The ‘‘Our towns’’ column is compiled each month by Carol Johnson of the Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection. The entries have been copied from the September 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.
September 1922
The rain on Labor Day spoiled the holiday plans of a great many people and made the travelling very disagreeable for countless others returning from their summer vacations.
Over ten thousand persons were in attendance on the second day of the Dutchess County Fair at Rhinebeck — the largest attendance ever known there.
The New Paltz Hotel, Sunset Inn, Shady Knoll, and the Unique were all packed with guests over Labor Day.
The old plan of keeping Washington’s headquarters at Newburgh closed on Sunday has lately been departed from in order to give excursionists an opportunity to see the relics.
Six or seven New Paltz ladies and one or two men met at the Memorial House on Monday afternoon to arrange the relics and curios in a more systematic manner and to see that the articles were correctly labeled. It is expected that quite a number who come to Mohonk next week to attend the meeting of the State Historical Society will visit New Paltz. The chest of Louis DuBois, the Patentee, which is surely one of the most valuable articles in the building, has been placed in the hall.Â
On Labor Day there was held the annual reunion of former residents of the town of Olive who were compelled to leave their homes on account of the construction of the Ashokan Reservoir.
Camp Wallkill closed for the season on September 3. There is nobody there now except the caretaker who will remain all winter.Â
An old landmark has been torn down
The old store building known as the Oscar C. Hasbrouck Store has been torn down. The removal of this building improves the appearance of that part of the village and will give a better view of the library building. This store building was probably built by Solomon Elting, father of A. V.N. Elting, who kept a store there. Seventy years ago Charles B. Hasbrouck kept the store for a long time. Directly across the street his wife carried on the millinery business. There was at that time only three stores in the village. Lewis D. Barnes had a store where J. J. Hasbrouck and Co. now are and there was also a store at the foot of Main Street. Charles B. Hasbrouck had the largest stock of goods and the largest trade of any merchant in the village. He always had two assistants in the store. Sol. DuBois was with him one year and Roelif Hasbrouck and Isaac DuBois were with him a considerable length of time. After a while Charles B. Hasbrouck sold out his business and moved to New York.
People are making plans to cut down trees in order to obtain a supply of fuel for next winter, as coal will certainly be very scarce.
A Newburgh paper says: A wagon-load of coal being transferred from one place to another the other day in Newburgh caused more excitement than an election to select a site for a high school, or a Republican primary, for the report spread like wildfire that coal had arrived in town. Of course this wasn’t true. There hasn’t been a pound of coal to sell in this city for weeks.
The sum of $10,000 needed for the Albert K. Smiley Memorial on Sky Top has been nearly or quite all raised.
School opened on the hill last Wednesday with a full attendance. There were 31 pupils in the Kindergarten; 44 pupils in the 1st grade; 47 pupils in the 2nd grade; 43 pupils in the 3rd grade; 41 pupils in the 4th grade; 39pupils in the 5th grade; 45 pupils in the 6th grade; 36 in the 7th grade; 40 pupils in the 8th grade; 90 pupils in the high school; 306 pupils in the Normal School, for a total of 762. The number of students is so great that the school is sadly lacking in equipment, especially school desks. On account of the freight congestion and embargoes, it may not be possible to remedy this difficulty for some time. There is sufficient coal and wood on hand to last until the middle of the winter. Â
There are now five young men among the Normal students.
Last Thursday night a get-acquainted party was held at the Normal. Games were played during the evening. The spelling game was very exciting. There were two sides, reds and blacks, and twenty-six, each representing a letter of the alphabet, on each side. Miss Reeve would pronounce a word and immediately the different letters would rush to take their place.
New time tables have gone into effect on the railroads in consequence of the change back to standard time. There has been considerable confusion in our village the past week, but practically everyone is back on standard time.
Charles Cunard of Chicago, who had been employed for about a week in the electric power house near Lake Mohonk, was drowned in Lake Minnewaska Sunday afternoon.
Edward Payson Weston who owns a farm in Plutarch and has been making his sixth walk through the Mohawk Valley has been enjoying his walk greatly and is ahead of time. He is 83 years old.
At a meeting of the New Paltz Rod and Gun Club held on Tuesday evening last week it was voted unanimously by a quorum of the members present to disband the organization. It seems to be the only thing to do under the circumstances. It was impossible to secure suitable club rooms and the interest shown by some of its officers and members was wanting. No meetings had been held since April. Why—nobody seemed to know and nobody seemed to care. The dues paid in have been returned by the treasurer.
Join the family! 
