The ‘‘Our towns’’ column is compiled each month by Carol Johnson of the Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection. The entries have been copied from the July 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.
The faculty of the Normal School gave a reception on Tuesday evening to those students who remained in New Paltz over the Fourth. About 150 were in attendance. Much fun and enjoyment were derived from the various games provided for their pleasure. A volunteer orchestra furnished music for the dancing which followed. The evening’s entertainment concluded with those already famous and customary refreshments served by the faculty friends.
Charles Johnston has resigned as substitute mail carrier on Route 2 and Raymond Hasbrouck on Routes No. 1 and 3. John Dodd will be a substitute on Routes 1 and 2 and Henry DuBois on Route 3. Raymond Hasbrouck has been on Route No. 1 since the route was founded eighteen years ago. While working the vacations for the first two or three years a bicycle was used to cover the route. That was before the days of the parcel post and when people only took half as many newspapers and magazines.
Mrs. Armstrong, who has been in the Memorial House since July 1, is a grand hostess. Visitors to the house are growing in number. There were 23 on July Fourth. Two pages of the register have been filled since Mrs. Armstrong took charge. The house is open on week days from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Under the supervision of Mr. Cyrus D. Freer the old burying ground on Huguenot Street has again placed in proper condition. Mr. Freer has performed this service for many years and is deserving of much credit. It is to be hoped that the good people of that neighborhood will do their part toward making his task a less thankless one, by insisting that careless and thoughtless persons carry their rubbish to the public dump, instead of tossing it upon the burying ground where sooner or later it comes in contact with the mower’s scythe.
Two garages in New Paltz were entered Friday morning, last week, one belonging to County Superintendent of the Poor Hartshorn and the other to Jesse Quick. The thieves made way with tools, robes, linen dusters, tires, etc. Sheriff Kolts and Under Sheriff Haulenbeck, also the State troopers were called, but no clue has been found as to the thieves.
New Paltz is to have a park. The Community Committee is most happy to announce that Mrs. Laura Hasbrouck Varick of Poughkeepsie, a former resident of New Paltz, has given the land lying back of the Normal School and extending to Eltinge Avenue, to the Village of New Paltz. The property is to be developed into a park, owned and controlled by the citizens of the Village forever. Mrs. Varick has long been known as a philanthropist. With this gift to the village she will enshrine herself in the hearts of our people for all time. It is the wish of the donor that the park be known as the “Jean Hasbrouck Memorial Park.” Thus recognizing the original patentee and conserving with us the memory of our early history. Mrs. Varick also desires that the land be beautified as a tribute to our soldiers of the World War and it seems most fitting that our War memorial should be a living, growing thing of beauty. The land itself is capable of a most artistic development. Banked on the East by the ivy clad walls of the normal school, it looks away to the mountains on the West, while the rolling mounds give every possibility for a beautiful park.
No more welcome gift could have been made to New Paltz than the gift by Mrs. Varick of Poughkeepsie of a lot of about five acres of land for a public park to be named after her ancestor Jean Hasbrouck. The Memorial House is sometimes called the Jean Hasbrouck house because Jean Hasbrouck was the builder. The Jean Hasbrouck family Bible is still in existence and is in the possession of Mrs. Charles W. Deyo of Kingston. It was brought across the ocean and contains the names of the children born in the Palatinate. The Hasbroucks of this line were always large land owners in the village and vicinity. In about 1850 Mrs. Varick’s father, Levi Hasbrouck, dug a trench to convey water from a spring on what now is the Normal grounds to the Memorial House. He owned the land all the way through what is the central part of the village and he owned a good lowland farm along the Wallkill. The pipe that conveyed the water from the spring in Vineland to the Memorial House was used for about 75 years. It was abandoned about two years ago, when the house was supplied with village water. [This Spring is located under the driveway of the van den Berg Learning Center.]
When Dr. John C. Bliss retired from the principalship of the State Normal School of New Paltz the Local Board at once set to work to secure his successor. The writer learns that there were a great many applicants for the place, but that the choice narrowed down to several outstanding men. The lot fell upon Lawrence H. van den Berg, Superintendent of Schools of Grand Haven, Michigan. Prof. van den Berg arrived last week in our village and is taking his bearings preparatory to beginning his work at the beginning of the fall term. In the meantime, he is superintending another job and that is getting his house in order for the coming of his family, Mrs. van den Berg and their three children.
On Tuesday evening the boys from Camp Wallkill were entertained by the M. E. Sunday School in the lecture room of the church, about fifty of the boys being present. After a social evening consisting of games, songs, etc., refreshments were served consisting of cake, ice cream. The boys returned to camp pronouncing the evening a big success and with resolutions to repeat.
Next Sunday is the annual Anti-Saloon League Day. The speaker at New Paltz and Lloyd will be Mr. Raymond C. Ellis. Mr. Ellis is one of a group of well-trained, experienced public speakers, not on the regular staff of the Anti-Saloon League, but so interested, as a matter of public spirit, in the great fight for prohibition and law enforcement that they give up their leisure Sunday after Sunday to go out and speak for the League in the churches. He has been speaking for the League almost weekly for the past four years and has won golden opinions from pastors and people all over the state. We hope you will be there, whether you agree with all that is said or not. There is no compulsion except to hear all sides.
Due to the recent efforts of the Consistory the [Reformed] church has been painted and put in excellent repair. Soon the clock, which can be seen from so many places, will strike again as the Dutch Guild has decided to take the responsibility of placing a Seth Thomas timepiece in the tower of the church. Although the society is small, it hopes to pay for the clock, which will cost about $800, in a short time by their own efforts, co-operation of other organizations and individual contributions.
Join the family! 
