THROUGH OUR EYESThe Mid-Hudson Valley

Volume II: A Continued Reflection of Our History

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Copyright© 2011 • ISBN: 978-1-59725-309-3All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the copyright owner or the publisher.Published by Pediment Publishing, a division of The Pediment Group, Inc. www.pediment.com Printed in Canada

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Foreword

In 1999, the Poughkeepsie Journal produced a book about a momentous event: the new millennium. “The Hudson Val-ley: Our Heritage, Our Future” remains a gorgeous guide to the region present and past.

That foray into book publishing was the Journal’s first. It would not be the last.A few years later, “West Point: Legend on the Hudson” was published, again to good reviews.And in each of the last three years, the Journal has produced books pictorially showcasing the valley’s history. “Mid-

Hudson Memories: A Photographic Retrospective, 1940s-1960s,” “Mid-Hudson Memories: The Early Years, 1880-1939” and “The Mid-Hudson Valley Through Our Eyes: A Pictorial Reflection of Our History” all have been well-received.

The book in your hands is the fourth in our pictorial series, and we warmly welcome you to it. The popularity of the previous books – and the clarion call from readers to produce more – spurred us to do a spring

version in addition to the traditional fall edition. So, yes, during 2011, we’re publishing two books. Part of the reason why: Readers submitted enough photos for us to combine with images from archives to produce two books. Overall, about 500 photos were offered – a tremendous amount considering we only opened our doors for parts of three days to collect images from readers. And we’ve also included photos we were unable to fit in previous books.

Every Journal book has paid tribute to the region’s history – in essence, your history. We’re thrilled that you treasure this critically important component of the mid-Hudson Valley as much as we do.

As we’ve done each year, we dedicate this book to everyone who loves this wonderful region we call home. Thank you for reading. Enjoy.

Barry Rothfeldpresident and publisherPoughkeepsie Journal and PoughkeepsieJournal.comMarch 2011

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Acknowledgements

When the Poughkeepsie Journal started publishing books of historic photos in 2008, we weren’t sure what the response would be.

We figured we’d use hundreds of photos from the Journal’s eight decades of archives. And we asked readers to submit photos, too. We thought we’d receive a few dozen, and we did.

Then, the following year, we announced a second photo book. And the phone started ringing, with folks asking us to print their photos. More than 250 photos were brought in.

And in 2010, when we told readers a third book was in the works, clearly the word was out. About 500 photos – 500! – were provided by readers. The images came from photo albums. Out of picture frames. From boxes in basements. From stacks of forgotten images in closets.

In short, readers have made this book possible. And we thank each and every one of you for that.

Also in the book are Journal photos – some of which haven’t been viewed since the 1920s. Retired Journal copy editor John R. Flanagan and his son Sean Flanagan, as they have for every photo book, spent hours going through dusty envelopes to find treasures for us to publish. They have our deep thanks.

The Journal’s executive editor, Stuart Shinske, took the lead on the book’s content. This entails coordinating the public scanning sessions, choosing photos, arranging the chapter introductions, proofing and more. Having done this for each photo book, he’s now a veteran at this – as is Market Development Manager Jean Harris, who took control of promotion in print and online. In our Circulation Department, Charlene Martin handled phone inquiries and book orders. Barbara Rizek-McGuckin maintained the order database and handled shipping. Janice Katz of our Business Office oversaw finances. And a special thanks goes to Rita Lombardi, the smiling face at our first-floor reception desk. If you pick up this book at the Journal, it’ll likely be Rita handing it to you. But you won’t be the first she’s greeted – Rita has been at the Journal for more than 50 years!

Outside the Journal, we again thank Lynn Lucas, local history librarian at the Adriance Memorial Library in Poughkeepsie. The Adriance has a pre-eminent col-lection of photos, and Lynn’s assistance is greatly appreciated.

For David B. Livshin, taking photos used to be a vocation – he’s a former Pough-keepsie Journal photographer. Now he spends his days as president/CEO of the Fishkill-based Dagar Group, which manages and develops real estate. Photography remains a passion for him, and his archives have some amazing images. He found time to dig out photos from the 1970s to share in this book. A big thanks to you, Dave.

Also making a special effort to assist was Denise VanBuren and her team at Cen-tral Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. Dozens of photos from Central Hudson archives were cheerfully offered to us. Denise, thanks so very much.

As for the book’s production, Poughkeepsie Journal editors wrote the introduc-tions to each chapter. They include Kevin Lenihan, Dan Pietrafesa and John R. Flanagan. We appreciate their hard work. Helping with page proofing were Mike Benischek, Flanagan, Barbara Gallo Farrell, Lenihan, John Nelson, John Penney, Pietrafesa, Dugan Radwin, Molly Salisbury, Bonnie Soto and Phil Strum.

To conclude, I again offer what I wrote in our first history book in 2008: This book is for you – and everyone who holds Dutchess County and the valley in his or her heart. Enjoy.

Barry Rothfeldpresident and publisherPoughkeepsie Journal and PoughkeepsieJournal.comMarch 2011

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Table of Contents

Transportation......................................................................................................... 7

Views.&.Street.Scenes........................................................................................... 19

Commerce.&.Industry.......................................................................................... 31

Community........................................................................................................... 51

Education.............................................................................................................. 71

People.................................................................................................................... 85

Recreation.&.Celebration................................................................................... 123

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Transportation

The typical Hudson Valley resident likely stared with amazement at those newfangled creations.Yes, trains and steamboats were modern innovations in the mid 19th century. Why, only decades before, horse-drawn

wagons and sailing ships were the best way to get goods – and people – to new places.Still, despite the advances, all was not easy. Roads were few, rough and narrow – muddy at times, dusty at others. Getting

around Dutchess County remained a chore most frequently accomplished by walking or riding horseback. And trips to New York City and Albany from the valley? Plan on using the better part of a day for that commute.

But inventors and entrepreneurs weren’t happy. They saw opportunity. Their key goals were eminently clear: Invent things to ease the burdens of everyday life.

And they did.Soon, railroad spurs through central and eastern Dutchess County would aid getting farm goods to market from Miller-

ton, Millbrook and other rural communities. The reward was clear, too: New markets and industry meant more money. But as each evolutionary step took hold, more were in the offing. Indeed, residents surely couldn’t fathom some of the

advances that would transform the next 100 years: High-speed trains. Huge ocean-going freighters and tankers docking in Poughkeepsie and other Hudson River ports. Cars in nearly every driveway. Superhighways that would seemingly jet you from place to place. And airports that offered a diet of options to whisk you around the globe in hours.

A far cry, indeed, from those dusty thoroughfares that helped spawn the mid-Hudson Valley we know today.

LeFT: The merging of the two bridge sides during construction of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge in 1888. Courtesy Walkway Over The Hudson, photographer unknown

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LeFT Top & BoTTom: Construction of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge in 1888. Courtesy Adriance Memorial Library, Local History Collection

opposiTe: Construction of the railroad bridge begins to take shape in 1888. Courtesy Adriance Memorial Library, Local History Collection

BeLow: The Poughkeepsie Eagle, a forerunner of the Poughkeepsie Journal, published this special section for the opening of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge in 1889. Courtesy Poughkeepsie Journal Archives

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ABove: The yacht “Ella” was built for Dr. C.D. Miller in Poughkeepsie, circa 1873. Courtesy Adriance Memorial Library, Local History Collection

Top RighT: The Hudson River day line steamer “Chauncey M. Depew” near Poughkeep-sie, early 1900s. Courtesy Larry White

BoTTom RighT: The view looking east from the railroad bridge, now the Walkway Over The Hudson. Courtesy Adriance Memorial Library, Local History Collection

BeLow: The steamboat “Robert Fulton” under the Poughkeepsie bridge, early 1900s. Courtesy Adriance Memorial Library, Local History Collection

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LeFT: Engine No. 1 of the Poughkeepsie, Hartford and Boston Railroad at the Smith Street yard in Poughkeepsie, circa 1885. This railroad ran through Dutchess County from Poughkeepsie to Boston Corners in Columbia County and back southeast to Mil-lerton. The railroad started as the Poughkeepsie and Eastern, went bankrupt in 1874 and was reorganized as the Pough-keepsie, Hartford and Boston. The company went broke again in 1886, then continued as the New York and Mass- achusetts Railway until 1893, when it was reorganized and renamed the Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway. It was fi-nally taken over by the Central New England Railroad in 1907. It was gradually discontinued and the last tracks were taken up in 1938 and sold as scrap to Japan. Courtesy Dieter Friedrichsen

BoTTom: One of the first trains over the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge, 1889. Courtesy Walkway Over The Hudson and Peter Carr

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ABove: Construction of the Mid-Hudson Bridge in the 1920s. Courtesy Adriance Memorial Library, Local History Collection

Top LeFT: Charles Spencer, father of Mildred S. DiPleco, Poughkeepsie, 1900. Courtesy Mildred S. DiPleco

LeFT: The docks and the Hendrick Hudson dayliner in Poughkeepsie, early 1900s. Courtesy Larry White

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ABove: Charles Simonson, chauffeur for Laura Jay Edwards, with her new 1926 Willis-Knight auto to be used on her trip to France, Spain, Morocco, Tunis, Monte Carlo and Switzerland for 2½ years. Laura Jay was the great-grand-daughter of John Jay, governor of New York and first chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Photo circa 1927. Courtesy Charles E. Simonson

Top LeFT: Friends out for a ride in New Hamburg, circa 1915. Courtesy Adriance Memorial Library, Local History Collection

LeFT: Al and Helen Daniels at College Hill in the City of Poughkeepsie in a Pierce Arrow in the late 1930s. Courtesy John Daniels

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ABove: William “Bill” Monahan, a brakeman on the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, circa 1930. Courtesy Bryan Tobias

ABove LeFT: Ethel Pride (Trethewey) on a train at the Poughkeepsie Train Station in the 1930s. Her dad, Oscar Pride, was the engineer. Courtesy Carol Beck

LeFT: Tony Silvestri shows off his first car, purchased for $25, circa 1949. Courtesy Carol Broadwell

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LeFT: The first Volkswagen Beetle sold in Dutchess County, circa 1950. Mary Gray Swanson was the proud owner. It was cream colored with red leather seats. She waited six months for it to come and it cost $1,500. Courtesy Coleen McCarthy

BoTTom LeFT: Lillian Cecilia Andreozzi, left, and Patty Robins waiting for a ride in an old Ford. Courtesy Lillian Cecilia Andreozzi

BeLow: A group in front of a charter bus that was driven by Raymond Boubeau Sr., a Poughkeepsie resident and bus driver for the Roy V. Knapp Charter Bus Co., 1950s. Courtesy Linda Ritch