What the local newspapers said 100 years ago

The ‘‘Our town’’ column is compiled each month by Carol Johnson of the Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection. The entries have been copied from the August  issues of the New Paltz Independent. To get a closer look at these newspapers of the past, visit the staff of the Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection at the Elting Memorial Library at 93 Main Street in New Paltz, or call 255-5030.

August 1920

Last winter was the coldest we can remember. Last spring was the most backward in very many years. This summer is the rainiest in half a century. August is the month for picnics and excursions. But the weather is unpropitious for these recreations. The weather was so hot on Saturday evening that most of the men at the movies discarded their coats.

Lloyd is the only town in the county in which the census shows a greater population than it had ten years ago.

There have been breaks in the water pipes in our village lately, which have been repaired as soon as possible. One, near Perry Deyo’s, caused much trouble.

Part of the fire department team went to Mohonk to play ball Saturday afternoon. They were getting badly beaten when the unfavorable weather put an end to the game, after four innings.

Jay Zimmerman has a letter from Dr. Shook, the veterinary surgeon, who went from our village into the army with other soldiers three years ago. He has lately returned from Poland and is now at Coblenz in Germany. He has charge of the veterinary work for about 600 horses and mules. He hopes soon to return to America.

Cornelius Briggs, the Poughkeepsie dog catcher, lured 16 unlicensed dogs into the pound by fastening a dog at the end of a rope as a decoy.

The dam across the Wallkill at Dashville Falls is not yet built, but Van Pine, who has the contract for hauling material has nearly finished his job.

A very enjoyable time was spent on Tuesday evening at Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Dayton’s in the shape of a fancy masquerade party. The costumes were both fancy and original. After dancing, refreshments were served by Mrs. Dayton. About 30 were there and contributed to the enjoyment of the evening.

The singers and representatives of the Tuskegee Institute, founded by Booker T. Washington, gave their annual entertainment at the Mohonk House last week. A substantial sum was realized for the school.

There were a great number of cases of stomach ailment, including a small proportion of bloody dysentery, reported at New Paltz, last week.

Eight men are now at work in Milham’s barrel factory in this village. There have been about 30,000 made up to date this year. and there are about 50,000 still to be made. The output is considerably larger than it was last year. Many barrels have been shipped by rail to Greene and Orange counties and nearly all the large growers in this vicinity get their apple barrels from Mr. Milham. The yield in this vicinity is about 85 percent of what it was last year. In the country as a whole, the crop is estimated at about double what it was last year. The price of barrels this year is $1.10. At Hobart, Delaware Co., Mr. Milham sold last year about 8,000 barrels for powdered milk and he is shipping there again this year.

There have been very many visitors at the Memorial House of late. About 300 were registered during the first three weeks in August and many do not register. Mr. Lyons, the caretaker, says there are more visitors than last year. The contributions of visitors are relied on to some extent to pay running expenses, but they alone are not enough for the purpose. Mrs. Lyons attends to the care of the house and of the relics very thoroughly. Everything is neat and attractive and visitors are treated with courtesy. The house, itself, is probably better adapted to the purpose than any other house in the valley of the Hudson. Mountain water was introduced in the house some time ago. The ivy is vining up the Boulder Monument and renders its appearance more attractive. Among the articles quite recently placed in the house, is a corner cup closet, presented by Miss Lena Smedes, in which some articles have been placed. We have, heretofore, made mention of the trooper’s coat, presented by H. B. LeFevre, and of the Patentee’s Trunk, in which the Duzine long kept their papers. This trunk was kept for a great number of years at the Huguenot Bank.

Mrs. Benj. Lyons at the Memorial House is making some fine hand-braided rugs. She has made two or three lately for the library. Warren Craig is busy with carpenter work at the library building. It has been painted by Wm. Bleeker.

The Highland Library has been moved to its new location, which was for a long time Dr. Ganse’s dental office and also the office of our local dentist, Dr. B. A. Reynolds, when he practiced in Highland.

About 350 farmerettes, engaged on more than 50 farms in this county, mostly near Marlborough, have returned to New York. Many of them are teachers.

Two little children of John McIntosh of Gardiner were playing with the horse pitchfork in the barn when one of them caught her foot in the pulley and her toes were cut off.

Mr. Chapin S. Newhard of St. Louis, who cut such a wide swath at the firemen’s carnival getting away with the first prize, appeared as a dashing belle in a decollette gown of blue charmeuse elaborately trimmed with gold embroidery. His rose-colored hat, golden curls, rosy lips and trim ankles completed the picture. This lovely apparition might have been seen any day during the last three weeks pitching hay along the New Paltz Riverside Drive. It must be confessed that at first he handles a fork like a spoon, but 60 loads of hay in the barn are good evidence that he now uses the implement correctly.