Timber Rafting the Delaware River in 1872

by Louise Smith Posted on August 30, 2010

The Delaware River Gap was a large break in the Appalachian Mountains. It was one of the very scenic places viewed by timber rafters as they floated their rafts to market on the Delaware River. Postcard of Aida Austin.

The Delaware River near Narrowsburg, New York, had originally been so narrow and with such a sharp bend, that there was barely enough room for a raft to pass through its sharp, rocky shoreline. By 1872, the Narrowsburg passage had been made wider and deeper and other places along the Delaware River had been made easier to navigate in the event of a low water freshet.

Even with improvements, timber rafting was still quite challenging in 1872. That didn’t stop men who were sixty and as old as eighty from helping raft lumber to market when the Spring freshet came.

Both single and double rafts were guided down the Delaware River to Trenton, New Jersey, where they were towed to markets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A single raft of sawed lumber contained about 75,000 board feet and required two or three men to steer it. Continue reading →

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Panic of 1873

by Louise Smith Posted on August 9, 2010

Panic of 1873
A series of events led up to the Panic of 1873—a severe nationwide economic depression, which lasted until 1879:

• The Black Friday Panic in September, 1869, mentioned in 
an earlier post.
• The October, 1871, Chicago fire and loss of 200 million dollars in property over four-square miles.
• The 1872 Great Epizoötic or equine influenza when there were no horses to pull the street cars or to deliver the coal or wood to locomotives. Fires remained unchecked as there was no way to transport water.
• As there were not horses, the U.S. Army Calvary had to fight on foot, and men ended up pulling wagons by hand, and cargo on ships and trains could not be delivered.
• Gold became the standard in the U.S. in February, 1873, and the value of silver fell.
• There were other factors that played a part in what has also been called, “the long depression,” but they are outside the scope of this book.
—information from www.en.wikipedia.org: Panic of 1873; Long Depression

The Panic of 1873 affected the Depression in 1876. No matter what the cause of the economic woes, my great-grandfather Henry Austin lost his carting business in New York City, in which he had been engaged with his brother.

Henry said his brother could afford to buy into companies they had been doing business with and so rescue himself. William Henry could not. He returned home to Eldred to farm by 1877.

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1872 Cartage Book

by Louise Smith Posted on August 6, 2010


1872 Cartage Book of my great-grandfather.

Henry Austin’s 1872 Cartage book is not very large. It lists names and supplies. One of the pages lists hoops in batches of 1,000 and the cost. Sample page:

October 2, 1872
1 b Oats 1.30
Hay 4.50

Nov 6, 1872
1 bale of hay 230 lb. 4.60
1 b oats 1.30
stabling 2.50

Dec 2, 1872
2 b oats 2.80
1 b corn 1.55
1 b oats 1.50
2 b straw .14
stabling 2.50
freight 3.46

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50 Warren Street, New York City

by Louise Smith Posted on August 3, 2010


50 Warren St. in New York City around 1872. Photo courtesy of cousin Melva.


Envelope addressed to my great-grandfather Austin who worked
at 50 Warren St. in New York City.

My great-grandfather, Henry Austin, started his wagon delivery or carting business in the fall of 1866. He worked from 50 Warren St., New York City, around 1872. Henry stayed in New York City with his brother Augustus Alonzo Austin and his family, for what seemed to be several months at a time.

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1869 Panic

by Louise Smith Posted on August 2, 2010

You may have heard of the money or greenbacks created during the Civil War by the U.S. government, which were backed only by credit.

After the Civil War ended, it was thought that the U.S. Government would buy back the greenbacks with gold.

In 1869, James Fisk and Jay Gould headed a group of speculators who sought to profit by cornering the gold market. They recruited financier Abel Corbin to influence President Grant as Corbin was brother-in-law to the President.

Abel Corbin convinced President Grant to appoint Gen. Daniel Butterfield as Assistant Treasurer of the U.S. Butterfield was to tip the “speculators” off when the government intended to sell gold.

Late summer 1869, Gould began buying large amounts of gold causing prices to rise and stocks to plummet. President Grant realized what was happening and had the federal government sell four million dollars in gold.

Within minutes after the government gold hit the market, the premium plummeted. Investors scrambled to sell their holdings, and many of them, including Corbin, were ruined.

As is the case sometimes, the scoundrels Fisk and Gould, escaped significant financial harm.—from www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(1869)

The Black Friday Panic of 1869, was one of four contributing factors to the Panic of 1873 which caused my great-grandfather to lose his job as a carman or truck man in New York City by 1877.

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Barryville-Shohola Bridge

by Louise Smith Posted on July 12, 2010


Photo of ice breaking up under the Barryville-Shohola Bridge with a middle support. Photo courtesy of M.B. Austin.

One very cold morning, about the first of January 1865, three teams of horses and mules were crossing the Barryville-Shohola bridge with two heavy loads
of wood.

The upper cable of the bridge (completed in 1856) parted near the center of the river. The bridge, teams, wood, and six men—Henry Lilly, Oliver Dunlap, William Myers, M. W. Quick, William Loftus, and Charles Deabron were thrown into the river. Three of the mules were drowned. The men were exposed to an hour
of very cold water, but lived.

The Barryville and Shohola Suspension Bridge Company refused to rebuild and the bridge was purchased by Mr. Thomas.

He erected a pier, mended the broken cable and used the same material in what he called the new bridge. He established his own schedule of tolls, high indeed, but to which the people cheerfully submitted first, because they wanted the bridge, and second because no power was known higher than Thomas.

It was last erected and completed in 1867, subserved the intended purposes and proved a good source of revenue during the remaining lifetime of Thomas which finally terminated on the fifth day of October 1882.
—Johnston, Reminiscences, pp. 349, 351.

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New York, March 18, 1865

by Louise Smith Posted on July 12, 2010

This letter was written to Mary Ann Austin in Eldred, New York, from her niece, Addie Austin who lived in New York City. The bridge referred to is the Barryville-Shohola Bridge over the Delaware River, shown in the posts before and after this one.

New York, March 18, 1865
Dear Aunt Mary,
We have all been sick again (as usual), but I believe we are all convalescent now. I have been playing sick for the last few days but am getting about tired of it. I have been very sick of congestion of the lungs.

I have not been out of the house for over a month. I am going out next week if nothing happens.

Cousin George was here to see us about two weeks ago. He looks very well considering the “trying scenes” he has past through lately, don’t you think so?

Well how are you all getting along? Mother talks of coming up this summer, but whether it will end in talk or not I can not say.

We were very glad to hear that Uncle Henry was not drafted. How did it happen? I should have thought it would have past been his luck. There has been no battling in our district, nor will there be if the men volunteer fast enough to keep the Provost busy.

Mother finds liberty in employment in worrying about the draft. I don’t know what she will do for something to fret about should it pass on without hurting anybody.

How is Grandmother? Give her my love and tell her I have been quite a good girl lately. I have not laughed for sometime for the simple reason that I could not.

How is Aunt Laura’s baby? Emogene wrote that it was very sick. I hope she will not lose it. I suppose your boy is quite a young man if he grows at the rate he did when I was there.

I am glad to hear that Billy Myers was so sensible as to not go down with the bridge. (See above post.)

I am getting very tired and will try to bring this to a close before you get quite tired out. Mother sends her best love to you as do all of the rest.

Nettie talks of writing you today. She does not have much time for writing. You must give my love to Uncle Henry, Grandmother, and all my cousins both great and small.

Believe me with love, your affectionate niece,

Addie Austin

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1859 Roebling-Chauncey Bridge

by Louise Smith Posted on July 9, 2010


Postcard of Barryville Shohola Bridge and Lookout Mountain.
Courtesy of M.B. Austin.

Until 1856 there had only been a crude rope guided ferry that connected Shohola, Pennsylvania, to Barryville, New York. There became a need for a bridge with the building of the Erie Railroad Depot at Shohola, Pennsylvania.

A suspension bridge, designed by John Roebling, was built about 1855, by the Barryville and Shohola Bridge Co. The bridge originally cost $9,000, and was completed by 1856.

Chauncey Thomas was in charge of building the bridge, and Johnston believed him to be incompetent.

The two towers were each 12 feet square at the base and 40 feet in height, and placed on an abutment of stones, one at Barryville, and one at Shohola.

The towers stood 495 feet apart and supported two wire cables 10 feet apart
2-1/2 inches in the diameter and suspended from tower to tower, with braces
and guys…In time of high wind it would oscillate up and down to the extent of
three feet rendering it impossible for a team or a person to cross.

On the evening of the 2nd of July 1859, an unusual gust of wind from the North struck the bridge, over came the guys, turned the structure upon the edge and demolished it. The bridge was reconstructed at a cost of $4,000.

The bridge was originally constructed with one main span. There will be more about the bridge in another post.
—Information from:
Johnston, Reminiscences, p. 321, 349, and www.bridgemeister.com.

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1907 Battleship Postcards

by Louise Smith Posted on July 6, 2010


Rhode Island Battleship Battleship on 1907 postcard sent to McKinley Austin.


Idaho Battleship on 1907 postcard sent to McKinley Austin.

There are a number of postcards from the early 1900s in my mom’s collection. These two battleship postcards were sent to my dad’s oldest brother in 1907.

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