The ‘‘Our towns’’ column is compiled each month by Carol Johnson of the Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection. The entries have been copied from the May 1925 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 56th season of the Lake Mohonk Mountain House will be opened on Saturday, May 16, according to a formal announcement sent to the friends and guests of other seasons at the House. It has also been announced that the golf course has been doubled, the Hillside course having been completed and this, added to the old Rest course will make 18 holes, thus relieving congestion that has been experienced heretofore by golfers. The new private automobile road named “Lenape Lane” has been completed and will be opened this spring. This will be an improvement that will be greatly appreciated by guests going to the House and by all visitors, as it will provide a comfortable and easy approach up the mountainside to Mountain Rest where the Mohonk garages are located.
Daniel Smiley has bought the Thomas J. Pine farm on the road to Mohonk.
This year the Wildmere House opens May 28, and closes October 1, the Cliff House with its more exposed location, opens June 27 and ends its season September 8. So says the lately received catalogue. The pictures show the familiar scenes: The Peterskill Falls tumbling down the rocks, with its banks fringed with hemlock and rhododendron; the view across the Rondout Valley to the far off undulating Catskills; the shimmering blue lake; the edge of Millbrook Mountain where the air seems purer and the sky nearer overhead than in other places. Here are shown the lavish profusion of June laurel, and the cathedral aisles of the Palmaghatt, and then the hospitable shelter of the two houses, where there are good company, good meals, evenings of cheerful entertainment and quiet nights of rest. Camp Awosting for boys, and the Laurel Inn, will open as usual.
The summer boarder business at Springtown has already opened. Oscar Slater on the J. H. Relyea place has had a number and is expecting others soon. Last week there was a slight fire which started in one of the boarders’ rooms in the Annex. It was put out before any damage was done.
Last Saturday the boats of the Hudson River Day Line began their trips for the season. According to the schedule, the up boats reaches Poughkeepsie at 1:30 in the afternoon, and the down boat at 2 o’clock. A morning service is expected later.
Thomas H. Elliott, enterprising owner of the Central Garage on Plattekill Avenue, has been awarded the Oldsmobile franchise for this locality. Mr. Elliott has received his new demonstrator, a four-door sedan and is also showing at his garage a Coach De Luxe.
The Village Board has ordered two flash signals from the American Gas Accumulating Company, to be placed on Tamney’s Corner [Main &Plattekill] and the corner of Main and Chestnut Street. These lights will replace the old oil lamps which have long since gone out of date and will prove to be a big improvement. They will be shipped from the factory this week and will be installed either the latter part of this week or the first of next week.
A recent acquisition in the Kingston Senate House is a painting by Vanderlyn, lately brought from Judge Sharpe’s house, which has been moved to make room for the new Governor Clinton /hotel. Objects of historic interest, small and great, are eagerly sought by Miss Westbrook, the custodian. Lately she expressed herself as anxious to have a rosebush of the kind called the rose of Provence, which the Huguenots brought with them from France, and which the artist Julia McEntee Dillon described in a paper on old gardens of Kingston. The rose in question is one of our New Paltz roses, so one day last week a member of the Independent staff had the honor of taking some of the roses to Kingston, and helping to plant them in the Senate House garden.
Last Thursday at 6 p.m. the most disastrous fire in the history of Gardiner broke out in the large feed store warehouse of the G.L.F. Company situated along the railroad tracks, in the heart of the village. The fire had gained considerable headway before being discovered. An alarm was telephoned to the New Paltz Fire Department for help and a record run with the big American-LaFrance truck was made. A strong wind blowing right toward the main street had spread the fire with lightning rapidity and for a time it looked as if the entire village would be burned to the ground. The residents were carrying all their belongings to points of safety and had about given up hope of saving their homes. Within a few minutes after our arrival the new pumper had two streams of water going and the fight to save the village was on. After one and a half hours of hard work the danger of a conflagration was past, and the fire stopped at Currie’s store. Pumpers from Highland and Walden had in the meantime arrived, and did considerable work in extinguishing fires in other parts of the village. At 8 p.m. the fire was under control and the boys given a little rest before the final job of wetting down the ruins was started. The good people of Gardiner supplied the firemen with hot coffee, sandwiches, and, in many cases, dry clothing. At 10 p.m. all danger of the fire was over and the boys picked up and left for home, arriving here at 10:30 tired but happy, knowing full well they had turned in a wonderful night’s work for a neighboring village in distress. Walden’s apparatus remained to watch for the night as they have two other companies to cover up while they are out of town. The only personal injury of any extent was received by Chief Ahlberg of this village — a deep cut on the right arm from falling glass — which required three stitches. Dr. Stephens of Gardiner was on the job. Thanks, Doc.
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