Hoosick Township Historical SocietyOctober 2013 Newsletter Louis Miller Museumwww.hoosickhistory.com 518-686-4682Editor: Phil Leonard Director: Charles Filkins

**************************************************************Statistics for 1908/Old Mans Club 1913

Old Man’s Club of the Town of Hoosick was formed around 1913. It had two groups: those in the seventies anda group in the eighties. They met at the original Battlefield park built just off Cottrell Road by the trolley company.They had officers and met several times a year. Recently I came upon interesting statistics of 1908 which explainedsome of reasons old age was celebrated. Life expectancy was 47 years. The other statistics were veryinteresting and hard to believe in2013.

Only 14 % of homes had bathtubs.Only 8% of homes had a telephone.There were only 8,000 cars and 144miles of paved roads.The average wage was 22 cents perhour and the average worker earnedbetween $200 and $400 per year.An accountant expected to earn$2,000, a dentist $2,500, a mechanicalengineer $5,000.Sugar cost four cents a pound, eggswere fourteen cents a dozen andcoffee was fifteen cents a pound. Morethan 95 % of all births took place athome.90% of doctors had no collegeeducation. They attended so calledmedical schools.The American flag had 45 stars.The population of Las Vegas, NV wasonly 30.Crossword Puzzles, canned beer, andice tea hadn’t been invented.There was no Mother’s Day orFather’s Day.Two out of every 10 adults couldn’tread or write. Only six percent of allAmericans had graduated from highschool.Marijuana, heroin, and morphine wereall available over the counter at thelocal drugstores. The ads read:“Heroin clears the complexion, givesbuoyance to the mind, regulates thestomach and bowels, and is, in fact, aperfect guardian of health.”Five leading causes of death were:1. Pneumonia and influenza2. Tuberculosis3. Diarrhea4. Heart Disease5. Stroke.

Railroads in Hoosick Falls by Charles Filkins

The Troy and Boston Railroad was the first railroad to pass through Hoosick Falls arriving in 1853. However, the railroad through Hoosick Falls did not extend far enough beyond the village to operate trains. Levi Chandler Ball and George Tibbits were Railroad Board members and horse pulled car running from Hoosick Junction to the village was put in service.

This is a crop from an early photo of Hoosick Falls showing the first depot in the 1850s. Note the trees and open fields. In time a street would run right of the depot and the American house would be built on the far side of the street.

The view above is from the 1879 village drawing. The American House (14) is in the center of the drawing. Next to the tracks on School Street across from the American House is the depot now surrounded by other buildings. The building above the “SCH” was the school. Elm Street ran from Main Street to Church Street. School Street ran from Church Street to the Railroad. East Street ran from the Railroad to Fourth Street. Today these streets are all Elm Street.

This shows repair work after a flood around the Boston, Hoosac Tunnel and Western depot in what is now the volley ball court on John Street. The depot building is behind the power pole. (It is now on John Street.) By 1888 the Fitchburg Railroad had acquired both railroads. The Fitchburg started as a railroad from Boston to Fitchburg. This railroad acquired other railroads westward until their network reached from Boston to Brattleboro, Troy and Schenectady. The Fitchburg kept the both depots while operating the railroads with separate east and west bound tracks. In 1902 the Fitchburg was one of several Boston railroads that merged into a new Boston & Maine Railroad (B&M).

In 1903 the B&M built a new two level station where the railroad tracks crossed. As autos dominated travel by the mid 1900s, the railroads abandoned passenger train service. The depot was torn down in 1958. With only freight traffic, the double tracks were excess. The Boston, Hoosac Tunnel and Western tracks were removed and the railroad bed abandoned, now becoming the Greenway.

What’s in a Name? by Corinne Eldred

In 1786 there were but two highways within the village limits, Main Street on the east side of the river, and River Road on the west side. As the population increased, so did the need for more signage, making the delivery of goods and services easier. We thought it might be fun to take a look at some of the names given to streets, avenues and lanes in the village, and find the stories behind them. As you will see, some of the bios are quite lengthy, while others are minimal; some stories will be familiar and others you will read for the first time. Hopefully, all will be interesting.

Part 1 Gillespie Street - Chester and Nelson Gillespie were natives of Johnstown, NY, who came from Troy to Hoosick Falls. Chester started a dry goods store on John Street in 1881and Nelson joined him in 1883. The Gillespie Brothers moved the store into the new Cheney Block on the corner of Main and Classic Streets in 1887. They added more lines and soon expanded into two additional sections of the block and were the leading department store for many years.

Danforth Street & Geer’s Hollow Lane – Asahel Clark “AC” Geer came to Hoosick Falls to join the executive staff of the Walter A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Machine Company. His son Asahel Danforth Geer (who went by his middle name) became the president of the Wood Company from1907 to 1923 when it entered dissolution. Geer owned the area around the Geer’s Hollow ravine where you leave the village. Beckett Street - James A. Beckett was born in Ireland and came to this country at an early age, locating in Hoosick Falls. For a long time he was Superintendent of the Walter A. Wood Company. Mr. Beckett’s home was a showplace on Church Street, where the Cumberland Farms store is now located. In 1918 he left the Wood Company to join the War

Department as a production engineer at its Rochester office which covered all New York State except the New York City area. Later he settled in Lansingburgh and was assistant engineer of the American Malleable Association, with headquarters at Cleveland OH. He died in 1923. Munsell Street - In 1807 Hezekiah Munsell, Jr. settled in Hoosick Corners, and later moved to the village. During his long and useful life, he filled such roles as Justice of the Peace, master in chancery, author and schoolmaster. He also served as Village Clerk and practiced law for many years. Squire Munsell was a man of fine education and a popular and useful citizen. He had a wide acquaintance with the prominent statesmen and politicians of his time. He was the legal advisor of more than half the village. He owned and lived on a lot of seven acres on the west side of High Street until he died in 1858. Abbott Street - Joel Abbott was a descendent of George Abbott who came to America in the 1600’s. Joel came to Hoosick Falls from New London, CT in 1774 with Isaac Turner. They were partners in the blacksmith business and were the first to use waterpower at the falls to drive their trip hammer. About 1795 Abbott moved to Athens, OH. Rowley Avenue - Dr. Homer S. Rowley was one of the longest practicing dentists in the village. He was born in Fultonville, NY in 1880 and was the son of Charles W. Rowley, a Methodist minister. He graduated from Philadelphia Dental College in 1903 and came to Hoosick Falls in 1904. He spent the rest of his life here and was very active in church and civic affairs. He held many offices in the Methodist Church on Main Street and at the time of his death, he was an elder at the First United Church. He was a past exalted ruler of the Elks

Club, a charter member of the Kiwanis Club, a trustee of the Cheney Library, VP of the Permanent Savings and Loan Association, member of the Board of Education, a member of the NY Dental Society, a village trustee and chairman of the village water committee. He and his family lived at 35 High Street. He died in May of 1951.

Parsons Avenue – In 1807 Seth Parsons of East Hampton, Long Island came to Hoosick Falls and for thirty-six years was the leader in every movement for the betterment of the village and its people. He bought three acres of land on the west side of Main Street where he built a house, which was later moved to Second Ward. He later built a new home on High Street where St. Mary’s Academy is today with his house in the area of the gymnasium. Mr. Parsons engaged in manufacturing machinery, and the industries which he carried on were the main stay of the people of the village for many years. He was the first postmaster, a Justice of the Peace, and the first president of the village. After his death in 1845, his work for the welfare of the village was carried on by his son-in-law, Levi Chandler Ball.

Harter Lane - Doctors. Fred and Mildred (Pine) Harter operated a general practice of osteopathic medicine in the village for 46 years. The Harters met while they studied osteopathy in Philadelphia. The couple married after graduation. After a couple of moves, the Harters settled on Classic Street. It was this home, (the former Wilder House) where the Harter’s raised their family and practiced osteopathy. The one-way Wilder Lane located between Wilder Ave. and Classic Street, on the side of the Cheney Library was renamed Harter Lane. Their house still sets on the corner facing Classic Street

Wilder Avenue - Lyman Wilder was born in Brattleboro, VT and came to Hoosick Falls in 1826. He was a skillful architect and builder who built the first Presbyterian Church in what was then a pasture, lying beyond the settled portion of the village on Main Street. The church (on what is now the Youth Center lot) was the first building on Church Street. Wilder purchased Hial Parsons share of machine shop where Walter A. Wood received the training taking him from a journeyman to a master mechanic. Wilder later purchased Seth Parson’s share to become the sole owner until his death in 1885. Mr. Wilder served as a Member of Assembly in 1854, and was a Director of the Troy & Boston Railroad. He was a lover of nature, and during his life, collected a fine mineral collection which he displayed in an octagon building known as Wilder’s Cabinet. After he died his son turned his farm into a housing development with a street going south from Classic Street (now Harter

Lane) and then east up the Hill (Wilder Avenue) to Abbott Street. Later Wilder Avenue was extended to Main Street and the early road to Classic Street became Wilder Lane.

Ball Street - In 1833 Levi Chandler Ball married Marcia Parsons (Seth Parsons’ daughter) and settled in Hoosick Falls after a successful venture in New Orleans, LA. He built a beautiful brick home which still stands on the corner of Parsons and High Street. In 1837 he built the Phoenix Hotel on the corner of Main and Classic Streets. The Phoenix Hotel was the finest in this part of the country, and helped to attract travel through Hoosick Falls. At the same time, he moved High Street further east and rearranged the Classic Street-High Street intersection and extended Classic Street up the hill. In 1842, he donated land and money to build Ball Academy on Classic Street. It was an impressive brick building and one of the first academies in the state. Mr. Ball was President of the village for 12 terms in the 36 years he lived here. Throughout his life, he used his wealth for the betterment of Hoosick Falls.

Harriet Hoctor

Harriet Hoctor, famous ballet dancer, was born in Hoosick Falls,

New York on September 25, 1905. She was the daughter of Timothy and

Elizabeth Kearney Hoctor. The family lived at 148 Church Street, Hoosick

Falls. Harriet was one of four children.

She started dancing at a young age and

appeared in local minstrel shows that were put on

in the area. She appeared in the annual Walter A.

Wood Company Minstrels to benefit the Hoosac

Chapter American Red Cross, held on May 13 andth

14 , 1918 at age 13. The program for this show is found in the Louis Millerth

Museum.

At age 12, her aunt Annie Kearney took Harriet to New York City to

study dance. Annie Kearney would act as her chaperon as she traveled the

country in vaudeville. She played in famous vaudeville theaters like the Palace,

Roxy and Paramount in New York City as well as the Hippodrome in London.

Harriet shared billing with such performers as Jack Benny, George Jessel, Bill Robinson and George

and Gracie Allen. She studied ballet with famous teachers in the United States

and London.

In 1920, Harriet had her Broadway debut in the chorus of the Jerome

Kern musical “Sally.” Her ballet roles included “Topsy and Eva” 1924-26, “A La

Carte” in 1927, “The Three Musketeers” in 1927, “Show Girl” in 1929, and

“Simple Simmon” in 1930. In 1931-32 she appeared in London. She danced in

“Dying Swan” at Rockefeller Center in 1932. She went on to dance in the

Ziegfeld Follies. In 1936 she danced in the movie “The Great Ziegfeld,” and in

1937 danced in the movie, “Shall We Dance” with Fred Astaire and Ginger

Rogers.

In the beginning of the 40's she danced and

choreographed revues for Bill Rose’s Night Club

“The Diamond Horseshoe.” In 1945, she started a Ballet School in Boston

which she ran and taught full time until 1974. Resumes of more recent

ballerinas state that they studied under Harriet Hoctor. The school was

known around the world.

She was interviewed in 1930 where she stated, “People thought I was

meant to be a dancer when I was a child because I could take my hair

ribbons off with my feet.” She was double jointed and was able to dance on

her toes as she arched her back until her long hair could touch the floor. She

was able to travel the length of the stage in this position. When she danced

in the Ziegfeld Follies in Boston, the newspapers gave her rave reviews. For

example: Boston Traveler, “Harriet Hoctor, who appears much too seldom, has one memorable

opportunity to display her exquisite grace in “Night Flight”: Boston Post, “ Harriet Hoctor, the lovely

ballerina, was lovely as ever and effective as always: Boston Globe, “Miss Hoctor’s best moment is

when she holds the stage by herself in the impressionistic dance called ‘Night Flight’ .”

She danced into the late 40's and taught at her Ballet school in Boston until 1974 when she

retired. She moved to Lortan, VA and died in Virginia on June 11, 1977. Her body was brought back to

Hoosick Falls, and she is buried in the St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Tim Hoctor and family

In the Movies

Hoctor HomeAcross from Stewart’s

Parents of Harriet Hoctor