Halfway Brook

It’s been busy crazy times here, but I am gradually working my way through the Echo Hill and Mountain Grove manuscript the 4th time, and 500 pages.

Above is my wonderful workspace powered by tea.

• 2 monitors, the left one shows 2 pages from Chapter 9 which I am currently working on

• tea, on stacked bins (not on computer table) as a safety precaution

• books used as resources and new Maier/Bosch info on my footstool

• tax and boarding house, census, and other information on the table

• lots of sticky notes to remind me what I want to include in the chapters

• calculator to compute ages

• spiral notebook with notes taken down from phone calls

• old postcards and maps with helpful information from cousin Cynthia

I have wonderful new photos and information from several families that make a great addition to the book.

Hopefully, Echo Hill and Mountain Grove will be ready to print by June 2011.

Mary DeVenoge Miller. Photo courtesy of M. Austin.

Dr. and Mrs. DeVenoge’s daughter, Mary DeVenoge married
Louis Miller. Louis and Mary Miller had a boarding house
around 1900. Perhaps it was the one Mary’s folks had had
that was featured in the Erie R.R. brochure in 1889.

My mom just happened to have a photo of Mary DeVenoge,
in her amazing collection.

L. DeVenoge, MD, Eldred, Sullivan County, N.Y.

7 miles from Shohola, transportation $1.60
double room, adults $8 to $12; servants $8; discount for season.
Good fishing; boats free.

Dr. Leon DeVenoge owned a lot of property around Round Pond, which would one day be called Lake DeVenoge. The DeVenoge Boarding House was featured in the 1889 Erie R.R. brochure.

Aida Austin mentioned Dr. DeVenoge several times in her 1881 Diary.

Dr. and Mrs. DeVenoge died before 1900. They were buried in the Old Eldred Cemetery.

DeVenoge Marker in Old Eldred Cemetery.
Photo courtesy of Cousin Cynthia.

Bradley Farm Boarding House, Isaac M. Bradley, Proprietor

6 miles from Shohola. Conveyance, $1 each. Accommodate 35; 22 rooms; adults, $5 single; $1.50 per day.

Center of trout, perch and pickerel fishing. Boats free. Deer, bear, partridge, rabbit, woodcock, wild pigeon shooting. Deer-hounds and setters furnished; $2 per day. Croquet grounds. Meet parties at Shohola when notified. Headquarters for sportsmen. Fresh vegetables, milk, eggs and butter. Guides obtained. —Erie Railway Brochure, 1886.

Isaac M. and Joanna Brown Bradley and their children were country neighbors of the Leavenworth Family, and lived on property which had access to Washington Lake from the northeast.

Letters indicate that Isaac M. Bradley had built a house for his family during the Civil War.

Isaac M. and Joanna Brown Bradley had 7 children—Amelia, Viola, Mary Francis, Isaac N., Lottie, Atwell, and little Nora—all play a part in this story.

Isaac M. Bradley was a farmer. In 1880, Isaac had 70 acres. (He was listed with 368 acres in 1875). He had 3 milch cows which produced 300 pounds of butter. His 20 poultry, or at least the hens, laid 100 dozen eggs.

Isaac had 2 acres planted in buckwheat, 5 acres were planted in Indian corn, and 1 acre was planted in Irish potatoes.

The Bradley farm had 60 apple trees. His hives produced 50 pounds of honey and 3 pounds of wax. Isaac owned 2 horses and 1 mule.

George Layman, proprietor of a large Summer boarding house at Barryville, Sullivan County, tied a rope around his neck, to which was attached a large stone, on Wednesday, and then waded out into the Delaware River to drown himself. His movements were observed, and he was dragged ashore.

This greatly incensed Layman, and seizing a large stone, he threatened to kill anyone who interfered with him. His menaces were so alarming that the crowd fell back, and he then plunged into the river again. Finally, the man was rescued and taken home. Layman has been acting irrationally of late, and is believed to be insane. He has no business or domestic troubles so far as ascertained.—The New York Times, June 4, 1886.

Later it would be learned that Mr. Layman suffered many years from Bright’s disease. Perhaps Mr. Layman was experiencing severe pain in the event reported in the June 1886 news article.

Spring House, George Layman, Proprietor, Barryville

1886: 5 minutes’ walk from Shohola. Accommodate 35; 18 rooms; adults, $7 to $8; children under 12, half price; servants, $5; transient, $1.50 per day. Discount for season. Raises vegetables. Plenty fresh milk, eggs and poultry.—Erie Railroad Brochure.

1889: 10 double, 15 single rooms; adults $8 to $10; no children or servants taken; transient, $2/day; discount for season. Good fishing and gunning.
—Erie Railroad Brochure.

George Layman had first opened Shohola House (now Rohmans) in Shohola, Pennsylvania. In 1877, Shohola House was advertised in Charles Hallock’s, The Sportsman’s Gazetteer and General Guide:

Shohola, 108 miles from New York, is beautifully located among the mountains, overlooking the Delaware. It is in the heart of the famous hunting and fishing regions of Pike and Sullivan counties.

There is but one hotel, the Shohola House, kept by George Layman. It is a new and commodious hotel, near the depot. Detailed information as to the locality, and terms, may be obtained by addressing the proprietor. Take the Erie Railroad.

By 1886, Mr. Layman seems to have sold Shohola House to Mr. Kilgour, the “bluestone king,” and was the proprietor of the Spring House, across the Delaware from Shohola, in Barryville, New York.

The Spring House was originally built around 1850 and was first a farmhouse. The location was ideal—very close to the bridge (5 minutes walk) on
the New York side.

Gardner Forgerson had sold the property to Hiram Quick via Joseph Y. Crane in July of 1845. Hiram Quick built a home, barn and well on the land and added 4 more lots for a total of about 3 acres.

The premises was beautifully located, the land smooth and well shaped; but Hiram possessed neither the requisite taste nor money for its improvement. He became involved, conveyed the property to N.B. Johnston and removed to Virginia where he died.—p. 352, Reminiscences.

Quite sadly, Napoleon (N.B.) Johnston commited suicide in August of 1884. His son, John W. Johnston (nephew of the author of Reminiscences), became the owner of the property in 1880. John built a good new house, but failed in business.

George Layman then became the owner of the property which became the Spring House in Barryville. It was very close to the Barryville-Shohola Bridge.

The Spring House was made larger and offered guests, an excellent waterfront, well-shaded lawns, and everything conducive to health and comfort.

There was an interesting news item in the June 1886 edition of the New York Times, which will be the next post.

1886 Austin Ledger
1 barrel of flour: $6.50
100 pounds of meal: 1.35
10 pounds of sugar: .70
2 pounds of coffee: .50
6 yards of shirting: .72
1 rake: .25
1 broom: .35