Oops! If you got a notice that Monkey Wards was the name of this post, you are probably wondering how that matched up with Highland Hotel. It doesn’t really connect and chalk it up to writer error.
I so appreciate the comments Halfway Brook readers have been making.
I continue to group information and photos into the years 1920 to 1950 (plus or minus) for book 3, and today ran across this envelope from Sand Beach.
I have heard some stories of those who were often at Sand Beach on Highland Lake. That is one of the places the guests at Mountain Grove House (my Austin grandparents boarding house) would go for “bathing” (swimming) or boating.
Does anyone know the history of Sand Beach or have photos?
I’ve collected quite a list of boarding house owners from 1920 to 1950. If anyone has more information or photos/postcards!! of the following boarding house owners, it would be greatly appreicated!! You can leave a comment after this post or you can email me: info (at) halfwaybrook (dot) com
Lewis Acor and his daughter Lillian Stidd
Karl Angerstein
Arlington—who owned it and the years.
Peter Barth, Highland Lake
John and Edith Birr
E.H. and Hazel Carroll, Glendella
Gus and Frieda Dasener, on Minisink Ford-Barryville Rd.
M.J. Dennehy, Highland Villa near Highland Lake
Charles and Martha Draxler on York Lake
Charles and Gertrude Frey, Corkscrew Rd.
Gibney, Sunset House, Highland Lake
Margaret Greening
Mary Hankins, Rosemary Lodge
Henry and Elsie Graf, Pine Grove House on Highland Lake
Anna Holden
Continue reading
Here is an excerpt from the diary my great-aunt Aida Austin wrote in 1942, the year she turned 81. Aida and her brother Lon lived next door to each other on the old Austin homestead. The houses faced Proctor Road. Collins Road was the next side street. The three young folks are unknown.
Wednesday, July 1 Warm and showery all day.
Thursday, July 2 Edith Timmerhof sent me some papers this afternoon by two children. I didn’t know them.
Saturday, July 4 Mr. Briggs and his boy were up this morning and picked a mess of sweet peas.
Monday, July 6 I was to the PO and to the A&P this morning. We had a very hard shower this afternoon and strong wind.
Tuesday, July 7 I was just getting up this morning when Mr. Frint stopped by the lane and left some papers in the box.
Thursday, July 9 I was to the village this morning for bread.
Monday, July 13 I went to the PO in time to send a letter to Arthur [my dad, in the Army] in this morning’s mail.
Tuesday, July 14 I was to the A&P this morning. Met Mrs. Winter and walked with her as far as the McGee bungalo and came up across the fields. We met Mr. and Mrs. Geisler (the owners) and Mrs. Winter introduced me to Mrs. Geisler.
Wednesday, July 15 Mr. Briggs was up for some raspberries. I gave him Arthur’s address. It has been pleasant all day and I did some washing this morning. Continue reading
As you might imagine, running a
boarding house was a considerable
amount of hard work, including
in 1906, getting water from the well.
Just like many other boarding house
owners, Mort Austin also farmed.
In 1906 Mort and Jennie Austin’s
3 sons: McKinley, 7, Raymond, 6,
and Willie (Bill), 3.
Their grandfather Henry Austin still
lived with them.
Mort and Jennie Austin bought the Collins’ place on 9 acres of land for $300 from Emma Kelso Collins, wife of Tom K. Collins, in April 1905. The former Collins’ home (which was on Collins Road) became Mort and Jennie’s boarding house, Homestead Cottage.
Homestead Cottage could accommodate 15 guests. It was a ten minute walk to Highland Lake. The Shohola Railway Station, where Mort met the guests, was 6 miles away. It was a mile to the Eldred Post Office.
This is a fun photo in my mom’s collection. I think this was taken at Coney Island in maybe the 1930s.
In back row: Bud Smith, Bill Warden at the wheel, Charles Geissler, Ian Warden?, Art Austin; front left: Royden Toaspern, Bub Toaspern.
