Bagley

This was found in the September 21, 1950, Catskill Recorder. It talks about a letter written June 7, 1871, by 14-year-old Frank R. Bagley to his Uncle Valentine Bagley. The paper’s headline read:

“CHILD DESCRIBES CATSKILL in a 79-YEAR-OLD LETTER – or TODAY.” (This was written 154 years ago and gives a real take on the thoughts residents had at that time. This is real history!)

The Recorder said: “A personality, long dead, this week revived impressions of Catskill 79 years ago and the fear of its citizens that a railroad here would make Catskill as large as New York City.”

Frank R. Bagley wrote this when just a 14 year old teenager. The paper told that Frank was the son of the late John H. Bagley, and an uncle of George and John Bagley, now residing in Catskill.

The letter was found by Frank’s daughter, Helen A. Bagley, of Vermont. It said the child’s letter said how Catskill’s streets were lively.

He said he wanted his Uncle Valentine to know how things were going in Catskill. He said the weather has been 95 and 96 degrees in the shade.

Young Frank said by the 10th of June, all summer hotels and boarding houses will open. He said Catskill is planning on a railroad. It would go to Middleburgh, about 40 miles from Catskill.

“They are going to have trains running in six months, and it is going to make a city of Catskill, as large a New York for all that I know…A great many persons say it will hurt the trade of Catskill and that in a few years we will have a place like Hudson; for you know what trains have done to that city.

In the river in front of the point, there lies a large ocean steamer; she is going to stay here all summer, and I heard there are two more like her coming up here. Her name is “Northern Lights.” And she comes up here for the purpose of repairing and getting the barnacles off of the bottom. The barnacles could have been taken off in New York, but it would cost too much, as they would have to take her out of the water and put her on dry-dock. Papa (Congressman Bagley) says that the Northern Lights is the vessel which carried him from Aspinwall to New York on his return from California.”

He said that Catskill has really grown and there were large number of new buildings. Catskill has now about 8,000 inhabitants and is busy.

“I remain yours truly,

Frank Bagley”

This fascinating bio of John Bagley was found in the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress.

BAGLEY, John Holroyd, Jr., a Representative from New York; born in Hudson, Columbia County, N.Y., November 26, 1832; attended the common schools; went to California in 1851 and engaged in mining and other pursuits; returned to New York and engaged in steam boating on the Hudson River; settled in Catskill, Greene County, N.Y., and engaged in mercantile pursuits and the manufacture of leather; supervisor of the town of Catskill 1860-1864; elected as a Democrat to the Forty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1875-March 3, 1877); was not a candidate for renomination in 1876; resumed his former mercantile pursuits; elected to the Forty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1883-March 3, 1885); chairman, Committee on Manufactures (Forty-eighth Congress); was not a candidate for renomination in 1884; engaged in banking and the insurance business and also served as vice president of the Catskill Mountain Railway Co.; trustee of the village of Catskill; member of the State assembly in 1888; unsuccessful candidate for election in 1896 to the Fifty-fifth Congress; died in Catskill, N.Y., October 23, 1902; interment in the Village Cemetery.

Thanks for reading.

Have a good day and stay safe, and get your eggs ready!

Dede Terns-Thorpe