 3 Update

by Louise Smith Posted on February 27, 2013
February 2013 desktop.

The third Smith wedding in a year (March 2012 to February 2013) took place over the weekend.

Before the wedding I was working on the WWII years and writing multitudinous “notes to remember.”

In the week since the arrival of family for the wedding, I have received more super information, letters, and photos.

Today I am back at the computer surrounded by colorful notes, a tea tray, and a pillow to rest my foot that is still healing from a bad sprain. (The sprain means Gary is the chauffeur for groceries, as well as chief cook and bottle washer.)

I am putting the notes galore in the appropriate year on the large orange sheets that cover each year from 1920 to 1950.

Back to 1942.

Posted in Farewell to Eldred, General information | Comments Off on Book 3 Update

Baker Business School

by Louise Smith Posted on January 29, 2013
Baker Business School in NYC, around 1930.

I am currently working on the Town of Highland Story in the years 1930 to 1933. My father graduated from Eldred Union (he was the only graduate that year) in June 1930 and then went to Baker Business School. I can’t seem to find information about the school on google. I was wondering if any Halfway Brook readers might have heard of it.

Posted in Info/photo request | Comments Off on Baker Business School