Town of Highland’s WWII Serviceman

by Louise Smith Posted on May 1, 2012
WWII soldier group with Bill Austin standing in back on the right.
Art Austin in WWII.

I have recently been reading books about World War II for background information for Book 3.

Many from Highland served in World War II including my father, his brothers Bob and Bill Austin, and their cousin Jim Leavenworth.

If your relative from the Town of Highland was in WWII, I would appreciate knowing that person’s name, how and where they served, and what branch they were with. I know there were also some nurses from the area and some folks worked at factories in other states.

Also, it seems people took different watches at the golf course. If anyone has more information about golf course watching during the war, that would be great.

You can comment on this site (I’m sure others would be interested in reading comments) or email me: info (at) halfwaybrook (dot) com Continue reading →

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September 6, 1901: President McKinley is Assassinated

by Louise Smith Posted on April 25, 2012

William McKinley Jr., a Civil War veteran, had become President in 1897. On September 5, 1901, President and Mrs. McKinley were at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, where he had delivered a speech on tariffs and foreign trade.

The next afternoon, the President greeted people at the Temple of Music. Leon Czolgosz was in line with a pistol concealed by a handkerchief. Leon fired twice. The second bullet went through the President’s abdomen and lodged in the muscles of his back.

President McKinley was reported as being concerned about how they told his wife what happened. He also wanted Czolgosz protected from the angry crowd which was severely beating Czolgosz.

Eight days later, the President died from gangrene. His last words were, “It is God’s way; His will be done, not ours.” Vice President Theodore Roosevelt then became President. There was a 1903 photo of the Theodore Roosevelt family in the Austin memorabilia.—wikipedia.org.

1903 President Teddy Roosevelt and his family. Photo courtesy of Austin Family.
Posted in Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, People | Comments Off on September 6, 1901: President McKinley is Assassinated

Jacob Clouse and Emma Wagner

by Louise Smith Posted on April 24, 2012
Jacob Clouse and Emma Wagner's wedding certificate courtesy of C.W.

Jacob Clouse of Barryville and Emma Wagner of Eldred were joined together in holy matrimony on January 7, 1884 by Rev. John E. Perine. Herman F. Rixton and Aida A. Austin (my great aunt) were the witnesses.

I have the original Clouse wedding certificate thanks to the thoughtfulness of C.W. A high schooler at the time, she was helping to clean out a real estate office (Reber’s I think) in Barryville in spring 2010. Recognizing the name Aida Austin which she had seen on my site, she contacted me, and sent me the actual certificate by snail mail.

Here is some Census information on Jacob (his father’s name was also Jacob, I think) and Emma Wagner Clouse and their family.

1900 Census
Jacob Clouse, 38, m. 16 years, day laborer; Emma wife, 36
sons: Herman, 15, mail carrier; John, 14, day laborer, William, 10, Frank, 5

I have Jacob Clouse’s death as 1903 and his wife Emma’s as 1934. Continue reading →

Posted in Letters and information, People | 4 Comments

Places to stay 1900 to 1905

by Louise Smith Posted on April 21, 2012
Abel Myers' Orchard Terrace which will one day serve as a school. Photo courtesy of Chuck M.

Lake Side Cottage
25 guests near water. $6. E.H. Moore.—Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 17, 1900.

Orchard Terrace, Eldred
4 miles Shohola; elevation 1,600 feet; beautiful balsamic and pine clad hills; broad piazzas, hunting, fishing, boating; fine scenery; modern improvements. Booklet. A.S. Myers.—Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 19, 1900.

Pine Grove Farm, Eldred
Beautifully situated; good board from our own farm; circulars. Jos. Maier.
—New York World, August 29, 1900.

Highland Cottage, Yulan
On Washington Lake, Yulan; Capacity 100. Amusement Hall, bowling alley, boating, bathing; terms moderate. Booklet. R.C. Miller.
—Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 29, 1902. Continue reading →

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Grocery Account Book, 1900–1906

by Louise Smith Posted on April 20, 2012
1900 Grocery booklet in the collection of Mary A.

Mr. Mort Austin in account with Mr. Turner. Fine Groceries, Flour of all grades, Selected Teas, Pure Coffees, and Spices, Butter and Cheeses From the Best Dairies. Foreign and Domestic Fruits, Canned fruits and vegetables. And a full variety of other goods usually kept in a first class store. Goods promptly delivered free of expense.

1 can apricots .25
1 baking powder .20
1 can beef .25
10# butter 2.50
2 lb. cake .20
1 chicken .65
1 box cinnamon .10
3# cod .10
1# coffee .18 to .25
2 cocoa .20 to .25
1 can corn .10
Continue reading →

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Anne Mary Austin Schoonover and her niece Aida Austin

by Louise Smith Posted on April 18, 2012
Anne Mary Austin Schoonover. Photo courtesy of Kathy T.
Aida Austin as a young girl. Photo courtesy of Kathy T.

Anne Mary Austin married Oliver Perry (O.P.) Schoonover in 1846. Anne was quite sickly at least as early as 1857. In December of 1863 Anne wrote to her sister Laura Austin Clark:

Four weeks yesterday, I was taken sick with the bilious fever, very sick. The day before I was very smart, so Perry went down the River and was gone a week. I was down all the time, but nights I kept getting worse. On Saturday, they thought I would not live for a while…A.M. Schoonover.

Anne’s niece Aida Austin was not quite 4 when her aunt Anne Mary Schoonover died at the age of 37 in August 1864. Perry and Anne had no children.

Two years after his first wife’s death, Perry Schoonover, 46, married Mary Murray Parker, 30, a widow with 3 children: George, Kate, and Laura.

Perry and Mary Murray Parker Schoonover had two of their own children: Emily and Rowlee (Daniel Rowlee) Schoonover. Continue reading →

Posted in Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, People | 1 Comment

Stories from behind the scenes

by Louise Smith Posted on April 17, 2012
Marion, Russ, Peggy, and Louise after a great afternoon of telling and hearing stories about the Town of Highland.

Part of the enjoyment of working on the Halfway Brook Books is meeting and corresponding (almost always by email) with relatives and descendants of the people who once lived in The Town of Highland or nearby.

So you might understand my excitement this past weekend at meeting both past and future contributors in person.

On Saturday I visited with Marion, Russ and Peggy (pictured above) in Scottsdale. Marion used to live in the Town of Highland and her family owned Handsome Eddy Farm. Marion knew my mother’s family.

Russ grew up in Pond Eddy and his wife Peggy’s family stayed at one the boarding houses near Highland Lake each summer. I happily listened to their stories from the 1920s through the present.

It will take another post to tell the story of my almost cousin John (a major contributor to Echo Hill and Mountain Grove) who visited Gary and I here in Cave Creek on Friday.

John’s first email arrived around February 2010. He answered a question I had written the previous year on my family site: Who was Emily Waidler who wrote a letter in 1944 to my great-aunt Aida Austin and called her cousin?

This was the start to unravel the Austin/Schoonover/Parker mystery.

Posted in Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, The Mill on Halfway Brook, Then or now | 2 Comments