First Stony Point History Roundtable, 2010
SPACE NEWS Saturday April 17th
The SPACE History Round Table got an unusual start. I had an opportunity to meet with Larry Kigler, whose post card collection of Stony Point, Haverstraw, Garnerville and Grassy Point is amazing, SPACE is hoping to have Larry do a presentation at one of our next History Roundtables. Larry had just purchased a store ”Ledger” dated 1883 &1884, from G&A Waldron of Beaver Pond. The ledger had entries for groceries such as 50lbs of flour for $1.00, 25 lb bag of dry goods (?) $.75,can you imagine, sold to such family names as the O’Dell’s, Baisleys and the Babcock’s. We googled “Beaver Pond” and it showed up on Theills road, certainly not the place. This was an emergency, I called for back-up, Anita Babcock and to my surprise her mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Avery arrived at my front door. They pointed us towards the Beaver Pond campgrounds in the Palisades Park, (although at Sunday’s meeting, Brad Conklin said he thinks the store might have been in the general direction of Lake Sebago). The store could have been in one of the (there was a settlement at Beaver Pond, a.k.a Sandyfields) “vanished towns” that was buried under one of the several lakes created in the Palisades Park system (Lake Welch). We actually found references to several Beaver Ponds in the area. That discussion tabled for the moment, we discovered a little more history, Larry Kiglers great uncle's had owned a mercantile store in Haverstraw, and guess who had shopped there, Mrs. Avery and her daughter Anita. From Beavers Pond to shopping in Haverstraw all in one afternoon, what excitement!
On Sunday, as we introduced ourselves, Jim Krauss told the story of his family who have been long time residents, his home was in a part of Stony Point that had once been considered for development into a “Operatic” school (complete with dormitories) and concert hall. Councilman Vicari (Town of Stony Point) a curious resident, who has attended almost all of the Round Tables, realized his home is in the same area. Roberta brought a “Ledger” that she had purchased at a yard sale, I believe at the stone house on the corner of Tomkins Ave and Rt.9w, when she first moved to Tomkins Cove, the title on the Ledger was Reilly &Clark, she asked did anyone know the name. Mr.Sibley answered that Reilly & Clark was one of the brickyards, we believe that this was one of their ledgers, as the discussion continued, we discovered that her mom used to take the train up to our neck of the woods- so to speak when she was a young woman. We will need to get more on that. We met a new resident of Tomkins Cove who has moved into the Rectory building at St. John’s the Divine, and as she moved in got bitten by the History Bug- the date on the Rectory house corner stone was 1880 (I think). Another new resident who did not make the meeting but called to say please don’t forget me!! Is very interested in the Gilmore Sloane house and the Stony Point Center, don’t worry Mrs. Gottlieb, we won’t we won’t forget- and certainly everyone is welcome, story tellers and the listeners, for without both we don’t have the story. Mr. Jones a nephew of Mrs. Avery, is looking for his revolutionary great, great, great, relative who had a Blacksmith shop at the Kings Ferry crossing, or close to it.
How did SPACE decide to sponsor the History Round Table, it started with a Barn, and has lead to a great journey, of learning and meeting wonderful people the old as well as the new. All are welcome, come walk time with us and meet all of the wonderful people that live here.
Well that is all for now, but an exciting start none the less
Susan Filgueras
SPACE History Roundtable