Josh Kilmer-Purcell's Blog, page 79

Ed Koch is Dead, Linda Simpson is Alive, Robin Byrd Watches CBS, and I Live on a Farm.

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Moving Day. 2/1/2013

Last night was our final night as residents of NYC. We were invited to a book release party. It was held at the home of a very important network television executive for two very important television producers. We’re all about the same age. Within a decade of each other at least. Most of the guest list was too. And most of the guest list spent most of their twenties like I did – going out in NYC.

Annnnd…here we all were again in one room. You can see pictures of everyone here. Linda Simpson – who gave Aqua her first ever mention in a real live New York City party rag. Lady Bunny, too. When Bunny invited me to perform in Wigstock (as a background dancer) I thought I was one step away from superstardom. There were also editors from uber-cool periodicals like Paper Magazine – in which I appeared in one party picture exactly one time. And a lot of other writers, artists, and personalities whom I knew from somewhere, who knew me from someplace. Usually somewhere-someplace long ago.

And there was also Robin Byrd.

If you don’t know Robin Byrd, she’s kinda hard to explain.  She’s hosted several cable Public Access shows in NYC since 1977 which feature live strippers, both male and female. She was taken to court several times, but ultimately won the right to show nudity on television because Public Access laws declared that any and all viewpoints were allowed to be aired that fell within community standards.

Robin argued that the community standards of New York City allowed full nudity, phone sex commercials, and other fun dirty stuff. And, well, in my experience, that’s certainly true. So she won her cases and her shows have been airing ever since. In fact, during the 1980’s, the ratings for her half hour stripper shows sometimes equaled Dallas’ in the New York market.

For many gay young men arriving in New York City, including myself, Robin Byrd’s Men for Men show was the first time they saw gay sexuality addressed in a (very) public forum. She also began every show reminding people to wear condoms. In an era where staying alive in NYC meant either wearing condoms or sitting at home masturbating, Robin Byrd had you covered for both options. She should be sainted.

Anyway, at this party on my last night in NYC, Robin “Baby Won’t You Bang My Box” Byrd congratulated Brent and I on our Amazing Race win. I hadn’t pegged her as a fan of CBS Sunday Night Family-Friendly Shows. But she is. And she’s also seen every episode of Fabulous Beekman Boys. Which is only fair because I watched every episode of Men for Men. Many, many times.

Spending my last evening in NYC chatting about goat cheese with Robin Byrd is about absurdly poetic as life can get. But I wouldn’t expect anything less from NYC.

I’m sorry. I digressed. That’s what happens when you’ve ingested a lot of illicit substances. Where was I?

Oh yeah….not in New York.

So, I may take an hour or so to mourn my youth tonight. Just a little. Probably between 2 and 3 am when I always wake up because I’m getting to that age where I don’t sleep well. Tonight is Friday. I’ll listen for coyotes and think about some kid who moved to New York City this very day and is out at a bar having one of the best and/or worst nights of his life.

Mostly what I hope for that kid is that eventually he meets his Brent. Because, as it turns out, even though most of the glittery dreams I had for my New York City self came true in some form…the only true treasure I’m packing up and carting away is Brent.

My road in life has gone from living alone on Avenue A to a gravel driveway built for two.

Tonight I may be an ex-New Yorker.

But tomorrow we’ll be locals.

5 Beautiful Things

 

Five Decorating Books I Love

As you’ve probably guessed, I can’t get enough of beautiful imagery. I’m happily addicted to Pinterest and also find myself prone to buying books on design, fashion, architecture and style. I’ve had to pare down my book collection recently for the sake of space and sanity but there are some books that I cannot live without. I’ve highlighted five books below on decorating that I think the Beekman aficionado will identify with and appreciate. Do you have any favorites you’d like to recommend?

TIMELESS INTERIORS by Axel Vervoordt

Antiques collector and interior designer Axel Vervoordt has an effortless style that combines old-world rusticity with new-world modernity that I really find inspiring. His rooms are lived-in and comfortable but also intriguingly dramatic. In this book, the interiors of 23 homes across the United States and Europe are profiled. His design philosophy is discussed in beautiful essays that enhance the photography.

 

AN AFFAIR WITH A HOUSE by Bunny Williams

Bunny Williams is one of the most acclaimed and respected American interior designers and her books never disappoint. This one in particular is a beautiful – almost poetic – rendering of her love affair with the Connecticut farm house she shares with her husband and their two dogs. Bunny’s approach to decorating is traditional, blending precious antiques with well-loved flea market finds to achieve welcoming and comforting spaces. While reading this book, which also contains recipes and gardening tips, I felt like a guest in her home.

 

THE GREAT AMERICAN HOUSE by Gil Shaefer

Architect Gil Shaefer is probably my favourite designer. His approach to design matches my own almost identically and yet it inspires and challenges me to think outside my own design parameters. In this book, he reveals all of the challenges and benefits of committing oneself to creating a home that never loses sight of American traditionalism while always embracing modern living. His own home in Connecticut is profiled and four other homes that he designed or refurbished are featured as well. Each home in this book is an inspiration to me.

 

AMERICAN DECORATION by Thomas Jayne

Designer, antiques collector and interior designer Thomas Jayne renders gorgeous interiors that value American design traditions. In doing so, he also creates rooms that are functional, never over-stuffed or cluttered with fussy antiques. He refuses to let modern design overshadow the quality of tradition but incorporates whimsical and updated elements that add personality and contrast to his rooms.

 

MONOCHROME by Paula Rice Jackson and John F. Saladino

This book is a compilation of interiors by various designers and architects, all based around the theme of the monochromatic color palette. From traditional to ultra-modern, all styles are covered, all conveying the essence of monochromatic design: a sense of balance, peace and harmony. The rooms are soothing and embracing precisely because of their lack of contrast. I learned a lot about the discipline of this design principle by studying this book.

 

 

Andrew Ritchie is the creator of Martha Moments, a blog devoted Martha-Stewart related content and her community of supporters. He lives and works in Toronto, Canada, and has been a longtime friend of Brent & Josh, Beekman 1802 and Sharon Springs. Each week he’ll scour the world (wide web) to find the 5 most beautiful things to inspire you. Follow Andrew on Pinterest.

 

All Tied Up

We clean up nicely.  And for occasions that call for us to polish our muck boots, we often choose bow ties.

Designer Chris Wrobleski gives us step-by-step instructions on how to make your own bow.  Use it as a bow tie or use the same steps to make a necklace or hair ribbon.

Here’s what you’ll need

Fabric (a fat quarter is plenty)–you can use old shirts, old ties, etc

Bow Tie Clip

Scissors

Thread

Sewing needle and pins

1 yard of Ribbon (if making hair bow)

Pen or pencil for tracing

 

Visit his website to learn more about his custom designs.

 

 

Valentines from Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham

Ah, Valentines Day. When roses are red, and Violets are…well…in the case of Violet Crawley (Dowager Countess of Grantham If You’re Nasty)…mean.

Here at Beekman 1802, we love our historical context. So in doing a little research on the history of Valentines Day, we learned that during the 1800′s, Valentines Day wasn’t just a bounty for florists and candy-makers. February was also a boon month for printers, publishers, and hack poets.  Every year several slim volumes of sample Valentines Day verses were published, to be utilized by those suitors and beloveds who might be a little poetically-challenged.

These minor tomes offered up examples of Valentine missives that were suitable for use on most any object of affection. There were poems appropriate to send to “One With Whom You Have Danced.” Or to a “Far Away Sweet.” There were Valentines crafted for specific professions as well. In love with a “Pastry Cook,” “Parish Clerk,” or a “Duck of a Curate” (whatever that is)? There were sample lyrics tailored for just your mooning and spooning needs.

These volumes weren’t just for admirers, however. They also offered up sample responses to be used by those being admired. While most of the responses to requests to “Be Mine” were crafted to answer in the affirmative, occasionally a suitor needed to be dismissed as well. And the best manner to do so in the 19th century, apparently, was adamantly and succinctly.

We found a wealth of hilariously mercenary verses in our research. And as we were reading through them, we kept hearing the voice of a particularly pithy and cutting 19th century teen girl: Violet Crawley. She may not have been a Dowager Countess yet, but we’re fairly certain her Valentines Day pen was as sharp as her tongue would one day become.

Below are a few of our favorite 19th Century satirical Valentines Day verses we stumbled across.

A Response to Misplaced Affection from “Cupid’s Annual Charter; or, St. Valentine’s Festival” published in 1815:

Your Valentine, so full of flame,

I put into the fire;

Against your folly I exclaim,

Such nonsense all must tire.

As I had neither twine nor rope,

I could not send a line,

But if you wish to hang, I hope

You’ll buy one, Valentine.

But as you’re full of raging fire,

Water would better cool,

So take a leap off London Bridge,

And drown yourself poor fool.

 

 

A Valentine “To a Fat Person” from “A Collection of New and Original Valentines, Serious and Satirical, Sublime and Ridiculous” published in 1858:

…Do be persuaded, unctuous one,

Take something to get thinner;

Or, better still, don’t take so much

When you sit down to dinner.

Your friends may term you “embonpoint,”

Or “stout” – that’s very fine:

You’re fat – uncommon – much too fat

To be my Valentine.

 

A Valentine “To a Tall Thin Person” from “A Collection of New and Original Valentines, Serious and Satirical, Sublime and Ridiculous” published in 1858:

When first your tall, gaunt form I saw

With face like any mourner

I thought you were the shadow

Of some person round the corner.

If I am preying on your mind,

Dismiss, I pray, that matter;

The Valentine I choose will be

At least a trifle fatter.

A Valentine for someone afflicted with bad breath, “LINES TO ACCOMPANY A TOOTH-BRUSH” from “A Collection of New and Original Valentines, Serious and Satirical, Sublime and Ridiculous” published in 1858:

Though silent this mute thing will speak

My sentiments. If not, still louder

My words upon your ear shall break,

While simply I suggest – tooth powder.

Just rinse your mouth out when you rise,

And use this votive gift of mine –

Some day or other, in my eyes,

You then may be a Valentine.

 

Another Response to Misplaced Affection from “Cupid’s Annual Charter; or, St. Valentine’s Festival” published in 1815:

I once more tell you, foolish swain,

I don’t your suit approve,

With me you only lose your time,

And ne’er will win my love;

When you’re beneath the willow tree,

This plan I recommend,

Pray jump into the stream beneath,

And give your sorrows end.

xoxo,

Violet.

Gartending: Search + Rescue

Klaus has been extremely busy over the past two weeks.  Yesterday he traveled to Philadelphia to visit the birthplace of our nation.  He also paused to enjoy a lovely visit at the location where one of his favorite liquors was created.

That liquor would have to be named Snap.  USDA Certified Organic Snap is Klaus’s favorite Schnapps-like slurp that tastes like the Old Country.

Klaus made quite a hit down in Philly.  He got inspired for a drink that he created using ingredients as historic as the city.  No, it wouldn’t be bathtub gin and juice or applejack and cola…  It would be something delicious, savory, sweet and haunting- all at the same time.  But what could that be?

The combination of Templeton Rye Whiskey and Snap with a couple dashes of Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters, and finished with a mere splash of Atsby Amberthorn Vermouth is spinning around in my brain.  Or was it Klaus’s brain.  Whosever brain it was, I certainly am impressed with the balance of flavors.  They all work and build on each other in a most beguiling fashion.  Templeton Rye is known as the good stuff.  Long a favorite of Al Capone who served Templeton in his speakeasies, this rye is soft in the mouth and has a lovely finish of cinnamon, clove and spices.  It mixes well with others, especially the ginger snap sensibility of the Snap liquor.  Eighty Proof is still eighty proof and Snap certainly delivers in the deep down body heating category.  Klaus loves Snap because he has a sweet tooth.  Or so he told me, but I couldn’t understand him – because he spoke in German.  Did I tell you that Klaus is not an orphan?   Yes!  Klaus is a Greibel Gnome.  I’m not sure how old, thinking the 1930’s still is correct.  No, they don’t make Klaus any longer- so you cannot become Klaus, sorry.  That honor is reserved for my little ceramic friend and myself.  Klaus has a kind heart and he is liked by most.  That is the greatest honor.  When Klaus and I traveled back from France in September, I put him and my cameras inside the carry on.  I went through the radio-meter just fine.  Looking back on the TV monitor as the little guy went through the x-ray detector, I could see his little outline and the outline of my Leica cameras.  But suddenly all was not ok.  There were two French policemen with sub-machine guns looking at me.  They alternately looked at me- then at Klaus.  Or just the outline of Klaus was visible.  A very businesslike woman wearing a bullet-proof vest touched my arm and directed me towards a curtain.  They wanted to look at my carryon closer.  What could I say?

The sub-machine gun toting men filed in with my carry-on.  They opened it.  Looked around inside and they pulled out my Leica cameras, socks, some shampoos and soaps. Then they began to remove the towel that surrounded Klaus.  (He was frightened for once)  They unwrapped him bruskly.  The one sub-machine gun carrying man said to the other, “Amelie”.  Then other said to the policewoman, “Amelie,” who turned to the other gun-toting policeman, “Amelie,” then to me.  I smiled.  We all spoke the same language.

I love the cocktail named the Manhattan.  My friend Chris James who is the head bartender at the Ryland Inn located in Whitehouse, NJ puts up with a lot from me.  When I bring Klaus he is more understanding.  Klaus seems to like looking out over the room and it brings a smile to his little ceramic face.  Chris taught me how to make a Manhattan.  Truth is, no one taught me to do anything.  I sort of learned on my own by watching others.  Yes I mangled it and will mangle it again… And again.  Sorry Chris, I know you try so hard to teach me.

Klaus understands too.  Now finely twisted on Templeton Rye, Snap, Atsby Vermouth and Bitter Truth Bitters, he isn’t saying much.  He’s smiling deeply inside because he knows the secret of life.  I’m not sure how he knows this, but what I will say is that he knows.  And what about the cocktail?

Ah the cocktail.  I must name it after Amelie…

 

The Amelie Cocktail

Ingredients:

2 oz. Snap (USDA Certified Organic)

½ oz. Templeton Rye

½ oz. Atsby Amberthorn Vermouth

Four shakes Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters

 

Preparation:

Take a glass or metal mixing vessel

Add:

A few handfuls of good ice (preferably made from Mavea filtered water)

The Snap

The Rye

The Vermouth

The Bitters

Stir with a long bar spoon (carefully) for about 10 seconds to chill, but not dilute the drink

 

Pour into a short rocks glass and toast Klaus!      

Room Service Spa Tips

We’ve been know to do a little traveling around the world (ahem) which can wreak havoc on our skin and hair. Recycled airplane air, extreme fluctuations in temperature, changes in diet…all these travel factors often result in skin irritation and lackluster hair. But did you know that the chemicals that are found in many hotel room shampoo, conditioner, lotions and soaps can actually further strip your hair and skin of moisture?

One day, while waiting for room service to come pick up a dinner tray, we realized how many great, natural DIY skin products were on it. Since then, we’ve come up with even more common room service items that are better for your body than the little tubes and bottles provided in the bathroom.

We share some of our tips below in an interview we did with Fox News Extra, and list them (plus a couple more) underneath the video. (If video doesn’t appear, click here)

 

1. Mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is a fantastic hair conditioner. Its natural proteins and lipids work wonderfully to help smooth hair and add shine. After shampooing, simply rub a packet or spoonful of mayonnaise into your hair and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly under warm (not hot) water.

2. Olive Oil. Rich in vitamin A and E, Olive oil has always been rumored to be the skin care secret of Italian women. Order some with your salad or bread basket, and right before bedtime rub some directly on your face and body just like you would any lotion. It will rinse completely off in the shower the next morning. If you want, you can also add a little spritz of your favorite fragrance to the oil before applying.

3. Oatmeal. Oatmeal is a terrific skin mask. It’s slightly abrasive, so helps remove dry skin after long airplane flights. It also has properties that help sooth irritated skin. Save a few teaspoons from your breakfast bowl and mix it with a packet of sugar to boost exfoliation and create hydroxy acids. Rub the mixture onto your face, allow to dry for 5-10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

4. Tea Bags. Tea bags have natural tannins that can help reduce puffiness under your eyes, and some also claim help reduce dark circles. Place a used, moist (not hot!) tea bag over each of your closed eyes. Lie down and relax for 5-10 minutes, then remove and rinse if necessary. (Try sliced cucumbers from your salad as well…without salad dressing, of course.)

5. Honey. Honey has natural anti-inflammatory properties as well as some anti-bacterial benefits. It usually comes in small packets or tubes when you order tea service to your room, or sometimes can be found at the coffee/tea bar in the hotel lobby. We use honey as a spot treatment for minor abrasions. Or, if you’re prone to acne breakouts, mix a little honey with some salt from the shaker, rub on the acne spots, and leave overnight.

Dirty Veggies

Have you ordered your seeds for spring yet? (You can get the seeds we grow in the Beekman 1802 Heirloom Garden here.) Sometimes, in the dead of winter, gardeners need a little veggie porn. So if you’re feeling a little libidinous, we pulled together some of our favorite garden shots over the years. Enjoy in private :

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Behind the Scenes: Heirloom Desserts Photo Shoot

Ever wondered what it’s like to be at a cookbook photo shoot? Here’s a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at the shoot for our next cookbook, The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Desserts Cookbook, coming out in September from Rodale. (The first copies will be available at the Sharon Springs Harvest Festival, Sept 21&22.)

Don’t worry, there’s not a single calorie in any of these photos…

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Beekman Baby Bumps

Every time we check out at the grocery store we see some tabloid cover shouting about someone’s “baby bump.” Magazine editors seem to get very excited about them. We can’t even imagine how hot n’ bothered they’d be if they ever visited the Beekman 1802 Barn in the middle of January. We’ve got more bumps than a gravel road after a washout. Nearly all Farmer John’s goats are pregnant right now, and kidding season starts in just three weeks time.

Take a look below at some pics we just took of our current bump-er crop of mama’s. (To learn more about goat pregnancy and gestation check out this post.) And if you’re a tabloid editor, don’t worry, we’ll reveal the Baby Daddies at the end of the slideshow.

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All Aboard!

 

 

All Aboard!

The history of railroads in the U.S. comprises many subjects: technology, engineering developments; geography, shaping the land, based on both practical and commercial reasons; economics, the growth of business and industry; and demographics, the movement of people. It also involves sociology, since greater mobility shaped social life. With the opening of a railroad line, people could more readily visit Sharon Springs and other area communities for family visits, recreation, and health.

Railroad history is complex, given the number of companies that were formed and lines that were laid. We’ve gathered many of the important dates pertaining to the Sharon Springs region of upstate New York – a starting point for more in-depth studies!

The story begins with the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, still in existence as the Delaware and Hudson Railway. In 1823, the original D&H opened to haul anthracite coal from Carbondale, Pennsylvania, to New York City. The potential of rail was also seen to move coal, and, in 1829, the company’s Stourbridge Lion became the first locomotive to run on rails in the United States.

In later decades, the D&H assumed ownership of existing lines and invested in new lines in upstate New York. Among them was the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad, which, in 1851, began operating between Albany and Schoharie Junction. By 1864, its run extended to Cobleskill, and, by 1869, to Binghamton. The D&H leased it in 1870 and assumed ownership in 1945.

In 1865, the Schoharie Valley Railroad between Schoharie Junction – where it branched off the main Albany and Susquehanna line near Central Bridge – and Schoharie, a run of 4.2 miles, was founded. In 1867, a separate company founded the Middleburgh and Schoharie Railroad on a 5.7 mile run between those two villages, the first run taking place in 1868. The two lines, known as the “Pride of the Valley,” operated in tandem, facilitating travel and shipping in the region. The shipping of hops, used in beer-making, from upstate hop farms, helped in the economy of these and other regional lines. The writer Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) reportedly worked as a brakeman on the Middleburgh and Schoharie line in December of 1879; he was 44 at the time and a prolific writer so we can assume this was for research. He uses the term “brakeman” in various works.

In 1869, the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad opened, running 16 miles between Cooperstown to Colliersville, where it formed a junction with the Albany and Susquehanna line. An extension to Richfield Springs was added that same year; a second extension was added to Davenport in 1888. The CAVC merged with the West Davenport Railroad in 1891, then became part of the Delaware and Hudson Company in 1903.

The lines we’ve discussed so far, part of the D&H system, connected to other lines in Albany, run by a different company – the New York Central Railroad – the history of which also begins in the early days of railroading. In 1831, the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad was founded, connecting the Mohawk River at Schenectady to the Hudson River at Albany; it became known as the Albany and Schenectady Railroad in 1847. The Utica and Schenectady Railroad extended the line westward from Schenectady north of the Mohawk River to Utica in 1836. In 1853, the Albany and Schenectady Railroad and nine other companies in New York State merged to form the New York Central Railroad.

In 1864, a charter was granted for the incorporation of the Cherry Valley and Mohawk River Railroad Company. The original plan was to build a line from Cherry Valley north to the town of Palatine on a route allowing for service to a number of communities east and north of Cherry Valley, including Sharon Springs. In Palatine the new line would connect to the New York Central system. That plan failed, but, in 1868, the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad Company offered to operate a different route in conjunction with its own service to the south, connecting Cherry Valley and Cobleskill. In 1869, the Cherry Valley and Mohawk River Railroad Company changed its name to the Cherry Valley, Sharon and Albany Railroad and began work on the new line. A driving force and principal investor in this venture was William W. Campbell (a great-great-uncle of History Boy Chris).

The new line, consisting of light rail, was laid between a new terminal at Cherry Valley and a junction located a mile-and-a-half west of a terminal in Cobleskill, known as the Cherry Valley Junction. At the junction point, the line connected to the heavier rail of the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad. A tower was built at the Cherry Valley Junction to manage mainline and branch trains. Passenger and freight depots were constructed in Sharon Springs, Seward, and Hyndsville for stops there. Leesville, between Sharon Springs and Cherry Valley, also came to have depot, a small one for passenger stops. At the time of the Cherry Valley, Sharon and Albany Railroad’s first run on June 15, 1870, ownership of the company was transferred to the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company. In addition to freight runs – including milk shipped between farms, creameries, and customers – passenger trains of what became known as the Cherry Valley Branch made three round trips a day.

The parent Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, with its ever expanding rail system, was renamed the Delaware and Hudson Company in 1899, incorporated as the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Corporation in 1928, and reorganized as the Delaware and Hudson Railway in 1968.

With the advent of automobiles and trucks, the need for railroad service to rural communities lessened. After 1934, the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad offered only freight service. It was sold to the Delaware Otsego Corporation in 1970; its last freight run was in 1987. The Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society purchased the line from the Delaware Otsego Corporation in 1996 and now offers recreational rides between Milford and Cooperstown, including a Blues Train with live bands.

In 1936, the Middleburgh and Schoharie Railroad made its last run, and, in 1942, the Schoharie Valley Railroad between Schoharie and Schoharie Junction also stopped service. In 1971, the Schoharie Colonial Heritage Association opened the Schoharie Valley Railroad Museum in Schoharie, which has on display the last remaining passenger car of the Middleburgh and Schoharie Railroad.

The Cherry Valley, Sharon and Albany Railroad – the Cherry Valley Branch – made its last passenger run on January 28, 1933. It made its last freight on August 15, 1956. The latter date was two years after the opening of the New York State Thruway, increasing access to upstate communities. The last run of the Cherry Valley Branch also occurred soon after the opening of the Route 20 Bypass, a rerouting of what was once the Cherry Valley Turnpike (see our earlier blog). Interestingly, a rare all-welded bridge had recently been completed to carry trains over the bypass. It reportedly was used only twice by the railroad – by the last freight train to Cherry Valley and then again on its final run to Cobleskill, during which, some reports have it, the train stopped to allow workers to pull up and load rails. The well-constructed but “million-dollar boondoggle” bridge still stands over Route 20. A newspaper no longer in existence, The Cherry Valley News (“News of the People in the Towns of Cherry Valley, Roseboom, Middlefield, Springfield, Sharon Springs, and Vicinity” at 10 cents a copy), reported that …

“The last scheduled train over this branch left Cherry Valley at 5:12 p.m. Friday, without ceremony, fan-fare, and certainly without well wishes from anyone here … This is quite different from the scene of almost a century ago, when the first train came in. We are told there was a great turn-out of Cherry Valley folk and a picnic was held in the Campbell grove to celebrate the event.”

The former depot in Cherry Valley is now home to the Cherry Valley Fire Department. The Sharon Springs depot still stands at Chestnut Street and Rowlands Way; the depot in Leesville also stands on the north side of Route 20 between Cherry Valley and Sharon Springs; so does the depot in Seward, at the junction of  Route 165 and Slate Hill Road; these three are all privately owned. The Hyndsville depot no longer exists. Nor does the tower at the Cherry Valley Junction, although a historic marker along Route 10 shows the junction’s general location. The former Cherry Valley Branch’s railbed is mostly privately owned, much of it agricultural field or brush or wooded areas. All the tracks have been removed as well as most ties, but an occasional spike or small piece of a tie can be found. Nevertheless, except in those areas where farmers have plowed over it, the abandoned route can be readily traced, and much of it is visible from nearby roads, at least from late fall to early spring when there are no leaves on the trees (as the Bloggers confirmed on a recent drive). Some stretches are ideal for use by four-wheelers and snowmobilers.

In 1964, D&H passenger service was discontinued in Cobleskill. In 1991, D&H became a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which now uses some of the original Albany and Susquehanna lines for freight.

As for the other big player in the railroad history of upstate New York – New  York Central – many of the lines established in the 19th century are still in existence and are used by the federally owned and subsidized National Railroad Passenger Corporation, better known as Amtrak; other early New York Central lines are still operated by private freight companies.

Okay, that’s a start for understanding the history of railways in the greater Sharon Springs area. Those of us who have an interest in the subject, including the two of us – Blogger Chris had a Lionel model train set as a child and Blogger Carl had an American Flyer set! – would love to hear train whistles again in Sharon Springs and Cherry Valley, but of course it’s not to be except in our imaginations. At least, to call up a bygone era, we can ride the Leatherstocking Railway between Milford and Cooperstown, or visit the Schoharie Valley Railroad Museum on Depot Lane in Schoharie.

 

The History Boys are

Chris Campbell has made his permanent home in Cherry Valley, NY. The Campbell family dates back to 1739 in this town, situated about eight miles from Sharon Springs. Some family members were captured by Tories and Iroquois allies in the Cherry Valley Massacre of 1778 during the American Revolution and taken to Canada, released two years later in Albany as part of a prisoner exchange. Chris is a rare book and map collector and has had a lifelong interest in history, especially relating to upstate New York and colonial land patents. He was the founder and first chairman of the Cherry Valley Planning Board and has worked as a surveyor and realtor as well as a researcher for the Otsego County map department. His hobbies include Ham radio.

 

Carl Waldman, also living in Cherry Valley, is a former archivist for the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown. He is he author of a number of reference books published by Facts On File, including Atlas of the North American Indian and Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, both originally published in the 1980s and both in their third editions. He is the co-author of Encyclopedia of Exploration (2005) and Encyclopedia of European Peoples (2006). Carl has also done screenwriting about Native Americans, including an episode of Miami Vice entitled “Indian Wars” and the Legend of Two-Path, a drama about the Native American side of Raleigh’s Lost Colony, shown at Festival Park on Roanoke Island in North Carolina. His hobbies include music and he works with young people in the Performance and Production Workshops at the Cherry Valley Old School.

Carl has recently published an ebook through Alva Press, Streetscape: A Jake Soho Mystery