Memories, elderberry time...friends in the country and Elderberry PIE!

A favorite haunt.. hunting for berries on Jack Ass Hill

Sometimes memories can make you laugh until you cry….and this week I had such a memory. I thought about the end of summer and all the good times we had in the past including the yearly hut for “Elderberries”!

The first time I came in contact with elderberries was the second summer I lived in Eaton. I heard a knock on my back door, and there stood my neighbor Brownie. In her hand were two huge bags of elderberries. She had come over to inquire if I knew how to make elderberry wine.

Seems it was a banner year for elderberries, and she and my neighbor Nellie could remember their mothers making the wine for special occasions. I guess I looked like the guru of this type of knowledge.

Actually I did have winemaking supplies, and we did make Elderberry Wine! It was a banner year for elderberries, and I remember thinking it was a banner year for new friends too!

One time after Nellie’s death when Betty, Nellie’s daughter-in-law, lived in Nellie’s old house, Pauline came over to the house and said that Deb, a friend, had told her she could go elderberrying on her property.  She claimed  that there were loads of elderberry bushes up there and she didn’t pick them.

Brownie and Betty wanted to know if I knew where her house and the patch of bushes were. Well I did, and I also knew why the woman didn’t pick them, but we will get to that.

That morning I picked the ladies up, and off to the road the woman lived on. I took them down the slope to where the berry bushes were, and sure enough there was a mess of berries. We picked and picked and picked. Finally we had filled all our bags full..... My eyes of course were full of elderberry pies to come.

As were leaving Brownie said, “Why, that woman leaving all these berries here like this—it’s a crying shame.” Betty said, "It's a SIN.... why doesn’t she pick them!”

I paused for effect and casually replied, “Because of all the snakes that live in this patch of bushes.”

With that, old Betty kicked up her heals and beat a path for the car at double speed.

Betty later claimed that if she had seen one of those wiggly creatures she would have made a path out of the patch the size of a two-lane highway!

P S.... I didn’t tell them that the kids told the woman that there were snakes there just to scare her! 

The video.....last fall one of Brownie's granddaughters came to visit me and we went to old Jack Ass hill to relive those great days of summer...good friends..neighbors...laughter and " Elderberry Time."   

Enjoy a trip back!

My house, Allen Wood, steam engines, 4 wheel drive tractors....and a birthday!

August 14th,  is an important day of sorts for me, my house, and the history of not only Eaton.... but also of Madison county and today's agriculture.  If you have a four wheel drive car, truck or tractor...it might be impotant to you also. 

 

Eaton is the home of Allen Wood the maker of the first four-wheel drive transmission that used metal gears like today's models.  It was the his brain child and wish to make this unit available to pull traction engines into the field with all of its equipment.....in other words the precursor of today's tractor.  Yes it meant man rode on it into the field for the first time. To accomplish this his relative Loyal Clark Tabor invented and patented its design with all its gears...

Allen Nelson Wood was born in the community of Middleport, one of the stops on the Chenango Canal just below Eaton. His mother and father named him after the great Lord Nelson. Captain Allen Wood Sr., Allen’s father, was a Revolutionary War veteran and a well-known Freemason. His death recorded on March 16, 1823, resulted in the largest Masonic funeral in Madison County history up until that time and for some years to come, because of the decline in Masonry after the William Morgan incident.

Allen Wood Sr. married Lucinda Newcomb of Lebanon, they had five children - Alonzo born in 1808, (he married Lydia Hodges), Olivia, born in 1810, (she married Oliver Whitaker), Tirza (married David Smith of NYC), Polly Hale (married Dr. Orson Gregory of NYC) and Allen Nelson Wood, born on August 14, 1818.

Mr. Wood was a respected member of the area, the Congregational Church, and the business community. Wood was a director, and one of the largest stockholders of the First National Bank of Morrisville as well as director and a major stockholder of the Hamilton National Bank. In 1880.  Allen Wood was the also the main stockholder of the Morrisville National Bank, owning personally sixty-five shares. He traveled as the business agent of the company that had offices in Chicago, Augusta GA. and of course, Eaton, NY.

Through his records of stock found in Cornell's Olin Library it was evident that Mr. Wood invested in many banks across America.  Mr. Wood was also instrumental in bringing the Midland Railroad to the area. To bring the railroad in, Eaton agreed to bond for $150,000.

The railroad, of course, allowed an easier and wider distribution of the steam engines and parts, as well as affording the company an easier way to bringing the needed iron ore from the Clinton area to Eaton for use in the foundry, and the coal from Pennsylvania. A foundry, we might add, which made all the parts for the engines - even to casting all of the needed gears.  Wood and company also employed many through the deepest depressions of the post Civil War period and set up and sold rights to the Oneida Royal Company.

Mr. Wood's great granddaughters visited the Wood House on Brooklyn Street in 1996, and took pleasure in telling of how... their great grandfather, Mr. Wood, who was considered the larger than life pillar of the community... Mr. Wood was on the Board of Directors or Trustee for the banks, the Eaton Congregational Church where he was also a Deacon and Sunday School Superintendent, he was Trustee of the Eaton Village Cemetery Association, and an abolitionist whose house was and Underground Railroad stop and of course – the founding member and co-owner of the famous Wood, Taber & Morse Steam Engine Works... stood only 5 foot three inches tall.


Happy Birthday Mr. Wood..your family pictures still grace your house on Brooklyn Street and still see's many visitors.


For more information on Mr. Wood, Wood, Tabor and Morse, Patents for the machines visit the Old Town of Eaton Museum on River Road in Eaton.  For information visit their facebook page >>> Old Town of Eaton Museum.

*An interesting side note for genealogists is Lucinda's sister Jerusha, who married their father's brother John Newcomb, lived and is buried in Eaton. One of Lucinda's brothers Daniel married Anna Clark of Eaton.

Eaton Church is still standing with its historic windows one of which has the Wood family name on it..near the pew where he is mentioned in a story in a book by Melville Landon! The Landons have a window also!

A trip to Quebec, Paul McCartney, and French hot dogs!!!

This week is almost over and I can only say it has been a wild one.  My poor cat Rascal got a severe ear infection and had to go to the vet, which turned out to be a painful experience. 

I went north to Lake Ontario to see the spot where my friend of 37 years is buried…something I have wanted to do for 3 years…  and then took a quick right to Oswego to visit my brother.  As usual he was working but I did get a quick visit with my sister-in-law and she could show me pictures of their latest trip, which was to Quebec and a Paul McCartney Concert.

She related how boring the ride up was and suddenly I went back in time to my last and only visit to Quebec in the late 60’s I believe.  We went as a family outing and I do remember the drive was…well boring and long.  The other thing I remembered was that it was in the middle of the French-English debate.  Humorously this debate is back in the news again.

Did you know that French in the Canadian province is the most regulated language in the world.  Yes…they passed legislation in 1977 I believe to solve the problem as to what the officially language was (which is both) but the controversy is back and up in front of the public with a new bill this year!  Some want Quebec sovereignty!  Read this article to catch up!

http://world.time.com/2013/04/08/quebecs-war-on-english-language-politics-intensify-in-canadian-province/

Then everyone gave us a hard time because we asked for directions in English.  The people were rude and although the old city of Quebec was picturesque and clean…I did not enjoy the visit until we found a “Fair” to attend on a day that it was pouring rain!

There of course, the vendors wanted to make a buck and spoke in any language they could to sell you something.  It was a unique experience…and fun culturally!

However, my greatest remembrance of my trip to Quebec had to do with food!!

Yes it was food!  I was in a store a few months ago with a friend and I exclaimed “Pronto Pups!”  She looked around on the floor for some lady with couple of Poodles I suspect…she said “Where!”  I pointed to the case where there were corn dipped hot dogs on a stick….”Those”.  She said…”Those are corn dogs!”  Well at the Quebec Fair they were called  “Pronto Pups!”

The new dilemma I suspect is if I go to Quebec how do I ask for them…. Is there a French translation for “Fast Hot Dog!”???

Here is a Gordon Lightfoot song written during the late 60's-early 70's about the subject....I love the melody interlude...so "French!"

Dan Patch, Harness Racing, Eaton history and 2 new residents!

Well old Eaton has two new inhabitants this week Graeme & Darla Monahan.  As I passed the house they live in this morning I thought about…its history!  The new two some live in at a location that few people realize has a great “horsey” history. 

Located on Front Street in Eaton - as it is called by the locals - actually Route 26, there was a stable behind the Monahan house in the days of Eaton’s horse racing frenzy.  This stable was well remembered by the elders who have now passed on to the other side…as a matter of fact many who have never been to Eaton talked about it.  I was told that when he once raced in the area, in that stable stayed a horse that was considered the greatest pacing harness horse that ever lived…Dan Patch.

Dan Patch was a slow starting young horse sired by a six year old Joe Patchen who was a former champion, and Zelica who was not considered an exception race mare.  Dan Messner, a storekeeper, at action for $255, originally purchased him.  The horse was allowed to mature to four years until he was raced … eventually being bought by Marion Willis Savage who owned the International Stock Food Farm… an unbelievable horse stable.  Savage loved the horse and as he progressed to the champion pacer of the era, Savage started promoting him.

Dan Patch had a custom 65-foot railroad car that was custom built for him and his two traveling horse companions.   His races drew crowds of up to 100, 000 in number to watch and to enable them to say that “they saw the great Dan Patch race”.  Savage, a great publicist and promoter sold all types of Dan Patch souvenirs. 

The horse became a sensation loved by the crowds and a pacer that paced his way into the record books by breaking the World Record for the mile 14 times… including once at 1:55.  Harry Truman said he had even written a fan letter to the horse when he was a boy!

Dan lived out his days in comfort with the love and affection of Savage.  Ironically, Willis Savage and Dan Patch died on the same day only hours apart and were buried with honors on the same day!

Today there are Dan Patch Historical Societies, Dan Patch memorabilia collections, even books and a movie! 

That is not where the history ends however,  for in that stable was found another racing horse of note…her name was Flora Temple…and today we know her since she was the “Bob Tailed Nag” made famous by Stephen Foster in his song Camptown Races!

See history is everywhere…especially in Eaton.

***Here is a video on Dan!

Thoughts on poverty - after flood conditions - and the future elections.

The flooding is over and with a little help from Mother Nature things will get back to normal.  From experience I have to tell you…they don’t get back to normal for a long time.  The price that you pay is not just in cost of items and repair of houses, it’s also in the stress of family relationships both personal and financial.

In a society that values what money can buy more than the things money can’t buy… we are trapped in a daily cycle of work, bills, and rising costs.  Money cannot buy back the time-spent worrying about things… and the emotional toll that brings nights when you are unable to sleep.  When this all kicks in…it shakes even the best of relationships.

When you add poverty to the mix the situation becomes unbearable.  I have heard about “flood insurance” but the cost of this commodity is far above the ability of many people to pay and so they throw the dice and hope it rolls in their favor!

That is what I have done over the years…I have never won. (I am not good at gambling)  The only thing it has taught me is to just carry on.

The compounding factor is that people in my rural area who have low paying jobs or retirement benefits… are also most likely unable to find full-time work that pays enough to have a car on the road and to travel to it.  Part-time jobs do not make it when you factor in the cost of gas, repairs and insurance.  In Madison County’s case you have to factor in that there is no bus service, hilly terrain, and almost no industry.

The majority of people work in school systems or health care, or local governments.  Good paying agricultural jobs with benefits are few and far between.  Madison County ranks number 3 in the state for lost population… no wonder why.

Continually badgering people who get food assistance is just ridiculous.  Even our friends to the north in the more populated area who work for places like Walmart do not have adequate pay to live.  When they retire...what?

The Amish families have moved into the vacant farms and have returned to basic life.  But are we as “a people”… willing to forgo our current life style of easy communication, entertainments, work saving devices and… most importantly education of our children?

The flooding in my case has been caused in a great part by lack of adequate infrastructure repair.  But I cannot afford more taxes and once again it is industry that pays taxes and provides jobs that allow the citizenry to pay taxes.  It is a “catch 22.”

So when it comes time to vote this fall in local elections…think about it… we need younger more in tune thinking.  We need Change! We need to be proactive rather than reactive… In our comments on line via social media like Facebook that are hateful to hard working retired or poor people…. remember but for the Grace of God you might one day be in their situation… and if costs and our society continue… your children may be in this situation!

So help your friends… be kind to your neighbors and family… and think about the future for everyone…  Where are we going as a society?  How can we improve?  And more importantly… how long can we carry on without sincere change?

***Here is a great video..great historic pictures..worth a watch!

My backroads trip into Vincent van Gogh and a Starry Night!

The floods have subsided for now and the heat index has risen causing the moisture to hang in the air.  Sunday morning I decided to take a drive to look for the neighbor’s missing dog.  The light filtering through my window made me wish I had my oil paints, brushes, canvas and could find a country setting to sit and paint.  That feeling has not come over me for a while and unfortunately... I have had no money to invest on this former pastime.  So instead I took my new artist tool of sorts… my camera... and escaped with the car windows down searching and enjoying back roads and summer colors.

 It was on these back roads that I found deserted walkways, bridges and buildings, certainly links to Madison County’s history, but now entangled in a multitude of vines and overgrowth.  As I snapped I thought about how unreal I could make them look using a simple trick application.  Yes, today we can make paintings by clicking a shutter and then clicking a mouse on a computer.  So back home I went to play with color.

Being a fan of impressionism I dabbled with a few effects and finally picked what they called palette knife… photos that actually look like oil painting.  This actually brought me to thoughts of Vincent van Gogh…the light…that special light he found with bright colors and sought in Arles, France.

Van Gogh’s story is a famous one … stories of his bouts of mental illness, of being supported by his brother Theo, of Theo’s wife saving his letters and in a way- after his death, making him one of the most famous painters of all time.  When he died at the age of 37… he had painted over 2,000 paintings…. but had in reality sold only one.

Today Vincent van Gogh’s paintings have commanded some of the highest prices at auction…many for close to 100 million dollars.  Yes… and his painting and style are recognize by school children and older people alike.  He is noted for having painted 200 pictures in 200 days at the end of his life… some of his most recognized subjects include himself, sunflowers, irises, and my favorite painting “A Starry Night” … which, I have seen in person.

 Van Gogh died on July 29, 1890…but his influence on painting continues even to this day.  He was a man who worked hard to master his art but in the end was unable to master his inner demons. 

Today on Facebook some one posted a cartoon that expressed the desire for all of us to go out and look at the stars.  Tonight I will.

This video is a must watch… it features Don Maclean’s tribute to Vincent van Gogh and his pictures put together by an instructor at a mental illness facility… Van Gogh’s paintings come to life to the words… enjoy and take the time to go out and see the starry, starry, night!!

***The pictures above are the ones I took on Sunday!

It time to go to the Madison County Fair- a place of history!

Well it is that time of the year again..rain or shine the 174th Madison County Fair will be opening on Thrusday afternoon.  The fairgrounds is actually one of the oldest in the Nation and has hosted its share of great historical events including one that occured in 1856, which as the Madison County Historian I help promote....

"History is everywhere and a lonely historical marker in an empty fairground can tell a history story of national importance. The marker sits in an unlikely place in front of the dinner at the Madison County Fair. Today the fairgrounds roar with the sound of tractor pulls and demolition derbys... but it  once roared with the excitement of a crowd estimated at 12,000 people.

The occasion was the Brookfield (Madison County) Fair of 1856 and the day was marked with a parade of hundreds of horsemen, carriages filled with young girls dressed in white and soldiers on horseback - all in Brookfield to welcome orator and abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

Douglass had come to Brookfield to speak on behalf of Presidential candidate John C. Fremont, a man Douglass hoped would win. Earlier Douglass had supported Madison County’s Gerrit Smith, but he decided to stump for Fremont as it became evident to him that Fremont had a better chance of winning, and getting a abolitionist elected was his goal not friendships."

This years "Fair" will feature a number of new things with a more modern flare including a night of Rock & Roll and a night of Country Music. The Grammy award winning rock band Survivor will perform in front of the grandstand opening night (Thursday, July 11th) with special guest Wicked & Red Hush. On Friday, July 12th Nashville superstars Steve Holy and Mark Wills will co-headline the grandstand country music show with special guest Lyndsey Highlander. Popular local bands that will be appearing throughout the Fair for FREE in the stage area include; Northern Lights, Fritz Polka, Jason Wicks, Fulton Chain Gang, BoCNY, The BOMB, Pulsate, and Gridley Page. Fairgoers will also find that the beer garden will be back on tap.

Also on tap this weekend the Brookfield Speedway Racers will return for their 4th Annual Reunion on Friday afternoon with a racecar exhibit and autograph session. Taking part in the 2013 reunion are special guest from the Motorsports Museum in Weedsport; Harry Elkima, Karl Schartner, Pam Forney & Rich Appleby.

And of course Saturday the power pulling competitions will lead off at 9am with the truck pulls - the tractors will be pulling Sunday starting at 9am. The ever popular Demolition Derby & Rollover Contest is slated for 7pm Saturday evening.

So take a break from the everyday and visit an ongoing piece of history right here in Madison County in Brookfield..tell them I sent you!