Helios Care Announces Winner of the Dr. Yoshiro Matsuo Compassionate Care Award

ONEONTA — At Helios Care’s Grand Oneonta Opry fundraising concert on October 10th Helios Care was proud to announce the recipient of this year’s Dr. Yoshiro Matsuo Compassionate Care Award, an honor recognizing individuals who demonstrate exceptional kindness, empathy, leadership and selfless service to others. 

This year’s Compassionate Care Award Winner is Dr. Carol K. Beechy, Retired MD at Bassett Medical Center, whose commitment to the health of the rural community for over 30 years providing comfort, dignity, and support to patients and their families during challenging times.  Dr. Beechy started and championed the palliative care department at Bassett Medical Center, is a Deacon and Elder at First Presbyterian Church, Member of Cooperstown Area Interfaith Coalition for Social Justice, advocate for community medicine- school based healthcare programs, worked in hospitals in Africa, refugee camps in Sudan, mentored interns at Bassett, volunteered at the food pantry, is active with Otsego Land Trust and OCCA. She has made a lasting impact on her community and the patients she has served.   Dr. Beechy joins the previous winners:  Lisa Schmidt and Dr. Ben Friedell.

In addition to our winner, Helios Care wants to recognize the nominees who made this selection so difficult, as they all are doing outstanding work helping our community.  

The other Nominees:

• Charitie Perkins, West Edmeston: caring for elderly in our community with extreme kindness and compassion.

• Jacqueline Webster, Otsego County, RN, Palliative Care at Bassett Medical Center, advocating for and helping to overcome barriers, streamlining processes for OPWDD patients.

• Joyce Barber, Hobart, Family farm bookkeeper, Stamford Student Scholarships donor, Town of Harpersfield Board, advocate for all in need.   

• Brittany Goodrich, Sherburne, Dir. of Kennedy Willis Center, Pathfinder Village, volunteers/advocates for Ronald McDonald House, the food pantry, teaches Sunday school, chairs Philanthropy Comm. at Christian school, advocates for all individuals

• Kathy Diamond, Cobleskill, Marathon for a Better Life Board, grants supervisor for MFBL. Goes out of her way to assist individuals facing financial hardship.  

• Mike and Carole LaChance, Cooperstown, started seniors’ socialization programming that is now called Connections, Started Men’s Shed, senior citizen advocates- volunteering at church and other local orgs. 

• Virginia Kennedy, Cooperstown, founder of Cooperstown-Oneonta Indivisible, started with 3 people, now over 300- organizing nonpartisan pro-democracy rallies 

• Paula Johnson, Oneonta, RN at Helios Care, patients and their families are supported and treated with compassion- volunteers for HC events, Turkey Trot, and Camp Forget Me Not, Tree of Lights- often attends calling hours or funerals of patients, calls co-workers to support after they lost a patient.

• Daisy Shortsleeve-McMullen, Hobart, Circle of Life scheduler, problem solver, helping all patients with kindness and compassion and goes above and beyond to make patients requests happen. Behind the scenes leader with compassion.

• Carrie Sargent, Otego, HHA at Helios Care, helps the patients in any way she can, helps her co-workers- ready to step in if they need her to take a shift, etc. Always kind and compassionate.

“Each nominee represents the spirit of care and selfless service and leadership that defines Dr. Yoshiro Matsuo and we are grateful to the nominators who worked to present them for the award, Thank you!” Committee Chair Eric Stein.

President and CEO Joan MacDonald, giving Dr. Carol Beechy her award, Connie Jastremski, board member of Helios Care.

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Forgotten Schoharie County - Hauntings at the Bull's Head Inn

A postcard of the Bull's Head

 

By David Avitabile

COBLESKILL - If Mrs. Steacy waits on your table at the Bull's Head Inn, you may want to ask for another waitress.

Though it feels that the Bull's Head was always a restaurant in downtown Cobleskill, that is not the case. In fact, the building, constructed in 1802, is not the first on that location. Mrs. Grace Steacy was a past resident of the Inn when it was a private residence, and, according to many, may still roam the rooms of the stately manor.

The current building that houses the wooden, two-story Bull’s Head Inn was built in 1802 by Seth Wakeman, the same builder of the Beekman Mansion in Sharon Springs, explained the current owner Christopher J. Guldner, on the Bull's Head Inn web page.

The Bull’s Head Inn was built on the site of three previous structures dating back to 1752 when George Ferster built one of the first buildings in Cobleskill, Mr. Guldner wrote. During the American Revolution in the Battle of Cobleskill on May 30, 1778, that home was burned to the ground by Indians (under the command of the Mohawk Chief, Joseph Brant), Tories, and British. Many of the retreating patriots were murdered and scalped with the advancing enemy burning nearly all the settlements in Cobleskill.

The two buildings that followed were also burned then rebuilt during subsequent enemy raids on Cobleskill, one in the spring of 1781, and then one in the fall of the same year. It is from this history of catastrophic destruction on this site that various stories are told of residents perishing in one or more of the fires. It is also stated that an Indian was killed in the building during one of the conflicts. One story in particular centers around a girl in an upstairs bedroom who was too scared to run, froze in terror and perished in the blaze, Mr. Guldner added.

In his book Ghosts of the Northeast, David J. Pitkin noted that the original home was "open to both white settlers and local Indians, but two of the latter became embroiled in an argument, and one stabbed the other to death in the Ferster house."

The last time it was rebuilt it was made into a tavern, and later sold to German immigrant Lambert Lawyer, who turned it back into a home, according to Mr. Pitkin.

After Mr. Wakeman rebuilt and enlarged the home, it was reopened as an Inn. Until 1839, it was also used as a town hall, courthouse, and public meeting place, Mr. Pitkin wrote.

Mr. Guldner noted that shortly thereafter, the Bull’s Head Inn was purchased by Charles Courter to be used as his private residence, and from that time forward, was known as the Courter Mansion. Charles died, supposedly from "nervous exhaustion" in the building on January 1, 1879.

The last private residents of the Bull’s Head Inn were Mr. John Steacy and Mrs. Grace Steacy, Mr. Guldner wrote. John reportedly "thoroughly enjoyed his drink" and Mrs. Steacy was a member of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and loathed drinking. After they passed away, the building was sold by their estate to former village Mayor Monte Allen. In 1966, Mr. Allen reopened the Bull’s Head Inn as a restaurant and added a bar in the home (in the location that was Mrs. Steacy's bedroom, Mr. Guldner noted). Since then, many guests and employees have encountered apparitions and experienced extremely unusual events, attributing the occurrences to Mrs. Steacy. 

Sightings of a woman in a white gown moving typically around the central staircase and upper and lower landings are numerous. Mischievous activities such as food, plates, utensils, and napkins being disrupted, sometimes flying across the room or being knocked to the floor were typical. Door slams and faucets turning on by themselves are examples of recent experiences of the current ownership, Mr. Guldner added.

Mr. Pitkin noted similar stories in his 2002 book.

After Mr. Allen created a dining room and bar in Mrs. Steacy‘s old bedroom, waitresses and bartenders sometimes saw a woman and a long, white filmy gown, perhaps a nightgown, walking through the tables, chairs, and walls of the room, Mr. Pitkin wrote. From time to time, salt and pepper shakers disappeared and pieces of silverware rose from the tables and flew at the bar.

One night around 1981, a bartender was sipping a nightcap after he closed the bar. “Suddenly," the bartender said, "I saw lights on the wall, as though the venetian blinds were opening and closing several times. Then I saw what seemed to be a figure sitting in the corner of the dining room. It appeared to be a woman in a white nightgown," Mr. Pitkin wrote.  

Mrs. Steacy showed her displeasure many times after that.

Napkins and plates sometimes became airborne and strange on locatable sounds more hurt. Lavatory faucets suddenly turn themselves on. Swivel chairs mysteriously revolved by themselves, Mr. Pitkin added.

In the early 1990s, a manager of the restaurant recalled a terrified customer who saw his table butter dish levitate, Mr. Pitkin wrote. She also told of seeing a woman’s reflection behind her in the restroom mirror but when she turned to identify the woman, nobody was there. At various times at the closing, bartenders and staff in a recently built cellar pub have heard footsteps upstairs but never found anyone. 

A hostess "was speechless when an old hand crank telephone on the wall began ringing. No one was near it to turn the crank. It wasn’t hooked up to an outside line, it was just a decoration," Mr. Pitkin wrote.

A waitress once told this reporter in the early 1990s, that one night an upstairs room was being prepped for a function the next day and all the chairs were taken down and the tables were set. The next morning, the staff came in to find all the chairs put back up on the tables.

Former owner Bob Youngs told Mr. Pitkin, "This place is full of history. One night we had a wine tasting party. A man I know, brought his wife and about midway through the party, she left to go into the women’s room. She returned with a smile, saying, 'Gee, Bob, you sure encourage people to think about history. How did you get the idea of putting a costumed woman as an attendant in the restroom?' I just smiled. We had no woman in historical dress, but if I told her that I'd have lost another customer."

Mr. Guldner added, "it is not fully understood what the true source and nature of the haunting of the Bull’s Head Inn is, but what is known, is that people with first-hand experiences are absolutely convinced of what they felt, saw, and/or heard and stay true to their stories. The activity reported does not seem to be violent, but it has definitely gotten people's attention, frightened some, and made some of them believers in the spirit (or spirits) that haunt the Bull’s Head Inn."

On the Bull's Head Inn web page, Mr. Guldner wrote that his statements were "written with benevolent reverence for the structure and spirits that may reside within."

The Bull's Head Inn may not be the only haunted building in Cobleskill, but it may be the most famous. Numerous paranormal groups have investigated the sightings and books and web sites have dedicated space to the hauntings in the Inn.

 

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ASF Announces Winter Lesson and Reservation Schedule

ASF volunteer instructors Mary Wrynn (left) and Caroline Piccolo (right) with their student Liana (center) at Windham Mountain Club
 

 

WINDHAM – The Adaptive Sports Foundation (ASF) has announced its schedule and lesson request dates for the upcoming 2025-26 winter ski and snowboard season.

This winter marks the foundation’s 42nd season of providing adaptive skiing and snowboarding instruction to individuals with cognitive and physical disabilities at Windham Mountain Club, the host mountain and a proud sponsor of the ASF.

The ASF will begin offering lessons the weekend of Dec. 20 and continue weekend lessons through March 22. Midweek lessons will begin Wednesday, Jan. 7, and will be available every Wednesday through Friday until March 13, excluding Wednesday, Jan. 21, and Wednesday, Feb. 18. 

All weekend lesson requests must be submitted 30 days in advance of the desired weekend. Holiday break lessons (Dec. 26–Jan. 2) and winter holiday weekends (Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents Day) each have specific request dates:

Oct. 28 for Holiday Week (Dec. 26–Jan. 2, excluding Jan. 1)

Nov. 4 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day Weekend (Jan. 17–19)

Nov. 11 for Presidents Day Weekend (Feb. 14–16)

These holiday reservation dates are the first booking opportunities of the season. Reservations must be made online at www.adaptivesportsfoundation.org/book-a-lesson.

Additional weekend reservation dates are as follows:

Nov. 20 for Dec. 20–21

Dec. 3 for Jan. 3–4

Dec. 10 for Jan. 10–11

Dec. 24 for Jan. 24–25 (online only – ASF office closed)

Dec. 31 for Jan. 31–Feb. 1

Jan. 21 for Feb. 21–22 (online only – ASF office closed)

Jan. 28 for Feb. 28–March 1

Feb. 7 for March 7–8

Feb. 15 for March 15

Feb. 21 for March 21–22

The 2025-26 season will also include several special events, including the Bob Stubbs Warriors in Motion Winter Sports Weekend, taking place Feb. 5–8, and the Ralph Hartman Tribute Cup, the ASF’s end-of-season celebration, on March 14.

Midweek lessons are available on a limited basis and can be reserved by calling the ASF office at 518-734-5070.

All students must submit an updated participant registration form and liability waiver before requesting a lesson. These forms are available on the “Book a Lesson” page of the ASF website. Students must be at least 5 years old to participate. Please be aware that lessons are not guaranteed, nor are they first come, first served. Lesson availability is based on volunteer instructor availability. 

Lessons are two hours long and may be scheduled for a half-day or full day. Full-day lessons include a one-hour lunch break.

For more information, visit www.adaptivesportsfoundation.org or call 518-734-5070.

 

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Ashland Speaks

By Lula Anderson

The second rainy, nasty Monday has gone and today, Tuesday, is a beautiful, sunny day.  Just came back from Saugerties, and Palenville Mt was beautiful.  Up here, the colors have been pretty drab, but on the Hunter side, there are some spots that are magnificent.  The falls were running thanks to the rain, not gushing, but picturesque.  It makes me wonder why anyone would live anywhere else.  

Yesterday, even though it was  raining (or maybe because it was raining), we had a very successful WAJPL meeting despite our guest speaker not showing up.  There's always something to discuss, and just getting together and meeting with others is such an uplifting thing.  We have a group that likes to laugh, and get along with everyone.  We have about one third men, some of whom come without their wives, One gentleman told me he comes because most of us have a great sense of humor.  One woman showed up to ask if she could speak on something that was verboten, decided to stay and find out what the club was about, wound up becoming a member and winning 50-50.  She was so excited to hear the programs that we put on, always wanted to learn how to do stained glass, and is looking forward to June.  I've told you before, try us, you'll like what you see.

On a further note, trips for 2026 are starting to be planned.  Our big trip this year is to the Virginia International Tattoo.  It's a 4 day 3 night trip From April 16 thru the 19th.  Features a performance of the Virginia International Tattoo Show, reserved seats for the 73rd parade of nations, ANATO Fest activities, plus much more.  The term tattoo derves from the cries of the 17th and 18th century Low Country innkeepers in Scotland who, as the fifes and drums of the local regiment signaled a return to quarters would cry "Doe den tap toe" meaning turn off the taps.  For more information and reservations contact Mary LOuise 18-622-3397.  June 4th we will be going to Proctors to see MOULIN ROUGE and August 4th Elton John Tribute show at the Log Cabin in Holyoke,MA.  For more info, come to our meetings on the first and third Mondays at the Senior Room in the ambulance building starting at 1.  During the winter, we will post club dates and time

Mt Top Golden Agers from TAnnersville are going to Washington for their 4 day trip from June 12 thru the 15th.  For info call Patty at 518-821-8670.  

This Friday and Saturday, the East Jewett ME Church will be the scene of their Autumn Rummage sale.  Hours are Friday: 2=6 and Saturday 9-12.  

Saturday, October 25, there will be a celebratory Square Dance featuring theTremperskill Boys to celebrate 100 years of Hilton Kellys music.It will be held at the Garange Hall on Co Rt 3 in Halcott Center which is 4 miles outside Fleischmanns.  Suggested donation $10  to benefit Halcott UMC building fund.  

November 4th there will be a Brooks chicken BBQ at the Lexington church.  

On November 16th, the VFW of Windham will be holding a breakfast from 8 -12.  Please join them at the hall west of the village of Windham on route 23.   

On November 20, there will be a NY Citizen Preparedness Training Program at the Jewett Municipal Building 3547 rt 23C on November 20th.  To register for this event (required) visit www.prepare.ny.gov.  Look for the schedule of classes, go to November 20 and sign up. 

Due to circumstances beyond their control, Hope Restoration will NOT be holding their annual turkey dinner this year.  

Prayers for David Cunningham, Eric Towse and Nancy Allen.

AS I REMEMBER IT

A couple of weeks ago, my girl, Johanna, sid she had a job tending bar at a bridal shower in Prattsville.  In my time, showers were held at the home of the prospective mom's house, or a close relative, and consited of silly games, a tray of fingerfoods and sandwiches, and punch.  The presents were opened, no scissors or knives could be used to open packages, as it boded bad luck and the ribbons were put on a paperplate to be used as the bouquet at the rehearsal.  Of course, the bride had to wear the ribbons as a hat for pictures.  Gifts were necessities:  a coffee pot, measuring spoons, cups, wastebaskets, towels, sheets.  Nothing too big or expensive, they were wedding gifts (toasters, pots and pans, silverware, dishes).  It seems like yesterday when my parents were celebrated 40 years married.  Andy and I started our life together with a wedding at the Hensonville Methodist church with a wonderful reception at the farm house.  Louise Anthony made a wonderful wedding cake and Barbara Andrus helped with the catering.  Simple fare, but a start to a beautiful life together.  Cost, very nominal.  

We finished the day at Harry Durso's Steak House.  It was a beautiful day as far as weather goes.  The following day, we went to Buffalo where we woke up to snow.  A few days of visiting his family, we hurried off to Keane, New Hampshire to see my family.  Andy was in the Navy and within a few days, left for duty.  

Columbus Weekend is a very popular time to have a wedding in the mountains.  This past weekend there were three that I know of, one was Vicky and Albin's granddaughter.  She wanted to get married in the same church as her grandparents, and parents.

She also had a beautiful wedding!  But the dress cost more than my wedding and "Honeymoon" combined. 

 

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Benefit for Frank and Misty Lockwood Oct. 26

EAST DURHAM — For Frank Lockwood depending on the day and time you met him, it might make a difference for you.

If you met him on a day he was a fireman  rescuing you and your family,  you would see him as the hero he is!

If you met him as a Reverend "Father Frank" at one of his churches, you would see him as the man of God he is.

If you met him with his Brothers of Deathrisin MC, you would see a hardcore biker, and some of you might never take the time to notice how he and his MC brothers help their community by doing many fundraisers and charity work. They do things like raising money for sick children and the Ronald McDonald House every year.

What a man is wearing all too often affects how we see and define that man.

On September 1st, while riding their motorcycle back from Plattsburgh, New York, Frank and his wife, Misty Lockwood were involved in a motorcycle accident. Thankfully and miraculously, they are both going to survive, but they have a very long road of healing ahead of them.

People from all aspects of the community are coming together to put on a benefit to help them out on this long journey of healing.

The benefit will be held at the Blackthorne Resort Bar, 348 Sunside Rd. in East Durham, on Sunday, October 26th, starting at 1pm. There will be a $20 donation, you will get a bracelet, and with that you will get a buffet dinner, live music by Mixtape Revival, lots of raffles, a live auction for larger items, and so much more.

Join us as we come together as a community, to help two great people who have done so much for their community, in their moment of need! 

Benefit for Frank + Misty Lockwood   Blackthorne Resort Bar  DeathRisin MC  Blackthorne Resort

 

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Cairo Democrats Hold Meet and Greet

Cairo Democratic candidates met over the weekend

The Cairo candidate event included a number of refreshments

By Jesse Angelino

CAIRO — The Cairo Democratic Committee recently hosted a meet and greet event at the Cairo Public Library, where community members gathered to meet the party's candidates for the upcoming local elections on November 4. 

The event, held on October 19 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00, provided an opportunity for attendees to engage with the candidates and discuss their plans for potential office. The candidates present included Ted Banta, who is running for Town Supervisor, David Fisher, who is running for Town Board, and Sue Hilgendorf, who is running unopposed for the town's Tax Collector.

Ted Banta, a seasoned politician from the area with experience in local government emphasized the importance of fiscal responsibility, finding solutions to issues with the town's water and sewer systems, and promoting smart choices for growth. He expressed his support for the Cairo comprehensive plan's efforts to revitalize Main Street and the town at large aligning with his own hopes for progressions in local infrastructure, businesses, technology, and accessibilities. 

Banta shared his thoughts on the proposed luxury housing development in Round Top, a scenic hamlet of Cairo, while expressing support for thoughtful growth, Banta emphasized the importance of balancing new opportunities with community needs. “I encourage and love it when new people want to move to our area,” he said, “but you have to be smart about it.” Banta noted that while the town welcomes fresh investment and new neighbors, any development must be pursued in a way that preserves local resources and safeguards the environment. “There’s a type of growth that we’re looking for,” he added, “but we don’t want it to negatively affect our current state—like with water supplies.” 

David Fisher, A native from Cairo who recently returned after a few years away, has highlighted the need for transparency he would like to see in local government. He emphasized the importance of community input when it comes to planning stating, "I want the people's input on governance, not dictatorship."We want to work with you and for you". 

Sue Hilgendorf who is running unopposed for the position as Cairo's Tax Collector, expressed her dedication to her job and her commitment to being helpful to the community. She encouraged voters to focus on the local level not the national when the election takes place stating "Vote for the person, not the party" 

The event provided a platform for attendees to ask questions and engage with the candidates as well as refreshments like donuts, cookies, pretzels, and seltzer being provided, creating a welcoming atmosphere for discussion and debate.

 

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Chasing the Grid: An Ultrarunner's Physical and Spiritual Journey in Pursuit of the Ultimate Mountain Challenge

 

WINDHAM — After a successful career on Wall Street, the Catskill Mountains beckoned.  In Chasing the Grid, author Kenneth Posner, a seasoned corporate worker  and intrepid but non-elite runner, sets out after an ultra-distance mountain running record which nearly destroys him. Along the way, he stumbles upon  an obscure peak-bagging tradition known as the “Grid,” which becomes his  new obsession. Briars and Brambles Books in Windham will host an Author Reading & Book signing Sat. Oct. 25 at 2pm.

The Grid is a project where a determined athlete must run, hike, or climb a  list of peaks in every month of the year, the purpose being to get to know  the mountains intimately, in every season. For New York’s Catskill Mountains, the formula requires more than 400 separate ascents. For Posner,  the Grid turns out to be not just another running challenge; it’s a pilgrimage.  It offers a retreat from the spirit of modern running, often reduced to a one dimensional activity driven by ego and moderated by clocks, in favor of  how our ancestors moved through nature in days gone by––purposefully,  patiently, and mindfully. Posner emerges from the experience as a radically  different kind of runner––now running barefoot across trails and shirtless in  the winter, leaving behind food, water, lights, navigational gear, and even  bug spray. 

By following Posner in his quest to complete the Grid, readers will feel  sandstone fragments under bare soles; pad across a bed of moss as luxurious as a Persian carpet; squelch with him through cool black boreal mud;  dance across snow and ice; and participate in discoveries about the pas sage of time, the energy of nature, and the sense of self. 

About the Author: 

KENNETH POSNER’s running credentials include completing 110 races of  marathon distance or longer and setting fastest known times for the 294- mile Badwater Double in Death Valley and New York’s 350-mile Long Path.  As a barefoot athlete, he has run 112 races, climbed 485 mountains, including every 4,000-footer in the Northeast, and thru-hiked the John Muir  Trail. As board chair for the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and  Run Wild, Inc., he supports land conservation and stewardship and advocates for connecting young people with nature.

 

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Election Law Challenge Upheld - Many Local Races for Shorter Terms as Election Year Shifts

By Matthew Avitabile

ALBANY — Many of New York's local elections will have a crucial difference compared to years past. In 2023, the New York State Legislature passed a law intended to align a number of town and elections with those occurring at the federal level. 

As such, many of the races on the ballot Nov. 4 will result in candidates serving shorter terms of office than in normal circumstances. What would normally do two year terms would instead serve for one year and would again be up for election in 2026. For what would normally be a four year term this year, the candidates would instead serve a three year term and be up for a full term again in 2028. For those running in the 2027 local elections, they would be seeking a three year term.

The decision was upheld by a state Court of Appeals early this month. The unanimous decision ruled that the state law would proceed. 

There are exceptions to the law, including village and local judge elections, in addition to the offices of county clerk, sheriff, and district attorney. 

The move was made in part because of sharp differences in turnout rates for local elections. Election turnout in off-year elections are about half of those in general elections.

 

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Fundraiser for Greene County Historical Society Nov. 16

COXSACKIE — Join the Greene County Historical Society for an afternoon of history and hors d’oeuvres as we raise funds to help preserve and protect the architectural heritage of the Bronck Museum. Greene County Historian Jonathan Palmer will deliver introductory remarks in a short program featuring friends in the local history community.

A designated National Historic Landmark, the Bronck Museum features ten major structures that showcase over 350 years of architectural history. At its heart is Pieter Bronck’s stone house, built in 1663—believed to be the oldest surviving home in upstate New York.

The fundraising party will be held at The Wire Event Center located at 60 South River Street, Coxsackie, NY on Sunday, November 16, 2025 from 1pm - 5pm. To purchase tickets visit https://www.gchistory.org/fundraiser-party. 

To pay by check, please make it payable to GCHS and mail it to: P.O. Box 44, Coxsackie, NY 12051. If you're unable to attend the fundraiser, please consider supporting the Greene County Historical Society with a donation.

 

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Local History by Dede Terns-Thorpe - A Little Edgewood History

This Friday night at 6:00 pm, I, with the Tannersville Librarian, Jackie, will be presenting a slide show of hotels and boarding houses along and near Route 214 Lanesville Rod and Gun Club. Jackie, I, and a group of people are working on a town map to include hotels, boarding houses, and points of interest (libraries, schools, churches, and post offices. We ask anyone with historical information, will share that history. 

An area along Route 214, Edgewood,  was dissolved a long time ago. In fact, after becoming a historian a woman mentioned she was born in Edgewood, and it is no longer a hamlet. I spoke to Cairo's NYS highway superintendent, and he was able to install two Edgewood signs in the approximate proper place. 

I found a little history of Edgewood in an Ulster and Delaware Railroad booklet that gives us some information on the area. 

"Edgewood is 1787 feet above the tide. There are a rattling sawmill and chair-stock factory with a few scattering boarding houses. But Nature's setting will engage your attention more profitably. 

Until this point (on the train through the notch) you have been on the eastern slope of the deep valley, with the Stony Clove creek and the old wagon road far below, and cascades, mills, little churches, schools, and cottages at intervals, where a few acres of almost perpendicular meadows have been reclaimed from the relentless grasp of the great craig. The Notch itself is now just ahead, and the valley contracts suddenly as its throat is approached. There is now a climb of 280 feet to reach the summit in the Notch, and the grade can no longer be evaded or trifled with. There is not much over a mile in which to make the ascent, and you feel, hear, and see that it is uphill."

It said the track and the old wagon road battled for space at the bottom of the gorge, but the road had seniority which was respected!              

After turning south onto Route 214, you'll pass Tannersville Junction, soon called Kaaterskill Junction, then to Higgins Hollow, Stony Clove, Edgewood, and finally, Lanesville. 

Edgewood was a busy area. It had many of the earlier sawmills and watermills, and it was home to the busy Fenwick Lumber Company for many years.

Hopefully this introduces you to the busy little hamlet of Edgewood. 

Dede Terns-Thorpe/Hunterhistorian@gmail.com

 

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