The Hollows

Photos from the Minnie Barnum Durga Collection

Minnie-Barnum-Durga scrapbook page

Reminiscences of Haviland Hollow School

and

History of Haviland Hollow Methodist Episcopal Church

Collected by Minnie Barnum Durga and published in The Putnam County Courier beginning with the Oct 7, 1927 issue. Scanned by Edward T Scrivani from the original newspaper articles pasted in the Minnie-Barnum-Durga scrapbooks in the collections of the Patterson Historical Society; ocr corrected by Christine B Neubauer and Ron Taylor; paragraph numbering auto-generated by software .

1. [MBD–] ‘This notice was in two issues of the Putnam County Courier, the 23 and the 30″ of September 1927 at the bottom of first page of the paper–‘

2. Reminiscences of Haviland Hollow School

3. The history of the Haviland Hollow School, one of the remaining district schools that are rapidly being consolidated, has been prepared by Mrs. Minnie Barnum Durga, who has been ten years collecting the data from former pupils and teachers and dates from 1795 to the present time.

4. This complete story with illustrations will be published in this paper in serial form starting on Oct. 7. Order your copy now from your news dealer or send your subscription direct to this office.

5. The Putnam County Courier

6. The Leading Newspaper in Putnam County.

7. YOUR HOME PAPER

8. Notwithstanding the fact that the metropolitan press now reaches every town and village in the country the local newspaper is more than holding its own in newspaperdom if the experience of the Courier holds good throughout Uncle Sam’s domain. Our circulation is steadily increasing until now we are printing 2,000 copies weekly, covering the entire county of Putnam. Not only is our circulation growing at the rate of about 200 a year but our advertising is increasing along with the circulation.

9. For, after all, it is the home news which is most important to most of us. We have the greatest interest in the community in which we live, and in the people who are our neighbors and friends. And it is the local newspaper which records the happenings of the folks at home, and in addition fosters the civic pride and progressive spirit of the community.

10. Of course the local newspaper is now on a firm business basis. This is why it is improving from year to year, why it is giving its readers a constantly better newspaper, and why it is increasing its influence for good in the community. But the local newspaper is still the principal booster for the community, and it does its boosting often without any hope of material reward.

11. [MBD:] ‘An editorial from the “Putnam County Courier” showing some of its good sentiments.’

12. [MBD:] ‘In the local items of the Danbury News a notice written by M.T.G.’ [Gerow?]

13. ‘The history of the old Haviland Hollow school written by former teachers and pupils and collected by Mrs. Otis Durga, is to be published in the Putnam County Courier, Carmel, N. Y., commencing October 7. It covers a period of seventy-five years, from 1839 to 1915, when the schoolhouse was abandoned for a new and modern building. Many residents of Danbury, Brewster and other towns in this vicinity got their early training in this little red schoolhouse and the material that has been contributed to the history is said to be most interesting and to furnish a vivid picture of the district schools of that period.’

14. [MBD:] ‘A notice given by the Patterson N.Y. correspondent in the Danbury News–Oct. 5″ 1927–‘

15. Many from here are interested in the History of the Haviland Hollow school, written by an old teacher and pupils and collected by Mrs. Minnie Barnum Durga, which is now being published each week in the Putnam County Courier.

16. [MBD:] ‘A notice I sent to the Brewster Standard Sep. 30 1927–‘

17. Notice.

18. The history of the old Haviland Hollow School, written by old teachers and pupils and collected by Mrs. Otis W. Durga will begin serially in the Putnam County Courier Oct. 7, 1927.

20. REMINISCENCES OF THE HAVILAND HOLLOW SCHOOL

21. INTERESTING HISTORY PREPARED BY MRS. DURGA

22. The Story of One of Few Remaining Little Red Schoolhouses, with Illustrations Covering, Activities since 1795. They will be published in Serial Form starting with the first installment in this year. Ten Thousand schools in the rural districts of the United States are reported to have closed their doors in the past year and now transport pupils from isolated districts to the centralized graded school. This movement begun more than twenty-five years ago has proved so satisfactory educationally, that a few more years will probably see the last of the famous little red school houses and the later district schools in the country, all of them ungraded but with important historic and also a very human interest associated with the social and religious life of pioneer America. Out of them came many of the strong men and women of the past, household names and heroes and heroines in the homes of our forefathers and our own. Their simple annals would make fascinating fireside tales for the children of descendants of these old pioneers who attended these schools, and have become the foundation of our great universities.

23. There are still living many who graduated from these rural schools and simple homes and it was with some such thought in their minds that a group of taxpayers at a school meeting in Haviland Hollow of the town of Patterson, district number three, decided to begin a collection of reminiscences before it was too late.

24. This was at least ten years ago and what has during that time come into the hands of Mrs. Minnie Barnum Durga will run serially in weekly sections in the Putnam County Courier, which has always cherished historical matter connected with the growth of Putnam County. The series is made up of letters from those who were teachers or scholars and in some cases they were both. Material of interest, other than that already received, directly to the Courier will add very much to the value of this collection of little histories.

25. The First Teacher

26. In the history of Putnam county, page 652, it states that “the town of Patterson, then known as Franklin, was divided into five districts the oldest school report in the town clerk’s office bears the date March 19, 1796. This must have been the report of Benjamin Ventriss, who commenced school December, 1795 and ended March 15, 1796 and received for his services seven pounds, seven shillings, sixpence. It is possible that in the archives of some family of the period there might still be found more data of these first schools in the country and their locations. A few years ago the stone foundations of a former schoolhouse were still extant on Birch Hill. The names of the pupils who attended school in the town of Franklin, begun July 9, 1798, and ended October 14 of the same year found in the records of the town clerk’s office: Daniel Delavan, master; wages one dollar for each scholar per quarter: Phoebe Solomon, Laura Delavan, David Haviland, Hulda Jennings, Samuel Jennings, George Stone, Jesse Wilson, David Beach, Deborah Delavan, Edward Kellogg, James Akin, Eliphalet (negro boy), Rebecca Johnston, Lydia Kellogg, Lawrence Stone, Jack (negro boy), Jared Stone, Delia Delavan, Lavinia Haviland, Thomas Jennings, Gould Wilson, Hannah Stone, Abagail Wilson, Elijah Beach, Sally Delavan, Polly Aiken, Benjamin Aiken, Frederick Kellogg, Abbie Kellogg, Charlotte Stone, Mary Stone, Silva (negro girl). Trustees—Amos Kellogg, Daniel Aiken.” There may be some of the oldest citizens of Patterson who remember the above boys and girls as old men and women. It is doubtful if one is living now.

27. First Schoolhouse

28. The first schoolhouse in what is now district No.3, of which we have reliable information was one on Clayhole hill now known as Brimstone hill and the late Mrs. Eliza Haviland, of Danbury attended it, later going down to the Hollow when the first schoolhouse was built there. Mrs. Haviland was born in 1832 and died in July, 1926, at the age of ninety-five. In talking of her early life with a friend at the time she was eighty-four, she related some facts of the Clayhole hill school, probably the only living person who had been a pupil there. “I went to school in the building near the Lane place, it was there where Theodore Lane later bought the farm. I remember three teachers–Lucy Bent and Betsy Roberts,* the latter was Levi Roberts’ daughter. She I* married Clarence Rundle, of Brewster, N. Y. My father’s brother, Willis Wood, taught there. That was the reason my mother came to let me go. The seats were made with holes through them and posts put down. The children thought it great fun to sit down real hard so that the benches would go way down if possible. I was two years old when I first visited the school. Some of the pupils were James Haviland, Jesse Haviland, Esther McCord, William Gerow, James Wood.” 

29. 

    1850s Lane’s Corners–Wood & Gerow Homes

    This school was known as the Academy and was a large two story structure, divided into two rooms on the ground floor, and one very large one above. It stood on the site where a barn now stands built by Theodore Lane and DeWitt Elwell, one third of the building on the west side belonging to the Elwell property and the other to the Lane’s. This eccentric division of ownership still exists. The Lane property, known as the Brimstone Farm, is owned and incorporated by a group of ten of the teachers from the College of the City of New York. This location was for many years called Lane’s Corners and there was a post office and a blacksmith shop besides the old farm houses here at one time. 

30. Lucy L. Whaley

31. 

    1856 Whaley Residence, New Fairfield, CT

    Lucy L. Whaley, who married Montgomery S. Platt, December 19, 1832, [was] the grandmother of Wilford C. Platt, [(who is] now living in the New Fairfield district in the neighborhood where he was born, [and who] has furnished information taken from his grandmother’s diary of the date of 1828) and she probably was one of the early teachers at the Academy: 

32. “She was born May 16, 1808, in the town of Sherman, Conn. Her parents were John and Huldah Wanzer Whaley. The family moved to New Fairfield about 1813. She attended the district schools, later went to the Jones Academy on Quaker Hill, N. Y. She died August 17, 1888. She also taught in several New Fairfield schools and at Holmes, N. Y.

33. “Lucy L. Whaley commenced teaching school when fourteen years of age (1822) at Coburn in the town of Sherman; she finished out her Aunt Wanzer’s term for her. At the first of her teaching she had seventy-five cents a week and boarded around, so the board was free as each one who sent scholars boarded the teacher a certain length of time, according to the number of children sent. The school was kept every other Saturday instead of teaching a half-day on Saturday of each week. I do not remember her wages later but it seems to me she did not have over twenty shillings ($2.50) a week.

34. “She used to mention of having taught school in Haviland Hollow the summer she was nineteen years old, 1827, but I never remember her saying where the schoolhouse was located. In the little book I have where she kept record of those who attended she says school commenced April 16, 1828. This was her second summer term. The following is a list of those who sent children: Joel Durgy, Samual* Haviland, Norris Haviland, Elijah Haviland, Henry Burr, Pardon Jones, John Dakin, Benjamin Sills, John Corse, Abraham Birdsall, William Cowl, David Wixon, Solomon Wood, James McCord, David Haviland, Darius Adkins. From the number of children under the different names there must have been twenty-eight scholars and the term lasted for twenty-three weeks.

35. “Perhaps she taught at two different times as I find this certificate which I copy below:

36. ” This is to Certify that We have examined Lucy L. Whaley and believe her to be of good moral character and otherwise qualified to teach a common School.

37. F. Stone, Commissioner of Schools;

38. P. S. Stevens, Inspector.

39. Patterson, May 3rd, 1827 ”

40. Mrs. Ann Eliza Haviland.

41. Mrs. Ann Eliza Haviland reminiscenses of the “Old School,” the first in Haviland Hollow, go back to the period of 1840, one year after the school opened and following the one known as the Academy.

42. “Down in the Hollow what was then known as the new schoolhouse I remember as teachers, Augustus Cowl (Benjamin Cowl Jr’s. brother), Emeline Cowl, his sister, and Selina Coe. I went to the school in the Hollow when we lived on the place where Mr. Gallup now does.

43. “My grandfather, Solomon Wood, lived where later Theodore Lane and his parents lived for many years and which my Grandfather Wood had owned as long ago as I can remember; I don’t know who built the house. My father moved into the house where Mr. Gallup is before I was two years old and it was not a new house then, that was eighty two-years ago.

44. “My mother’s father, Benjamin Lane, was born and brought up on the old Winship place. (Ed. note: Now the residence of Mr. and. Mrs. Bryan). My mother, Deborah Ann Lane Wood, was married by Elder Wearing, a baptist minister. He lived between DeForest Corners and Milltown. My great grandmother, Jesse Lane’s wife, was a Haviland, the Havilands owned the Hollow. Asal Haviland, one of old Daniel Gerow’s wife’s brothers, lived where Sarah Whitehead now does. Samuel Haviland owned the Bouton mill stand and ground floor[flour], rye, buckwheat, and wheat.

45. “My father sold his place to Orin Fisher. I think it was rented for a while then sold to a man by the name of Townsend, he sold to Tom Phalon, he sold to DeWitt Elweel and then the property was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Gottlieb Weber.

46. “My mother’s brother, Jesse Lane, lived a long time in the tenant house at the foot of Brimstone hill. He had a blacksmith shop just across the road. There were ten children in the family.

47. “My father was one of the committee at the time Rev. Marvin R. Lent was taken into the Masonic Lodge at Patterson. Mr. Lent called on my father during his last sickness and spoke at his funeral; also some Quakers. Can never forget how beautiful Mr. Lent spoke. I think he must have done good wherever he went.

48. “Noah Jump lived where Eb Wheeler did, the old house site just beyond the Buchanans. William Cowl, father of Benjamin Jr., lived on what is now the Rutledge place; Jennie Selleck’s father, Desmond Williams, bought this place of B. CowI and his sister, Caroline Akin; the latter was a widow and moved west with her children.”

49. [MBD:] ‘This was written as introduction to my own paper, was asked to take off for this place

50. School Built in 1839. [MBD: ‘written by Minnie B. Durga.’ ]

51. The old school house in Haviland Hollow was new in 1839 at which time the land was given “in consideration of good will and benefits to said District,” by both John Laurence Senior and Junior. The Deed of the land was given April 8, 1839 made out by Frederick Stone, Commissioner of Deeds.

52. At that time we think the Laurence family owned the farm on each side of this piece of land. The building was erected some time that year, probably soon after the purchase of the land. The dear old building still stands, and speaks volumes to us. Its four walls made many things possible to the people of Haviland Hollow.

53. Around these seventy-five years cluster innumerable precious memories. The school building still stands a monument to these memories; the play ground in front, the running brook which found its way down f’rom Birch Hill, the hemlocks on the steep ravine, the mountain road, the arbutus and wintergreen patch are perennial monuments to the old associations. The little brook has seen many generations but it “goes on forever.”

54. The walk to and from school was usually very enjoyable; imagine a bright morning in May, when trees and fields have on their new coats of green, flowers are blooming and we are breathing their perfume, the birds in joyous song make our joy more complete, if we see God’s hand in all this, then are we in accord with it all, and while nature is praising God, so are we, and we go happily on our way, filled to the brim with delight.

55. Perhaps we too are clothed in a new spring dress, and a home trimmed straw hat. We have dinner pails in hand, perhaps books and pencils or a new slate, a bouquet of flowers for the teacher or some fancy work to use at noontime. As we go on we are joined by others, perhaps call for them, then each as for the other some new tale to relate, a bit of news or some questions to ask.

56. “Man’s heart is the same in all ages,” so as the day at school progresses, little difficulties arise and make tumult in that heart that was so happy in the morning, and it is torn and ‘rolled’ and alas the dreadful feelings we can take on; I had such an experience and a teacher told me “Do the right thing yourself, do your own part well, even if others do not”–this was one little instance, but as a rule we were happy together in our play.

57. Mrs. Sarah Lovina Wheeler.

58. Mrs. Sarah Lovina Wheeler, widow of the late Ira Wheeler, of Danbury, Conn., was born Aug. 8th, 1834, and contributed this material in February, 1916, when she was eighty-one.

59. Her great great grandfather was Nathan Birdsall, who was one of the Nine Partners–the first nine people who ever lived at the Place called Nine Partners, a Quaker Community located near Millbrook, N. Y. Her line of descendent on the Birdsall side was Nathan, James, David and Abraham Birdsall, this one was her father, a Quaker. Her mother’s name was Anna Craft, she and her mother were Methodists. David Birdsall’s wife was sister to Samuel Haviland, Benjamin’s father. Abraham and Anna Birdsall lived on the Goodsell Place in Haviland Hollow. Originally the Birdsall’s owned all the land from Cowl’s corner to the John Lawrence place, but gradually sold it.

60. Lovina went to school quite young, her mother sent quilt and pillow so she could have a nap. She remembers as her teachers, Felura Barnum, the Ball Pond Felura Dykeman; Augustus Cowl, son of William Cowl; Augustus Cowl’s grandfather was Benjamin Cowl and his wife was Mehetable Craft. Old Benjamin was in the Revolutionary War. Jedidiah Wanzer, was one of her teachers and Mary Crosby, her last teacher.

61. Mrs. Wheeler remembers some of the books as English Reader, Elementary Speller, Dabolls Arithmetic. The writing books were home made, the teachers set the copies, and made all their pens of goose quills; when she first went to school steel pens were unknown. The last day of school they always spoke pieces. When she was very young she spoke a piece of which this is a part:

62. When shall we meet again?

63. “When shall we meet again?

64. Oft shall glowing hope inspire

65. Oft shall death and sorrow reign

66. Oft shall wearied love retire

67. ‘Ere we all shall meet again.” [–“Indian’s Farewell” by William Walker in The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion by Walker, William (1809-1875)–RT.]

68. Her schoolmates were: Charlotte and Mary Crane, Mary Cowl (Elijah’s daughter), Phoebe, Alonzo and Alpheus Cowl. children of Harry; Phoebe married Geo. Wilson; Henry C. Hart, Ann Maria, Mary Jane Bouton, children of Platt Bouton (Judith and Charles were too young); Gilbert Haviland, Christina Patrick, Cornelius Patrick, Paulina Lawrence, John’s daughter; Charles, Emeline and Huldah Lawrence, John’s brother.[omit period] Isaac[‘]s children; Camilla Fields, [named?] after Camilla Grey; Ann Eliza and Almira Wood, Theodore Lane, Martin and Sarah Disbrow, brother and sister; Almira, Lydia Jane, Daniel and Willis Banks, Nathan’s children; and the children of Hiram White.

69. Mrs. Wheeler married young and in 1855 went to Danbury to live. Of the religious services in the school house she says that ministers came there to preach who lived as far away as Dover. One by name of Bancroft lived at Isaac Scudders, the Luther Mead house was hired for others. Several ministers lived in the little house near the church called the Betsy Hayes house, her husband was a brother to Lewis Hayes. Leaders in the prayer meeting in Haviland Hollow were Abram Brown (father of Geo., Frank, Mary and Kate), Platt Bouton, Lewis Partrick, Hiram White, John Fields, her mother and other ladies. Each family was always expected to take a candle with them when they went to evening meeting.

70. [MBD–] ‘Remainder of Mrs. Sarah Lovina Wheeler paper.’

71. “My half-sister’s name was Maria.” She married Steadwell Haviland and went to Michigan where their daughter, Esther, was born. Their health gave out and soon after coming back they went to Illinois. Steadwell was a Quaker Hill Haviland and brother to Milton Haviland.

72. “My mother was born in Milltown, near Brewster, N. Y. She and father set out the maple trees now in front of the place now owned by Mrs. Buchanan. This place was given to Abram Birdsall by his grandfather. It was a small house, now moved back from the new one. My father built on to this house at different times.

73. “Towner Haviland’s wife and my mother were own cousins. James Towner, Sr., father of James Towner, the Senator, married David Birdsall’s daughter. David Birdsall was my grandfather. The writings or records may be with Anna Flagler Brill, who lives in Green Haven. Her husband’s name is Roland Brill, close by Dutcher’s store. They live on a beautiful farm. James Birdsall was the first white child born in Nine Partners, and the one that the mother let the Indians look at and take out for the whole party of Indians to see. My grandmother Birdsall’s name was Polly Haviland.

74. “The old store at the corner when the Birdsalls lived on the Cowl place, kept by them, and later my Uncle Ben Sill. B. Sill was tall and slim, very intelligent and much thought of.

75. “Captain Cowl married Mahetable Darling Craft, my grandmother, who was a widow. The first one I remember keeping store was old Benjamin or Captain Cowl, then Harry Cowl, and later young Benjamin, the father of William Henry.”

76. Miss Charlotte Crane.

77. Charlotte Crane, daughter of Oliver Crane, was born in the town of Patterson, N. Y., January 23rd, 1833. [MBD– ‘Charlotte Crane Born 1833.’]

78. In early life she was one of the Haviland Hollow school teachers and also a music teacher.

79. She never married, and in later life lived with Janette Turner, near Brewster, N. Y., for many years.

80. At the death of Miss Turner she lived alone in the same home until her final sickness and death, she was then with her niece, Mrs. Henry Knapp. Her death occurred July 24th, 1920, at the ripe age of eighty-seven years.

81. She was well remembered as an excellent teacher, and all through her life as a willing helper and advisor to those who were in need of help.

82. Up to the last she kept well informed in the questions and doings of the day. A woman of unusual mind and kind heart.

83. Miss Charlotte Crane wrote the following paper in November, 1915. She was then eighty-two years of age, her handwriting was steady, clear and most neatly done.

84. “Seventy-five years is a long while to go back and review our school days and impressions, yet they are as vivid as yesterday.

85. “Though living out of district No. 3, sister Mary and I always patronized the Hollow school when our own school was vacant. It was in 1843-4-5 that I attended the Haviland Hollow school. I had few mates then for nearly all were young ladies and I a child of ten and twelve; one mate was Pauline Laurence that I had many a friendly contest with trying to outdo each other in studies, but she died of brain fever in the midst of our plans to be always in school together, leaving me a sad mourner.

86. Parents paid their children’s tuition then and as my district had more children than money we had short terms. Better teachers were hired in the Haviland Hollow school. One Lydia Jane Crosby, another Mary Crosby were angels in my eyes, but the men teachers were more like pupils, studying instead of teaching. John Laurence taught only history as I remember, and Jedidiah Wanzer was smitten with figures.

87. “The generation before me said that at the old school up on the hill near the old Quaker Church, the teachers regularly called up the large boys to be whipped every day, believing that ‘in sparing the rod they were spoiling the child,’ but in this school the room was arched and strengthened with an iron rod, where we children performed our stunts.

88. “The seats and writing table or desks surrounded three sides of the room, with the teacher’s desk at the entrance in fact a good up to date school room, where we all joined in sport and study and seemed as one family.

89. “In 1865 I went in as teacher of a younger generation, among whom were the two George Barnum families and Lottie Whitehead, and you may be sure all of them were dear to me. Antoinette Robinson had taught the previous year or two leaving her scholars well advanced and disciplined though all my children took pride in self government giving me more time to teach.

90. “Always looking for instruction myself I used to apply to one Charley Smith, known as “Crazy Charley.” Such a soldierly polite gentleman (though he tramped the streets with an extra shirt under his arms) he found friends everywhere for his great knowledge won him honor. A great linguist he could give you the derivation of every word, and he was never heard speaking an ungrammatical word.

91. “He visited schools. I asked him how he found one. His answer was ‘P-o-o-r t-h-i-n-g how little she knows.’ Things I could not find an answer for I saved to ask him. To illustrate, a problem that I failed to explain when he came in my home I gave him. He stepped to the table, picked up my spool, set it down as the first point in the sum, taking thimble for the next point and then the scissors for the third point telling why he placed so and before the last point was explained I felt myself a simpleton asking for such a self evident fact.

92. “People tried to keep him in the school room, but he must wander.

93. “My school commissioners were Duncan Green, of Pawling, “”V. H. Townsend, of Southeast, Jackson O. Dykeman and Peter B. Curry.

94. “I always taught under a first grade certificate until Politics controlled. In fact one boy that came to my school named John Bennett was appointed, but he did not visit me. I never made application for a school or taught where any would not come and yet at the age of thirty-eight I was laid off as some 70 applicants wanted situations, Commissioner James Towner sending his regrets to me. So I ran the scale, and ended in failure. I’ve learned that all knowledge is from without fed by the senses, but wisdom is from within, fed by experience, giving us an understanding heart.

95. “I am expecting to soon graduate from this life school, and shall look for my school mates and scholars there.

96. “So its good bye dear old working, resting, testing place.”

97. Charley Smith.

98. From1860 to early in the seventies Charley Smith was well known in Haviland Hollow. He was tall, well formed, grey hair, a fine looking man. He walked back and forth over the roads, and of his own free will often visited the different schools. He was noted for his ability to work out very difficult sums in arithmetic, and often gave the teachers sums to work out. He was a fine German scholar and spoke several languages, and was a college graduate. He taught school at Reynoldsville (now called Holmes) also taught in the Stevens District and boarded at Sylvester Mabies’s. He taught in the Hiram Knapp family where were nine children, each one of the children became college graduates. He never married, we think his home was in Brookfield, Conn. He was a military man and liked to have the people play marches on their pianos for him. He played the clarionet and sang very nicely, he often talked and sang of Napoléon Bonaparte, on entering a school room he would often call for the dictionary the first thing to look up a word. He also traveled through Woodinville and Beekmanville, at the latter place he is said to have hung his hat on a fence post and spoke a piece to it. He died about fifty years ago at Daniel P. Woodin’s, Woodinville, N. Y., a small place over west of Pawling. He was very eccentric and yet quite a wonderful man.

99. Mrs. William H. COWL.

100. Carrie M. Sherman was born on Quaker Hill, N. Y., June 2, 1839. Her father’s name was Hiram Sherman. They lived in a house where Mizzentop Hotel Golf links are now; and in fact I think their old house or a portion of it is now used for a Club House.

101. She married William H. Cowl, of Haviland Hollow in May, 1858. The names of their children are as follows: Emma A., Irene A., Clifton A., Ella F., and Benjamin P.

102. Mrs. Cowl is still living and makes her home with her eldest daughter, Mrs. Edson S. Lott at 440 Riverside Drive, New York City. A woman always held in very high esteem.

103. We are fortunate in securing from Mrs. Cowl the following interesting account of that part of Haviland Hollow known as Cowl’s Corner, going back ninety-six years when the original Cowls lived there and gave it the name by which it is still designated. This paper was written in 1916.

104. “About eighty-five years ago that part of Haviland Hollow so often spoken of as Cowl’s Corners, north of Quaker brook and north of the old store (which is at present standing and occupied as a tenement house) there were situated two houses belonging at one time to Henry Cowl, or as he was usually termed Harry Cowl, also the store and a building used for tannery.

105. “Here he lived for many years, with his wife and a large family of children, and was very successful in business.

106. “The house directly opposite the store was occupied for some time by a man named Sills, whether he was ever the owner I do not know. After he left one and another of the Cowl family occupied it at intervals. Benjamin Cowl, with his wife and son lived there for a time, and he helped his father-in-law in the store. From there he located in the town of Southeast until an opportunity presented to buy a house directly south of the store and now owned by Herbert Winship. This house was purchased from Lewis Partrick.

107. “He immediately erected a store for himself which after occupying for many years was sold and converted into the M. E. church. In the meantime a dwelling had been erected near, which was owned for years by different members of the Cowl family and finally purchased and occupied by Benjamin Cowl’s son and family for four years, then sold nearly fifty years ago as a Methodist parsonage, now the home of Bert Heiser and family.

108. “Benjamin Cowl enlarged and made many improvements on his home place and lived there as long as he was permitted to remain on earth, the last one surviving the original family.

109. “For a few years the daughter-in-law and grandchildren remained and finally the place was disposed of to Herbert Winship. It is now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Teske and family.

110. “The houses in front of the store have gradually gone to decay. Harry Cowl moved and built a house now owned by George Wright and family, not far away on the Boston Post Road.

111. “One family and another were occupants of the cottages as long as they remained in decent condition, and we all remember Mr. and Mrs. William Taylor with their son, James, and daughter, Fannie, who were residents a long time. The death of the father in 1873 and marriage of the children made them residents of Danbury. Miss Fannie taught school for a time in the Old Haviland Hollow school house, afterward a small private school in her own home.

112. Miss Christina Partrick.

113. Christina Partrick has always been a woman of true worth and highly esteemed. She has recently contributed the following facts concerning herself.

114. “I was born in Haviland Hollow September 2, 1840. My father, Lewis Partrick, was then living on the old Benjamin Cowl place. George Partrick, of Haviland Hollow, was my brother, also Edgar and Alonzo, both of Danbury, Conn. Cornelius, of North Carolina, James, of Kansas, and Albert, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Charles died when six years of age. Olive Partrick married and lived in Elgin, Ill., and now I am the only remaining one of this family.

115. “My school life is the first thing I remember. My entire education was received in the Haviland Hollow school. At the age of sixteen I left my ‘Collegiate Institute,’ and remained home to lighten the labors of parents who were then growing old. Later I spent twenty years in Elgin, Ill., with my sister. Afterward I entered into Home Mission work going from one place to another such as Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin, in

116. Texas, also New York City and a number of other places.

117. “Years passed on, I was called to Poughkeepsie to care for my brother’s sick wife and daughter, and until they passed on. Later my health became impaired by rheumatism and finally unfitted me for usefulness in any kind of work, now at eighty-six years of age I am spending my remaining days with my niece Hattie Partrick Pearce, of Danbury.

118. “I have a good degree of health as yet, having much to be thankful for.”

119. Miss Christina Partrick gave the following paper in 1915:

120. Of my reminiscences of the old school in Haviland Hollow shall I go back to 1845, the first remembrance when hired with a stick of candy to make the journey alone, and reaching the little spring by the roadside that never ran dry, and where we never failed to stop and drink, and seeing George Spencer there with his little pack (who became demented through a love affair and ever after was a familiar character on our highway) I can assure you I returned to my home, and poured out my grief into my poor mother’s ears.

121. The study hours were fine, sitting on the bench swinging our bare feet, keeping time with our red apple on a string.

122. In the afternoon with a blanket spread on the floor we indulged in very peaceful slumber; but we began to grow, and things changed, duties were demanded, the multiplication table must be learned, and the “rule of three” must be proven. They who stood at the head of the class if careless must return to the foot to work their way up again.

123. Our teacher Emmeline Cowl, shut Lydia Cowl and myself in the writing desk for bad behavior, the lower part of the desk was enclosed. The modes of punishment were very numerous, and very few escaped.

124. The noon hours in the spring were generally spent in the winter-green patch, or down by the brook for mint–so long ago.

125. I call to remembrance very few of the teacher’s names.

126. I know there graduated off of these hard benches and rude desks many a bright mind, some in turn went out through our country districts to teach the “young ideas how to shoot.”

127. Wading the mountain stream and climbing over the rocks washed by the rivulet meant much to further our development.

128. John Laurence, the faithful old teacher in winter after farm work was done, often found it essential to pinch our ears, and to use the ruler that his strength might not diminish for the coming spring work.

129. The old school house afforded many a pleasant scene; spelling schools, and singing schools after we graduated gave us many a rare treat, some lost their hearts, others lost their hats.

130. Ann Mead, one of our best who made her teaching so practical, did a great deal for me in my last school years.

131. Sunday service by the faithful pastor sowed seed and brought forth a harvest which was great in quantity and rare in quality. Many have found their home in glory, and others are on the way. Kneeling by the small bench one Sunday and receiving baptism touched a spring in my life which will go with me through all eternity–it is a dear spot to me.

132. The praying band which led the mid-week prayer meeting, Oliver Hollister, Platt Bouton, Lewis Partrick, Gilbert Haviland and a few others, made it possible for conviction to find its way to many listening hearts, an Amen! then was no new thing.

133. Yes the old school house served its time for grand purposes and in memories of many it will never die.

134. Pipe organs and the new cults of this day can not compare with it. I would give more for the “Little Red School House” in the country than all the City fads.

135. I hope the old school house will stand till I have one more chance to see it.

136. Of Cowl’s Corner Miss Partrick Wrote the Following in 1916.

137. I was born on the place where Mr. Winship now lives, in the old house which stood there when my father bought it, afterward my father built a new house there. I was very young when father sold a part of his farm to Benjamin Cowl, and built where Mr. Hiser now lives. Egbert Hiser, Sr.

138. In front of the old store building which stands there now, Captain Cowl used to live, the place where William Taylor lived in after years, then a little further west and opposite to the little red store of Benjamin Sills, Harry Cowl lived. I remember when Harry Cowl bought the old John Turner place and built the house where Lillie Cowl Wright (daughter of Alpheus Cowl) now lives. Benjamin Sills built this little red store on the curve of the road to the left going toward Patterson and kept store there when I was a wee child, finally it was turned into a tenement house and at one time a colored man by the name of Norman Sands lived there, he had a son, Bennie, (very black) who figured in the Hollow school.

139. The Cowl’s ran a tan yard, tanned leather and they say it was a very busy corner.

140. To the east of the corner, John Field lived where Eddie Leonard did, the old house is now in ruins. John Field’s daughter, Camelia, married William (or Bill) Gray, who built the small house now first to the east of the Buchanan Place.

141. NOTE–The following two compositions were written by Christina Partrick, probably about 1855 as she was born in 1840 and left school when 16 years of age. These compositions were preserved by Josephine (Barnum) Pugsley, and are in Miss Partrick’s own handwriting:

142. The History of a Penny

143. Many times have I sat down in a sad and pensive mood and looked over my past life from the time I was first brought into existence up to the present day and whenever I do so the scene is recorded with many historical events. I have often thought it would be well to inscribe them on paper that people might by reading my life be reminded of the vanity and vexations of this world and thereby be benefitted.

144. You may think such a little and insignificant looking thing as I am has but little to say concerning the affairs of this world; you need not tell me all this.! I know I am small but very smart, therefore have a better chance to find out the hidden recesses of a man’s heart than the more lofty and dignified name of dollar would. Things have somewhat changed since I was young. They used to think it quite honorable to be large and look manly, but since things have taken a turn I have been modeled and remodeled over till I am scarcely as big as the tip void of nothing, and the most fashionable lady will hold me in her hand and ca1 me her own; sometimes I am fairly led to believe why I am so small is because I have been squeezed so much by that fair sex.

145. Then again I resemble a little boy who is cast out into the wide world worth no help but his own resources, for no sooner do I enter a sick man’s house than the servant is ordered to carry me to an office and then lie in bondage till I am sent to the Home of the Friendless or Penitentiary. But believing I have brothers who will someday lend me a helping hand I take things cool and at last arrive to the station of honor and enter the Presidential Chair. There I repose in luxury surrounded by everything that tends to render one happy. After the term of four years expires I live at my ease, there seems to be no use for me in the least because Father Dollar takes the lead. He is about to build a railroad near the base of the Rocky Mountains, while surveying that most circuitous route he feels his dignity very much, but when some channels want digging to form a tunnel or a few ties want hewing to make the track secure he then finds he needs the aid of his son Penny.

146. I do not know but I have a better opinion of myself than anybody else; I know not your sentiments, but I consider myself a perfect gentleman. I have mingled in all kinds of society the high and low, the rich and poor. I have been trampled under foot but it has not hurt my character, I shall retain my position in society. I always speak the truth, I am just what I pretend to be and am what every one will be that is just and upright, mingle in what society they will. Put on the polish and observe me closely, my features are regular, at first sight you would call me a man; take off the polish and hold me at a distance and I resemble a piece of an old copper kettle, and what does man resemble without the polish. I could sit here and fill volumes and then history would not half be told, but why do I dwell on, though in obscurity, which if I did not mention, to the world would never be revealed. ‘Tis not because I realize that fellow beings, will sympathize in my behalf, far from that it only gives them a wider scope for pleasure at my expense. But brethren laugh, I can shake hands with you all.Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I now retire from business and enter the treasure box.

147. CHRISTINA PARTRICK.

148. The Last Day of School.

149. Who have ever spent their childhood days in school without feelings of deep regret as that hour drew nigh and a heavy gloom hung over their spirits ever welcoming them to the land of distress, for it may be counted as such when we are to part with some who perhaps, we may never meet again. It is almost like leaving home and saying farewell to dear famliar faces. Although we know another term will soon commence it banishes not our feeling for then strange faces make their appearance; and above all our teacher departs we know not whither, but go where they will our memory will go with them and though we hear no tidings ever and anon we will inquire concerning them.

150. During the past winter we have spent many happy days together thinking not of the closing term and parting hour. But all things must have a change and meditation throws us into the dim vista of the future while Time makes rapid strides in our earthly career.

151. Soon are we to leave this place no more to enter as a pupil. Alas! how little we heed! Our happiest days are passing now but we are ever looking beyond as if eager to grasp something we know not what, neither can fancy paint nor pen describe. And this day we look at it as it is in reality while we bid our teacher and playmates adieu we cannot help but drop a tear over buried time which is lost to us and may as well be for­gotten. But who can govern their memory enough to banish all and do you think I would wish to blot them out, the happiest periods of my existence? No indeed, let me retain them so long as life shall last, let not the days of my youth ever be effaced, let enough remain so in after years should we ever meet our present friendship will be sufficient without referring to the past bygone days. As I look over the journal of the past it seems all transitory because I know it must be forgotten. Days are formed into months, months into years and soon the passing breeze will arise to waft us to an unknown shore and our names and deeds will be obliterated while our bodies and every scroll we leave behind will be mouldering and trodden beneath the feet of rising generations.

152. After I leave this place as a scholar let me in imagination surmount some lofty eminence and view its playgrounds. Although there is nothing picturesque or beautiful about it it has many charms for me and will throw me back to childhood hours when I entered here without care or sorrow, led on by kind teachers’ gentle aid. As I have wandered so far with my story I will close by adding that the winter has been happily spent and I only leave this place to mourn the absence of one who will soon depart.

153. Yes our teacher she will leave for a better place I trust,

154. Where the scholars will obey, be good and kind and just;

155. And when she takes her exit to Heaven’s eternal day

156. There I hope to meet her where all clouds have passed away.

157. CHRISTINA PARTRICK

158. Mr. Jedidiah Wanzer, who taught the Haviland Hollow School About 1845 or 1846.

159. Mr. H. S. Wanzer, of Pawling, N. Y., son of Jedidiah Wanzer, sent the following facts concerning his father’s life.

160. “Jedidiah Wanzer was born May 13, 1829. At the age of twenty-one he joined a surveying party on the Danbury and Norwalk railroad, working there two years. In the spring of fifty-two he went west and engaged in surveying in Illinois and Iowa.

161. “In 1856 he returned to western New York and superintended the widening of the Erie Canal west of Albion. In 1859 he went to Lyon, Iowa, and bought a farm. Five years later he sold the farm and came back to Knowlesville, N. Y., and later returned to this part of the country where he remained up to the time of his death.”

162. The late Mrs. Sarah Duncan Whitehead several years ago gave this information concerning her school life in Haviland Hollow:

163. I was fifteen years of age when I went to school in Haviland Hollow.

164. Miss Ann Mead was my first teacher there, then came in 1857 Miss Harriet Rogers, then Adelia Hawley in 1858, after that Miss Mary Wanzer. My school mates were William J. Laurence, Isaac D. Laurence, Almira Laurence, Jane and Judith and Henry C. Bouton, Mary Elizabeth Hollister, Christina Partrick, James S. Whitehead, Antoinette Robinson, Olive Durga, Philo Burch, James Harvey Wood and others not remembered. The prayer meetings that were held there were well attended, the house would be filled. Those who took the principal part were John Platt Bouton, Abram Brown, Lewis Partrick, Hiram White, John Fields, Stephen and Lucy Whitehead, Gilbert Haviland, David and Judith Stevens, George W. Barnum and wife, the father of Fannie, Addie and Flora Barnum, who attended that school a short time.

165. I remember the excellent preaching services and Sunday school held there, also the singing schools. Crandle Durgy and Mr. Viberts were the teachers. Some of those who took lessons were Lottie and Josie Barnum, Lottie Whitehead, Gilbert Haviland, James S. Whitehead and myself.

166. The teachers used tuning forks to find the key note, no musical instrument was used.

167. The book they sang out of was called ”’The Lute of Zion” and published in 1853. There were nineteen pages of “Singing Instructions” in this book and all together 345 well filled large pages.

168. James S. Whitehead and Sarah E. Duncan were married September 26, 1865. Mr. Whitehead was born January 13, 1846, at Patterson, N. Y. He was actively engaged in farming until his death, April 18, 1917. He was interested in the affairs of the town, was a member of the state legislature and for twenty consecutive years was on the board of selectmen of the town of New Fairfield. Mrs. Whitehead taught in the schools of New Fairfield and New Milford and at the Great Hollow school at the age of sixteen. Born in the house now owned by George N. Davenport, she spent her girlhood in the house now owned by Walter Gorden Merritt, and entire married life, except the first year, at the homestead where she died. Three houses all in sight of each other. She was born October 6, 1843 and died Feb. 22, 1926.

170. Merit Cards.

171. The following two merit cards are copied complete, they were small cards and all printed with spaces for filling in:

172. Card 1.

173. This Certifies That

174. James S. Whitehead

175. has been a good scholar during the past week having received no check for absence, tardiness, imperfect recitation, or misconduct, and is therefore entitled to the approbation of his teacher.

176. HATTIE ROGERS.

177. May 14, 1858.

178. Card 2.

179. November 21, 1859.

180. James S. Whitehead

181. This day receives a public testimonial for Industry, and Good Conduct during the past week.

182. No scholar is entitled to this Certificate who has received a Check for Absence, Misdemeanor, or Imperfect Recitation.

183. ADELIA E. HAWLEY, Teacher.

184. Mrs. Judith Bouton Baldwin.

185. Judith Bouton, daughter of John Platt Bouton, wife of David Baldwin, and mother of Mrs. E. Stanley Sloat, writes:

186. I went to school in 1849, was then three years old. My mother sent a comfortable and pillow to the school so that I could have a nap every day; this arrangement was often made in those days for little children.

187. My first teacher was Elizabeth Stevens, later the wife of Gilbert Haviland. My school mates were Sarah B. Ganung, Jane Ann Bouton, (daughter Of William Bouton), Antoinette Williams, Jennie Williams, Mira, Lydia, Isaac D., and William J. Lawrence, James C. Gerow, my sister, Mary Jane Bouton, Alfred, Tina, Jane L., Caroline, Amanda and Ann White, the children of Hiram White.

188. I remember as teachers Hattie Rogers, Adelia Hawley, Antoinette Robinson, and as school commissioners, James Dykeman and Peter B. Curry.

189. Some of the books we used were Webster’s Elementary Spelling Book, McGuffey’s Reader, and Daboll’s Arithmetic.

190. We played ball, hail over, (throwing the ball over the school house), kitty corner, blind man’s bluff, Sally Waters, duck on the rock, etc.

191. I taught school when fifteen years old. Was married in 1861.

192. Note: The Arithmetic above spoken of is of interest, the title page reads:

193. “Daboll’s Schoolmaster’s Assistant, a Plain Practical System Of ARITHMETICK adapted to the United States, by Nathan Daboll. With the addition of the Farmers and Mechanick’s best METHOD OF BOOK-KEEPING. Ithaca, N. Y., 1837.

194. The recommendations are from Josiah Meigs, of Yale College, and Noah Webster given in 1799. This edition improved from a previous one.

195. Mrs. Frederick Olmstead, Sr.

196. Mary Jane Bouton, daughter of J. Platt Bouton and sister of Ann Maria, Hart, Henry C., Judith and Charles, was a scholar in the Haviland Hollow school. She was married to Frederick Olmstead in Feb. 1855.

197. Her sister, Ann Maria, of the same school was the wife George Ballard of Patterson.

198. Mrs. Antoinette Robinson Stevens.

199. Memories of Haviland Hollow.

200. I was born on Feb. 18, 1845, in Patterson, N. Y., but my earliest school days were spent in New York City. At or near ten years of age I went to live with my grandparents, John and Anna Field, in Haviland Hollow, and was a pupil in the school there until Feb. 1859 when a position was given me as teacher of what was then known as the Haynes District School in Patterson. My salary was to be $6.00 per month, including board, which meant stopping one or more weeks with the different patrons of the school according to the number of pupils sent from each family.

201. At the mature (?) age of 14 years the importance of my position was very real to me, when armed with the proper credentials furnished by the Putnam Co. School Commissioner. I approached the school house on the opening day and found a goodly number of boys and girls awaiting my coming and heard one large boy say to the rest of the crowd, “Huh, we can lick her easy.” It seems a former teacher has been deposed for inefficiency in discipline, and they were all primed for action in the line of bravery. I think if a vote of the crowd (including myself) could have been taken then and there, concerning the possibility of the boast being carried out successfully, the result would have been a unanimous “aye.”

202. After teaching a term of 7 weeks, I went to my home with $42 and courage enough to accept the charge of the Haviland Hollow school, the pupils all being former schoolmates.

203. This seemed a more hazardous experiment than my first, but with the co-operation of both parents and pupils, the work proved both pleasant and profitable for 2 1/2 or 3 years. (I have forgotten the exact time.)

204. Then feeling that I needed preparation for better work, I went to Ticonderoga as a student in an Academy for advanced grades and prospective teachers. When the course was finished, I returned to Haviland Hollow and again took charge of the H. H. school for several terms.

205. I have much to say of the good will and assistance given me by the Haviland Hollow people with whom I lived so long. The memory of their kindness is ever present with me. The names of Barnum, Whitehead, Lawrence, Haviland, Bouton, Durga, White, Partrick, Cowl and many others always recall pleasant scenes and friendly situations.

206. The old school house was not used alone for school work. It served as a chapel where many good old fashioned Methodist prayer meetings were held; a recreation hall where exhibitions were given; a meeting place for singing schools and lectures; and occasionally for a dance hall. The old wooden desks built in around three sides of the room, elaborately carved by the hands and knives of busy students, furnished seating room for a second row of visitors, and the old plank benches served for steps as well as seats. The floor of well worn planks was in no danger of becoming marred by restless feet.

207. I regret that I had no opportunity to visit the old building before it was taken down.

208. (Somewhere in these records I should have mentioned teaching one term of six months in Southeast, and also a summer term at Barnum’s Corner.)

209. After leaving Haviland Hollow I accepted a position in a Danbury school (Westville District) where I

210. remained for five years. During that time I was married to G. Edwin Stevens, but still continued teaching.

211. My last engagement as a teacher was in the graded schools of Danbury where I continued the work for eleven years, when the death of my mother made necessary the establishment of a new home.

212. A few years later a new member was added to our family–a daughter–with whom I now make my home, my husband having died in 1908. In due time she qualified as a teacher, but gave up the work upon assuming marriage obligations, except in the line of music, which she still enjoys and teaches in Ansonia, Conn.

213. I always loved my work, and only hope it may have been profitable to those among whom I labored.

214. Mrs. Charlotte R. Betts.

215. Oct. 25, 1849–March 23, 1926.

216. Charlotte Rebecca Barnum, familiarly known as Lottie Barnum, was the eldest daughter of George Barnum, of Haviland Hollow. She was a student in the Haviland Hollow school, finishing her education with one term in Mr. Benedict’s select [picture here]school in Patterson village. She began teaching at an early age and was a most capable teacher. Her first term of teaching was in Great Hollow district in 1865-6. All the other terms were in Haviland Hollow. She was united in marriage to Edwin G. Betts in 1875 and became the mother of George, Horace and Hanford Betts. A woman of true worth.

217. School Days of Mrs. C. R. Betts.

218. “Today calls for reminiscenses connected with the old school building in Haviland Hollow. What remains of the structure now stands where it did when I was a child of six years. It is the place where I began my school days, and but for one term they were finished there. I could not give the names of my teachers in their order. The first one I remember well was Harriett Rogers, a sweet woman with mild black eyes and hair in long curls. Then Adelia Hawley, Miss Wanzer,[sic] (a daughter of Ira Wanzer, who wrote an Arithmetic which was published in Danbury, Conn., in 1831.) My teacher, Mary Williams, is well remembered also Henry Swords, Hendrick Wildman, Helen Dean, William Pepper, and Charlotte Crane. Antoinette Robinson (now Stevens) was first a schoolmate then a teacher, and to her goes my sense of deepest gratitude for the lessons I learned.

219. There I went to Sunday school, prayer meetings, services by the pastor in charge, and terms of singing school taught by Mr. Viberts, and our cousin, Crandall Durga. These the young people rarely missed. When the deep snows came Uncle Diamon, over the line in Connecticut, with his oxen and sled would carry us safely through. George Brown, Gilbert Haviland and wife were among the older members of the class. The happy faces of some of the good old Methodists who were active in the prayer meetings are fresh in memory; those of Lewis Partrick, Oliver Hollister, Platt Bouton and Montgomery Platt.

220. At the age of sixteen years I was teaching. In those days there were two terms in a year,–the summer and the winter term. The third term I found myself back in the old familiar school room. Nine terms I taught there. I loved my work and my pupils. Thus many happy days and evenings have I spent under its roof. Today I feel to rejoice also grieve. With this as with all, the old must pass away, the new appear.

221. Mrs. Lewis G. Pugsley, Sr.

222. Josephine Barnum was both a scholar and a teacher in the Haviland Hollow school.

223. She has lived in Patterson all her life thus far; first on a farm in Haviland Hollow, and since her marriage in the village of Patterson.

224. She was the second daughter of George Barnum and was born July 10, 1851, and was married to Lewis

225. G. Pugsley Nov. 2, 1870.

226. Mrs. George Barnum.

227. Aug. 25, 1821-April 27, 1917.

228. A Resident of Haviland Hollow for

229. Sixty-one Years.

230. Susan A., daughter of Joel Durga, was one of a large family and lived in the town of Sherman the most of her girlhood.

231. She often talked about the spinning and weaving they did in her own home, and especially of the beauty of the flax, how they gathered it and prepared it for the last process which was Hatcheling, or combing. It was sometimes used with wool, the grey flax woven in squares and the wool in stripes around the squares and called Linsey-Woolsey.

232. They made their own thread mostly a spool from the stores being quite a novelty. Bed blankets, coverlids and dress material were woven at home.

233. Sheep were raised, their wool carried to the mills and made into cloth. Men’s suits as well as women’s dresses were made up at home.

234. She was a tailoress and with her cousin went from house to house to make men’s clothing, all sewing was done by hand.

235. In her girlhood she was fond of a spirited horse and often rode horseback to Quaker Hill and other places.

236. She was married Dec. l843. Five of her children living to grow up, Charlotte R., Josephine, Buckley, Starr, and Minnie. Her life then was a home life, always “looking well to the ways of her household.” Her husband bought the Haviland Hollow farm where Mr. Sinclair Kennedy now lives, in 1856.

237. At the death of her husband in 1882, the farm was left to her for life.

238. Mrs. Barnum retained a very good mind to the close of her ninety-five years and eight months, her physician liking to call forth her answers to pertinent questions.

239. Her voice was often heard in song even to the last of her life and remembering five and six stanzas of some old songs.

240. Her husband was a man of very clear brain, a great reader, industrious and frugal always with a view to the welfare of his family. A lover of Abraham Lincoln, the free school system and our own little red school house.

241. Charles P. Bouton.

242. Of his school life Charles P. Bouton remembered his first teacher was Hattie Rogers, then Miss Hawley and Miss Wanzer, [sic] (David Wanzer’s sister and the daughter of Ira Wanzer of Brookfield), Antoinette Robinson, Henry Swords, Charlotte Crane, Laura Ferrris, Fannie Taylor, Lottie Barnum, Kate Lent. His school mates were Charles, John, Orin, and Bell Fisher, Susan, Carrie, George and Lucy Durgy, Buckley, Starr, and Minnie Barnum, Garrie Duncan, Harvey Shepherd, Philo Burch, Howard Hartwell, Asa Akin, Annie Haviland, Emma, Irene and Lillie Cowl, Tom and James Welch, James Phalon.

243. “Henry Swords taught in the early sixties. One day he called Josie McConnie on the floor for some misdemeanor and she grabbed both hands into his long wiskers[sic] and pulled so hard, he lifted her off the floor before he could get loose.”

245. Mrs. H. D. Pendleton.

246. Helen Dean was a sister of Rev. Oliver S. Dean, and became the wife of H. D. Pendleton, of Patterson, New York. She writes:

247. “I taught the Haviland Hollow school during the summer of 1863. The scholars as far as I can remember after fifty-two years were Lottie, Josie, Buckley and Starr Barnum, Lottie Whitehead, Mira and David Laurence, and the children of George W. Barnum, Fannie and Addie, Mary Hannah Elwell and a girl named Partrick (probably Hattie). We gave presents the last day of school.”

248. Lewis Starr Barnum.

249. Son of George Barnum of Haviland Hollow, married Mary Elizabeth Paddock, of Brewster, 1881, and the father of George, Elizabeth and Warren Barnum, gives the following record:

250. “Antoinette Robinson was my first teacher. When I first went to school I remember running away many times, one day I thought I would go over the hill through the lots, then no one would see me, but Alfred White saw me and took me back, I had my opinion of Alfred White after that. I remember Laura Ferris and Sarah Sprague as teachers, I liked Fanny Taylor the best of any of them. When Sarah Sprague taught the boys did a lot of ‘cutting up.’ Cold days we would ask to sit on the little benches by the stove, sometimes there would be a lot of us there, and we would manage to get together a lot of papers and just before we left for our seats someone would drop a lighted match on the papers and we would have a fire, no one would own up to having done it.

251. “One day when Kate Lent was teaching, the mulatto boy, Peter Bruce, was sitting back of Bennie

252. Sands, the very black boy. Peter broke out laughing in school time. The teacher insisted that he tell her what he was laughing about, but he would not. With still further urging Peter said, ‘You will punish me if I tell you.’ She agreed not to punish him, then he told her ‘I was thinking if I should fill Bennie’s hair full of powder and touch a match to it how the wool would fly.’

253. On one recitation day, Miss Lent had given us pieces to learn, but her brother, James, had secretly laid another plan. He arranged for each boy to speak the same piece, which was:

254. “The thunders roared, the lightnings flashed,

255. And Broke grandma’s teapot all to smash.”

256. One Singing school night when the school house was full and Viberts was teaching the class we got one of Uncle Stephen Whitehead’s barn doors, put it on a bob sled and rode down the big hill. We just missed a big rock and tore out a barway. At another time we hunted for a cat. Finally we got one over to Kiernan’s, put it in a bag, and when they were singng at their best, threw it through the window, sash and all, then Gilbert Haviland and George Brown chased us up into the hemlocks and then lost us.

257. “My first teacher, Miss Robinson, had fine entertainments at the closing of the terms. I remember speaking this piece:

258. “When first I spoke upon the stage

259. My heart went pitty pat,

260. For fear some, little girl would say

261. Whose little boy is that?”

262. “I wore a plaid Garibaldi. The school house was crowded with people and many peeking in the windows, and being a very small boy I was quite scared.”

263. Mrs. Elizabeth Phalon Harkness.

264. Libbie Phalon was the eldest daugher [sic] of Thomas Phalon, of Haviland Hollow and a sister of James, Mary, George and Lucy Phalon.

265. “My first place of going to school,” said Mrs. Harkness, “was in Haviland Hollow. My first teacher was Fannie Taylor. Fannie boarded around, staying one week in a place. I used to love to sleep with her when she came to our house.

266. “We lived in the first house at the top of Birch Hill, later we moved to the Dewitt Elwell place. I was born on the Birch Hill place. We moved to the Elwell place when I was eleven years old. We lived there ten years then bought from John Laurence the place just west of the school house now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Edelman.

267. “I was named Elizabeth after Elizabeth Stevens Haviland. My mother and father worked for Benjamin and Abby Haviland, then they went away and got married, came back after a time and stayed five years. James Phalon was born there. George and Mary were born on Birch Hill, Lucy the second year we were on the Elwell place. I was married in 1885.

268. “Some of my teachers were Lottie Barnum, Sarah Sprague, Lottie Whitehead, Kate Lent and Jennie Stevens. I remember we raised our desk lids to shield us from the teacher’s eyes and ate apples and chestnuts. Lottie Barnum was very strict, she made me throw my chewing gum in the stove, and if I whispered made me stand on the floor.

269. [picture of Mrs. Durga]Mrs. Otis W. Durga.

270. Who Collected All Material for This Story.

272. Minnie Barnum, youngest daughter of George Barnum, was born with a twin brother in Haviland Hollow, Patterson, N. Y., January, 1861.

273. Her education was received in the Haviland Hollow school with the exception of a short period at Claverack College, leaving the Haviland Hollow school when fifteen years of age.

274. In 1877 she became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

275. In 1888 she joined the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. Was married to Otis W. Durga in 1890. Received diploma from the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle as a graduate of the class of 1892. With the exception of seven years lived where born until 1920, and now lives in New Milford, Conn.

276. For some years she was one of the trustees of the Haviland Hollow church.

277. She has lived a quiet but busy life, especially fond of nature, books and music.

278. “My years in the Haviland Hollow school were from 1864 to 1876. I went when three and a half years

279. old. Irene Cowl began at the same time and was three years old,” writes Mrs, Durga.

280. “Pillows and quilts were brought from our homes, and we were expected to take a nap on them every day, finally we found we could play instead of sleep under the shawl which was pinned up over us, thus ended the naps.

281. “The trustees were particular to get us the best of teachers and with very few exceptions I loved and respected all my teachers.

282. “My first teacher was Fannie Taylor, daughter of William Taylor, who lived in the large white house at Cowl’s corner. She is still living and is Mrs. I. G. Russell, of Danbury.

283. “In those days the desks and seats were parallel with three sides of the room. The teacher’s desk at the left of the door as one went in; the blackboard was to the right and behind the door. Some years later they put in desks for two, these desks were all of wood and not factory made; each one had a lid which raised up, this was a place for our books and we took pride in keeping our desks neat and having nice things for them; also in keeping the outside clean, even scouring them occasionally. With these seats the teacher’s desk was changed to the middle of the other end of the room, the blackboard at her right hand. These seats remained up to the time I left school. Some years later more modern seats were put in.

284. The building was painted red years ago, later a brown and finally all paint left to wear off. In front of the outside door there were large stone steps. They remained at least until 1890. We can’t forget the heavily made door, the ‘entry way’ and the place up overhead where bad boys sometimes secreted themselves. Wood, dinner pails, water pails, and wraps were found in the ‘entry,’ the big boys filled the space reserved for wood, and such fires as we had in that old box stove with its great length of pipe.

285. “We learned our letters from the first pages of spelling books, where were found capital and small letters, old English and script in alphabets. When we could read there were little reading lessons all through the book. The old spellers were Websters and Sanders, the latter had definitions to the words, and they were learned so thoroughly that all through life they were a profit. In the school room was a globe with maps of the two hemispheres on it. This had a standard and the globe was made to turn thus illustrating the movements of the earth on its axis. There were two plain globes arranged to show the movements of the earth and the sun in their relation to each other. We all remember the frame with wires fastened across and beads about half filling these wires so they could be moved back and forth and many a beginner learned to count on this. Examples were done with slate and slate pencils.

286. “I disliked grammar until we took up Brown’s grammar when Jennie Stephens taught. We used Monteith’s and McNally’s geography and Hutchison’s physology[sic], both among the favorite studies with me. For years we made our writing books at home of fools-cap paper, and the teachers would write or “set” the copy. Writing, even as every branch of study, was carefully taught. We were taught to draw maps, making measurements so as to get the latitude and longitude correct.

287. “Every reader contained much solid and profitable reading, the first pages of these readers were devoted to exercises on pauses, articulation, accent, emphasis, rising and falling inflections, and rules for reading. Many will remember the lines of eleven O’s, the first one to be said softly then increasing the sound until the eleventh was very loud and from loud to very soft.

288. “Spelling matches took time, but we liked them and hunted for the most puzzling words. Two spellers were decided upon either by the teacher or by ‘drawing cuts” one for the head of each line, and to alternately choose a speller for their own side. A word missed on one side was immediately passed to one on the other side, then if spelled correctly the speller could choose one from the other side (likely to be the best one of course) and so on until all were won over to one side, then they ‘spelled down’ each one sitting as they missed a word. The present day way is to ‘keep score.’ This does away with the confusion of going back and forth when a word is missed.

289. Credit marks were given for different things. The last day of school we must recite or read a composition, every one had a present from the teacher and sometimes prizes were given, usually a number of visitors that day.

290. A quiet way to ask favors was to raise one finger for assistance, 2 fingers for a drink of water, 3 for going out of the room, 4 to leave your seat, and 5 to whisper, or any other order preferred.

291. The pail of water with dipper in it was passed twice a day. It was no cross for anyone to do it as there was some fun in it, for instance when one started to drink another would hit the dipper and spill the water.

292. Compositions and speaking pieces came about once in two weeks.

293. When the “School Inspector” came we were almost as much flustrated over it as the teacher was.

294. In those days the people of the neighborhood and the teacher’s friends often called or if they drove up to the door and she went out, there was likely to be some gay times inside.

295. It was a great pleasure to have the teacher take walks or play games with us, and a rare treat when she would have school out of doors under a tree, or up by the cool brook. The “big” boys were the teachers’ hard problems. One day when Lottie Barnum rang the bell at recess one boy failed to come in, and when she called him especially, he said: “The probability is I’ll be in, in about half an hour.” One boy seeing a large spider on the floor remarked: “I think that is the biggest spider of its size I ever saw.”

296. We loved the tender birch twigs when the bark would peel, and that was the time for the boys to make whistles of birch and willow.

297. They were sometimes asked to cut whips for the teachers to use, some of the whips were good some bad and some full of knots. The boys traded jacknives[sic], played multiply peg with them, and pitched quoits. They took pride in having the fastest running sled; the sleds were all home made and taken to the shop to be ironed or else made so heavy that they did not require ironing. The mountain road was often so smooth with snow and ice from the coasting that one could hardly stand, the hill was steep and the water breaks high, so when going very fast the sleds would jump up off the ground; when the hill was made our sleds would go across the road and quite a piece into the meadow. The boys made stilts and walked on them, had running races and jumping tests, they would often run away to the brook or Birch Hill or Bouton’s mill pond, out of hearing of the bell and if late lost their recess.

298. The girls played house on the sides of the mountain road. We played Jennie Jones and Sally Waters and Tramp. We would say to the insect grandfathers:

299. “Old grandfather greybeard

300. Without tooth or tongue

301. Tell us from which direction

302. The cows will come.”

303. and it did seem he always started in the right direction.

304. Hoot owls quite frequently gave their night songs, and how many boys remember when they were naughty that that bird was supposed to say: “I want that little bo-oy hoy” with terrible accent, and thus they were made to have a wholesome fear of something.

305. From these happy days we pass to the deeper meanings and realizations of life, being always thankful for the influence of righteous teachers, and realizing they were of great value to us and much more than they realized.

306. The passing of the old school house and some of the much loved teachers and schoolmates, do not quench but rather favor our reminiscenses, for surely these things belong to eternity as well as to time, they are everlasting treasures of memory.

307. Peddlers were very frequent at our doors, one of them was called “How do you get along” as he would always say that the first thing; one was called. “Old Gold and Silver”, thought to be very rich. Many others carrying their goods in a large pack on their back and so called “Pack Peddlers,” were on the roads. This method of peddling has passed away but was extant up to a few years ago, but not so many of them. Bands of gypsies were frequent. My mother told of her making a trip to the village and leaving my sisters to care for the home; while she was away the girls saw some gypsies coming on foot and they ran and hid, leaving me in the cradle. When mother got home her new sunbonnet was gone. She met the gypsies and she remembered one had on a sunbonnet that looked like hers.

308. David Elwell, who repaired clocks, was a welcome visitor, for clocks were large and not as portable as what we have now.

309. In the spring as soon as the weather became warm enough to sleep in barns the town poor were let out of the “Poor House,” and, they roamed about stopping at almost every door for food until the weather was cold again. It is well that this custom has been discontinued.

310. The ministers located in the Hollow expected to visit everybody within their circuit and they did. They could only stay two years in a place, but we know them and they knew us better in that length of time than we know our pastors now when they stay much longer but seldom call. The good pastors and revival meetings were great blessings in our community.

311. Thanks to imperishable memory “The things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

312. A pleasure, yes, a real pleasure to talk of the old school days, it is something to which we all willingly respond.

313. When the new school house was built in Haviland Hollow and Miss Boynton was the teacher a social was to be held in the school room and it was suggested that a part of the entertainment be some papers read in honor of the life in the old school house. This was done and was the inspiration for something more. Commissioner Brooks and others favored the movement for still further knowledge of the old school, and these published letters testify to the many willing helpers.

314. While many may read these lines who have never known of this particular school, yet may their memories revert to the ones they have known with renewed tenderness and love. Such memories grow brighter with age. Surely the influences of all school life are securely woven into our very beings and as most important foundation stones for life here and in the beyond.

315. Life in Haviland Hollow

316. Let us turn in memory to a valley two miles long,stretching from east to west, with a high hill rising all across the north completely fringed with wood, and helping to break the north wind from the homes situated on its sloping side, giving to them living springs of water and rich drainage from the leafy decay in the woods. The fine pasture land lay above the road, the meadow lands beginning about where the homes are situated and continuing to the Quaker brook; across the brook more cleared land until woods are reached again, the southern range of hills being lower. Thus the sun shone beneficially in the faces of the homes, emblematical of the hearts of the people in them, for while there were measures of joys and sorrows, yet memory says to us “Those were happy homes.” Beside my own people many stand out brightly in memory. John Platt Bouton’s face shone with his love for God and mankind. His Bible and glasses were always on a stand in their living room, we often saw him sitting there by the window reading. Many times in summer he sat in his mill door reading, if opportunity presented he was apt to speak for the Master and would say “How is it with your soul today?” He was happy, truly happy, and this that he sang fitted him well:

317. “How happy is the pilgrim’s lot

318. I’m on my way to Zion

319. How free from every anxious thought,

320. I’m on my journey home.

321. Chorus: I’m happy, I’m happy, I’m on my way to Zion I’m happy, I’m happy, on my journey home.

322. His good wife I loved next to my own mother, all the people in the place are fresh in mind, and many very dear ones.

323. When Sunday morning came there would be a line of horses and carriages starting out for New Fairfield M. E. Church, in the afternoon they attended service in the Hollow; first in the school house and later in the chapel. Houses filled with people and a good choir. I was too young to remember the evening services in the school house but have witnessed many wonderful revivals in the little church; all services were well attended there at that time. People were very neighborly in the old days, and visitors came often for all day and perhaps a night or two, or a week or two. They gave surprise parties and croquet parties, and picnics. Winter evenings the neighbors would come in and stay late. We made and pulled molasses candy, we roasted chestnuts and popped corn, ate apples and hickory nuts. We played dominoes and authors, checkers, twelve men morris and fox and geese; the boards for the last three were homemade. We made mice of apple seeds, and with a long stretch of apple paring discovered the lover’s initial when throwing the paring over the shoulder.

324. In the early days the shoes had strips of brass across the toe the stockings were knitted at home, also the mittens. The clothing was made up at home even to coats and pants and some overcoats. Those good old days have passed but we can still thank God for them and for good parents, teachers, and companions. We can realize now how much they meant in the formation of our characters. Many have passed into eternity, others are nearing the sunset oftime, and may we be able to sing:

325. “A Song of Praise at Sunset.” “As the sun was sinking low in the west

326. And the woodland aisles grew dim

327. A little bird sat on a slender bough

328. And sang his vesper hymn,

329. ” ‘Twas a song of thanks for the gentle breeze

330. And the shade of a friendly tree

331. For all the joys of the day just past,

332. And those of the day to be.

333. “He flew away-and the slender bough

334. For a moment lightly swayed,

335. And then in the silent, fast-gathering night

336. A fervent prayer I prayed. “I prayed for a thankful and a trusting heart,

337. That will sing like this minstrel brown,

338. Of the bright day past, and the brighter to dawn,

339. When life’s sun, at eve, goes down.”

340. Author Unknown.

341. The work of collecting the many interesting letters has been a pleasant one. I also believe they were written in the same spirit and many may read these letters who have never known of this particular school.

342. MRS. OTIS DURGA.

343. [Handwritten remarks The above last four lines were left out,and something not put in or disconnected.Nov,11 article MBG]

344. Mrs. E. S. Lott.

345. Emma A. Cowl, daughter of William Henry and Carrie Cowl, of Cowl’s Corner, Haviland Hollow, received her education in the Haviland Hollow school, excepting some time in the Pawling school and at Claverach College. Later she was married to Edison S. Lott, of Pen Yan, N. Y., and is the mother of Frederick Lott, of New City, N. Y.

346. As a girl she was a brilliant scholar and of a most happy and cheerful disposition.

347. “One of my first recollections of school was not caring very much about getting started in the morning.

348. “I think that I began at the early age of. five, during the pleasant months but did not attend regularly until seven or older.

349. “My first teacher was Miss Fannie Taylor, a friend of my mother’s.

350. “she used to accompany’ me that long but interesting, mile and a half from our house to the school. On stormy days, we were fortunate enough to drive.

351. “One thing that come back to me vividly is my getting about as far as Ed Leonard”s one morning, when I saw an opportunity to ride home, and was suddenly seized with illness . My little cousin, Harry Wilson, about my age, decided that he best be gallant and return home with me. Shortly, after we reached home he returned to my house enroute for school, after being properly punished. My mother also decided that my ‘school fever’ as over and that I too should return to school. I never tried that again.

352. “I grew very fond of school and usually adored my teacher.

353. “Miss Ferris, of Pawling, was our new ‘school marm’ and she was a typical one, too. Then followed Miss Sprague.

354. “Later the Barnum girls, whom we all loved. Katie Lent, the minister’ daughter, guided our young thoughts.

355. “Then one of our old school mates, David Lawrence, tried his skill as a teacher, but with poor success.

356. “Then came Mr. Foster, whom we older girls almost turned out of school. Miss Jennie Stearns was also a much thought of teacher.

357. “You probably will wonder how about the pupils. Well, there were quite a colony of us, reaching from Birch Hill to the Connecticut line, and down to Cowl’s Corner, where I hailed from.

358. “I remember that while quite a little girl I liked spelling, that frequently we had spelling classes, and the teacher would insist on my standing with the older ones and have a try. It usually a case of” I’m sorry that, I spelled that word, I hate to go above you.”

359. I also remember the good times we at our noon hour. Shall we ever forget Charlie Bouton ‘s big sled. How all waited our turn to go up Birch Hill and ride to the brook in Mr. Whitehead’s meadow? (Quaker Brook).

360. We played all kinds of childish games London Bridge, Ring around the Rosie, etc.

361. One by one the older boys and girls dropped out, and at last only a few companions were left of the old crowd. Anna and Julia Haviland, Amelia Partrick, Minnie Barnum and Emma and Irene Cowl. We clung together, played together and later went to boarding school together.

362. Our greatest treat was to go to and dress up as young ladies at Minnie Barnum’s in her sister’s clothes. Then, also she had big brothers and they were somewhat attractive to us all.

363. “We did have good times in those old days. So we should now, for life is somewhat as we make of it.”

364. Mrs. Henry Durgy

365. The late Mrs. Henry Durgy of Danbury went to the old school building. She was Elle Elwell, daughter of Dewitt Elwell, sister of Edison Elwell. These notes were written in 1916:

366. “They tell me a new school house has been built in Haviland Hollow and this recalls my school days in the old school house at the foot of Birch Hill.

367. “My first teacher was Miss Lottie Barnum. I grew to love her so, and when she left teaching to become Mrs. Edwin Betts my heart was broken. I thought I could never love another teacher as I did her. I well remember how I cried and at home that night nothing could comfort me.”

368. “But what a strange world it would be if we could not love more than one person. Miss M. Jennie Stevens soon began teaching and how soon I learned to love her. I asked so many times to sit on the platform beside her that she brought a small chair and I sat there most of the time when I was a good girl and it was a great inducement for me to be good.”

369. “Then Miss Mary Kellogg was my teacher and that brings to my mind my dearest school girl friend, Julia Haviland. There could never be two better friends than we. The only time I can remember of our disagreeing was on politics and we sure did have our own minds, as we thought at the time, but as I recall it now I see it was not our minds but our fathers that we thought was right.”

370. “We little thought we would ever hear of women voting; but we would have been glad to vote and although we were such good friends we would have voted against each other.”

371. “I often think with love of her but she has gone to the great beyond where so many who were pupils in the old school house at Haviland Hollow have gone and only a few of us are left to think of those old days.”

372. “I can well remember the prayer meetings held in the old school house, the prayers that were said and the hymns that were sung. As I write I seem to hear Platt Bouton singing: “I”m happy, I’m happy, I’m on my journey home.”

373. Jennie E. Selleck

374. Jennie E. Selleck was born in New Fairfield Conn., Nov. 16, 1862; married Benjamin Selleck, of Danbury, July 11,1878 died in Danbury Dec. 2, 1926. She was a daughter of Desmond and Eliza Whaley Williams.

375. She attended the district schools in the vicinity, moved to New York City and attended school there.She commenced teaching when very young and was a teacher for many years. Her first in New Fairfield, but later was a teacher in the schools at Mount Vernon, N. Y., for some time. She was a teacher in the district schools in the city of Danbury, Conn., and afterward in the New Street school in the City of Danbury for several years..

376. She commenced teaching the Haviland Hollow school, new schoolhouse, in 1918 and was ther over two years;having to close the school in 1920 on account of sickness.

377. An old- time teacher’s certificate copied from the original loaned by the late Mrs. Jennie Williams Selleck:

378. To all to whom these presents shall come, Be It Known that I, Peter B. Curry,Sch. Com. for the county of Putnam having examined Miss Jennie Williams and having ascertained her qualifications in respect to moral character, learning and ability to instruct a common school, do hereby certify that she is qualified and entitled to he rank of a teacher of the Second Grade and she is accordingly hereby licensed to instruct common schools in this county for one year from this date.

379. Given under by hand this 4th day of April, 1868. PET. B. CURRY,

380. Sch. Com. Put. Co.

381. Here was affixed an internal-revenue stamp, 5 cents. Head of Geo. Washington on it. Stamp was cancelled April 4th, 1868.

382. Memories of the Haviland Hollow School

383. by Mrs. Jennie E. Selleck

384. When a young girl, my parents lived in the Great Hollow school district, New Fairfield. There were but few children in the district and as the money to pay the expenses of running the school depended on the number of children of school age, there was but a short session in the summer, to allow for a longer winter term When the older boys could attend, as they were kept at work during the spring and summer.

385. So when Great Hollow school closed I was sent to the Haviland Hollow school. A long distance for a girl of about seven or eight years old to walk. My oldest sister, Mary Williams, was the teacher at that time, so I took my dinner pail in hand and made my way through dust and mud to Haviland Hollow school. Very shy and strange I felt among a house full of older and larger boys and girls. Everything was harmonious and peaceful, and the teacher was very determined that my lessons should be well learned, or I lost my recess.

386. Some two or three years later a school exhibition was held in the school house; and that was a memorable event to me, as it was the first of its kind I had ever seen; and the elocutionary efforts of those young people were very wonderful to me. They ranged from “You’d scarce expect one of my age to speak in public on the stage to Patrick Henry’s famous speech before the Virginia assembly. An audience that packed the room to its capacity, gave loud applause. And with childish impartiality, I gave the honor of star speaker to J. C. Gerow.

387. Also my first Sunday school experience began in the old school house in Haviland Hollow. William J. Laurence was the superintendent, and Lydia Laurence was my teacher. I was very proud of my record as a Sunday school scholar.

388. Some years later protracted meetings, or revival meetings were held in the school house under the supervision of the Beaver Boggs M. E. church minister, Mr. Shrives, and his wife, who was a gifted speaker.

389. Perhaps my reverence for the preaching was not quite all that attracted me to the meetings. The fun of piling into a large wagon with as many more as could find space to sit or stand, and ride behind a good strong pair of mules driven by George Brown, whose sister, Mary, acted as chaperone for the young people. We sang in repetition the hymns of the evening service as we rode home; and while our hearts were too light to be serious I hope when the great record is reviewed it will show something to our credit.

390. The earnest prayers that were made by Oliver Hollister, Platt Bouton, Montgomery Platt and others, should make that old school house hallowed ground. They have gone to the Father they, worshipped with prayer and hymn in the Haviland Hollow school house.

391. [a photo of Katherine Lent Stevenson, caption] An early teacher and author of part of this story.

392. Kate Lent, who ouce taught the Haviland Hollow school, was born in Copake Columbia Co. N.Y., May 8, 1853. She died suddenly in Des Moines, Iowa, March 27, 1919. Many will remember her gifted father, Rev. Marvin Richardson Lent, who was our pastor in 1869 and 1870. He was the second pastor to occupy the parsonage and use the church and George Hurn was the first; the property being purchased in 1866, an outgrowth of the Haviland Hollow school house meetings.
393. M. R. Lent was 53 years, in the ministry, his father and three brothers were ministers; naturally this helped to fit Kate Lent for public life, having unusual qualities even in her girlhood. Among the young people of Haviland Hollow she was noted for her exceedingly bright answers and ready wit. She was graduated from Amenia Seminary, N. Y., in 1875, the valedictorian of her class. Not having means to satisfy her ambition for a college education she began to teach. She entered Boston University School of Theology and was graduated in 1881. She was the only woman in her class, being tho­oughly fitted for the ministry, she was settled as associate pastor of the Methodist church in Allston, where she proved an eloquent speaker.

394. In 1884 she married James Stevenson, a commission merchant of Boston, and took up her residence in Newton. In 1891 she was elected Corresponding Secretary of the W. C.

395. T. U. In 1893, Cor. Sec., of the National W. C. T. U. In 1898 , Pres. of the Massachusetts W. C. T. U., holding this office twenty years. She was appointed superintendent of Christian Citizenship in 1900 and W. C. T. U. representative for a tour of the world in 1908 and spent nearly two years in traveling 40,000 miles and addressing audiences of thousands in Hawaii, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, India, Burma, Ceylon, Egypt, Palestine, Greece, and Italy. In the United States she had spoken in nearly every state.

396. A Massachusetts paper says of her: “All her life she had written much in prose and verse. Her song “Some Glad Day” is known wherever there is a Union, having been translated into many languages, and many of her other songs are well known. Her articles in the many magazines as well as in the Union Signal, always clear and convincing, often brilliant, have won her many admirers. The “Brief History of the W. C. T. D., is from her pen and only the demand for articles of current interest presented her from having more books to her credit. She was versatile in the highest sense, a speaker of rare ability, an able presiding officer, one of our foremost parlimentarians. Her rare gifts were recognized by National and World’s officers by whom she was placed upon committees to plan for and arrange most important measures.”

397. She was a member of the Woman’s Home and Foreign Missionary Societies, Chautauqua Woman’s Club, and Mass. Equal Suffrage League; was a delegate to the Ecumenical Conference of Methodism in Toronto, in 1911, also to the Methodist Episcopal General Conference in Minneapolis in 1912.

398. Her life story would fill a volume; we can only give an outline, but we are glad to do her honor, as we loved her. “We’ll take the world for Christ’s own kingdom some glad day,” is a line from her song.

399. Katherine Lent Stevenson

400. I served the Haviland Hollow School as teacher during the winter term of 1869 and 70, and the summer of 1870. As I look back upon the experience my first feeling is that of overwhelming wonder at the audacity of my courage, or, shall I say, the presumption of my ambition. I had only just passed my sixteenth birthday, was short in stature and very slight in build. (A defect which the late years have abundantly remedied), so that I looked not more than fourteen. I had had absolutely no experience and was as ignorant of the principles of pedagogy as one could well be. Moreover, the winter term of a country school is the one attended by the “big boys;” and.there were traditions of former difficulties occasioned by those same big boys in the Haviland Hollow School.

401. But I had always longed to be a school teacher and I felt so absolutely certain that I could do it on the basis, perhaps of the old proverb that “those who know nothing fear nothing,” that I persuaded my father, Rev. Marvin R. Lent, at that time pastor of the Methodist churches at New Fairfield, Conn., and Haviland Hollow, to make application for me to the august body of trustees. The application was favorably received and I was given permission to consider myself accepted provided I should pass the examination at the hands of the School Commissioner. The most active trustee at that time was Gilbert Haviland who lived near the school.

402. I do not remember the name of the Commissioner but I shall never forget his kind face and genial manner as he came to the parsonage to interview the applicant who was frightened almost out of her senses. His manner quickly gave assurance and I believe he reported that I passed very creditably both in “the three R’s” and in that other branch upon which was laid so much emphasis at that time, grammar. I think I was not examined in algebra, but I knew that I later taught it, or at least attempted to teach it. I have often wondered since what would have been my fate had the regent’s system been then in force in my native state, or had a less kindly Commissioner undertaken the task of testing the very superficial depths of my learning. Really, the only thing I can say today in extenuation of my attempting to teach without a more thorough preparation is that I thought I could do it and, also, that the preparation of a Normal School course was a much more unusual thing then than now.

403. I taught that school for the munificent salary of five dollars a week during the first term and six dollars the second. The theory was that I “boarded round” but my home being within a mile of the school I naturally boarded there. How well I remember the walk back and forth to that little old school house and I can see the much inscribed door as it swung back each morning and even feel the key between my fingers as I applied it, (sometimes “with a very heavy heart, if things had gone hard the day before), to the key hole. The desks were of the old fashioned type, one long desk going entirely around three sides of the building with benches just in front and never a sign of a support for the bent backs of the children. The teacher’s desk was at the left of the door as you entered the building and the big black board at the right. The old box stove was set in the middle of the room and the benches for the smaller children were placed on either side.

404. As I remember between forty and fifty children attended the school that first term and their ages ranged from four years to eighteen. There were four “big boys,” or shall I say biggest boys, and my personal debt of gratitude to them is so great that I feel ashamed that I do not remember all their names. I do remember Buckley Barnum and Charlie Bouton but there were two others equally helpful. If the eyes of any one of them fall upon these words will they please consider themselves most heartily thanked for all that they did in helping me during those perilous days. For the plain truth is that I could never have gotten through that school at all with any semblance of success if those boys had not constituted themselves my special cabinet. The few punishments I ventured to inflict on particularly obstrepetous youngsters were lamentable failures. Indeed I shall never forget my mortification at overhearing “Peter,” the little mulatto boy was a very imp of mischief, laughing at recess over my attempt to ferule him. He had howled so vigorously during the operation that I was quite filled with remorse but it seemed that the howl had been purely a sham and that, in the language of the immortal Topsy, I “couldn’t kill a skeeter.” Well, my big boys took up a kind of subsidiary discipline and again and again I have heard one say to a smaller boy “You’d better not do that again or we’ll give it to you.” On the whole, though, I own that I was not a success as a strict disciplinarin, I believe that there was a very cordial, normal feeling of liking and co-operation between the pupils and their inexperienced teacher and owe them thanks for their kindness and forebearance.

405. One memory stands out especially and that as when an epidemic of whooping cough swept through the community and it seemed as if every child in the school became a victim to it. Laws against contagious diseases were not rigidly enforced then, if, indeed, they existed, and so no change was made in the school attendance. As I look back upon it I wonder I did not have nervous prostration for sometimes eight or ten would be rushing simultaneously to the door till the paroxysm should pass.

406. How well I remember the woodsy road which wound behind the school to the gentle slope of hill, or mountain as we called it, beyond. The wild flowers which were brought by little chubby hands–hepatica, anemone,bloodroot, the dainty arbutis,moccassin plant, and scores of others.And the votive offering of fruits in their season, the dear little lasses whose lips were held up for the morning kiss—they all abide among life’s most pleasant memories. I know I made countless blunders but children are the sweetest of forgivers and I can but hope that some of today grown, I trust, to a useful manhood and womanhood, still have a tender thought for their youthful teacher,” Katie Lent.

407. It’s been my pleasure since then to study in institutions of higher learning, and to visit many states and many lands. My work, which for the past quarter of century, has been in connection with the National and World’s Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, has carried me into every state in this nation save save one, nearly every province of Canada, the Hawaiian Islands, Japan, the six States of Australia, Zealand, Ceylon, Burma, India, Palestine, Greece, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, England and Scotland. I have addressed tens of thousands of pupils from kinderdergarten to University in the far off fields of the world, but there is no picture which I can summon with greater clearness to my mental vision than that of the Haviland Hollow school. Some day I trust I may visit again the familiar place, though I know I should no longer find the old school. May teacher and pupils meet in “the lang last” in that higher school of our Heavenly Father to learn the new lessons He must have for us throughout eternity.

408. The Old School House of Haviland Hollow

409. A Loving Memory

410. Katherine Lent Stevenson

411. Miss M. Jennie Stevens second daughter of Mr. and Mrs.A R. Stevens, was born in New Fairfield, March 18, 1848. Her early education wasn the district school and continued, for several years there. Her love for books was shown at an early age when she began to collect those in which she found interest, for her little library choosing a sunny corner in an upper room for her “study,” where she would be less likely to be disturbed, by the other children who found more attraction in the out-of-doors.Years later she attended school New York, and a private school in Danbury known as Mrs. Sherwood’s, situated on Deer Hill, and considered one of the finest, where nothing than thorough work, could pass.

412. She had a fine memory easily retaining the knowledge gained and always seeking more. She also had the gift of imparting her knowledge in a way pleasing to children and grown-ups, as some who were her pupils in those days will remember today. Her first teaching began in Danbury with something over fifty pupils but the work was too strenuous for her limited strength and she could not continue for a second term. After a rest, she taught in smaller schools finding more pleasure in the lesser number by becoming better acquainted with them, and their homes, and being able to give more time for thoroughness. These schools were West Center, where she lived, Wood Creek and Great Hollow, all in New Fairfield.

413. Also the South Quaker Hill school in Pawling, N. Y., where she found delight in her little flock. There being no Sabbath school in easy walking distance at that time, she asked the children if they would like to come to the school house the next Sunday afternoon for an hour of Sabbath school. I will quote now from her little story which she wrote in after years: “The idea met with charming favor from the girls side of the house–tempered, it may be said, with due caution from the other. The first afternoon only three little girls came. We had the usual exercises and all enjoyed them. At the close one little girl handed me a penny. I was gratified for I had not spoken of money. I asked what the penny was for, she answered: “Why, for the Sabbath school.”

414. “Then I told them that money as a voluntary gift was so precious it should be set apart for missionary work; and that all the pennies they might bring would be sent to help children who knew nothing of Sabbath schools and Christian homes. The next Sunday there were nine present, with seven cents contribution. A steady increase is not to be inferred, though we kept steadily on through that and a succeeding term.”

415. One sultry afternoon the teacher held a session under the fine old maple trees on the playground. It was Missionary Day and she told them of mission needs and mission work.

416. She says: “I had my reward. When I had finished, one little girl exclaimed earnestly ‘Why, teacher, it would make one want to give all you had!”

417. A boy who had shown more interest in squirrels than the service said,”You really think them little fellers, pointing toward the east. ‘is as bad as all that?’ I told him I honestly believed they were. ‘Well then, he said driving his hands into his pockets, ” silver to go for ’em with–regular ‘shiners! Pennies is well enough but you’ll never get there with em.” And he tossed a dime-a cherished coin, I knew-into our mullein leaf contribution basket, and went off whistling.

418. At the close of school, when the teacher was not to return, she sent the contributions to a missionary who acknowledged with gratitude the gift from those dear children, and told to the children with whom she was working, the story of the gift.

419. Only three years ago Miss Stevens received a Christmas card from one of her pupils then, but a mother of grown daughters now, telling her of the pleasant memories of those school days the little Sunday school.

420. The last of Miss Stevens school teaching days were spent in Haviland Hollow where she most thoroughly enjoyed her several girls who were in there early teens, and some little boys in their first year of school. To her all she gave her best. These are widely scattered now, with the exception of one dear pupil not far away, when occassional visits and letters have a joy to her.

421. On April 8th, 1926 the Spirit was set free from the suffering body and went–“away.”

422. To the friends in Haviland Hollow,

423. Greetings from M. Jennie Stevens:

424. When word came that your community was so progessive as to require a new school house, I thanked God and took courage. The fact of my disappointment that it is not built on the old site, may be attributed to a backward spring–of memory. One great advantage of a memory anyway, I have observed is to immortalize the old familiar places. They “hold their age” more and more delightfully as the years go on and lose all liability to transfer of decay. So while you are choosing your seats in the new building, I will sit down at my desk there in the old school house at the foot of Birch Hill–and it is the winter of of 1873-1874.

425. I was charged with “standing” more than any previous teacher and it may have been owing to my fondness for blackboard exercises. Turning,during one of these exercises on day I met the brillant laughing eyes (set in a dark brown face) of Peter Bruce. Does anyone present recall Peter Bruce? His arm was raised and response to a friendly nod, he made this request: “Please may I change my seat? These big boys back here crack my ‘tention so.”

426. Pardon another personal pronoun for you may be interested in a confirmation of the Scripture text: “Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days.” I have held “to these many years” as a valued reminder of the school, a brief note left in my desk together with his picture, reading thus:

427. Deer Frend:

428. I never had a teacher which tuk so much pains with me and I hope the Lord will bless you and youl go to heaven.

429. Peter Bruce

430. It is understood that Peter went back to his beloved Liverpool docks and he was lost sight of but The Day will revive him.

431. With the frank desire to “crack your attention” I will introduce to you the entire audience as I remember them:

432. Annie Haviland, Minnie Barnum, Amelia Partrick, Emma Cowl, Irene Cowl, Alice Vanderburgh, Ella L. Elwell, Elizabeth Phalon, Mary Phalon, Mary Charlotte Thomas, Lydia Jane Thomas —Thomas, Tena Collard, Ella Collard, Libby Boudy, George Phalon, Edison Elwell, Clifton Cowl, Nathaniel Bowdy, Will Bowdy, Peter Bruce, Julia Haviland, Annie, Maggie and Henry Gruby, Lydia Ett.

433. Special reference might be made to a four-year-old team of little boys the only babies who were allowed the freedom of the school house, so quiet were they, in their winsome wanderings to and fro.

434. There came a day that brought the County Commissioner. It was a sour afternoon outside, but harmony reigned within; and to him was granted the supreme test of a little child’s judgment. The “team” sat down in a far corner to take his measure; discovering the reasonableness of the man, they put their fingers to their lips and stole noiselessly on their way, absorbing something doubtless in the way of education. Who knows? It all comes in play, and in this connection I am reminded of a list of prepositions I learned when a child with no real “call” for them till this day–among, around, amidst, athwart, after, against, across, by, below, between, beneath, behind, betwixt, before, beyond, in, into, with, within, without. This list hits the case the way those little boys used to wander “children of the regiment”on stormy days. In fine weather they had their own extra recess and Birch Hill has outlasted their assault.

435. The commissioner appealed to, knew what could be done with the little fellows–expressed his approbation of the good understanding which made us a happy family, and we continued our way rejoicing.

436. Of that number some have “crossed the Divide,” though with that thought comes the message of a friend of this community who on going out of this life said: “I wish all my friends could see how thin the veil is between the two worlds.” Some are among the world’s workers today. One holds a responsible position in the organization of the King’s Daughters. Many are homemakers. For us all, whether those who remain with further privilege of usefulness, or those who have passed beyond the veil, is this earnest wish:

437. “May we stand at the same Father’s door

438. When all’s done. The ways, they are many,

439. The end, it is one. And who seeketh, he findeth. Remember.”

440. Lydia Ett

441. Lydia Ett was a daughter of Jacob Ett, of Haviland Hollow. She became the wife of Nathaniel VanKeuren, and the mother of Hattie, Florence, Rachel, and Mattie VanKeuren. She writes the following of the old school:

442. I can remember so many interesting accounts, I don’t know which is best to write.

443. I built fires in the old school house one winter, we then lived very nearby, and in June, the closing day of school I built a fire in the old box stove. The teacher said: “Well Lydia your fires never failed but one morning” and for good services she gave me a very nice new red petticoat beside the five dollars for the winter.

444. I remember asking one of my school mates, Hattie Lent, daughter of Thomas Lent, then our pastor, if she knew when the world was coming to an end, and after a good hearty laugh she asked me if I were worried about my future.

445. I went to school in the Hollow in 1873-4-5, a part of the first year to M. Jennie Stevens and the remainder of the time to Mary E. Kellogg. The scholars usually numbered about thirty-two.

446. In the spring of the year we very willingly raked and cleaned our playground in front of the school house.

447. As I look back to the dear old school days in Haviland Hollow I realize we were very happy there. [photo]

448. Mrs.William J. Woodruff

449. (nee) Mary E. Kellogg, who taught several terms in the old Haviland Hollow School.

450. Mary Elizabeth Kellogg was born in New Fairfield in 1847, the third daughter of Medad and Amaryllis Kellogg, her sisters being Lucy, Flora and Emily.

451. She was from an early age a diligent student and she taught for at least seven years at Whiskaneer and Haviland. Hollow, the latter seeming always to hold a particularly happy place in her memory.

452. She married William J. Woodruff, of Bridgeport. He lived only a few years. Through this grief and subsequent suffering and hardship she was able to give much to others.

453. Interested always in world affairs, and reading constantly, she was well, informed and an interesting companion.

454. Quiet and reserved, high-minded and spiritual, her personalty was one to be felt in any company.

455. She died in Windsor, Conn., Oct. 14th, 1924.

456. She had two children, the son a teacher, painter and sculptor, and the daughter a graduate worker in the Episcopal church.

457. Mary E. Kellogg wrote:

458. I remember the day I first saw Haviland Hollow. I had never been I nearer than the New Fairfield Congregational church before. I recollect now how homesick I was the first day or two, but that wore away. and I learned I had found many nice people well worth becoming acquainted with.

459. George Barnum’s house was the first after crossing the line from Connecticut, further along Platt Bouton’s house and still further his sawmill on the other side of the street, then the Haviland house. Beyond that, where the roads came together was Mrs. White’s house, up the hill was Stephen Whitehead’s large house, then the brook, and just beyond the school house-which was not new even then. Still beyond was an old house, then came the Laurence place, then two small houses and the Gabriel Goodsell place, then the Wheeler place and. the George Partrick place then the church and parsonage. At the corner turning to the left the first house was the Benjamin Cowl place.

460. The Birch Hill road was close to the school house. I was told General Washington rode up the hill with his men after sleeping in a certain room in the old building Mrs. Whitehead used for a wash house.

461. Years before I went there Miss Harriet Rogers, my father’s cousin, taught in the same school. She and all the others arranged a picnic on the hill near the old Quaker church; they had recitations, speeches, etc. I have heard her speak so lovingly of the Haviland Hollow people.

462. Miss Jennie Stevens, of New Fairfield, preceeded me as teacher.

463. I do not think I can remember all of the school children, but I do recall they were an exceptionally pleasant group. Beside Minnie Barnum were Anna and Julia Haviland, Amelia Partrick, Emma, Irene and Clifton Cowl. The three Sheldon girls and a Gruby boy from Birch Hill. Mary, Lucy and George Phalon, Ebenezer Wheeler, Ella and Eddie Elwell and little Arthur Partrick from the opposite hill. The latter was only four years old; one day he was very homesick and so sure he was going, to die. He wished he was in his own little bed. I persuaded him to go home to dinner with me, after which he began very slowly to admit he felt better, after a little he looked up and said: “I am beginnin to get over it now.”

464. I always kept salt to drop into aching teeth for toothache was prevalent.

465. Lucy Phalon, four years old, said one morning: “I saw a bird when I was coming to school.” I said what kind of a bird and she answered, “a robin, and it was white.” So we called her “Robin” ever after.

466. One day I asked Ebenezer Wheeler, a colored boy how tall his brother was and he said he would come up to his pockets.

467. Rev. Thomas Lent preached in the Methodist church. His daugher Hettie and son, Willie, were among my pupils. Rev. H. B. Mead was the next pastor. His son, Hawley Sanford, was so afraid people would know what his first name was. He was called Fordie.

468. I went to Haviland Hollow near the I first of April, 1874, and remained the teacher until October, 1877.

469. I do not remember the name of the Commissioner, but I know he followed Peter Curry. He called one afternoon and asked my name without the usual questions. I remarked that it was not a severe examination, he answered that he knew my reputation before he came. He called again next year and a number were going through a parsing lesson; they call it diagraming now. He insisted we were wrong in one instance and I was equally sure we were right, but, did not insist, of course. He soon bade us good afternoon, but in a few moments he called at the door and told me I was correct. A good deal of glory in it, wasn’t there!

470. A severe shower came up one afternoon filling the road so full that the water came pouring down so hard it shook the building. I was really afraid it would fall.

471. I remember we went to the Methodist church in New Fairfield in a sleigh the first day of May. Alas! When we started for home the beautiful snow had disappeared.

472. Perhaps you have heard the old story with which I will close. Oliver Hollister and his wife, Deborah, were driving in a sleigh down Birch Hill, at one side of which is a very deep ravine; suddenly the sleigh slid around, the horse slipped and backed. Hollister jumped out and Deborah, still in the sleigh, went down in the brook that runs at the foot of the ravine. The old gentleman called down: “Debby! Debby! did you break your glasses?” She retorted angrily: I will!” So she threw them against a rock and broke them.

473. George Olivett in December, 1916, dictated the following, all he remembered of the period when he was a young boy and attended the Haviland Hollow school. He was living in New Fairfield but now resides in Danbury, Conn.

474. “Miss Lottie Whitehead was my teacher at the Haviland Hollow school during the terms of 1876-7. I was 17 and 18 years old. My schoolmates as near as I can remember were Stella Olivett, Edison Elwell, Ella Elwell, Julia Haviland , Frank Leonard, Mary Leonard, Ruth Ann, Lydia, Hattie and William Henry Ett, ,Mary, Elizabeth and George Phalon, Henry and Annie Gruby, William and Elizabeth Boudy.

475. “My parents lived in the Partrick tenant house, and later on the hill near the then Theodore Lane place. It was from here that I attended the school. I walked in good weather and when the snow had a good hard crust used to go down the steep hill on my skates.

476. “Mr. Lent occupied the parsonage and I remember attending a necktie social held in the basement at the time of his residence. George Partrick owned the place now occupied by Egbert Hiser. There was also two large farm houses on the same side of the road as the parsonage just below the garden. The chimney is all there is left of one, and Charley Place occupied it at that time. The other one where Artimus Boudy lived has been almost obliterated and covered by scrub.

477. “William Henry Cowl kept, the little store on the corner. Across the road from the store which is now a corn lot owned by Herbert Winship, (now owned by the Teske’s), there was, at one time there a house occupied by a colored man by the name of Norman Sands. Frank Phelps lives where Gilbert Haviland did at that time; John Lawrence where William Axford does.”

478. [photo of Mrs. Clarence A. Cowl]

479. Mrs. Clarence A. Cowl

480. (nee) Lottie A. Whitehead, scholar and teacher in the Haviland Hollow School House.

481. Mrs. Ebenezer Cole.

482. Mrs . Ebenezer Cole, who at the time she went to the Haviland Hollow school, was Mary A. Carey, wrote from her residence in Holmes, several years ago that she remembered well the year she attended school, although very young. “I had a terrible mountain to climb and was hurt so badly one day in going down it that I still bear the scar.

483. “What I remember best of all are the prayer meetings held there in the old school house. I can still hear good old Brother Bouton speaking. It was there I gave myself to the Lord and can almost see my dear old mother kneeling in prayer. The time of my conversion must have been the Rev. B. Mead as it was the year 1877. I was taken into the Haviland Hollow church about 1880, although we had moved to DeForest Corners. My father’s given name was George and I was an own cousin to Tina Carey Winship (deceased).”

484. Mrs. Charles P. Bouton’s Paper

485. Miss Allie Ives, later Mrs. C. P. Bouton, writes:

486. “I began my teaching in Haviland Hollow in the fall of 1880 and taught three terms or until the spring of 1882, when I was married to Charles P. Bouton, a resident there. Gilbert Haviland, being trustee, urged me to resume my teaching again the next spring which I did, ending with the summer term of 1884.

487. “I enjoyed my teaching very much and had as many as thirty-three pupils, a list of which I give below. They were all kind hearted and it did not take long to maintain order after which they were obedient and loyal.

488. “We used to enjoy ramblihg up the ravine back of the school house as it was so cool and refreshing in warm weather.

489. “In winter I enjoyed going out ,coasting with them, and we had fine times. George Phalon is one of them who has since gone to his heavenly home; he was such a bright cheerful fellow that one was always pleased to be with him.

490. “Since then there have been many changes, most of the pupils scattering to different parts of the country, and making homes of their own.

491. “My scholars were: Louie and Georgia Kinner, Clifton and Ella Cowl, Mary and Frank Leonard, Lena, Minnie, Mamie and John White, Henry, Maggie and Carrie Gruby, George and Lucy Phalon, Edison Elwell, Will, Mary and Thomas Caton., Jennie, Sarah, Oliver and Peter Collins, Jennie and James Cullen, Emma and Howard Matthews, John Woodard, Mary State, the Donovan children and at different times Will Duncan and Lewie Whitehead.”

492. Miss Mattie Wood

493. Miss Mattie Wood, now Mrs. George Davenport, of the New Fairfield district, taught the summer term of 1882. James A. Foshay was commissoner. She gives the following list of pupils attending school at that term. Mrs. Davenport is a sister of the late D. Crosby Wood, who was a trustee of the school after it was moved in 1914 to the present building. Her scholars were as follows: Minnie, Mamie and Lena White, George and Lucy Phalon, Maggie and Carrie Gruby, Frank and Mary Leonard, Cliff and Ella Cowl, Willie, Tommie and Minnie Caton, Georgia Gardner, Katie Welch, Hattie Ett, Ed Elwell, and Eb. Wheeler.

494. Miss Nettie Stuart

495. Miss Nettie Stuart, of Sherman, taught the spring and summer terms in the Haviland Hollow school. James Towner was commissioner and Starr Barnum, trustee. Some of the pupils where Rose and Thomas Caton, George Ludlow, Georgia Gardner, George Barnum, Elsie Dunbar, Annie Sweeny, Harvey Wheeler and Carrie Odell. The term was such a pleasant one and I had such a pleasant boarding place with Mr. and Mrs. Starr Barnum, wrote Miss Stuart.

496. Mrs. J. Robert Ostrander

497. Nee Adellah V. Ferriss

498. Miss Ferriss taught in the Haviland Hollow school in 1888-9. Mr. James Foshay was commissioner. She attended teachers’ institute held at he Thompson House, Lake Mahopac.

499. Among those attending school were: Minnie, Mary and John White, Rose and Thomas Katon, Martha and Louise Kinner, Marcus Curtis, George Ludlow and sister, Harvey and Chrisopher Wheeler. Chris Wheeler is employed by Kellogg and Lauence at Katonah and lives in Mt.Kisco,N .Y.

500. Her daughter writes: “Mother first attended school in Sherman, Conn., her teacher, Mr. Barford.. Later the family moved to Leach Hollow and she attended district school. Mr. Charles Leach, Misses Minnie Wanzer and Mary Mitchell were teachers. Later to Coburn and then to New Fairfield where Miss Helen Turrell, now Mrs. Irving Gerow and Miss Martha Webb taught.”

501. Miss Ferriss was born July 23, 1866, at Sherman, Conn. On June 11, 1890, she married J. Robert Ostrander, son of Mr. and Mrs. James R. Ostrander, of Croton Falls. They were married by Rev. M..M. Curtis, of Haviland Hollow, at her home in New Fairfield. Mr. Ostrander at that time was telegraph operator for the N. Y. C. R. R., at Patterson, N. Y. Two children were born, Edward, married to Mildred A. Deats, of Katonah, and Emma E., married to G. Edmond Bennett. of Grand Rapids, Mich. They

     have one son, G. Edmond, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Ostrander during the early part of their married life lived in Patterson, moved later to Katonah then to Croton Falls, finally returning to Katonah where they are permanently located. Also their son and daughter and families reside in Katonah. Mr. Ostrander is entering his forty-second year of service with the railroad and at present is station agent at Thornwood.

502. Wilford C. Platt

503. Wilford C. Platt, born Jan. 12, 1869, son of Lafayette W., and Ann O. Pepper Platt, attended the district school in New Fairfield, Conn., until in 1886, when he entered Danbury High School, graduating from there in June, 1889.

504. Commenced teaching in Haviland Hollow on Oct. 9, 1889. The school was closed for vacation a time in the winter commencing again in March and closed on July 22, 1889. Later he taught for seven years in the Birch Hill school.

505. James Towner was commissioner and following is a list of pupils attending one or both terms: Charles F.and Marquis and John O. Curtis, Thomas, Rose and Mary E. Caton, John H. White, Annie L. Sweeney, Benjamin P. Cowl, George H. Ludlow,Frank Bennett, Elsie and Thomas Dunbar, Christopher C. Wheeler, Louie and George Kinner, Minnie and Loreazo Burch and Harvey Wheeler.

506. Miss Mary Hurlburt

507. now Mrs. Walter L. Wood, of Danbury

508. “I began to teach at the old Haviland Hollow school in Sept. 1890,” wrote Mrs. Mary Hurlburt Wood, in January of 1916.

509. “The school as I first saw it looked very pleasant, tucked in the corner under a large tree at the foot a hill.”

510. It had just been shingled and shingles lay all about. What fine fires they made later for the boys and girls picked them up and piled them in the entry. The school house had been cleaned out and looked real comfortable. There were a few window lights out which I replaced later–my first attempt as a glazier.

511. “On either side of the room were hand carved desks, opening at the top. In the center of the room a large stove and opposite the door a small high platform containing the teacher’s desk and chair.”

512. “While I was inspecting the interior of the school room, some one said there was a snake out in front of the door. I shuddered. but the chidren instead of being afraid, as I naturally thought they would be, rushed out and soon dispatched Mr. Snake. I went to view the remains and saw it was a large black snake–the largest I ever saw.”

513. “When we started to prepare for lessons I discovered their books were of various kinds, making it impossible to form classes. Most of the books belonged to a former generation, but for all that I found some of the children excellent readers and some proficient in other things. Their conduct was obedient and respectful.

514. “The blackboard was a failure. It was beautifully black but slippery and shiny, and the crayon would not make a visible mark. James Towner was supervisor, the name of the one who followed I do not recall. He was tall and light and looked like a giant to me when I first saw him enter our school room door. I had what is now called an attack of the ‘grippe’ I think. I was cold and my head ached so that I could scarcely keep my head up, with a large shawl on and my eyes watering, I saw this man enter the room. When he told me who he was I felt like falling through the floor, but he was very pleasant and did not prolong his visit.

515. “Nearly all the children as well as myself used to take our lunch and on pleasant days would go up on the hill back of the school house to eat it. It was so pleasant up there and we found beautiful arbutus in the spring of the year at the edge of the woods, also wintergreen leaves and berries. In the fall when chestnuts were ripe we would gather some and washing out one of the dinner pails would set it on the fire with chestnuts and enough water to boil them, and after school have a treat.

516. “At Christmas we set up a tree that the boys brought from the woods near by. Each one had a gift and candy, and all ‘spoke pieces’.

517. “The neighbors were so kind that my thirty-two weeks in Haviland Hollow were very pleasantly spent.

518. “My pupils whose names I remember were: Claire and Charley Curtis, George Ludlow, John White, Paul Bouton, Christopher Columbus Wheeler, Harvey Wheeler, Louie and Georgia Kinner, Rose Caton, Clara and Minnie Conklin and Annie Sweeney.”

519. May Townsend

520. May Townsend, of Hopewell Junction, N. Y., in a letter to the late Mrs. C. R. Betts wrote: ”I seem at a loss to know just what to say in regard to the school, as I was there so short a time, 1891, and many years have intervened, and at this time I am unable to recall scarcely any of the scholar’s names: Louie and Georgia Kinner, Paul and Ethel Bouton, Mamie White, the Rev. Mr. Curtiss’grandson. Mr. F. Agor was Commissioner.”

521. Miss Townsend married William Stevenson. She died some years ago.

522. Mrs. Elisha Barrett

523. One of the most interesting of reminiscenses of a teacher in the old Haviland Hollow school are those sent in by Mrs. Elisha Barrett. The period, as she remembers, was 1892 and the teacher was Miss Hanna D. Avery. Mr. Millard Agor was Commissioner.

524. “My very ambitious mother persuaded me while still a student at Drew Seminary to take the county teachers’ examinations and that is how it happened that while I was still in my sixteenth year I was transplanted almost over night from my home and classmates in Carmel to Haviland Hollow to become a schoolmarm.”

525. “It wasn’t easy, and although everyone was kind I shall never forget the awful attack of homesickness suffered. It was excruciating. I can feel sorry for myself even yet, when I think of it. It was during this period that some kind-hearted person intent on making me feel at home told me that ten or twelve of my predecessors in the district had married and made their homes in the locality permanently.

526. “I registered a vow on hearing this that, Providence permitting and my mind and legs held good, no such fate should overtake me. While I kept the vow, intentionally or otherwise, I grew to be very fond of the big majestic valley and deeply interested in the lives of the inhabitants.

527. “I remember I carried out in Haviland Hollow a theory, which I have adhered to ever since whether in teaching, social service or suffrage work, and that is to know your people personally wherever it is possible, especially where you are dealing with their children. A call on each home separately has so many times proved to be the open sesame to many fine acquaintances which might otherwise not been formed.

528. “How distinctly I remember the physical appearance of the Hollow. I can shut one eye and see valley and hills flooded in the bright morning sun and the school marm and her flock of thirteen (general average hot-footing it along the road toward the school, the smaller pupils dog trotting to keep up with the older ones.With the other eye shut I can see the same crowd returning with the afternoon sun pretty low over the hill and the curves of Quaker brook gleaming in and out through the meadows. It always seemed to me that the brook must be glad when it overflowed for then it could straighten out.

529. “The animals I knew I remember as distinctly as the people. There was a dog named Guess whose owner lived near the school building; Old Shep at Mr. Kinner’s and his bird dog Jack, with whom I had many a romp. Dolly, the horse, who took us to school in bad weather and the little team of blackes–‘thirty-year old colts’ as Mr. Kinner called them.

530. “There was Mr. MacDonald’s ‘cows’ husband’! I shall remember him as long as I remember anything. One afternoon as we passed the barnyard where this ferocious animal was tied by a ring in his nose, a number of the older boys bellowed and roared away at his majesty until he roared a couple of roars back and I hustled the children along not liking the tone of his voice. Scarcely had we gone two hundred feet down the road when with a terrifying bellow, which made each individual red hair stand up on my head, he came tearing down on the poor little bunch of knowledge seekers. Shedding hats, caps, dinner pails , books–everything that could be dropped or kicked off in a hurry, we raced up a steep hill just west of the MacDonald house. I had the youngest Ludlow child (aged three) by one arm and if his feet touched the ground more than twice I failed to notice it. About half way up the hill was a big rock, steep on the down hill side but running in level at the top. On this we scrambled and out to the steep edge hoping the bull would confine his attentions to the front of the rock, which he did until Mr. MacDonald and his men arrived with some pitchforks and took our soloist back to the barn, but the ‘skeer’ I got is with me yet. I shall never advocate shorthorns for household pets.

531. “The Ludlow and Wheeler families made up a large percentage of the school attendance and the ages ranged from seventeen down. My first day’s roll call revealed one ‘culled pusson’ who said his name was Christopher Columbus. Not knowing at the time that the Columbus family had no branch living in Haviland Hollow I did not question him further but that night made some inquiries of the trustee. The following day I said to the boy’ ‘Chris, what is the rest of your name?’ He answered proudly: ‘Christopher Columbus Clifton Cole Wheeler’ and then I did not wonder that the poor little legs were so knocked-kneed with such a heavy name to carry around. There were two of this family whose hair shaded to a terra cotta color and this seemed to them to prove almost as good as a relationship to the teacher whose crowning glory was unmistakably red.

532. “The school was decidedly ungraded; if there were three books of the same edition I fail to remember them. We burned wood in cold weather and consequently had to fire up after we reached the building and thaw out the water pail. Everybody sat with his wraps on until the room was warm enough to take them off. Mr. Phelps, the collector-treasurer, used to ask me religously every time he paid me what I was going to do with all that money.

533. “There have been many changes, many of which, I presume, I do not know. Some of my pupils are married and sending their own little hopefuls down the same road to the school which they trod with me years ago.

534. [photo of Mrs. Barrett] Mrs. Elisha Barrett

535. Teacher in 1892 at Haviland Holow School

536. Now Editor of the Dobbs Ferry Sentinal

537. Some have closed the school books of life and passed on to the Great Beyond and I believe the spirit which prompts the collection of these reminiscences is a beautiful thing and the result of it should be a monument to those who are gone and those who are left who together I struggled over their ‘readin’, ‘ritin’! and ‘rithmetic’ in the little old schoolhouse in Haviland Hollow.”·

538. Mrs. Frank Phelps

539. (Nee Miss Carrie M. Crane)

540. Miss Carrie M. Crane, now Mrs. Frank Phelps, who taught from 1894 to 1900, in the Haviland Hollow school left an enviable record as a thorough teacher there as elsewhere. I think she first taught in the little red school house on the present George Davenport place which was near her own home and the school from which she herself had graduated. Recently a young man who is now married and has a family of his own stated that “when Miss Crane taught and you could not understand a lesson, she sat right down beside you and stayed there until you did.” Most of her pupils are still living and all remember her as having unusual ability for her work. Another pupil, now a public official, said: “All I ever succeeded in learning in school Miss Crane taught me.” This seems to be the unanimous verdict of her pupils.

541. Follows a list of some of the pupils in the Haviland Hollow school who were under her: Flora and Mary Wixon, Grace and Lillie Bentley, Charles, Cora and Harry Wakefield, Benj. Cowl, Annie Sweeney, Minnie, Lorenzo, Jennie, Annie and Grace Birch, Clarence, Towner and Lucy Ludlow, Hattie, Austin and Freddie van Keuren, Frank and Lottie Strang, Edna McDonald, John White, Adalin Wheeler, Chris Wheeler, Samuel, R and Harry Miles, John Woodard, Charles and Cora Leonard, Daisy, Harry and Carrie Wheeler, Paul, Ethel and Florence Bouton, Maude Whitehead and Patrick Grady, Georgia and Bessie Kinner,Henry, Bert and William Hiser, Harry Winship, Harry and Nellie Howes, Howard and, Edward Durgy, Amanda Curry, Mary Donovan, Amelia Rooney, Emma, Howard and Mable Matthews, George Halstead and Marcia Brown, Minnie Conklin, Arthur Cullen, Wallace Piersan, William and Michael Weis, David Miller, Daniel and Edith Leach, Mable Van Keuren and Edna Murty.

542. Lottie Strang Lent

543. of Brewster, N.Y.

544. Mrs.Lent, who in her school days was Lottie Strang, has communicated the following. At the time of her going to school in Haviland Hollow she lived with her aunt, Mrs. Francis Phelps.

545. “My first memories of the old Haviland Hollow school are that at the age of five years I was permitted to start in school, this to me in those young years, seemed just the happiest day I had ever seen. Suppose my actual schooling at the beginning did not mean books so much as to be with other children all day and to take a lunch as others did exchange almost the entire contents of the box with others, which to me looked so much better than my own; but through trouble with this lunch box I received the one and only switchmg I ever had during my school days.

546. “I can remember on cold winter days the long benches were drawn close to the stove which stood in the center of the room, and here we would blister our faces and freeze our backs, this was a daily performance until early spring as it was nearly as cold inside the building as it was outside.

547. “My first teacher was Miss C. M. Crane, now Mrs. F. S. Phelps. Then a Mr. Peck who I well remember took his afternoon nap at the back of the school room, while some, advanced pupils ‘heard the lessons.’ My last teacher was Miss Nina Phelps.

548. “At the age of eleven years I left Haviland Hollow and came to Brewster where I must say the school and surroundings were quite different, but I still have many pleasant memories of the old buildings and grounds, and have my school picture taken on the old rock at the side of the school house. Miss Crane was the teacher at that time.”

549. Ethel and Florence Bouton

550. Ethel Bouton was born in Haviland Hollow, October 6, 1888, and entered the Haviland Hollow school, district No.3, in 1893.

551. Florence Bouton was born in Haviland Hollow, January 25, 1891, and entered the Haviland Hollow school in 1898:

552. “Our first teacher was Miss Carrie Crane. Some of our school mates were Lottie Strang, Edna McDonald, Maud Whitehead, Mary, Donovan, Amelia Rooney, Bessie Kinner, Georgia Kinner, Marcia Brown, Cora Leonard, Halstead and Kirby Brown, William and Michael Wise, Bert and William Hiser, Charles Leonard, Harry Winship and many others whom our memories fail to recall.

553. “Just a recollection of our early school days: At nine o’clock we were promptly called to our seats by the ringing of a small hand bell which Miss Crane rang from the little platform in front of the school house, the only entrance to the building. When all was quiet, each head buried in his book hard at work, the only sound in the room was the tick of the old clock, which stood on the teacher desk. Suddenly came the clatter of a horse’s feet and the rattle of an old wagon down the narrow stony, road of Birch Hill, which was but a few feet from the little school house, deadening the noise of the old horse and wagon came the great-Irish voice: “Huckleberries, three for a quarter, huckleberries, three for a quarter. The school room was still no longer-all of our childish laughter burst forth, which took Miss Crane some time to subdue, and often it was necessary for our ambitious, conscientious teacher to pin newspapers up to the windows to keep us from watching old Pat Welsh disappear over the hill.

554. “Pat Welsh not only shouted at the schoolhouse but at every house in the Hollow and he did it in the most emphatic manner, not only once but all the time he was in hearing; often I so early on hot summer mornings that I he awakened many sleepers. Also did much shouting in peddling out the berries in the streets of Danbury. They all knew Pat Welsh.

555. “In the year 1900 we had to part, with our much loved teacher and to whom we owe a great deal today for the foundation of our early school life.

556. She was succeeded by Miss Nina Phelps, of Crown Point, New York, who was our teacher for two years, after which time we attended the Patterson high school.

     Miss Jennie Cullen

557. (Mrs. Charles Williams)

558. “I attended school at the old school house in Haviland Hollow from Sept.l 1903 until June, 1906. During the I first year Mr. Wm. Peck, of Towners, N. Y., was my teacher, and during, the last two years Mr. Geo. Foley, of Syracuse, N. Y., was my teacher. Those of my schoolmates whom I re­member during that period of time were the following:

559. Lena, Bertha and Hazel Gritman, Bessie Kinner, Harry and Roscoe Winship, Grace, Bert and William Hiser, Cora Leonard, Clara, Fred and Christopher Weizenecker, Blanche Osborne, Lottie Strang, Lulu, Flossie, George and Leon Milo, Clarence and Edward Smith, Arthur and Gordon Conklin.

560. Some of them attended school the whole three years and others only a portion of the time.

561. Mrs. Edna McDonald Allen

562. of Sherman, Ct.

563. “My recollection of school days at the Haviland Hollow school were of days just full of happiness. I think my happy days were due in a large measure to my two good teachers, as I only had two during the years I attended that school, who took such an interest in all the scholars and also to my schoolmates, as I can hardly ever remember any quarreling.

564. “I cannot recall the exact date when I started going to the Hollow school, but I think it was in 1896, my first teacher was Miss Carrie Crane. She was a splendid teacher in every way. I still recall her method of teaching the younger children to add by giving them ‘tables’ like these:

565. 1 1 1 1

566. 1 2 3 4

568. 2 3 4 5

569. then start with:

570. 2 2 2 2

571. 1 2 3 4

573. 3 4 5 6

575. up to:

576. 9 9 9 9

577. 1 2 3 4

579. 10 11 12 13

580. as we used to say up to nine times. “The most severe punishment I can remember receiving from Miss Crane was for whispering, when my seatmate and myself were made to sit on two small soap boxes in the middle of the room. The boys were sometimes switched round the legs with a small switch which some other boy was always eager to get for the teacher; other times they were told to stand in a comer or had their hands slapped with a ruler. Slates were used by all the children and were taken to the teacher to be looked over after our work was finished, then the work was erased with a sponge or rag. We, of course, had pads and composition books but these were used mostly for work which we wished to keep.

581. “In summer time we played hide-and-seek, tag, London bridge, ball, running bases as a regular game. Sometimes the girls played house under the large tree near the school using clam shells for dishes and acorns for cups. We used to gather mint that grew near the brook back of the school house and I have never had any since that tasted nearly as good. In winter we had splendid coasting down Birch Hill when there was snow. We always had bounds, generally the bridge, Mr. Phalen’s house and as far as the first dike uphill.

582. “There was an attic over the school room and we were told not to go there but one day while the teacher had gone to lunch the boys decided to go up and look the place over. The teacher came back sooner than they expected and sliding down in a hurry one of the little boys got hung up on a nail and couldn’t get either up or down until some of the larger boys helped him.

583. “Our next teacher was Miss Nina Phelps a graduate of the State Normal school and another splendid teacher. I don’t remember that her methods of teaching were so much different than Miss Crane’s although they may have been. I remember in our arithmetic we took turns in doing examples and then had to explain it to the rest of the class. Miss Phelps used to read us a story and later we wrote as much of it as we could remember in our composition book. A long black ruler was used by her when, necessary. She taught for about three years and then decided to go home. We had a picnic at the closing of school that year and all the scholars were crying, even the older boys, because she was not coming back, so she decided to teach there another year. We moved to Sherman that year and so ended my school days in the Hollow.”

584. From a souvenir card given by Nina Phelps, and preserved by Edna McDonald Allen we gather the names of Miss Phelps pupils were:

585. Robert Archer, Ethel and Florence Bouton, Jennie, Annie and Grace Burch, Lillian and Maud Burger, Emma Davenport, Howard, Eddie’ and Susie Dingee, Bert and Willie Hiser, Harry and Nellie Howes, Bessie Kinner, Charley and Cora Leonard, Edna McDonald, Blanche Osborne,Mary Stenson, Lottie Strang, William and Michael Weis, Clara and Fred Weizenecker, Harry Wheeler, Maud Whitehead, Harry Winship, Marion and Lillian Woodward.

586. Clara Weizenecker Ruckert

587. My First Days

588. I was a child of nine years and my first school days were spent in the, old Haviland Hollow school, beginning December, 1903. The teacher was a Miss Phelps, from New York;and I liked her very much. She was jolly and played with us during the recesses and lunch hour.

589. The first day of school my brother, Fred, and I sat in the front seat in the right aisle. We were given a few letters of the alphabet to learn and copy, but before many minutes I was looking out the window and forgetting where I was began singing a German lullaby my mother had taught me. Miss Phelps quickly realized the situation, asked me to wait until recess and sing it to her. When the time came I was not quite so willing until urgently requested by the other girls.

590. Our next teacher was Miss Streamer whom I loved dearly. Mr. Peck, an uncle of my school chum, Bessie Kinner, taught several terms. My brother, Emil, began going to school when he was four years old because he liked old “Bill Peck.” Miss Potts, Miss Betsinger and Miss Burns were other teachers that I remember.

591. I graduated from the school during Miss Stewart’s term. I was fifteen years old. Miss Stewart was my favorite teacher though after working for four days on an example, she told me to “knock my head against the wall to set my brains to thinking.”

592. Miss Grace N. Stewart

593. Miss Grace N. Stewart, who is still teaching and unmarried, tells something of her experiences while teaching the Haviland Hollow school in 1908-9,

594. “Many and varied are my pleasant recollections of the old school–pleasant of the people and the pupils, of the school building not wholly flattering.

595. “The little things of everyday life, like the sayings of Charley Cook and others. The decorations of the room with pictures of cave dwellers by a boy who felt he had a fellow feeling for them, of the dozen and one things Clara Weizenecker and I might talk over about our Girls Clubs, and other things, especially the things would not be of a general interest.

596. “Having the Milk Tester in school may have been characteristic of that I term, but if I should speak of my taking it up and down the valley because there was no lock on the door, it would not speak well of the state of repairs of the school house. In that connection might be recalled the entertainment which the Boy’s Club gave to show their parents how well they could experiment with the Tester. They had music and recitations to attract the mothers and cake and milk to attract the fathers, but the fathers came so late that we had had our refreshments and had drunk up all the milk, so Fred Weizenecker was sent out to milk a cow before we could use the milk tester.

597. “At Christmas time the children may remember, even though they have had many more elaborate ones since, how we took down the maps and trimmed the wall with heavy wreaths; of how we tried to darken the room so our Christmas angel would look more celestial, and of the popcorn balls that were upon the tree until the heat of the room melted them and they fell off one after another with dull thuds. Then it was that we found our youngest visitor had crawled under the desks and was eating the fallen fruit of the Christmas tree.

598. “It may be remembered how at the picnic time we had so many invitations ‘to picnic with us’ that we had to decide to have it on neutral ground. So we set our tables on the roadside in front of Mr. Weizenecker’s. Some may remember the consternation of one of the ball players who ran to his place throwing, as he went, what he, supposed, was a bit of rubbish, and found too late it was the rubber of one of our honored guests.”

599. Theo Haven

600. Theo Haven, the daughter of Rev. Theodore T. Haven, who was pastor of Haviland Hollow in 1911-12. She was later a college graduate and taught in western New York. She married Charles Armstrong and now lives in New Jersey. Miss Haven, then teaching in East Rochester, N. Y., gave us the following letter in December, 1915,

601. “I was interested to hear that the history of the little brown school house in the Hollow is to be written. I was the sponsor for such a brief and uneventful chapter that I am at a loss for matters of interest to contribute. I can readily call to memory the seats carved by generations of restless fingered lads; the floor worn by the tread of many creeping or storming feet.

602. “I can feel the breeze as it blew softly through the loose sashed windows. I can hear the buzz of the bees, workers and drones, mingling with the hum of lips, conning over tasks which seemed so hard to the workers, so hateful to the drones.

603. “In winter the breeze was a howling gale with flurries of snow and we gathered close around the little wood stove and watched its sides glow out so-bravely. One side of us was warm anyhow. That little stove could smoke too and many a tear was shed on its account till our gallant trustee came to the rescue, cleaned up in fine shape and even took us home in his big bobsled.

604. “There were the funny things, too. One day I heard a great clatter and I came out to find a lad flat on the ground with his head thrust through the bottom of the water pail. Also the lad whose bruised head bandaged after he had run against a stone wall while playing automobile.

605. “There is little to say about the other side. One can only hope to have created some interest in the finer things of life, to have helped a little.

606. “How many others have tried the same thing, played the same game, and fought the same fight I do not know but I am sure that in the newer, better building the work will go on and the little school house will not be forgotten.

607. “The names of my pupils were: Grace Hiser, Fred and Florence Axford, Lucy Cook, Georgia Curry, Chris and Charley Cook, Matthew P. Bishop, Hilda, Elmer and Ethel F. Pennell, May, James and Katie Grady, Mattie Van Keuren, Mary and Emma E. Davenport, Bertha and Sam Miles, Roscoe Winship, Warren S. Wood. Miss Mattie Van Keuren. Miss Mattie Van Keuren, daughter of Lydia Ett Van Keuren, said she started school in April of 1911, and William Peck was her teacher.

608. “There were about twenty-six pupils in the school at this time. The old schoolhouse was not a very attractive building but I enjoyed those three years very much. Miss Theo G. Haven was our next teacher and Miss E. B. Koss came last. The first I day was very discouraging for Miss Koss for it rained very hard and there were only three pupils there, Freddie and Florence Axford and myself. The next day came with better success, I there were twenty-three. The pupils all liked Miss Koss and the winter passed all too quickly for most of us.”

609. William H Cowl Family

610. It may be of interest to hear from the junior member of the William H. Cowl family who lived in the “Hollow” from 1880 to 1894, a shy red–headed, freckled faced boy with a disposition not unlike a she-wolf, answering to the name of “Bennie,” a boy that none but a mother could love. The family owned three parcels of “Put” County huckleberry bush. We lived on the one taking in Cowl’s Corners.

611. To my unsophisticated self, the hills, streams and woods were paradise, only to be broken every eight weeks by a trip to Patterson for a hair cut. Weeks before it was time for me to take this journey, I would be busy thinking out a plan how to stay home, but Mother was firm and a four inch collar was wrapped about my neck and I was on my way.

612. In my fourteenth year Mother told me we were going to sell the farm and move to White Plains. This was I the straw that broke the camel’s back. I resolved, then and there, not to leave the “Hollow,” but Mother could read my very soul. When the I time came to go a bag was slipped over my head and I was transported to White Plains. This was the method of removing cats from the farm and they never came back. However, I found my way back after twenty years.

613. After mentioning some of my playmates, I will confine myself to reminiscences of Haviland Hollow School. As we owned property in the lower district “on the road to Danbury” it gave me the privilege to go there. My time was divided between these, two districts. Kirby and Halstead Brown, Will and Harry Wright and the Cullen boys were my special “buddies.” They did not attend the Haviland Hollow School although I felt they were a part of the “Hollow.” The Wright boys were cousins of mine. Harry read Balzac and now spells his name Harrie and is a successful jeweler in “Put” County. Jimmie Cullen purchased the Brown place and is living there at this time as a prosperous farmer. I have never heard from the other boys.

614. At an early age I was on my way to school. From our house “by road” to school it was a mile and eight rods, by taking short cuts through the meadows, the distance was somewhat shorter. There we’re always things of interest through the “Valley,” especially Quaker Brook, freshets in the Spring, trout fishing later, and then swimming.

615. The daily routine at the schoolstarting at nine, fifteen minutes recess at ten-forty-five, dinner from twelve to one. School out at 4 p m. Recitation and study period between these hours and no home work. Our books were Greenleaf’s Arithmetic, Towne’s Speller and Barne’s History. During my time we had several teachers. They were ”rare birds” with a mentality of a child of eight years of this day and age and received the lucrative salary of $8.00 per week. There was an exception, Miss Carrie Crane, she knew her onions and I owe what early training I received to her teachings. Dinner hour was play-hour. Our-games, hare and hound, hide and seek, duck on the rock, and coasting. Very few modern youngsters know I about duck on the rock. It is played by having a goad tender who is to keep a square rock upright on a large flat stone while the others throw five pound rocks at the duck. Usually somebody stopped one of the five pound stones and the game would be called off for several days. I remember one time I made a perfect carrom off a boy’s head, striking him at the temple. A boy of the present day would have been killed, but he was like “Jimmie” in the movie “The Callahans and the Murphys” anything that you could do with his head would improve it. I lost considerable time from school because of sickness. Between the age of three and twelve, I had every known disease that humans are afflicted with except Bubonic Plague and Yellow Fever. I grew tall and I looked like the boy whose parent said meat was not good for and that he should eat bread, it was so good for bone. As I was getting too high for short trousers, I was outfitted with a suit of long trousers. This was in my eleventh year. I took a dislike to long trousers and did not wear them until I had nothing else to wear and by that time the trousers were well above my shoe tops. On the maiden trip for my suit, I strolled on to school. Everything was rosy until I reached the Wyley Place, then Eddie Elwell looked over a fence and said,” Bennie, how nice you look, why don’t you put salt on those pants and wet your shoes they may come down to drink.” Then he laughed, and there was some melody to that laugh. I did not go to school that day and for two weeks I went around through the lot so as not to see Eddie Elwell.

616. I have wandered through the “Hollow” and lower District. Now a brief description of the interior of he “Hollow” school,” an outline of daily work, a few anecdotes and I close.

617. A few years before I came to I school the interior was reconditioned, equipped with two rows of desks seating two students at a desk and facing North, with the teacher’s desk at the extreme North and facing South, and a large wood burning stove in the center. Space between stove and teacher’s desk being used by the reciting class. The desks were of heavy white pine and ornately jackknife carved. The top of the desk on hinges and could be raised up. The space underneath used for storing books. We were in session at nine o’clock. The teacher called the roll the students answered “present.” Our attendance numbered about ten but the teacher was always very serious with the roll call. We then recited the Lord’s Prayer. The remainder of the day was spent in recitation and study. Around ten-thirty a bucket of water was passed with a large dipper in it. Everyone took a full dipper, dumping the unused water back into the pail. Pass the water was a job for the “teacher’s pet.” I never got the job.

618. John White, George Ludlow and two of Kinner girls were about my size, the rest were smaller and most them came from the “Hollow” except a few from Birch Hill which was in our district. When our desk covers were raised they made a perfect I screen from the teacher and a good many of us were busy behind the screen either grazing on fruit or manufacturing wet paper balls. While the class was reciting the rest were engaged in trying to make the paper balls stick to the ceiling. If things seemed to be a little quiet someone would drop a desk cover and it would make a noise like a clap of thunder, this was always followed by a ten minute lecture, from the teacher. All work was suspended on Friday. Alternating Fridays we had “speaking,” the next Friday was reserved for the thrashing of those who did not know their “pieces” and had committed other offences during the week. I discovered a piece reading like this:

619. “Here’s my old hat

620. And what of that

621. ‘Twas once in beauty shining

622. But what enticed the cussed lice

623. To eat out all the lining.”

624. I talked it over with George Ludlow and he decided to recite the piece. When it came time, George got up and started to recite and at the proper moment threw down his old hat and went to it and finished the piece. It was a warm Spring afternoon and the windows were partly up and as our red-headed teacher came rapidly toward George with a stout hickory switch in her hand, George made a perfect swan dive through the open window taking a part of the sash with him. George never came back. One of our students was an epileptic and any unusual noise would cause a fall in a fit. Practically every day while this youngster was reciting, somebody would either drop a slate or a desk cover and the next thirty minutes were devoted to “first aid.”

625. Just a few lines about good old vacation time. My sister Emma’s boy, Fred Lott, always spent his vacation with me. Fred was a well groomed good-looking city boy. The natives did not like him very well, they thought he was “stuck up” and called him “Young Lott, the mischief maker.” As soon as he arrived, trouble commenced in the “Hollow,” Tick-tacks on windows, ghosts appearing, etc. During the long winter evenings, I would think out different schemes that made him so popular with the natives. When we were not annoying other people, we were, building swimming pools in Quaker Brook,fishing, etc. Fred’s father used to join us in many of our sports and when we were building swimming pools he would hire help for us. George Ludlow, Sr., one of the characters of the “Hollow” had been working for several days constructing a dam. Fred’s father said to him “George, I will give you a half dollar if you will jump into the pond and swim across,” George was overboard in a minute and when he came out a three pound eel wriggled out of the sleeve of his coat. Eels were so thick in Quaker Brook those days that when in swimming they would lay on the bottom and felt to our feet like walking on a corduroy road. The district school like the horse drawn slay is obsolete and in a few years will cease to be, as every move points toward competitive education in congested centers where there are better opportunities for research work. May we never forget Haviland Hollow District School.

626. BENJ. P. COWL.

627. [MBD writes “The following concerning Mrs. Elisha T. Barrett whose Reminiscences, gives us something of her life, her WONDERFUL life! She was one of D.P. Cowl’s teachers; evidently he did not represent her and his other teachers very correctly.]

628. [picture of Mrs. H. D. A. Barrett]

629. A Splendidly Equipped Candidate for County Clerk

630. Mrs. H.D.A. Barrett of Dobb Ferry who is a candidate for County Clerk this fall on the Democratic ticket is the best qualified candidate that has been nominated for County Clerk in many years.

631. Mrs. Barrett is a good business executive. There is a lot of difference between working for a boss and working for oneself. While the average employee figures the boss has a cinch of it, the record of business failures reported by the financial agencies proves conclusively that has to have exceptional ability and character to succed in business.
632. The fact that Mrs. Barrett since the death of her husband built up a successful Real Estate and Insurance business is the strongest argument in favor of her election. Political offices are all too often awarded to political workers who have little or no business ability with the result that public service suffers. Mrs. Barrett is a good business executive.

633. For the fiscal year of 1924-25 Mrs. Barrett served as village clerk of Dobbs Ferry under Village President Lyman C. French and was the first village clerk to devote her entire time to the office so as to be available at all time the conduct of public business. Dobbs Ferry will long remember the efficient and courteous manner in which Mrs. Barrett performed her duties. As it is an accepted business and political custom to follow biblical precedent in promoting those who have been faithful in a few things to be ruler over many things; Mrs. Barrett is deserving of promotion to the county clerkship.

634. Mrs. Barrett has an exceptionally broad acquaintance with Westchester County, Westchester people and Westchester needs. Mrs Barrett was born in Westchester County and has spent most of her life in Westchester County. Her long years of suffrage, newspaper, political and civic service have given her an acquaintance equalled by few people in Westchester County. This insures a broad comprehensive administration of county affairs if Mrs Barrett is elected .

635. Mrs. Barrett’s tact is well known as sincere desire to serve is important in all public offices frequented by our people. Most of us have experienced the arbitrary attitude of so many public officials that we can appreciate the importance of courtesy. A kindly spirit is the oil that eliminates friction in public administration. It was a pleasure during Mrs. Barrett’s term as village clerk to do business with the village of Dobbs Ferry. Mrs. Barrett was always pleasant and always willing to go out of her way to help people who came to her. This is the kind of service we want in the office of County Clerk.

636. Greenburgh Is Solid For Mrs. Barrett

637. The most noticeable feature of this fall’s campaign is the manner in which the people of Hastings, Dobbs Ferry, Ardsley and Irvington have turned out to support and electioneer for Mrs. Barrett. Outsiders have to take a candidate more or less on faith. They read about him in the newspapers and may meet him casually at a political rally, but have little or no opportunity of knowing his true worth.

638. Home town folk on the other hand with whom a candidate has lived the better part of his life come pretty near to knowing what he is. When the home town folk turn out solidly for a candidate as Dobbs Ferry for Mrs. Barrett in this election it is pretty good evidence that she deserves election.

639. There is a good reason for the enthusiasm with which the people of Dobbs Ferry are supporting Mrs. Barrett. Mrs. Barrett has lived in Dobbs Ferry for the last 25 years.

640. She has raised a family in Dobbs Ferry and her three sons who are a credit to the community are out for themselves now. Since the death of her husband the late Elisha T. Barrett years ago. Mrs. Barrett has supported herself, built up a flourishing real estate and insurance business and established two clean progressive county newspapers. Despite this busy life Mrs. Barrett has found time to take an active part in all civic movements and Dobbs Ferrys Womens Club, Westchester Historical Society and the Westchester Tuberculosis Committee. From March 1924 to March 1925 Mrs. Barrett was Village Clerk of Dobbs Ferry under village President Lyman C. French and was so courteous and obliging that Dobbs Ferry will long remember her administration with pleasure.

641. The solidity and enthusiasm of the people of Dobbs Ferry for Mrs. Barrett is the outstanding event of the campaign.

642. Photo of Mrs. Hana D. Avery Barrett

643. of Dobbs Ferry

644. Mrs. James C. Gerow of Patterson, N. Y.

645. This short contribution from Mrs. Gerow is as she remembers her husband speaking of his early school days. She writes:

646. Memory furnishes me the names of but two of Mr. Gerow’s teachers. One was Hattie Rogers, of whom he talked more than any other, another was Sarah Wanzer, beloved, and who afterward became the wife of his uncle, William Gerow.

647. Among his early school mates were the Boutons, the Whiteheads, Garry and Sarah Duncan, Antoinette Williams and others.

648. I’ve heard him relate how he and little Sarah Duncan went to and from school, hand in hand, for she was then his best girl and “when tying her bonnet under her chin, she tied young Jamies’ heart within.” How he was lured to accompany her home by Sarah’s mother giving him, some good things to eat. I have heard him relate much of his boyhood sport in the different homes scattered among the hills and valleys of that peaceful Hollow–of the singing schools, sleigh rides and church gatherings.

649. The following appropriate poem is sent by Mrs. Gerow:

650. Sometimes when the sky is gray,

651. I wander down a quiet way,

652. Over a road that winds afar,

653. A dream road where gay children

654. Back where the laughter rings more gay,

655. Into the realm of yesterday.

656. Into the realm now tinged with gold,

657. Back where the mystery tales are told

658. And the hills are touched with deepest green,

659. Back where the world is peace serene.

660. In the land where the mists hang low

661. And the wonderful flowers of the meadow grow.

662. I smile at the songs so gayly sung,

663. And sigh at the sound of the school bell rung,

664. Down through the lane when the day is cool

665. I meet gay friends on the way to school, are,

666. On till the curfew tolls the day,

667. And my comrades silently steal away.

668. O lad, as you trudge your homeward way

669. And dream of the man you’ll be some day

670. Your castles fair may tumble down,

671. Your dream man never know renown.

672. But none can touch in the after hours

673. Vandal hands to your gay dream flowers.

674. Calling each comrade back again,

675. Sailing your ship on a phantom main,

676. Treasuring all like miser’s gold

677. Counting each friend as a wealth untold.

678. Free as a wisp on the breeze to play,

679. Into the realm of yesterday.

680. –Robin A. Walker.

681. Teachers in the Old School

682. From 1839 to 1914 the seventy-five years of the Old School in Haviland Hollow, the following teachers taught in the school. The list is given in as nearly correct order as possible with the exception of a few the exact dates of which could not be ascertained.

683. There is no knowledge of some of them except that they taught there about such a time.

684. Much valuable information was received from Ann Eliza Wood Haviland, Christina Partrick, Sarah Duncan Whitehead and Sarah Lovina Birdsall Wheeler. The latter was born in 1834 and went to school very young, so without doubt went at the opening of what was then the new school house in 1839.

685. In the forties and fifties the school was very large, the benches around the sides and the two benches for little ones would be filled.

686. It was not unusual at that time for capable men to take the school for the winter term, when their farm work was not so heavy, and the big boys were more in school.

687. As the terms of school were shorter then, it explains why two or three teachers might be included in one year.

688. 1839-Lydia Jane Crosby

689. 1840-Mary Crosby, a sister of Lydia Jane and who married a Mr. Jackson taught here when Christina Partrick was a baby and wanted to name her Mary.

690. Augustus Cowl, son of William Cowl and brother to William, Harry, Elijah, and Benjamin; the latter the father of William Henry. Augustus the teacher, married Kate Brown, daughter of Abram Brown. and a sister of George, Frank and Mary. Augustus went west to live. Emeline Cowl, a sister of Augustus. Selina Coe. Felura Barnum. She married A. Dykeman and lived at Ball’s Pond, Conn.

691. 1845 or 6—Jedidiah Wanzer taught. He was a well known Pawling man in ‘later years. ‘ Mary Wanzer, daughter of Ira Wanzer, who wrote an arithmetic. John Laurence, a resident of Haviland Hollow.

692. 1849-Elizabeth Stevens, was a sis­er of David, Russell, and Ezra Stevens, and became the wife of Gilbert L. Haviland.

693. 1850–Lucy Barnum, later became the wife of Henry Fanton.

694. Jane Judd, a sister of Charles Judd of Patterson.

695. 1854–Mr. Strong

696. 1855-Ann Mead, daughter of Rev. Uriah Mead, of New Fairfield.

697. Hendrick Wildman, was a New Fairfield man and held high political offices. He was school commissioner many years. He said of William Pepper (who was a Towners man) that he was the brightest boy that ever went to school to him; that he would commit to memory fifteen pages of philosophy without any apparent effort.

698. 1858-Harriet Rogers was the daughter of Col. Amzi Rogers, of New Fairfield, Conn. She never married, and resided in Norwalk, Conn., at the time of her death which occurred in Dec., 1915, aged seventy eight years.

699. 1859-Adelia Hawley. Mary Williams, was a daughter of Desmond Williams, was never married and is still living.

700. 1859-Antoinette Robinson, taught two and a half years or more. She married G. Edwin Stevens, and at her husband’s death made her home with her daughter in Ansonia, Conn.

701. William Pepper, later a Towners man.

702. Henry Swords

703. 1863-Helen Dean, sister of Rev.Oliver S. Dean. She married Mr. Pendleton, of Patterson, N. Y. Lydia Laurence taught somewhere near this time. She was a daughter of John Laurence, of Haviland Hollow

704. 1864-Fannie Taylor, was the daughter of William Taylor, of Haviland Hollow, and is now Mrs. I. G. Russell, of Danbury, Conn., and living at the age of seventy-nine.

705. Laura Ferris came next, she later married a Mr. Haviland and was the mother of Dr. Haviland, late of Patterson, N. Y.

706. Sarah Sprague

707. Charlotte Crane

708. 1866-Lottie Barnum began as teacher this year, she taught nine terms here but not suc- cesively; she took a trip to western N. Y., in 1869, , at which time her sister, Josephine, was a substitute teacher

709. 1869-70–Kate Lent.

710. 1873-4-M. Jennie Stevens, winter term.

711. David Laurence, son of John, one term

712. Mr. Foster taught a short term

713. 1874-7-Mary E. Kellogg came in April ’74, and taught the school until Oct. ’77. She married a Mr. Woodruff. Both have passed on. Lottie A. Whitehead was the next teacher, later married Clarence Cowl.

714. 1879-80-Annie C.Haviland, daughter of G. L. Haviland. Minnie Barnum finished her last term for her.

715. 1880-82-84-Allie Ives came next, beginning the fall of 1880 and teaching to the spring of 1882. Then became the wife of C. P. Bouton.

716. 1882-Mattie Wood taught the summer term.

717. 1885-6-Emma Gillum taught.

718. 1887-Nettie Stuart, of Sherman.

719. 1888-89-Adellah V. Ferriss, New Fairfield.

720. 1889-189D-Wilford C. Platt, New Fairfield.

721. 189D-Mary Hurlburt, of Danbury.

722. 1891-May Townsend, of Carmel

723. 1892-Hannah Avery, later married Elisha Barrett.

724. 1893-4-Tillie Lenehan.

725. 1894-1900-Carrie M. Crane, of New Fairfield.

726. 1900-Sarah L. Thompson. Miss Schumacker.

727. 1901-2-Nina Phelps.

728. 1902-3-Mary G. Streamer.

729. 1903-4-William H. Peck.

730. 1904-6-George F. Oley.

731. 1906-Mary G. Burns.

732. 1907-N. Gertrude Betsinger.

733. 1907-8-Clara L. Potts.

734. 1908-9-Grace N. Stewart.

735. 1909-10-Anna M. Benson.

736. 1910-11-William H. Peck.

737. 1911-12-Theo. G. Haven.

738. 1912-13-Mary E. Koss.

739. 1913-14-Elizabeth S. Day, Brewster, N. Y. Miss Day, the last teacher in the old building, has listed in the school register of 1914-15, the names of the children of school age in district No. 3, as follows: Fred, Florence and Ruth Axford, Lucy, Charles, Chris, Kathreine and Mary Cook, George and Edna Curry, Grace Heiser, Lulu Dairs, Hilda, Elmer and Ethel Pennell, Frank Ward, Adam Polinski, Chris, Amos, Freda and William, Weizenecker, Benjamin and Lillian Whitlock. Most of these were the last pupils in the abandoned schoolhouse and made up the first classes in the new.

740. Land for the new school house was bought in 1914 of F. S. Phelps for the consideration of $200. The land lies at the foot of the Brimstone Hill road and comprises three-eighths of an acre. Quaker brook bounds it on the south. The deed was drawn by Lewis I. Haynes, Justice of the Peace.

741. A nice building was put up under the supervision of William Axford who was then trustee. For some time the old school house on the hill had been condemned as unfit for use.

742. At this time its school history may be nearly complete as it is expected that,by another year it will be discontmued and merged into the Graded School in Patterson.

743. This new school building was destroyed by fire on Jan. 13, 1928, the result of work of Edward Shorts, the Haviland Hollow firebug, who is now under arrest and awaiting the action of the Putnam county grand jury.

744. Miss Bessie Day.

745. Miss Day was the last teacher in the old school house, and finishing her term in the new school house made her the first teacher there. She writes:

746. The most exciting experience that was mine during my service as teacher in District No.3, Patterson, N. Y. was the removal from the old school house to the new one. It occurred on Tuesday morning, Feb. 23, 1915.

747. It would be impossible to describe to anyone how delighted the children were, and indeed it was a great contrast to the previous building.

748. Now we had separate seats, two enclosed libraries. Large light windows, two large cloak rooms, with shelves for the lunches, and a furnace with a jacket around it which was part of the very adequate ventiilating system.

749. Several other things happened of interest more to the children and myself, than anyone else.

750. We took several walks during which we all learned more about Nature Study than we could have learned from books.

751. When I left Haviland Hollow I took with me the memories of two happy years, the memory of those childish hearts ever ready to grasp the knowledge which it was within my power to give, and the memory of pleasant times which I enjoyed with the people of that District.

752. Mrs. Lewis G. Pugsley, Jr

753. Miss Zylpha Jane Boynton, of Syrause, N. Y., taught in the new school house the school year of 1915-16. This paper written by her in 1916 may be of some value and so not out of place at this time. Miss Boynton was married to Lewis G.Pugsley, Jr. of Patterson, N.Y. in June, 1917, and now has a family of three daughters.

754. Her paper follows:

755. The new school in a little hollow at the forks of the road stands the new school building of which we may well be proud.

756. It is one of the most up to date shools in Putnam County of the credit of its construction is due to Mr. William Axford, Trustee at that time, and Mr. J H. Brooks, district superintendent schools.

757. In the yard stand several old apple trees from which last fall we picked, barreled, and shipped enough apples to buy a fine clock and many of the little thing that make our room so pleasant.

758. Bordering the play-ground is the brook, a source of never ending delight to the kiddies.

759. Only this morning they rushed in with two fishes, a crab and a huge mud-turtle, trophies of an exploring party during recess.

760. The building is nearly square with a front porch and a wide door facing the east. Windows each side of the door light the two cloak rooms.

761. It is painted a soft gray with trimmings of white.

762. This Arbor Day we planted ten rose bushes on the south and south-west some of which we hope will live to beautify the yard.

763. By the porch are morning glories and under the windows poppies are planted.

764. Now step inside and look around you. Not much like the old school room, I hear some one say.

765. On entering, the cloak rooms with shelves for the dinner pails, are on each side, girls at the left and boys at the right. No excuse for lost caps or rubbers now.

766. I can invite you to be seated in one of my two fine oak chairs which match my desk, and glance around. Isn’t it pleasant, so light and bright and cheerful.

767. Under the .windows, and we have four large ones side by side facing the west, is a low broad shelf built by my boys and covered with red crepe paper, in the center is our window box which has been a joy all of the year for after Jack Frost nipped our foliages, we filled it with evergreens hung with their tiny cones. Now the vines and flowers are blooming again.

768. On each side of the window-box are potted plants, and jars of cherry blossoms and cow-slips, while on teacher’s desk is a big bunch of violets gathered by childish hands.

769. No doubt you will next observe the black-boards. How we revel in those boards which extend way across the room both front and back.

770. As it is May our stencils (bought with apple money too) are soldier boys with swords, gun and drum, marching along the track.

771. In front “Old Glory” waves with the “Stars and Bars,” to help us remember Memorial Day.

772. I supervise, but the kiddies do the work.

773. Last month we had Easter lillies, chickens and rabbits. June will bring wild roses, each month its own stencil.

774. Over the boards are the borders and posters made by happy, busy hands. Our back border is little people from “Mother Goose,” “Little Jack Horner,” “Mary, Mary, quite contrary,”

775. The children draw, color and cut out, then the best one goes up to stay.

776. In front are the posters. “TheGoose Girl” seems to be the favorite.

777. Over the recitation seats are two framed pictures. One is the brook with the school in the distance, and the other “No 3’s” pupils and teacher, these were a Christmas gift to us last year from Mrs. Otis Durga.

778. Our heating system is very successful. “No matter how the north wind doth rave” we are always “just right” inside.

779. Opposite the windows are the built-in libraries, two of them with glass doors which keep out the dust and dirt. The doors are curtained with Japanese crepe paper.

780. Our clock ticks busily away in the, space beyond the doors while in between are hung our calendars, our spelling booklets and our very best compositions, sawing cards, etc. We are so busy the time just seems to fly, and we are doing good work too for our motto is “What is worth doing is worth doing well.”

781. May time deal gently with the New School and as her pupils pass on and I out into the whirl of life may they too look back with loving memory to the hours spent here and feel that they have learned some things, not taught in books that have helped them to “play the game” squarely.

782. There is but one thing greater than success and that is to deserve success and may we all do that.

783. Teachers in New Building

784. Following is the list of teachers who taught in the new school build­ing:

785. Miss Bessie Day, early in 1915.

786. Miss Zylpha Jane Boynton, 1915 to 1916

787. Miss Anna M. Crane, 1916 to 1917

788. Miss Marguerite Staples, 1917, a few weeks in the fall

789. Miss Grace M. Gould, 1917 to 1918

790. Mrs. Jennie E. Selleek, 1918 to 1920

791. Miss Marion Olmstead, 1920 to 1921

792. Miss Esther M. Pugsley, 1921

793. Miss Adelaide M. Schenck, 1921 to 1922

794. Miss Florence Fitzmorris, 1922 to 1923

795. VanNess Denton, 1923 to 1924

796. Miss Grace E. Cohen, Feb. 1924 toJune, 1924

797. Mrs. Lucy Lee Holcomb Scott, 1924 to 1925

798. Susan S. Washburn, 1925 to 1926

799. Miss Mary Gavigan, 1926 to 1927

800. Miss Helen Gilmore, 1927

801. Miss Rose Beers, 1927 t 1928

802. Scholars in New School House

803. Names of scholars who attended school in the new school house in Haviland Hollow:

804. Ethel Pennell, Hilda Pennell, Elmer Pennell, Lucy Cook, George Cook, Katie Cook, Mary Cook, Eddie Cook, Charley Cook, Frederick Axford, Florence Axford, Ruth Axford, Edith Axford, Seth Hudson, George Hudson,Milton Hudson, Grace Hiser, George Curry, Edna Curry, Florence Buchanan, Elna Buchanan, Freda Weizenecker, William Weizenecker, Hilda Weizenecker, Dorothy Burdick, Marie Burdick, Irene Burdick, Warren Wood, Ralph Howes, Charley Howes., Christian Cook, Goldie Robinson, Stellie Robinson, Joseph S. Robinson, Nathaniel Robinson, Morgan Pulver, Eugene Brush, Eric Sandelin, Roland Burdick, Robert Burdick, Shirley Burdick, Ralph Norris, Herbert Anderecker.

805. Jessie Knapp, John Sheehan, Mary Sheehan, Thomas O’Brien, Ralph Sherwood, Josephine Teske, Agnes Teske, Mildred Cohen, Eugenia Richardson, Martin Carey, Pauline Hiser, Helen Hiser, Vernon Wildman, Edward Wakely, John Szaleki.

806. Author Expresses Thanks.

807. Those who responded to my call for letters have given pleasure to us all, and many thanks are due to them and to the publishers, and to all who have helped in any way.

808. I thank you.

809. MINNIE BARNUM DURGA; 62 West St., New Milford, Conn..

810. Haviland Hollow School Story Ends

811. Letter From John C. Merrick, History of Haviland Hollow and Patterson Baptist Churches to Follow.

812. The interesting serial which have been running on our Patterson page concerning the Haviland Hollow school closes with this issue.

813. We are pleased to say that Mrs. Durga has prepared another series equally as interesting upon the Haviland Hollow church, which we will begin in a few weeks.

814. In the meantimne next week we will publish an entertaining letter from the pen of John C. Merrick of Towners, telling of his trip south to Orlando, Fla. We are sure our readers will enjoy it as they will the historical sketch which will follow of the Four Corners Baptist church by Deacon D. C. Nichols, of Patterson. It is the paper read by Mr. Nichols at the re-dedication of that church a few weeks ago and which has received so many compliments from those who heard it at the meeting.

815. [MBD enters an obiturary of Mar.1933 for :]

816. Mrs. Mary State Goodale

817. The death of Mrs Mary State Goodale, of 190 Triangle street, occured on Thursday, at the Danbury Hospital after a few days illness. Mrs. Goodale was the widow of Edward W. Goodale. She was born in Southeast, N.Y., the daughter of the late Thomas and Ann Grady State. She is survived by two brothers, Frank A. State, of Norwalk, and Charles M. State, of Danbury; also by three nephews and a niece.

818. We have received many evidences of appreciation over the publication of the Reminiscenses of the Old Haviland Hollow School, compiled for us by Mrs. Minnie Barnum Durga. Among them we received this week one from George H. Cornell, of Brewster, who gives the praise to whom it belongs, to Mrs. Durga, and others who collaborated with her.

819. Mr. Cornell’s letter reads:

820. I cannot refrain from writing you a word of appreciation for the series of “Reminiscenses of the Haviland Hollow School” which you are running in the “Courier.” Almost everyone contains a personal touch, of the writer and a heart interest which cannot but appeal to any true lover of country life in the dear, old days which, happily, are not beyond recall. They are almost good enough as literature to break into the “Atlantic Monthly.” It seems to me that Mrs. Durga and the teachers and pupils of the old school who have used their memories and pens so graphically in depicting the old school days for the fortunate readers of the Courier are entitled, as Dr. Cadman says, to a “generous round of applause.” Haviland Hollow Firebug Arrested

821. HE CONFESSES STARTING FIRES

     Edward Shorts, Caretaker on Burdick Place, Held for Grand Jury on Arson Charge

822. A mystery that has surrounded the burning of the Haviland Hollow schoolhouse, two barns on the Sinclair Kennedy farm and one on the Robert Burdick farm in Haviland Hollow was cleared up Sunday with the arrest of Edward Shorts, caretaker of the Burdick farm, who claims he set fire to his employer’s barn and then set the other places afire so that suspicion would be diverted from him.

823. Shorts is 52 years old and came here from New Haven. He was arrested Sunday afternoon by Constable Burns of Patterson working in company with state police. Shorts was taken before a Justice of the Peace in Patterson and held for the action of the grand jury on a charge of second degree arson. He was remanded to the county jail at Carmel.

824. In a signed confession to the sheriff of Putnam county Shorts admits setting fire to all four places. He states in his confession that he originally came to Patterson from New Haven, Conn., to work on the Burdick estate. A difference arose between Shorts and his employer and it was in the spirit of revenge that he set fire to the barn on the Burdick estate. Then fear that he would be discovered as the guilty party caused Shorts to visit two other estates and set fire to the barns on them and then the Patterson schoolhouse was visited by the man with the incendiary mind and he set that public building to the torch.

825. An investigation was started to locate the man who set fire to the school and buildings. And an end of the probe and Constable Burns arrested Shorts Sunday in his quarters on the Burdick estate.

826. The amount of damage caused by Shorts incendiarism will amount to several thousands of dollars. The most serious loss is the Haviland Hollow School. Arrangements have been made for taking care of the school children who attended the Haviland Hollow school by sending them to other Patterson schools.

827. For the past year the question of consolidating the Haviland Hollow school with the Patterson school has been under consideration and it is probable the consolidation will now be perfected.

828. HISTORY OF HAVILAND HOLLOW METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

829. Dedicated in 1868 It Has Served as the Center for Religious Worship in That Community Since Then. Former Pastors Tell of Years of Service There. Story Compiled By Mrs. Minnie Barnum Durga.

830. We have spoken of the old school house, let us also honor the one other meeting place which has meant so much to the life of Haviland Hollow the M. E. Church, situated quite near Cowl’s Corner on the Haviland Hollow road. In appearance it is most unpretentious. It has no bell, no pipe organ, no upholstered seats, but it has a good history.

831. Before it organization the meetings in the school house assured a larger and a better building for religious services. Steps were taken and this property bought of Benjamin Cowl, April 1, 1867. The price, $2,500. Three acres of land: “be the same more or less” lying between land owned by the Cowl family on the west and on the east by the Partrick family. Justice of the Peace A. C. Penny, of Patterson made out the Warrantee Deed.

832. The house on this property had been occupied by the Cowl family, and what is now the church was used by them as a store. This was remodeled and was dedicated in 1868 during the pastorate of George Hurn, 1867-8 he and his family being the first to occupy the parsonage, and he to serve as pastor there. He being pastor also of the New Fairfield, Conn. M. E. church, these two charges were closely connected in church plans and work. When meetings were in the school house ministers were often called from New Fairfield. Very naturally the Haviland Hollow church fell into the same circuit.

833. The first church in N. F. was a small one built near the one now standing but on another corner, in the year 1819, and connected with the Courtland Circuit, John Reynolds and Elisha R. Jacobs were the pastors, at that time the churches were far apart and a circuit covered quite a territory so that there were often two pastors to do the work.

834. So far a now known New Fairfield church continued a part of the Courtland Circuit until 1838 when it was changed to Pawling Circuit. In 1856 New Fairfield became the head of a Circuit which included Haviland Hollow and Reynoldsville (now Holmes).The present New Fairfield church wa built in 1835, and in 1898, remoded, reseated, a bell and belfry added.

835. The following, concerning the dedication of the Haviland Hollow church, was found pasted in an old Bible which belonged to Mrs. Stephen Whitehead. No dates were given, but the year must have been 1868.

836. DEDICATION OF THE CHURCH

837. Last Tuesday was a day of great to the people of Haviland Hollow. Having long felt the need of of worship to meet the religious wants of the neighborhood, a few persons resolved to build one. They have succeeded; a neat, unpretentious, but in every way suitable, Methodist church is the result of their labor; and on the day above mentioned it as dedicated to the service of Almighty God.

838. There a good congregation morning and evening. Rev. Dr. Fox, of Carmel, preacheg two sermons, that for depth of thought and clearness of expresion, are rarely equalled; after which he so happily presented the financial interests of the enterprise, that the people readily gave all that was needed–over five hundred dollars.

839. Revs. Mr. Benedict of Patterson; J.W. Macomber, of Pawling; and E. S. Bishop,of Johnsville, were present and rendered efficient service during the day.

840. Honorable mention is also due Mr. David Stevens, to whose perseverance and liberality we are greatly indebted for the success of the enterprise.

841. The buiiding is conveniently located near the junction of four roads and will afford church accommodation to many who could not go elsewhere.”

842. At the time of this Dedication the Trustees of the church were Stephen Whitehead, David Stevens and Gilbert L. Haviland.

843. We are largely indebted to David Stevens for this church; first for his heart interest in the work, and second for his liberality on the financial, side, years after he left the place to reside in Syracuse, N. Y., and up to the time of his death he gave freely to the support of the church. He was a good man. Once on a visit to the Hollow he was calling on a near neighbor and telling him of his trip to the Thousand Islands and said: “I tell you, George, I thought if Heaven was so much more beautiful than this place, I wanted to go there.”

844. Notable Revivals in the church were under the pastorates of H. R. Lent, H. B. Mead, M. H. Curtis, and J. Anthony. Among the revival helpers were Theodore Beebe and wife, E. R. Dickenson and Miss H. B. Lord. These season helped immensely to build up the church and with good pastors the work went on.

845. Church attendance was very good as late as 1910. At special times the house was often filled with chairs in the aisle and some standing. In the early days the families attending were the George Barnum, Platt Bouton, Benjamin Haviland, David Stevens, Hiram White, Stephen Whitehead, DeWitt Elwell, Jesse Lane, James Haviland, Solomon Wood, John Laurence, William Gray, Gabriel Goodsell, Lewis Partrick, Benjamin Cowl, George, Frank and Mary Brown, Also Purdy, George Winship, Alpheus Cowl, James C. Gerow, also at times from Patterson village and Birch Hill. An old man, the father of John Cruthers, came from Quaker Hill.

846. The Sunday Schools were at times a problem, but often they were well attended and excellent work done.

847. The choir was usually very good. In the early days some of the singers were, Lottie and Josie Barnum, Lottie Whitehead, Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gerow, Gilbert Haviland and many other who happened to be present and would help.

848. Mrs. J. C. Gerow and Lottie Whitehead were the principal organists. Mrs. Gerow being able to attend as this service was in the afternoon.

849. In later day the ministers’ wives and daughters and school teachers often aassisted in the choir. Mrs. Egbert T. Haviland was a fine soloist for several years when Mrs. Nettie Osborne the organist.

850. The country minister’s salary sixty years ago was small indeed, not more than enough to live on. No wonder they were often out to dinner bringing their families with them; it is a happy thought that the farmers’ wives always enjoyed having them come, all the family were pleased when the minister came. It “goes without saying,” that the ministers were not only good but most agreeable people. Some of their stories have been handed down. I was impressed by his one of George Hurn. He said a man was putting up at a hotel and was awakened from his sleep by something biting him. He struck a match and discovered “the bugs.” Killed he thought the last one and threw bugs and burnt matches in the washbowl of water, then he went peacefully to sleep only to be awakened by the second attack of “the bugs.” He did the same this time and also the third time, again went to sleep and was awakened by the sweetest music imaginable. He arose to to find out from whence, it came. It was from the direction of the washbowl and looking he found the bedbugs had built a raft with the burnt matches and were singing “Life On the Ocean Wave.”

851. We do not see so much of our pastor and their families in these days. Conditions are very different and the salaries much more.

852. Formerly ministers were not allowed to stay longer than two years on any one charge, later they were allowed to stay a little longer, and now there is no time limit. Imagine moving every two years. However there seemed no special dread about it in those days. The farmers willingly took their teams, and the minister’s goods were brought from the depot in April, often over unsettled roads, perhap deep mud. It was all cheerfully done “as unto the Lord,” and while we often grieved over the departure of the other minister, we were ready to welcome the new one.

853. Prominent in the old days were the donations. The two floors and the basement of the parsonage would be filled with people.

854. Tables filled with the best of foods would be surrounded several times, and usually around two hundred dollars taken in.

855. Young men took their sweethearts to supper. Some met their future wives and husbands. Two notable cases are one of a beautiul old couple who live on Quaker Hill near a “Merry Brook,” who were married in 1872; the other couple in Patterson, who were married in 1870.

856. There were no dull moments in these donations, with music and visiting and all kinds of games. They usually came in winter time and it’s pleasant to think of the glistening snow, the sleighs and sleigh bells, the prancing horses, perhaps a large sled packed with people, singing on the way.

857. Socials, nite parties, festivals, lawn fetes, were frequent. The Harvest Fair and Festival or clam bake at Whaley Lake, planned and conducted by Rev. J. S. Ladd, was a great financial success. First he planned a church paper telling of the Fair and filled with advertisements, this cleared a goodly sum. From the entire Fair about six hundred dollars was cleared making about two hundred for each of the three churches of his pastorate.

858. Haviland Hollow Church

859. Mrs. James C. Gerow (nee Frances Tupper)

860. Mrs. Gerow has very kindly written the following beautiful letter concerning this church:

861. Not until 1870 did I come into fellowship with the Hollow people. The Rev. Marvin R. Lent was then pastor of the New Fairfield and Hollow churches. Every Sabbath afternoon the Hollow church was filled to its capacity, and it was a rare occurrence when we were not present. We were both members of the choir. I frequently played the little melodion. I do not recall any selected voices in those days. The singing was in true Methodist style, old and young making melody in heart and voice.

862. Memory brings to mind a baptism which took place in Quaker brook near the church, but I fail to recollect who the candidate was. It made a great impression on me, as I’d never seen other a Presbyterian form of baptism.

863. In those days were Donation parties, when the country-side convened at the Parsonage, and brought of their stores (not always money) much to increase the minister’s larder for weeks ahead. Evenings passed in story telling and song, following beautiful suppers, in which the Haviland Hollow ladies needed none of the modern appliances in food craft.

864. James Gerow loved a good story, and frequently did his part in both. Occasionally he would indulge in some most ridulous ones, such as “The Funniest Things,” “A Frog,” “The Fellow That Looks Like Me,” and “Shelling Peas.” Beautiful selections from the old book “The Revivalist,” were sung by all. Such as “Home of Soul,” “Rest For the Weary,””Shall We Gather at the River,” and so on. Never can I forget the thrill “Ocean All Boundless,We Ride,We’re Going Home,Going Home.” All those dear people have reached the home of “Rest for the Weary” long ago, and those of us remaining are “Only waiting till the shadows are a little longer grown,” when we, too, will be going home.

865. Mrs.Lewis G. Pugsley,Sr.

866. (nee Josephine Barnum)

867. Mrs. Pugsley remembers a few incidents connected with the Haviland Hollow church. She was married in 1870, then went to Patterson village to live, the Church came into existence only two years previous so that she attended the services there only a short time. M. R. Lent was the pastor and his young daughter, Kate, was very companionable with Joe Barnum, both of them addicted to seeing the “funny side” of everything. Mrs.Pugsley writes these incidents:

868. Henry Mabie was no singer but sometimes sat in the choir with us. One night especially I remember his presence there. As he was coming into the church he found a long earring on the steps. He came up into the choir on the right side of the pulpit as you go in and took a front seat up next to the wall directly in front of me. All was quiet, but after a few moments he took his long earring out of his pocket and hung it on his ear, then turned that ear where I could see it, shaking his head in a way to make the ear-ring dangle. It was too much. I laughed right out loud. I was so mortified and ashamed that after service was over I went Mr. Lent and asked him what he going to do if I didn’t stop laughing in church. He didn’t look a bit cross and said, “I’ll not censure you , for I know you couldn’t help it.”

869. Mrs. Lent was a very sweet singer. She had a clear and powerful voice. One of the hymns she sung most, and so clear and sweet was deeply impressive to me, and I often think of it now and how sacred it seemed to me, it was “Home of the Soul.”

870. Mr.Lent was very dear to us all. I loved to hear him preach. The services were very nice and left a good impression that we cannot forget.

871. At one of the Donations in the Parsonage when Mr. Lent was there the were spread in the basement room, they were loaded with good things to eat. On the next floor the old folks visited and had a good time,while the very young ones were there, too, playing games. One night we grown-ups played school. Kate was the teacher. She told Henry Mabie to spell wheelbarrow. He began and used every letter in the alphabet and at the end pronounced wheelbarrow. Kate told us to write composition taking ‘School’ as the subject. When he was called upon to his, It was this:

872. “If here is anything in the world hate,

873. It is a teacher by the name of Kate.”

874. In the geography lesson she asked Henry were Pine Island was. He answered “down back of my Dad’s.”

875. At this same Donation, David Stevens announced that supper was ready and invited people down to fill the table, adding that this first table was a $5.00 table and of course wanted it filled, and it was. Mr. Stevens and his wife sat down to the table, also Henry Folsome, a young artist who used to be here in Patterson, and Henry Mabie and Lew Pugsley. These three were good sports and had lots of fun and a good laugh over the $5.00 table, so getting their moneys worth.

876. In as much as the hymn “Home of the Soul” has been spoken of a number of times the words may be permissible and also as a type of Revival hymns of the 1870 period.

877. Home Of The Soul

878. By Phillip Phillips

879. I will sing you a song of that beautitiful land,

880. The far away home of the soul,

881. Where no storms ever beat on the glittering strand,

882. While the years of eternity roll.

883. O, that home of the soul, in my visions and dreams,

884. Its bright jasper walls I can see,

885. Till I fancy but thinly the veil intervenes

886. Between the fair city and me

887. There the great trees of life in their beauty do grow,

888. And the river of life floweth by,

889. For no death enters that city, you know,

890. And nothing that maketh a lie.

891. That unchangeable home is for you and for me,

892. Where Jesus of Nazareth stands;

893. The King of all Kingdoms forever is he,

894. And he holdeth our crowns in His hands.

895. how sweet it will be in that beautiful land,

896. So free from all sorrow and pain

897. With songs on our lips and with harps

898. in our hands, To meet one another again.

899. Mary E. Brewer

900. Our good friend, Mary E. Brewer, was one always interested in this church, and attending with the people who came from the Benjamin Haviland home, where, as their friend she spent much time for a number of years.

901. Her testimonies in the prayer meetings were very dear and beautiful and so sincere.

902. Her mother and father and sisters and herself were members of the Chelsea M. E. Church in West 30th Street, New York City, a family noted in that vicinity for their deeds of kindness and charity.

903. Those who knew Mary Brewer found her a loving and cheerful companion, with many a story and many a song which was new to the country people.

904. An incident connected with one of her songs was around 1870, when Mary and a few others in a row boat owned by Buckley Barnum were sailing ’round Bouton’s mill-pond one moonlight night in summer-time, singing songs. One of Mary’s was “John Bore the Burden in the Heat of the Day,” a negro spiritual. This a small incident, but some way sufficient to be retained in memory these many years.

905. Miss Brewer died in May, 1896 at her home in New York City, aged 65. Burial was in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Tarrytown, New York.

906. Rev. J. B. Cross

907. I began my ministry in the Bay Quinty Conference of the Canada Methodist Episcopal church, being appointed Local Preacher by the Quarterly Conference of the Chaudiere M. E. Church, of Ottawa, Ont., my home city.

908. I was sent as a supply preacher to what was known as the Renfrew Circuit, about forty miles north of the city. This circuit comprised four small churches, separated by distances varying from three to ten miles and I conducted one service in each church each week, traveling from place to place on horseback.

909. At the conference in the spring I was transferred to Odessa, a town about twenty-five miles north of Kingston, Ont., as assistant pastor of the I church there. It was my duty there not only to assist at the services in the Odessa church but to assume a large part of the work to be done at the church at Westbrook, several miles away. In the late summer my health failed and I was compelled to give up my work.

910. For about two years I was unable to do much work of any kind, but fortunately a physician who had learned a new treatment for my trouble at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition came to my attention and soon had me completely cured. My thoughts naturally turned to the work of the ministry again and I planned to apply for admission to the Bay Quinty Conference in the spring of 1881.

911. An opportunity to make some high wages at my trade, however, brought me to New York before that time, and rather than return to Canada to apply to my home conference I asked the Presiding Elder of the New York District for a position as a supply pastor. He referred me to Dr. Sanford, of the Poughkeepsie District and I was appointed by him to supply the charge of Norfolk and Goshen, Conn.

912. During the year I was at Norfolk and Goshen I “boarded ’round,” which means that I lived a few weeks with one parishoner and then a few weeks with another and so on, they making my board and lodging a part of their contribution to the support of the church. It was the custom at the Torrington Brass works, where many of my people found employment, to pay off in gold and I was paid in the same way. Neither before or since have I had so much of the hard yellow metal in my pockets. Altogether I had a splendid year, enjoying thoroughly the fellowship of the families with whom I was brought into such intimate contact.

913. In 1882 I was admitted to New York Conference, in which I spent thirty-one years of active service until my retirement in 1912.

914. My first appointment as a conference member was the church at Amenia, which I served for one year. This was followed by a year at Verbank. It was the policy of the Metheodist Church in those days to keep their preachers on the move and a church rule made three years the limit of service in any one place. I served the full three years allowed by this rule at my next appointment, Pleasant Valley. Pleasant Valley church hired a small farm house for a parsonage. I solved the difficulty by sending for my sister, Jennie, who came on from Ottawa and kept house for me up to the time of my marriage in December of 1889.

915. The Conference of 1887 sent me to Haviland Hollow. Perhaps the weather of that spring moving time may awaken a responsive chord in some of my readers. The month was early April. The roads were apparently well settled, with no traces of frost left. I shipped my goods from Pleasant Valley by rail and drove over to Reyoldsville, now called Holmes, with my sister, behind my mare, Nellie, who was for many years my constant companion and very good friend. That was on Saturday and on Monday friends from New Fairfield were to move my goods from the station at Patterson to the parsonage at Haviland Hollow. The air was mild and balmy.

916. Sunday was another fine day. I drove over to New Fairfield and conducted the morning service, had diner with one of the good friends there, drove to Haviland Hollow for the afternoon service at three and from there back to Reynoldsville for the evening preaching. That was the regular program I followed for the two years I spent on that charge, except that my starting point was the parsonage at Haviland Hollow.

917. On the next morning I drove to Patterson, paid my freight bill and saw my goods loaded on the wagons that carried them to the parsonage. The weather had turned colder and a little snow was sifting down. Before the teams reached the parsonage the snow was coming in blinding swirls, driven by a high wind. We got everything under cover except one large packing case which had to be left outside. The next day I had to dig it out of a snow bank which covered it many inches deep.

919. I recall two other notable storms during my stay on that charge. Toward the end of February of 1888 we were to have a donation at the parsonage. It snowed the day before and the roads had only been partially shovelled out. It was so deep as to cover fences and fill roads level full to the walls on either side. In spite of this there was a fine turn out at the donation, two loads coming from as far away as Quaker Hill, and there was a great deal of merriment at the expense of some of these groups who had followed what they thought was the road and had landed almost on top of a hay stack.

920. Who, having lived through it, can forget the Great Blizzard, in March of the same year? It started on Sunday morning and kept it up for two days and was accompanied by intense cold. The high wind drifted snow over houses, barns, trees and every other object that offered. It was the evening of Thursday before the first milkman broke his way through to the Harlem Railroad to meet the first milk train with a clear track to the city. Men, horses and oxen all worked strenuously for days, shovelling where they could, tunnelling where they must. For New York it was a tremendous demonstration of how completely the big city is dependent upon transportation.

921. My sister was taken sick in the early summer of 1888 and another sister, Carrie, came from home to care for her. When she became convalescent both sisters went for a time to Ottawa, leaving me alone to keep house for myself.

922. The garden at Haviland Hollow was particularly productive of sweet corn and cucumbers. There was also at that time a splendid grape arbor behind the parsonage. With both my sisters away I formed the habit of going into the garden and gathering a couple of dozen ears of corn and a bunch of cucumbers. My study adjoined the kitchen and I would put the ears to roast, leaving the door between open. When the odor of roasting corn made concentration on my sermon or whatever else I was doing impossible, I would go into the kitchen, make a meal of corn and cucumbers and return to my work until the next lot of roasting ears smelled right. The grape arbor bore a tremendous crop that year, several bushels. I gave them away right and left and in between times I canned all I could cook. I really don’t know how many there were, but beside giving away grapes by the dishpanful I had so much sauce that it was five years before the family needed to can any more.

923. It was during this period when I was fending for myself without feminine oversight that the conviction possessed me that Miss Martha J. Webb, who was at that time teaching one of the district schools in New Fairfield was destined to merge her life with mine. I broached the subject to her and was successful in making her point of view coincide with my own. In December of the next year we were married, and for thirty-seven years her love was a blessing to me and her unselfish, devoted life was an inspiring example to the churches we served together. In August of 1926 we bore her precious remains to the little cemetery in New Fairfield, where they rest beside those of her father. A place at her side awaits me when my work is done.

924. Naturally many treasured memories, too inarticulate to be put on paper, cluster about the scenes and the time of my service as pastor of the little Methodist chapel in Haviland Hollow. The varying fortunes of life have brought me once more, forty years later, to make my home in Ludingtonville, only a few miles from the scene of those precious memories.

925. Many people knew Rev. John Anthony when he was living in this vicinity and will enjoy the following most interesting account relating to his young manhood, showing how he was educated and led into the ministry of the Methodist Church. From that time onward for forty years his life has been one of record in the annals of the New York Conference.

926. We thank him for this brief history which has been given only by special request.

927. At the present time he is a retired minister owning his own home in Kingston, N. Y. He is still a worker in lines where his health will permit, often preaching as substitute, and called upon from old parishes to officiate at weddings and funerals. His wife teaches the Bible Class in their home church.

928. It is to be regretted that we cannot hear from others who were regular pastors in Haviland Hollow. All have passed on to their reward up to the time of J. B. Cross, and since his time, M. M. Curtis, J. S. Ladd and Theodore Haven have gone to better fields.-[M. B. D]

929. Mr. Anthony writes:

930. The subject of this historical sketch is John Anthony, member of the New York Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, now retired, and living in the city of Kingston, New York. He was born at North River, Warren County, New York, Feb. 2, 1852. His father, Havilah F. Anthony, was a descendent of John Anthony, born in Hemstead, England A. D., 1607, and sailed for New England April 16, 1634 and settled at Portsmouth, R. I., where he married Susanah Potter, March 16, 1641. The family and descendents were prominent in the Revolution and members of the family held positions of trust with honor under the State and National Government. In 1822 John Anthony, a descendant of the pioneer John Anthony, and father of Havilah F. Anthony removed from Rhode Island to eastern New York with his family of ten children of which Havilah was the youngest and purchased a large tract of land on the east bank of the Hudson River in the north part of the town intending that each of his sons should have a farm when the estate was divided, but some of the sons preferred other callings. Havilah however, reinvested his portion in various farms and was a farmer all his days. He married the daughter of Amos Graves, a farmer living at the time at Northumberland, Saratoga Co., N. Y., but who had recently come from Vermont and whose family like his father’s were of Puritan descent. By this marriage, our subject was born.

931. His mother, Olive Graves, was a woman of good education and an earnest Christian and sustained a daily period of devotion for years before her husband was converted. Havilah, the husband and father of John, however, had a kindly reward for his wife’s religion and always reverently kneeled while she prayed.

932. Eight children were born of their union, but diphtheria, scarlet fever and other diseases fatal to young children robbed them of six in early childhood. In 1862, diphtheria took a daughter and son younger than John and nearly proved fatal to John who was then nearly eleven. It was then that his father yielded to become a professed disciple of Jesus Christ and after that time officiated at the family altar.

933. John comprehended at that time the value of a firm faith in the God of the Bible and the Christ and Saviour of men, women and even of children. He was eager to learn what his parents interpreted to him of the Holy Scripture and Sunday afternoons when one or both of his parents acted as instructor, he usually was an attentive pupil, and so the Sabbath was a welcome day in his calendar of home life in youth.

934. As a farmer’s son his week days were filled with work at such tasks as he was able to perform with little time for study or play except as others enjoyed at school intermissions.

935. Being used to accompany his father and men about the farm and helping in such part of the work as they considered fit for his years, he felt no privation of boys play for to be (as he considered a man among men) suited him better and who shall say it was any detriment to be fitting for a man’s occupation, instead of learning so much that profits only as exercise, for boys who have no other way to develop in the fresh air and sunlight. Anyway John, who was a staid child in infancy, developed into sturdy young manhood.

936. John’s father and mother were in full accord that their son should have better advantages for education than the country schools of their town afforded, taxed their slender resources to send him one term to Warrensburg and two terms to Glens Falls Academies, for the Union Free School for High school did not then exist as now.

937. With this aid John passed his first examination for a second grade certificate and taught his first term as a district school teacher in an adjoining town for five dollars per week and board by going from home to home in the District as assigned. It was hard work, scant pay and at times not extra good fare, but it was a means of advancement and so was enjoyed at the age of eighteen years.

938. Then after more work upon his father’s, and some opportunity to earn a man’s wages on a neighboring farm, at the age of twenty in the winter of 1871-72, he took two terms at Hudson River Institute, Claverk, N . Y., a school in which he hoped to fit for college or business, but the school was too expensive for his means although he worked for pay [lent?] in part of board and tuition.

939. He had dropped out to work but was offered the position of teacher in his home District for the winter term only, but the pay was nearly twice what the former position paid and gave him the chance for living at home and studying under his mother’s tuition and was accepted with delight and proved successful.

940. With the money that afforded he started into the New York Normal school at Albany (now called New York StateCollege for Teachers). After one year there he dropped out one year to earn money to continue, and borrowing some afterward finally graduated in June of 1876 with a diploma that was equivalent to a Life Certificate for teaching in the public schools of New York State.

941. He began his career as principal in one of the larger public schools in the village, (now city) of Glens Falls, N. Y. and afterward in other schools of New York State. He completed fifteen years altogether as public school teacher.

942. In 1877, while attending a Teacher’s Institute in Warren Co., he was introduced to a young lady teacher who among the many other lady teachers seemed to him superior in education and in refinement. For five years he kept up the acquaintance by occasional visits and occasional letters until 1882, when principal of a public school at Eagle Mills, Rens. Co., N. Y., he recommended her as Miss Elizabeth Stevenson for a position in department of the school in which he taught at that time.

943. She was engaged by the school board and soon after by the principal and while both were home in Warren Co. for Christmas vacation they were married Dec. 26, 1882 at the bride’s home and returned as man and wife to continue the work of teaching until three years were completed in that position as Principal, and until the end of their course taught together five years in a boarding school of which John was proprietor as well as principal.

944. During his career as teacher John was a constant attendant of churches of the communities where he taught, not as a matter of duty, but of love for the cause of religion and social reforms especially of temperance in which he had the constant inspiration of his parents example. The pastors of these churches appreciated his zeal and willingness to assist in any enterprise that could be so timed as not to conflict with his duties as a teacher. Episcopal denomination at the age of seventeen, if situated where he could attend and work with that church he gave it his first continued support. When that church was not accessible he lent his support to such Protestant church as was in the vicinity.

945. During two of the years he acted as principal of the Eagle Mills school he had as his pastor of the M. E. church of that place, Rev. William H. Groat, of the Troy Conference, who sought to develop the school master into a clergyman, using him as assistant, and consulting Rev. Dr. Fred Widmar, the Troy District Superintendent, they together persuaded him to take examination for local preachers orders which he did and was given his first license to preach in March, 1883, but only in case there was no one else to supply the pulpit did he ever attempt to deliver formal sermons, but as a lecturer to meet emergencies he would prepare to meet the occasion as best he could.

946. John never knew until after his mother’s death and he was fully ordained and engaged in a pastorate that that had been his parent’s wish and prayer for him from his early childhood. They had counciled him to fit for teaching as a most useful occupation following his mother’s example and as next to the Gospel ministry influential in shaping young men and women for useful citizenship. They feared that some earthly counsellor or motive should influence their son to do what they believed to be a work to be only attempted by positive command of the Holy Spirit.

947. John was only waiting for encouragement from his parents whom he had always considered his spiritual advisors.

948. He declined offers to take work as Pastor in rural charges of Troy Conference when urged by preachers and district superintendents. During his summer vacation in 1890 a conviction was upon him that he was resisting the Spirit of God, in continuing to refuse these calls of His agents entrusted with the care of the churches, and resolved to accept the next definate call.

949. It came in the form of a letter from Rev. Dr. Hammel, Supt. of Carthage District of St. Louis Conference in Missouri asking him to come and fill out the remaining six months on a Circuit in Missouri where a preacher had failed and left.

950. The call was definite and urgent and the time was limited to one month or a little more to get to the work or leave it for some one else, but the answer must be yes or no, now.

951. John consulted only God and then persuaded his resourceful wife to accept a lady assistant in his place, to keep the boarding school going one year, whether at loss or gain they knew not, but trusted it was of God and all would be well and it was.

952. At the end of six months when Conference met in Springfield, Missouri, John had a report of seventy-five probationers for his six months as pastor in South West, Mo.

953. He was at the Conference with all belongings ready to return to Troy Conference to seek admission, but Dr. Hammel advised him to take the examination John expected to take in the East, right then and there, stay six months more in Missouri, and as John was determined to go to Drew Theological Seminary in the fall, to go from there he would be gaining valuable time. “This was in March 1891, and John was getting near the boundary line in the years of entrance. It was good council but hard to heed by a man homesick for the East, and meant wife to struggle on, also for so much longer period. This time she was not present to be consulted and there must be an instat decision. So he left the matter with God and expected that the result of the examination would reveal His will. It “revealed” that John was chosen to become a probationer in St. Louis Conference with leave to go to Drew after six months more work in Missouri.

954. The day his extra six months ended John and his trunk were at Monett Station at about sunset with his ticket bought for home and Drew. John resolved that if any Eastern Conference would accept his transfer he would spend his life in the ministry there. Well, Rev. Dr. William Mickle and Bishop Foss at the 1892 session of the New York Conference added him to the roll of their Conference where he remains today, 1928.

955. In a personal letter Mr. Anthony, says:

956. “The memories of my father and mother and faithful pastors and teachers of my youth and later the faithful members of churches I served who helped me carry the burdens of my pastorate, these have caused me many a time to thank God and with courage to press on, knowing the same grace that created these out of our common humanity was still available to create more into the image of Jesus my Lord.”

957. In the Pastoral Record of the Minutes of the New York Conference all the appointments which John Anthony filled are given. They are all in New York state except the first and are given below:

958. St. Louis Conference, 1891–Monett land Neosho

959. 1892-94–Equinunk.

960. 1895-96–Edenville.

961. 1897-98–Highland Falls.

962. 1899-1900–Esopus.

963. 1901-02–Bloomingburg.

964. 1903-04–Rockland and Lewbeach.

965. 1905-08–Patterson, New Fairfield and Holmes.

966. 1909-10–Rhinecliffe and Hillside.

967. 1911-13–Poughquag.

968. 1914-16–South Rondout.

969. 1917-19–New Baltimore.

970. 1920-21–Athens.

971. 1922–Retired.

972. Rev. John Anthony, a former pastor of this church, has very kindly given the following descriptive letter, adding that he has been more intent on giving a vivid picture of the field as it seemed to him both at the beginning and the ending of his administration than on making a finished literary product.

973. He writes: I have been asked for some of the leading incidents of our four years experience as a pastor’s family in Haviland Hollow. We came to the New Fairfield Circuit in April, of 1905, and were brought to the home Mrs. Otis Durga, by the wife of one the Stewards of the church, as the fee of the church officials who was willing to entertain the new pastor and his wife until his household goods could be unloaded from the cars at Towners Station and the parsonage are ready for residence. We had passed the parsonage on our way from the railroad station and had noticed its isolated and dilapidated condition, and the antique and rather forlorn looking little church by its side which seemed to say to us: “No hope of a resurrection here.” We were a dejected pair when we reached our destination after driving four miles in mud and rain along a sparsely settled country road as a densely dark night was falling.

974. But the warmth of the welcome we received and the ample provision that had been made for our comfort beguiled us of most of our fears for that first evening. But we remember talking of the prospect of success in gathering the scattered congregation and establishing a Sunday School and mid-week service and interesting a score of young people who had had no appreciation of any religious organization, the prospect was not very bright and Mrs. Anthony had to relieve her depression by a spell of crying. This was our family counsel in the quietness of our room that first night, of which our entertainers were quite un-conscious until a long time afterward.

975. The next morning, however, there was no time for meditations of good or ill, but action was necessary. A home must be made before we could work, for a family must have a place to live if they stay and a place to rest if they work.

976. A woman to help clean the house, a man and team to transfer the household stuff from freight station to parsonage and while this was all being done the notices and sermons for the three churches of the Circuit must be ready for Sunday, three days ahead; the tide was turned in our favor when Mrs. Durga inspected the interior of the parsonage and informed the church officials that it must be thoroughly renovated before the minister’s family could or should live there and that they could live at her home until that was done, so the work was done and we lived at Mr. Durga’s home over two weeks. He furnished us with a horse and carriage to drive to and from the work while it was being done. (Let it be said right here that the people had very little to do for Mrs. Anthony after that for she kept things in the best of order and very prettily trimmed up, everything neat and well cared for, there was always some furniture belonging in the parsonage.–Mrs. Durga.)

977. New Fairfield, Conn., and Holmes, New York, had more members and more means to make the Circuit self-sustaining but Haviland Hollow was the head or center of the Circuit and expected to maintain its own house of worship, and mostly maintain the parsonage as they had the advantage of having the pastor reside with them. They paid their portion of the salary freely.

978. Haviland Hollow had once been a business center. The business center included shops, stores and post office, but these had been discontintled so that Haviland Hollow was but a farming community without any very definite boundaries but included a large part of the town as then understood. It had no name on the modern state map. The New York Conference acting at my suggestion began to list as the Patterson, New Fairfield and Holmes Circuit or charge, which name it bore until it ceased to maintain a pastor. But I am to speak of the church whose history is being written. It was in a pleasant valley, leading out of the Croton valley into two nearly equal parts from which divides the town of Patterson north to south, the Hollow leading eastward to the state of Connecticut and to the road leading to New Fairfield.

979. The Holmes village and church was in another railroad. (The Central New England) northwest of Pattersion village on the edge of Dutchess County, N. Y.

980. Each of these churches was six miles from Haviland Hollow parsonage in opposite directions. As New Fairfield paid the larger portion of the salary they were considered entitled to the Sunday morning service at 10:30 and Holmes had usually a 2:30 service. Haviland Hollow was well content with an evening service. at 7:30.

981. The Pastor drove his horse in those days 24 miles to make the circuit of the three churches, but had the advantage of having his evening service at his home church. He could get to only one of the Sunday schools. By going early to New Fairfield he could be in Sunday school if held in the morning, or stay partly through it after service, and by hurried driving reach Holmes in time to attend part of the session before preaching.

982. The Haviland Hollow Sunday school was always in the afternoon while the pastor was at Holmes, and during the four years of our stay Mrs. Anthony was superintendent, and mostly taught it as one class for lack of teachers who were willing to prepare and attend regularly. She used the Picture Roll, which interested both children and adults.

983. While the congregation seldom numbered more than a score in the evening, the Sunday school would often have an attendance of twenty-five or thirty, half of them adults, as interested as were the children.

984. At each appointment this pastor held a series of Evangelistic (extra) services at some time during the conference year with some additions being made to the memberships. New Fairfield seemed to be the most difficult field for Evangelistic effort until this pastor called to his aid Miss Mary B. Lord, of West Hartford, Conn., who had been engaged mostly in the New York East Conference. By visiting the homes of all the New Fairfield and Haviland Hollow parts of the Circuit and having preaching services in the evening a real revival began in both of the churches and some very hopeful couversions occurred. In several cases the whole family were added to the churches, as the Menzers, Swansons, Burdicks and perhaps others I can not recall. A remarkable conversion was that of David Sturges, eighty years of age.

985. The pastor led in two successful no-license campaigns in the town of Patterson and formed the friendship of the better element of the town and county, but the almost deadly hatred of the liquor forces.

986. During his administration the churches were renovated at New Fairfield and Haviland Hollow. Much needed Church sheds built at Holmes and Haviland Hollow. New Fairfield re-roofed its church and the long string of sheds, the parsonage was reroofed and the front porch built and all repainted. These material improvements were made possible by a few families who stood with the pastor in all things during his administration. Although the field looked so discouraging to the pastor at his coming and he wondered if he could stay a year at the end of the third year he asked the Conference authorities to let him remain another year, to complete work he had in progress, and did stay, and counts it a happy pastorate.

987. The above letter of Mr. Anthony, in an excellent way the true conditions at the time of his pastorate.

988. This property in Haviland Hollow is in the hands of the Methodist Episcopal Conference and is looked after by them. The parsonage has been rented about ten years. The church is opened for services in summer time, supplies coming from Patterson and Brewster.

989. At the present time the New Fairfield M. E. church is under the care of Rev. Frank Neal, of Poughquag M. E. church.

990. The attendance in the Hollow church is very small. With automobiles people can easily go to the larger churches, if indeed they wish to go to any.

991. What has been the meaning of this little church in Haviland Hollow? Surely more love to God and to man, it has meant an awakening to, and a closer following of the true principles of Christianity. Nothing can mean more than this. So it has been one of God’s great blessings.

992. Whatever the prospects are now we will not forget this dear church which has been a gateway to Heaven for many hungry souls; it, and the good parsons and their families living there have meant more to us than we can tell. We needed them, and we thank God that we had them.

993. Minnie Barnum Durga

994. 62 West Street, New Milford, Connecticut.

995. Record of traveling preachers on the Courtland Circuit from 1819, who also had more or less to do with Haviland Hollow:

996. 1819–John Reynolds and Elisha R. Jacobs.

997. 1820–John Reynolds and Gilbert I. Lyon.

998. 1821–Gilbert Lyon and John J. Matthias.

999. 1822–John J. Matthias and Reuben Harris.

1000. 1823–Elijah Woolsey and John B. Matthias.

1001. 1824–John B. Matthias and Elijah Hibbard.

1002. 1825–Elijah Hibbard and Henry Hatfield.

1003. 1826–Henry Hatfield and John J. Matthias.

1004. 1827–Coles Carpenter and Stephen Bennington.

1005. 1828–Stephen Bennington and Horace Bartlette.

1006. 1829–Horace Bartlette and John Reynolds.

1007. 1830–John Reynolds and Nicholas White.

1008. 1831–John B. Matthias and Davis Stocking.

1009. 1832–John B. Matthias and William Bangs.

1010. 1833–Horace Bartlette and William Bangs.

1011. 1834–David Holmes and Alonzo Selleck.

1012. 1835–David Holmes and Seymour Vandusen.

1013. 1836–Bradley Selleck and Seymour Vandusen.

1014. 1837–Bradley Selleck and Cyrus Foss.

1015. Changed to Pawling Circuit in 1838.

1016. 1839-1839–John Reynolds.

1017. 1840–Denton Keeler.

1018. 1841–Cyrus Foss.

1019. 1842–Robert Travis.

1020. 1843-1844–George C. Bancroft.

1021. 1845-1846–Josiah L. Dickenson.

1022. 1847-1848–Stephen J. Stebbins.

1023. 1849-1850–Abram Davis.

1024. 1851-1852–George W. Knapp.

1025. 1853-1854–Joel Croft.

1026. 1855–John W. Jones and Aron Hunt.

1027. Changed to New Fairfield Circuit in 1856.

1028. 1856–John W. Jones.

1029. 1857-1858–William J. Ives.

1030. 1859-1860–Hiram Lamont.

1031. 1861-1862–Ira Ferriss.

1032. 1863-1864–George Daniels

1033. 1865-1866–J. G. Shrive.

1034. 1867-1868–George Hurn.

1035. 1869-1870–Marvin R. Lent.

1036. 1871-1872–H. C. Humphrey.

1037. 1873-74-75–Thomas S. Lent.

1038. 1876-77-78–H. B. Mead.

1039. 1879-1880–William Blake.

1040. 1881-82-83–David Gibson.

1041. 1884-85-86–Thomas Carter.

1042. 1887-1888–J. B. Cross.

1043. 1889-1893–M. M. Curtis.

1044. 1894-95-96–George Doty.

1045. 1897-1901–W. Tunnicliffe.

1046. 1902-03-04–W. G. Gritman

1047. 1905-1908–John Anthony.

1048. 1909-1910–J. S. Ladd.

1049. 1911-1912–Theodore W. Haven.

1050. 1913-1916–Herbert DuBois.

1051. 1917-1918–H. F. Seaman.

1052. 1919-1920–A. E. Nostrand, of Poughquag, cared for the work. Since then no official appointment of a pastor has been made.

1053. The New Fairfield Circuit is part of the Poughkeepsie District. The Presiding Elders from 1866 are as follows:

1054. 1866-1868–J. B. Wakely.

1055. 1869-1871–A. M. Osborne

1056. 1872-1874–M. D. Crawford.

1057. 1875-1876–W. Gross.

1058. 1877–D. Lull.

1059. 1878-1881–A. K. Sanford.

1060. 1882-1885–H. Ferguson.

1061. 1886-1889–G. S. Hare.

1062. 1890-1894–R. H. Travis.

1063. 1895-1898-W. H. Mickle.

1064. 1899-1902–Clark Wright.

1065. 1903-1904–Frank J. Belcher.

1066. 1905-1908–Abram J. Palmer.

1067. At this time the official name of Presiding Elder was changed to District Superintendent.

1068. 1909-1913–E. R. Wilson

1069. 1914-1919–W. F. Compton.

1070. 1920-1925–George A. MacDonald

1071. 1926-1928–Walter H. Lofthouse.

1072. 1909–HAVILAND–In Syracuse,N.Y.,Oct.24, Judith Haviland, widow of the late David Stevens, formerly of Haviland Hollow, N.Y. aged 79 years.

1073. Historical Putnam County

1074. We think that Rep. Fish did well to emphasize in his Fourth of July address in this village the valuable service being rendered by the D. A. R, in establishing historical places and recording historical events of the Revolutionary times within the present borders of Putnam County.

1075. This entire section is rich in such events equal to any in the country and many not so situated have been given greater prominence in history than we are credited with.

1076. In the old St. Peter’s church on the border of Putnam and Westchester counties at Cortlandtville, special services were held, last Sunday. In this church Washington preached or at least read the Episcopal services when his army was encamped nearby in Putnam county and it was used as a hospital during the Revolutionary war. About it many Revolutionary patriots, who died in the service, are buried.

1077. A valuable contribution to local history was made by Mrs. Durga in a series of articles we have published concerning the Haviland Hollow Church and School The series ends with this issue. They should be preserved and made accessible to the public in the future.

1078. The Whaley Pond Clam Bake

1079. The Clam Bake given on Thursday was away beyond all expectations. As early as 9:00 o’clock teams and autos began to arrive within a mile of grounds was parked with conveyances.

1080. The day was ideal and it is estimated that twelve hundred people were on and at 12:30 when the first bake was opened. Each of the four churches had tables at which four hundred could be seated and over eight hundred tickets were sold for the bake which was said to be one of the best ever given in this section. At 3:00 p. m. a choice program of vocal and instrumental music was given also readings by Mr. William Stevens of Danbury who delighted the large gathering by his humor. The Rev. J. H. Shepperd also gave a fifteen minute address whicih proved that he was at home on the platform. Miss Hildebrand also sang Annie Laurie.

1081. At the conclusion of the program the crowd gathered on the shores of the beautiful pond and watched a number of swimming contests at which Mr. Fred Lates took all the prizes. This was followed by foot racing at various distances and other sports.

1082. The booths at which ice cream and soft drinks were sold did an immense trade dispossing of no less than 50 gallons of cream, besides hundreds of bottles soft drinks. The fancy booth over which ladies of the four churches presided took in $80.00 alone.

1083. Rev. Mr. Ladd who engineered the affair was ablely assisted by Rev. Mr. Clay the two making a hustling team. The concert in the eveing drew a large crowd and was highly spoken of. The whole affair was a beautiful spectacle of unity and not one unkind word was spoken even though someone stole the butter Deacon’s butter from the Whaley Pond church table to supply another. It was all a great big affair well planned and well carried out and as a result of the efforts of the churches $696 was between them making $174 for each.

1084. The following is the official financial statement as rendered by Rev J S Ladd chairman of the finance committee :

1085. Total receipts: $1,209.49

1086. Total expenses: 513.49

1087. Net Profits: $ 696.00

1088. Giving to each of the four churches the sum of $174.00

1089. [MBD writes: “the above clipping were found three years after the church history was written”]

1090. [MBD writes: “Christina Partrick; Harriet Rogers; Mary A. Williams and Charlotte Crane

1091. were teachers in the Haviland Hollow School (except for Miss Partrick).”]

1092. Obituries

1093. Miss Christina Partrick

1094. The death of Miss Christina Partrick occured at the home of her niece, Mrs. Alvah S. Pearce, Starr Ave., Monday after Miss Partrick had made her home with Mrs. Pearce for the past seven years. She was born in Patterson, N.Y. a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Partrick, and the early years of her life were spent in town. When a young woman she went West and for the greater part of her life she resided in Elgin, Ill. Miss Partrick was a member of one of Danbury’s prominent families of a generation ago. During her life, Miss Partrick had been matron of several homes and was always a devoted worker of the W.C.T.U. in New York State.

1095. Her nearest relatives are nieces and nephews. The Rev. Albert Mathews, minister of the New Fairfield Congregational church, officiated. The pallbearers were James Penny, Alfred Penny, Edward Haviland, and Clifford Hopkins.

1096. Interment took place in the family plot in Wooster Cemetery.

1097. Sisters Die Same Day

1098. 1915

1099. Misses Rogers are to be Buried in New Fairfield

1100. The Misses Emily and Harriet A. Rogers, who were members of an old New Fairfield family, died at their home in Norwalk yesterday, within a few hours of each other. In each case death was caused by pneumonia. A double funeral will be held on Thursday afternoon and the bodies will be placed in a receiving vault in Norwalk, to remain until spring, when they can be moved to New Fairfield for interment.

1101. The Misses Rogers had resided in Norwalk about twenty-five years. Miss Emily, whose death occurred at four o’clock yesterday morning, was eighty-seven years of age. Miss Harriet, who died at ten o’clock yesterday, was seventy-eight. The latter met with a severe accident a short time ago, when she fell and fractured both wrists.

1102. The Misses Rogers were daughters of Theodore Rogers, for many years a resident of Strawberry Hill district of Norwalk. They reside in Bridgeport a short time, returning to Norwalk a few months ago, and purchasing a home at 25 Osborne St..They were well-to-do. No relatives survive. Misses Rogers were cousins of Samuel A. Barnum, of this city Mr.Barnum states that the information from Norwalk to the effect that they left no immediate relatives was incorrect. They left one sister, Mrs. Rachael Durgy, of New Haven. They were daughter of the late Col. Amzi Rogers, of New Fairfield.

1103. Death of a Former Resident

1104. STEVENS.-In Syracuse October 24th, 1909, Judith Haviland Stevens, widow of the late David Stevens, formerly of Haviland Hollow. N. Y.

1105. To THE EDITOR:

1106. The above notice in a Connecticut paper called to rememberance the former times, dear and familiar to the few who are left of Mrs Stevens generation. With the “Blowing of the old breezes,” one caught the sound of the merry sleigh bells announcing Mr. and Mrs. Stevens on a genial round of calls or a beneovlent visit to the sick. Always dispensing of their bounty, abundant in labors wherever they could lend a hand, a comrade drobs a sprig of green to their memory.

1107. May the chapel which Mr. Stevens did so much to establish and which received his generous support as long as he lived, continue to bless the community in which they lived.

1108. Miss Mary Augusta Williams

1109. Miss Mary Augusta Williams, the last surviving member of her family died at her home, 120 North street Thursday afternoon, in the ninety-fourth year of her age. Miss Williams will be remembered by some of the older residents of Danbury as a teacher whose service in the schoods extended over a period of forty years.

1110. Her career as a teacher started early in life. She was thirteen years of age when she took her first position at a salary of $2.50 a week. Her living expenses, however, were provided for in addition, for in accordance with the custom of the day she was “boarded around” by grateful and appreciative parents and public spirited citizens.

1111. Miss Williams’ nearest surviving relative is a nephew, Archie B. Olmstea, of this city. She is also survived by four grandnephews and five grandnieces.

1112. Williams died in Danbury, Jan.14,1932, aged 94 years

1113. Miss Charlotte Crane.

1114. A Tribute by a friend.

1115. The passing of this bright spirit to the beyond wil revive in many hearts precious memories. August 1920.

1116. Much could be said of her great mind and heart and then there would be much that words could not portray.

1117. She tried to help everyone who came under the roof of her quiet home; it was “look up and lift up” with her, ever with fresh, new ideas. She was a true christian, her christian experiences being very deep and precious to her. She read extensively and could talk well on all the country’s problems. In her early years she was a school teacher and music teacher, her strong characteristics making lasting impressions then as well as now. Her letters, even in her old age, were marvels of perfect writing and composition and interwoven with great messages.

1118. She lived to the ripe age of 87 years, 6 months, 1 day, her death occurring July 24, 1920. Now we think of her departed spirit as most happy and blessed and receiving what it was looking and waiting for.

1119. During her last illness of about four months she was most tenderly cared for by her niece, Mrs. H. D. Knapp, at whose home near Brewster, N. Y., the funeral was held. Rev. Mr. Fielder preached the sermon. The many pieces of flowers bore beautiful testimony of love for her.

1120. Let us all, so far as we can, remember her helpful words :”She being dead yet speaketh.”

1121. A friends who knew her well.

1122. Miss Charlotte Crane

1123. A tribute by a friend: August 1920[MBD]

1124. The passing of this bright spirit to beyond will revive in many hearts precious memories.

1125. Much could be said of her great mind and heart and then there would bemuch that words could not portray. She tried to help everyone who came under the roof of her quiet home; it was “look up and lift up” with her, ever with fresh, new ideas. She was a true christian, her christian expierences being very deep and precious to her. She read extensively and could talk well on all country’s problems. in her early years she was a school teacher and music teacher, her strong characteristics making lasting impressions then as well as now. Her letters, even in her old age, were marvels of perfect writing and compostion and interwoven with great messages.

1126. She lived to the ripe age of 87 years, 6 months, 1 day her death occurring July 24, 1920. Now we think of her departed spirit as most happy and blessed and receiving what it was looking and waiting for. During her last illness of about four months she was most tenderly cared for by her neice, Mrs. H.D. Knapp at whose home near Brewster, N.Y. the funeral was held. Rev. Mr. Fielder preached the sermon. The many pieces of flowers bore beautiful testimony of love for her. Let us all, so far as we can, remember her helpful words: “She being dead yet speaketh.”

1127. The deceased was the daughter of Oliver and Laura Leach Crane and was born in the Town of Patterson. After the death of her parents she was an ever welcome guest at the homes of next of kin. Last February she decided to reside permanently with her niece. About the first of April she was prostrated by the prevailing influenza. Dr. Cleaver was called and for a time she rallied and under the constant care of Mrs. Knapp she was comfortable and well able to enjoy the calls of her sisters and others. A few days before her death strength failed and she was unable to take nourishment. Her passing away was peaceful.

1128. The funeral services were held at her late home on Tuesday, July 27, at 2 p.m., Rev. A.H. Fielder, of King Street, officiating. Interment was made in Milltown Rural Cemetery.

1129. Charlotte Crane.

1130. Miss Charlotte Crane, an old resident, died at the residence of her niece Mrs. H. D. Knapp, in Doansburg on Saturday evening, after an illness of several months duration, aged 87 years, 6 monts and 1 day.

1131. Deceased was a daughter of Oliver and Laura Leach Crane and was born in the town of Patterson. After the death of her parents she was an ever welcome guest at the homes of next of kin. Last February she decided to reside permanently with her niece. About the first of April she was prostrated by the prevailing influenza. Dr. Cleaver was called and for a time she rallied and under the constant care of Mrs. Knapp she was comfortable and well able “‘to enjoy the calls of her sisters and others. A few days before her death strength failed and she was unable to take nourishment. Her passing away was peaceful.
1132. The funeral services were held at her late home on Tuesday, July 27, at 2 p. m., Rev. A. H. Fielder, of King street, officiating. Interment was made in Milltown Rural Cemetery.

1133. Haviland Hollow

1134. The following interesting piece of news reached us too late for last week’s issue.

1135. The first social gathering ever held at the new Haviland Hollow School was last Thursday evening, Oct. 28th, and it proved to be one long to be remembered. The school room was attractive with drawings and many Halloween decorations made by the children and lighted with gay Jack O’Lanterns. Some maps drawn about 40 years ago and other drawings of a later date were on exhibition. The children as Indians, witches aad ghosts welcomed the guests who numbered nearly a hundred. After several recitations by the pupils, three papers in honor of the old school were read.

1136. Then came speech making under the direction of Mr. O.W. Durga. Fortune telling in a decorated booth and many other witchy things, followed by pumpkin pies, doughnuts, coffee and apples concluded the evening. The proceeds were $9.00.

1137. To our teacher Miss Z. J. Boynton who had everything in charge, great credit is due.

1138. [MBD writes:” From Patterson News, Thursday Nov. 11,1915″]

1139. Can anything be more pleasant in the busy hum-drum of after years than to permit your minds to wander back to the days of school life; the sweet memories and incidents that will come up, the smiling faces and pleasant countenances; the old school house door that has so often admitted you, swinging back and forth on its hinges, the very walks speaking forth of happy hours; while at your side stands the noble teacher who watches your every move and was as much interested in your success as you were yourself. As these recollections come back to you whose school lives have been spent in this community, your eyes will moisten as you realize those days are now gone forever. Never again will those days return. You who for so many months and years have been like one family and participated joyously together in the school room and play ground have doubtless pledged loyalty and faith to the school. You now step out of school life into life’s school and will be scattered far and wide, but the memories of your school days will ever form the brightest link in your chain of thought.