12 4 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Greenville</strong> <strong>Pioneer</strong> • Friday, January <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2022</strong> Spring Cleaning?? Want to Get Rid of Old Metal? All Metals Picked up FREE!! All appliances - Air Conditioners Outdoor Grills - Metal Swimming Pools Call Today! John at 518-756-3056 <strong>The</strong> shovelers were needed as well as the plow during major snowstorms. Snowstorms back in the day By Mary Lou Nahas For Capital Region Independent Media It seems that every weather forecast talks about snow, so let’s take a few minutes to think about winter weather and snow in the past in Oak Hill and Vicinity. Ralph Hull, in his book “A Lifetime of Experiences and Memories,” said, “My dad and his brother, Will, would walk over drifted snow from Durham up to Mt. Pisgah carrying a saw, two axes and a scoop shovel. <strong>The</strong> shovel was used to clear the snow away from around the trees so the stumps would not be so high in the spring. We used to have a lot more snow than we do these days. “One time my dad helped cut ice on the Hudson River for two or three weeks. <strong>The</strong> ice was plowed with a horse and a large saw with two-inch teeth and a handle for a man to hold on to. <strong>The</strong> ice was marked three to six inches deep, depending on how thick the ice was cut. It was then marked off in 24 to 30 inch squares. <strong>The</strong> ice was stored in the big ice houses along the river. My father also cut ice for local ice houses. Dad and my brothers would put the ice on the bank for three cents a cake. We cut ice on the local ponds, on the Catskill Creek or wherever we could get it. My father often cut ice for John Smith’s Locust Grove Creamery. His icehouse would hold about 1600 cakes of ice. Up here in the mountains, sawdust was used for insulation and was readily available. So, we used the sawdust on the sides and on the top of ice. John Smith would use three or four cakes of ice a day to put in his butter room to keep the butter cool. <strong>The</strong> rest was sold to local people to use in their ice boxes. This would pay the cost of putting in the ice.” “I remember sleigh riding downhill from the top of Prink Hill, sometimes sleigh riding far as the Oak Hill Bridge. Sometimes we would start in Durham village and ride down across the old arch bridge and part way up Pa John’s hill.” Winter was hard work but also a fun time. Memories from Gilboa on Jan. 20, 1936, record that there was “lots of snow about two feet deep on level. No one could get off hill until night after they went through with the snowplow. [Listening to the radio they] Heard that snow was bad all over U.S.A. also heard that King Geo of England died about 7 o’clock p.m. Tuesday Jan. 21 was a very good day, but lot of snow, drifted so badly they cannot work tomorrow. Thursday Jan 23. John did not go to work; the weather was terrible, Real, now wind Reputable, blowing so hard you could hardly see to the neighbor’s house. M. got his bus stuck fast in snow. Friday Jan 24. Still a bad day. Media. No milk going today. M’s bus still fast in snowbank. Jan 25. Weather has moderated This storm is said to be the worse since 1888. Monday Jan 27. A very cold day. John went with snowplow on the road. Plowed snow 10 and 12 feet deep.” Ralph Hull remembered a day it snowed in March 1936: <strong>The</strong>re were three feet of snow on the level and the wind blew for three days. All the snowplows SUPPORTS broke down REAL except an old Lin Caterpillar tractor with Trusted. Your News THIS PUBLICATION NEWS. Fish Road was well known for its deep snow. a plow which was very slow. <strong>The</strong>re were drifts so high on Pisgah Mountain and on Rose Hill out of Cornwallville that you could walk over top of the telephone lines. <strong>The</strong> crust on the snow was a couple of feet thick and had to be cut out by hand with a scoop shovel before the Lin tractor could even get through. <strong>The</strong> storm gave many men work that winter. <strong>The</strong>re was so much snow and such a hard crust that a milk tanker got stuck on Rt. <strong>14</strong>5 this side of Cooksburg. <strong>The</strong> driver walked to a farmhouse on Teator Road owned by Howard Rivenburg. He stayed three days before he could get a snowplow to his truck. Walter Ingalls remembered the 1939 storm in Oak Hill. A Linn tractor was used to clear snow on the back roads. It had big wheels on the front with a bulldozer tread plow on the right and left sides, made for snow removal on the back roads so the tread did not dig up the main roads. <strong>The</strong> town used a V plow and counties used “speed plows” (one wing for one side of road at a time). On rare occasions the town’s V plow would help clear roads when it was difficult for counties to keep up with snow removal. Normally they would not plow out of district due to insurance and cost to run and maintain equipment. Kenneth Brand is another who remembers the Linn tractor the town of Durham had. <strong>The</strong>y used that in the ‘30s until maybe through the war years. Ross McCabe, grandfather of Iris Cochran and Pat Elsbree, wrote a wonderful letter to relatives about a storm on Fish Road in 1943: “It started raining and freezing and kept it up for three days. Monday the phone went out about eleven a.m., and it kept getting more slippery outside. That night the water froze, and it rained and froze all day Tuesday, and the trees began to bend over and break under the weight of the ice. Tuesday night about eleven p.m. there was a landslide or something off the roof and simultaneously, I saw a flash and then a large flare over by Mackey’s. [their neighbors down the road] So, I say, ‘Oh, there goes the lights.’ I reached up over the bed and switched on the light and sure enough no light. [In the morning they found that] the wires were down and all over the road. About ten o’clock the neighbor came over and said there were five electric light poles down between here and there [the Mackey house]. Finally came Wednesday. No phone, no light, no radio, no ice box or water, no nothing; then someone someway hit the thermostat on the stove and CONTRIBUTED PHOTO CONTRIBUTED PHOTO shut off the oil and the stove went out. <strong>The</strong>n the clock stopped; so, I said good, now all we need is for this house to catch on fire. Saturday was the same, but Sunday about three o’clock they got the juice, and about five o’clock, they got the phone working and so life began to function normally and that is the story of the storm.” Ralph Hull wrote: “During the winter of 1944 we had a big snowstorm. <strong>The</strong> wind blew for three days afterwards. All the roads were closed in the Town of Rensselaerville. All the snowplows were broken down except for an old rotary plow which could only go about one-half mile a day in the heavy drifts. We had to take our milk out to Potter Hollow for ten days.” <strong>The</strong>lma Bell remembered in her book “Reflections” how they were visited by several snowstorms during our first few winters in Durham. “One Sunday the Cochane family invited us to spend the afternoon and evening with them. About 11 p.m., Marshall and I decided to start for home. When we looked out, our car was almost completely covered with snow. <strong>The</strong> roads were not even visible. On Thursday, four days later, we returned home from our ‘Sunday’ visit.” Vernon Haskins even wrote a poem in February 1948 to <strong>The</strong> Snow Removal Boys: “<strong>The</strong> boss’s hair used to be grey But now it is almost pure white As he worries about the boys Who are fighting the snow tonight. With Stubby at the throttle And Ernie on the hydraulic lifts, <strong>The</strong>y are dashing about the town, Fighting the mountainous drifts. Up on Cunningham mountain Where King Winter wants his way. <strong>The</strong> A. C. growls and grumbles And keeps fighting all the day. <strong>The</strong> two Freds and Wally Are a most gallant crew, If Ingalls gets the fuel there. <strong>The</strong>y will crack those banks in two. On the West Durham mountain Hear that motor roar? Some snowbound farmer Knows the Linn is coming once more. Many people, both men and women, kept diaries in the past. I have a small collection of local diaries and would love to have more because they illustrate the daily lives people were leading and what and who was important to them. Most people started diary keeping on January 1 of a given year. While they may not have continued recording until the end of the year, the diaries usually tell what their authors plow were cleared doing the on main New street Year’s of Oak Hill. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO This Day. Since this edition of “<strong>The</strong> <strong>Greenville</strong> <strong>Pioneer</strong>” is coming out on January 1, I thought I would share with you how some people spent that day in the past. I don’t even know the names of all those who kept the diaries. Often, they didn’t put their names in the books. Perhaps you can guess who the authors might have been. If you do find a clue, please let me know. Helen Tripp was one of the daughters of Alfred and Maria Utter Tripp. She was born January 26,1853, and she lived until January 27, 1917. She lived in the brick house on the main street of Oak Hill with her family. On January 1, 1874, she started a diary: Thursday, Weather very pleasant. I worked around the <strong>The</strong> back of the dustjacket of Brooks Atkinson’s bo house until noon. In the afternoon sewed on my dress. Did his many achievements. not go anywhere nor was there any one in here till evening. Mrs. Eliza Flower called. Received a letter from Libbie Russell. Friday, January 2: Weather very pleasant, thawed all day. I sewed on my dress nearly all day. Aunt Mary Utter and Jimmie came down this evening to go to the donation. [I can imagine what the donation was, but can anyone share more information?] snow Aunt was nearly Mary to invited the porch us ceiling to of the Tripp Store during one CONTRIBUTED PHOTO <strong>The</strong> storm in go 1927. with her. <strong>The</strong> coal fire went out last night. I had to make it up this morning. Aunt Mary had a very nice time; they cleared $104. Saturday, January.3: Weather very pleasant; thawed all day again today. I had to make the coal fire again today. Father, Mother, Hattie and Carrie [her two youngest sisters] went over to Uncle Briggs today. [Uncle Briggs was a Tripp and lived in Medusa or Westerlo]. I finished my dress, all but the buttons and pockets. Sunday, January 4: Weather very nice and pleasant. Went to Durham to church this morning. Did not get back in time for Sunday School. Did not go to church this afternoon. [<strong>The</strong> Tripps lived next to the Oak Hill Methodist Church and were always very involved there.] Orville preached. I wrote a letter to Libbie Russell this evening. Did not go to church. [It sounds like there were opportunities to spend the whole day and evening at church.] Chauncey B Day from Alcove recorded on January 1,1887: Thurs. Went to Alcove—got 3 gal. kerosene. <strong>The</strong> diary of another anonymous person recorded: Jan 1, 1888 Rained all day. Hugh here in evening. A. M. Cowles recorded in his diary: January 1, 1898: <strong>The</strong> snow that fell yesterday has been piled in heaps last night and the wind is still blowing. I could not get home last night for the snow was drifted. Mr. Whitehead and myself played 5 THE PUBLIC NEEDS THE TRUTH; NOT SOCIAL MEDIA HEADLINES & FAKE NEWS. With Petie at the helm And Bill and Norm on either wing, All the folks know you’re com- Hudson on this camp. Jan 1, 1928: CONTRIBUTED Spend the PHOTO day a <strong>The</strong> tractor was needed as well as the plow home. to clear Bates out after are away a major the storm. week games of dominoes this morning. In the evening played with That’s Mr. our and part, Mrs. to Lasher say the least; called ing end. Mr. As Mackey. the phone begins Mr. Cook to ring. this and Can’t afternoon. you hear We Charlie spend shouting? spare time writing letters. Nel- our brother drove them to the house to With break Everett out the and roads. Howard held son “Shovel goes to wide church. and through it to in reserve the east!” Deland Fla: Jan 1, 1930 A As Jan. the 1, regulars 1918: get A some diary sleep, from very lovely day. Need no fire. the It’s Wade a cinch family to recorded: keep the roads Mary Wash this am; take a nap this afternoon. Another And to whom go with we owe the a lot is with us. We stay in all day. open Although it be fair, or snowing; Lashers And to see that is the Hyatt, Glorified our mechanic’ Ameri- Big Unless Fire in the Catskill drifts get 2:20 too deep. a.m. Mrs. Mary D. Mattice from can As Girl. he keeps those motors going.” 7:30-6 1934: · Sat Deland, 8-5 · Sun Fla. 9-2 We go out Catskill <strong>The</strong>n that wrote: call on Wednesday, us shovelers, Mon-Fri Jan 1,1919: We stayed home. Made for dinner and go to the movies head cheese and hockeye [a pig in afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Kipp product]. from Orange City call in the For years many Oak Hill and evening. Tooldie seems some Vicinity families have gone to better today. 80 in the shade. Florida in the winter; the Tripps, Jan 1, 1935: A lovely day. the Fords, and the Wades all had We call on Mr. and Mrs. Vincent houses in the Bradenton area. For these folks, the New Year was a time to go south. A series of diaries written by the Wade family give an idea of what the New York folks did in Florida: Gainesville Fla Jan 1, 1925. Many people k Mary Wade of Oak Hill was one of the many area p winter. Some visited; others retired there. Most pe Florida, and there are numerous accounts of their and possibly car repairs along the way. OVERBAUG DUMPSTER 15-Yard Dumpsters Ava Mark Overbaugh - Gree 518-947-9981 <strong>The</strong> dress Helen Tripp wrote about in her diary wou <strong>The</strong>y prided themselves on their fashionable attire good and notions. Some ladies in town had a dress Mr. and Mrs. Bates, Nelson and I ate our New Year’s dinner together outside our tents placing our tables together. (Menu: fricasseed chicken, sweet and white potatoes, cucumber pickles, chili sauce, creamed onions, green peas, sweet corn, celery, cranberries sauce. Coffee Lemon pies.) <strong>The</strong> men washed the dishes for us. Mrs. Bates and I called on Mrs. Harder from and the Hacks. Have our dinner at home. Spend our evening with Mr. and Mrs. Luke Jan 2. Three callers. Nice day. Our anniversary. Hacks for the evening. Jan. 1, 1938: A lovely day. Had d us. Th [coun Touri holid antly. eveni Ja terno Ja anniv tween Ja Palm and I ist C turke for t there. ness entert and c Howa Yo folks friend warm staye return Florid An no na writte Table is titl W John Harri back they w <strong>Greenville</strong> Auto & Truck Parts 4979 Route 81, <strong>Greenville</strong> · 518-966-5344 #SupportRealNews
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Greenville</strong> <strong>Pioneer</strong> • Friday, January <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2022</strong> 13 I wanted to thank everyone within the Ravena / Coeymans / Selkirk communities for their continued support over the last year. It has been difficult at times but we have managed to get through it and provide a helpful community service. We are back to regular business hours Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm / Sat 10am - 3pm / Closed on Sundays Currently, with the volume of bottles and cans we are only taking drop offs - bring in your empties, place them in a designated area, we take your name and then give you the earliest time frame to come back or any time thereafter to collect your money. Since opening in July 2<strong>01</strong>8, we have helped raise approximately $52,500, which is almost 924,000 bottles/cans for 50 different organizations which anyone can donate to. We look forward to servicing the community in the future. If you have any questions regarding operation, donations or fundraisers please reach out.... Shane DeCrescenzo Just Makes Cents Bottle & Can Redemption Center 518-577-3084 Justmakescents6@gmail.com
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