Granville Then & Now – September 7, 2023

By Erik Pekar

The new school year starts this week, and turning the pages back, we find it was also starting at this time of year in 1923. School quality was improving, as evidenced from this article that appeared in the September 7, 1923 issue of the Granville Sentinel: "The Granville schools opened Tuesday with 170 students un the high school and 730 in the grades in the Church street, Mason house and Annex schools. The public should know that the board of education is making a very close study of the school work. Under the determined efforts of Dr. Munson, president of the board, the standard of the work has been very markedly increased. In presenting the diplomas last June at graduation, he called attention to the fact that every student who was being graduated had completed 72 regents' counts. It has been a long time since this high standard was reached.

"Last year a complete survey was made by experts from the state Educational department and many recommendations were made. This year it is expected that all of these will be complied with. The regents' standards of the state have been adopted by the board and under the direction of Prof. Snyder the four years of high school work is being rapidly brought to a comprehensive and progressive course of study. Post graduate work for the teachers has been very strongly suggested by the board and has been very favorably responded to by the teachers who have the proper professional spirit.

"The coming year more attention is to be paid to the supervision in the grades and especially to the question of uniformity and correlation. In this work Dr. Munson is showing intelligent and effective work. He is seeking efficiency and not catering to sentiment.

"The board has made a study of the school requirements in Granville and the Sentinel bespeaks the support of the public for this effort to give Granville the progressive and well rounded school system which we should have."

+++

Pawlet's local-personal mention column had several items of interest.

A nonagenarian is honored with a birthday commemoration: "Sunday, September 2, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Mason, a party of friends and relatives assembled to honor Mrs. Mason's father, John Alexander, who will be ninety-two years of age September 11. Mr. Alexander is and has always been one of Pawlet's staunchiest citizens, with a kindly word and pleasant smile for all, an exceptionally retentive memory and a most interesting man to visit with regarding conditions of the early days. He is an intelligent man who has read a great deal and kept up with the times. Those present at the anniversary besides the honored guest and Mr. and Mrs. Mason were Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Mound, a daughter of Mrs. Alexander, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mound and daughter Pauline of Poultney, Mr. and Mrs. Rollin Alexander of Pawlet, Mrs. Mary Hatch Jones and daughter Florence of Granville and Clifford Mound, Mrs. Eugene Howe, the Misses Ida and Nellie Howe of Glens Falls."

A business change was made: "Florence Lackey has disposed of her store, and is now presiding over the central wire at the telephone office."

An item of visitors: "Mr. and Mrs. Charles Shinn, who have been in town several weeks, left for home Sunday going down with Mr. Shinn, sr., in his car." We wonder if they were any relation to Charlie Shinn, the original owner of the Station Restaurant in Pawlet.

Pawlet students were entering high school: "Julia and Eleanor Foote entered the Granville high school Tuesday and Edward Leach and Cecil Dodge plan to go to Burr and Burton Seminary in Manchester, when the season begins." It is interesting to see that, even in 1923, there were some locals on the Vermont side who passed up the great opportunity of attending the local Granville High School and took the long trip to Manchester.

+++

Some of the items being sold by means of the Sentinel's classifieds in 1923: Curiously, there were not classified beyond "for sale" and "wanted". In the first group of classifieds, most of the entries were for sale, including the following: "horse, wagon, harness and sleigh"; "fumed oak davenport and a golden oak parlor table"; "square piano"; "pair of horses"; "six grade Holstein cows"; "15 hp IHC engine, 9 hp auto engine, Saxon six automobile and 12 good cows"; "nearly new silo, 14x24"; registered Holstein bull for heavy service at my farm in Hartford"; "a two family house, hardwood floors, all modern improvements, garage, all newly painted, also extra lot"; "good, gray team", "Empire milking machine, little used, at less than half price," "Premier cream separator, almost new"; "three houses with all modern improvements on North and Pine streets"; "demonstration car Hupmobile, 4-passenger coupe"; "house with modern improvements including electric lights and a good barn"; "the property of the late Ellen Morrissey on Pine street, nine-room house and one acre of land"; "one car, Guernsey grade, five years old", "five ewes, pure blood Shropshire", "ten R.I. Red pullets, hatched early"; "two registered yearling bulls ready for service", "3 year old Percheron colt"; "one Green Mountain silo 10x28 with 4 foot extension red cedar hip roof"; "New bungalow in a fine location on shore of Lake St. Catherine."

Most of the items above either would be easily recognized as cars, bulls, silos, real estate, or other items if they were classified today, even with the same text. It is unlikely that one would see farm animals, or car names such as Saxon or Hupmobile, in a 2023 classified ad. On the other hand, one may not know the "oak davenport" referred to a wooden desk, and we have no idea what was being referenced by the "good, gray team".

+++

Returning to the village, we notice that a water advisory was issued: "Water in the river from which the village of Granville obtains its water supply is very low and at such times is contaminated to a greater degree than when the supply is normal. On account of the prevalence of diarrhoea, stomach and intestinal disturbances it is advisable to boil all water used for drinking or culinary purposes. – D.C. McKenzie, Health Officer." This is not an issue today, as the Village of Granville has not used a drop of river water for over 80 years, instead utilizing wells. It should also be noted that in 1923 there was only a primitive sewer system used by Main Street and a few surrounding streets, and without any treatment plant. A modern sewer system was installed in most of the village in the late 1920s, with expansion to cover the entire village being completed by 1970.

+++

The low water in the Mettowee in Granville was also affecting the river downstream, as evidenced from this item in the Truthville column from the same issue: "The Adirondack Light & Power company's plant has closed for the present owing to low water in the river."

+++

Concluding this week's column, summer is coming to a close, and in 1923 the summer season at Lake Saint Catherine was also near its close. People were to leave soon: "Most of the cottagers, who have children in school, will leave this week for home." Dances were coming to a close as well: "The Forest House and Idylwild Park have held the last dances of the season."

Granville Then & Now – August 24, 2023

Water carnival was held at Lake St. Catherine

By Erik Pekar

Going back to the August 24, 1923 issue of the Granville Sentinel, we find that the water carnival mentioned last week had been held, and was a success: "The first annual water carnival staged by the Lake St. Catherine association was witnessed by a record crowd Wednesday afternoon. President Marden and Charles Kitchell of the recreation committee said they were going to 'put Lake St. Catherine on the map' and they did it. The notice of the event was short but, nevertheless, many boats were superbly decorated and the crowd present showed that all roads led that afternoon to the lake. Hundreds of cars were parked about the Forest House and Idylwild Park grounds and the spectators constituted one of the largest assemblages ever witnessed at the lake. The Granville band furnished music. It was feared that the heavy wind in the early part of the day might interfere with the success of the occasion but weather conditions improved by noon. The feature of the day was the parade of decorated boats for which prizes were awarded... The judges of the decorated boat parade were Myron Roberts, F.W. Barrett, O.W. McShane, D.D. Woodard and H.J. Stevens, who had a most difficult task in deciding on the winners, as great merit was noticeable in each and every entry."

Prizes were awarded in several fields, including decorations of motor boats, canoes, rowboats; for races of motor driven rowboats, canoe singles and doubles, rowboat singles and doubles; swimming races for boys and girls, split to under 10, 10 to 15, and over 15 years of age; bowling, men and women; dancing, men and women.

Sponsors of prizes included Rudd Electric, Granville Sentinel, F. and B. Center Company, Ellis and Jones, Weinberg Hardware Company, F.G. Barrett, McHenry and Roberts, Lawler's Market, Hayes' Market, Bascom's Furniture Store, Mrs. Lewis' grocery, Olson's Ice Cream Parlor, Mason's Gift Shop, Granville Candy Kitchen, Minch's New York Store, Lasher's Drug Store, C.L. Streeter, B. Goldberg, McShane's Drug Store, A. and P. store, N. Goldberg and Son, Bastedenbeck's cigar store, Quinn's Hardware store, Granville Candy Land, Rigali and Bernardini, Williams' Bakery, McDonald's store, The Ladies Store, Haskins' Drug Store, Craig Weir, Wilson Clothing store, Adams and Snyder, Granville Electric and Gas company, Sweet's shoe store, Bertilino's Fruit Store, Evans' Drug Store.

Many of the businesses were based in Granville. Some were in Poultney, such as McShane's Pharmacy and Bertilino's. The Lewis grocery mentioned above was likely Bertha Lewis' general store in Wells.

+++

A Granville business modernized part of their business: "Warden H. Lasher, the Rexall druggist, has added a new National electric cash register to his store, which makes it one of the most up-to-date drug stores in Northern New York. Mr. Lasher is awake to the times and his growing business."

+++

Some farmers were wondering about a pest: "The Sentinel recently referred to the disappearance of the potato bug. Several farmers have written the Sentinel asking that it present another question: what has become of the grasshoppers? It is claimed that no one has seen a grasshopper this season. But there is always another bug to take the place of those that disappear. Now it is a grub that is destroying the corn and potato crop."

+++

A recent post on social media by a Granville-affiliated page contained a brief three paragraph history of Granville in 1920. While some elements are accurate, others are wrong and contrary to the historical record.

The brief history was written as follows: "In 1920, Granville had a population of approximately 2,600 people. The downtown area featured a number of small businesses, including general stores, bakeries and business shops.

"The Granville Theater was a popular entertainment venue, (which) along with local churches and civic provided community events.

"Transportation was limited to horse and buggy, automobiles, and the trolley system that ran from Granville to nearby communities like Whitehall and Rutland, Vermont."

Breaking down the brief history, the first paragraph is mostly accurate. There is scant record of a bakery operating in Granville in 1920, but there was indeed one. The May 21, 1920 issue of the Sentinel had an item in a local mention column: "Mr. Glass of Schuylerville, who made several trips to Granville with regard to opening a large bakery, has decided not to come. Granville already has an excellent bakery." The June 25, 1920 issue had in the personal mention column the following item: "John Davies of Elm street has a position in the Granville bakery for the summer. Thomas O. Jones and Sons of Middle Granville had an advertisement in the July 9, 1920 issue mentioning they were selling "Granville Bakery Bread". The bakery itself did not advertise in the Sentinel that year, if ever at all.

The general idea of second paragraph is accurate in that the theaters and churches provided events to be frequented by community members. There was, however, no business called the "Granville Theater" in Granville in 1920, a name only used here by a country music venue in the early 1980s. Granville did have two theaters in 1920. The Pastime Theater was located on the lot where Heavenly Hair is now. The Pember Theater was on the site of the municipal parking lot at the corner of Main and Church Streets, with frontage to Main Street. The latter was earlier known as the Pember Opera House, and was often used to house conventions, regional meetings of civic groups and fraternal organizations, and hosting the Granville high school's yearly graduation commencement program.

The third paragraph is somewhat accurate, in that there were automobiles, but horses and buggies still were common sights around Granville. The claim of an operating trolley is outright wrong, however. There were proposals to route a trolley from Whitehall to Granville, and another on to Lake Saint Catherine and on to Poultney. None of the lines were built, and no trolley ever reached Granville. The nearest trolley line actually built was one connecting Poultney and Rutland.

The inaccurate brief history of Granville in 1920 has no bearing on the page on which it was posted. It is perplexing how the social media manager could have mixed up the information. It is possible that some of the information could have been for another Granville other than ours in New York, such as Ohio or Massachusetts. We hope that in the future that the social media manager does more due diligence in their research of local history of Granville, New York for their Granville connected page.

Granville Then & Now – August 17, 2023

Last year, in the June 9, 2022 issue, we wrote in "Granville Then and Now" of the owners of Main Street stores, eateries, and offices in the 1960s. At that time, there were two living retired merchants surviving from that era: John Belemjian and John Norton. Belemjian died earlier this year, of which we wrote about in this column. The death of John Norton last month removes the last surviving of the merchants of the Main Street stores of the 1960s.

Norton's involvement in community functions was numerous. He was an owner of Wilson's Clothing, and later had a painting and contracting business with his son. He served as village trustee in the 1960s and again in the 2000s, and as village mayor in the late 1960s. At the time of his death he was a member of the town planning board, a position to which he was appointed in 2001. Norton was a member of several organizations, including the Granville Rotary Club, the Granville Chamber of Commerce, the Knights of Columbus, the American Legion, and the VFW.

Norton raised his family in Granville, eight children with his wife Noreen. They were also friendly and welcoming to the neighborhood children: first the "Pine Hill Gang" when they lived on Pine Street, then another group after they moved to North Granville. In later years both displayed the same hospitality to their grandchildren and other relations and neighbors.

John Norton left a positive mark on the Granville community, one which has had a lasting impact. He will be missed, but he will be remembered for a long time. In our biography of him last year, we concluded in part with the following: "(John) Norton is certainly someone who contributed to Granville being a great place. He can look back on his efforts towards bettering Granville with a sense of pride and accomplishment." We can say that he did, and that his family can reflect with fond memories and pride that he was a true Granville booster who was determined, whenever possible, to take action for the betterment of his hometown of Granville.

+++

Going back to the Granville Sentinel of August 17, 1923, we find there were some news items coming from Lake Saint Catherine in that 1923 issue. A different sort of carnival was being planned: "The recreation committee of the Lake St. Catherine Association is arranging for a water carnival for Wednesday, August 22, at the Idylwild Forest House section of the lake. All the cottagers with guests and friends and the townspeople of Poultney, Wells and Granville are cordially invited to come and enjoy the day. A program is being planned of races, sports and a water parade of all kinds of boats, a feature of which will be the decorated section. The merchants of the nearby towns have generously given many beautiful and useful things which will be awarded as prizes. A full list of them with the names of their donors will be published in a later report of the event. The Granville band will give a concert and music for free dancing at the Forest House from 3 to 6 o'clock."

Dances, ever the popular social event for locals in 1923, were being held: "The private dance which was held by the members of the Lake St. Catherine Association Saturday evening at the Forest House was a delightful affair and was largely attended. All lake cottagers are included in the association, which was recently organized, and its success will mean the erection of a club house. Dances will be held every Saturday night; a children's dance from 8 to 9 o'clock. The main object of these dances is that cottagers may get better acquainted with each other."

In columns earlier this year we mentioned the island, the building of the footbridge connecting the island to the mainland, and the sunken island. With this column we mention another name associated with the lake, named in this item: "Roy Williams of Granville is building an addition to his cottage at Horseshoe bay."

+++

A picnic was announced in the same issue: "Granville Mettowee grange and Pawlet Mettowee Valley grange, will hold a picnic Monday, August 20, at the Forest House, Lake St. Catherine. All grangers, their families and friends are cordially invited. Sports, a ball game and a good dinner will be the features of the day. In the evening there will be a dance, with both round and square figures. Juckett's orchestra will furnish the music. The committee in charge will buy the rolls and the picnicers are to bring the good things for the tables. A way will be provided for the members of Granville grange who have no conveyance. Notify Leon C. Tooley."

+++

This Middle Granville news item had a connection to Lake Saint Catherine: "The DeKalb family reunion was held at Idylwild Park, Lake St. Catherine, Tuesday of last week with thirty-six in attendance. Members from Middle Granville and Raceville were present. A beautiful day at the lake and an excellent dinner is worthy of the efforts one takes to leave cares for awhile to get together for reuniting friendships and recreation. The day was thoroughly enjoyed by all."

+++

A Granville woman gained a prominent position overseeing the rural schools of a portion of Washington County: "Mrs. Lena M. S. Brown was officially notified Tuesday afternoon, after the board of directors had held a meeting, that she was unanimously elected superintendent of the rural schools of this district. Mrs. Brown succeeds Mrs. Emily Devine-Cronkhite, who resigned. Mrs. Cronkhite was a most faithful worker and accomplished results that ere entirely satisfactory. The Sentinel can assure the public that Mrs. Brown will put forth every effort for a successful administration, which will not be second to her predecessor in any way."

+++

A change of management was happening to a component of a Granville business: "D.R. Haskins has sold his soda fountain after operating it in his store for over forty years." The fountain eventually closed, as an advertisement in 1939 announced that Haskins' Drug Store was opening a soda fountain counter.

Granville Then & Now – August 10, 2023

By Erik Pekar

School board meetings sometimes get the public interest, and sometimes are practically ignored. The latter result also occurred a century ago, as reported in the August 10, 1923 issue of the Sentinel: "The annual meeting of school district 7 of the town of Granville was held Tuesday evening in the high school building with only about a dozen persons present. S.E. Everts acted as chairman. The report of the finances for the year as well as the estimated report of the expenditures for the present year were read and accepted.

"The following nominations for trustees were made: Dr. W.L. Munson, Dr. R.C. Davies, Mrs. D.D. Nelson.

"At the election Wednesday afternoon eighteen votes were cast of which Dr. Munson received 18, Dr. Davies 18, M.W. Hicks 11, Mrs. D.D. Nelson 5, John Pember 1, R.G. Hughes 1.

"The treasurer's report showed that the total expenditures last year was $51,838.49."

Annual school board meetings were the predecessor to the annual school board and budget elections, and were held later than their modern equivalents. Today candidates do not get on the school board ballot via nominations by constituents at a meeting held in the town meeting style, but rather by the candidates themselves securing signatures for petitions and submitting them to the district.

+++

A century ago there were Civil War veterans living in Granville. Their group, the Grand Army of the Republic, had a Granville post and a report in the August 10 issue told of an upcoming event: "H.E. Howard Post, G.A.R., and the Women's Relief corps, will meet with Comrade Harrington and his sister, Mrs. Woodell, in Hartford, for a picnic dinner Tuesday, August 14. Ladies of the W.R.C. will kindly provide food. Members desiring transportation should notify L.L. Barnard not later than Monday."

+++

A business change was reported: "Ernest L. Allen is to re-open the late Charles Mosher's garage in which he will do repairing and automobile painting." The garage was located in the village, on Elm Street.

Another business was mentioned in a brief item, that likely is unknown today: "Arrangements may be made by the telephone to the Shaw Homestead Tea Room of Truthville, for the entertainment of clubs with refreshments provided."

+++

The Granville Fruit Market's advertisement in the August 10 issue started with a reference to a popular song of the time: "Yes, We Have No Bananas, but we have some Bananas - nice fruit, too; also a complete line of other fruits, such as Oranges, Grapefruit, Pineapples, Peaches, Plums, Pears and all Berries in season.

"Our line of Confectionery is in a class by itself and the special boxed goods we handle are the finest to be procured. We have a special stock of chocolate Bon-bons with an extra coating at 60c per pound which cannot be equalled. We recommend you give these a trial and you'll come again.

"Our Own Ice Cream, manufactured under every sanitary condition, is the finest in town. We make a specialty of service social functions and on short notice can give any desired flavor."

The business was owned by Albert Rigali and nephew Emilio Bernardini. It was located in the two-storefront Rigali block on Main Street, which has since been renovated to a one-storefront building, and now is the location of O'Reilly Auto Parts.

+++

In last week's column we mentioned that the summer is fair and carnival season, and told of various carnivals that were operating locally in 1938. Going further back, there were some fairs operating in the summer of 1923.

The Great Cambridge Fair was announced that it would be held in Cambridge, New York, from Tuesday to Friday, August 14 to 17, 1923. Their advertisement said it was "Day and Night, Bigger and Better Than Ever".

The ad continued: "The Management cordially invites the Public to attend  the Fair this year, assuring them of good clean amusements and entertainment. Come and bring the little folk, and let them enjoy this great collection of concessions." One building had a display of "novelties and kindred exhibits with novel Fernery, palms and flowers, the output of several mammoth greenhouses."

On Tuesday the admission would be free, with free dancing and special music. On Wednesday and Thursday, the admission would be 50 cents for adults and 15 cents for children, but no other charges. There would be "grand display of fireworks, free dancing, Band concert and special platform attractions."

Horse racing was a part of the Cambridge Fair in those years, and races were held daily, with a special trot and pace on Friday for "local horses that have never trotted or paced for money" with the restriction that the drive could not be professional or does business in owning or driving horses.

The ad concluded "A Good Time For All. Come Early! Go Home When You Please."

The Great Cambridge Fair was held from 1890 to the early 1940s. Its charter was dissolved in 1947. Some writings claim the modern Washington County Fair to be the successor of the Cambridge fair, but that is not the case as both coexisted for some years. In 1929 there was an advertisement in the August 9, 1929 Sentinel for the Washington County Fair to be held at the "Washington County Fair Grounds, Between Fort Edward and Hudson Falls." The Washington County Fair ad was at the top of the page, and the ad for the Great Cambridge Fair appeared at the bottom.

+++

An annual community program returns this week. The 17th annual Backpack Project will be held this Saturday, Aug. 12, at the Granville Baptist Church on 23 Quaker Street, Village of Granville, from 9 a.m. to noon. The event is open to students in the Granville Central School District, the Wells Village School and the Mettawee Community School. This applies to all grades within these schools, from pre-kindergarten up through 12th grade.

The founder and leader of the Backpack Project is Ann Schinski, who started it in 2006 in memory of her late husband Steve Schinski. She spends time over the winter and spring getting the next year’s program ready. In recent years, about 200 to 300 children have benefitted from the program; last year's program attracted about 300 children.

On the day of the backpack project, each child receives a backpack. The child and parent look over several tables of school supplies, picking up what they need. Every child leaves with a full backpack.

Donations are received throughout the year from local businesses, organizations and individuals. The monetary donations go towards the cost of buying backpacks and school supplies. Checks can be sent to The Backpack Project, c/o Ann Schinski, 5075 Vermont Route 31, Poultney, VT 05764. Those seeking to volunteer, or interested in more info, are encouraged to call Schinski at 802-236-4726. Thank you to Ann Schinski and all involved with the Backpack Project for putting together, or supporting, this community minded endeavor, which has helped many children over the years.

Granville Then & Now – August 3, 2023

Carnivals, celebrations abounded in 1938

By Erik Pekar

The summer season is also known as fair season, but at one time it was also carnival season. Let's turn the pages of time back to the summer of 1938, when there were quite a few carnivals and events going on in the vicinity.

+++

The Granville Fire Department's carnival was held, and its report was given over two weeks. An excerpt of the first article, in the August 11, 1938 issue of the Granville Sentinel, regarding opening night: "The sixth annual carnival of the Granville Fire Department got off to a good start Saturday night with the largest crowd that ever attended the opening night. The receipts that night exceeded the total of the opening night of 1937.

"Several additional new tents were added by the fire department, improving the general appearance of the carnival grounds. There are several rides such as chair-o-plane, ferris wheel, Venetian swing and the miniature train which was purchased by the fire department, has been going each evening from 7 o'clock until closing time.

"Among the various booths of merchandise and games are the following: Food booth, conducted by the ladies of the fire department, hot dogs and hamburgers; bingo game; blanket rack; duck pond; pin game; baseball throw; penny game; kitchen utensils; hams and sugar; electric novelties; balloons and punch board; fish pond; ice cream and soda."

The closing of the carnival was reported in the August 18 issue, an excerpt of which is reprinted: "The sixth annual Granville fire department carnival has come and gone and the officers' report is that not only did the carnival establish a record for total receipts, but it broke all records of attendance with an audience of 5,000 milling in and around the carnival lot on Quaker street, Saturday evening, the closing night.

"With the weather man playing right into the hands of the Granville firemen by sending down storms and heavy showers during the week, only to call it off before it was time to open the midway, the crowds which jammed the lot during the earlier part of the week were a forewarning that before the week was over the greatest attendance ever to partake in an entertainment event in Granville would be recorded.

"Running true to form of previous years, but surprising to many firemen who estimated a drop in attendance this year, the crowds commenced to swell the attendance Thursday night and from then on it was a question whether the lot would hold the visitors and the parked automobiles. There were automobiles, not only from this area of the state, but from Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New Jersey."

+++

Granville Italian community event was reported in the August 18, 1938 issue of the Sentinel: "The annual Italian celebration sponsored by the Granville Italian-American society, held last Sunday and Monday in Granville, was a success. Sunday afternoon, at 4 o'clock, a parade with the Granville band of 29 members in the lead, followed by the members of the Italian-American society, opened the activities. Their line of march was through Main street and the Italian section.

"In the evening there was a band concert on the Main street square, from 8 o'clock until 10. The 29 members under the direction of Lovell R. Corey presented an excellent program receiving high praise.

"Aerial bombs opened the celebration Monday morning at 9 o'clock. There was a parade to St. Mary's R.C. church where high mass was celebrated. The sermon was given in Italian by Rev. Joseph Kelley of Schuylerville. There was special music by the choir with a vocal solo by Margaret Marellis of New York. Victor Secci, violinist, and organist Mrs. D. E. Roche.

"Following the service, the society marched again with the Granville band, two flags marking the lead, one an Italian flag carried by Joseph Bernard, and the other the Stars and Stripes carried by Dominic Villano.

"Monday evening sports were participated in on the street at 6 o'clock which lasted an hour, and at 8 o'clock the band led the way to the field on South Quaker street, where the recent firemen's carnival was held. An excellent band concert was given, followed by fireworks at about 11 o'clock which lasted until 12:30, including aerial bombs and novelties.

"It is estimated that over 2500 people enjoyed the program, the grounds being filled with people and cars."

+++

Wells had a new celebration, and it was reported in the Sentinel of August 25, 1938: "Over in the village of Wells, Vt., the preparations for a carnival and Old Home day are promising a fine time for people within the town's radius. Sponsored by the Modern Woodmen of America, this gala affair will be held this week, August 25, 26 and 27, on the village green. Saws, axes and hammers are beating out the news that everything will be in fine shape today when the festivities begin.

"Thursday evening (tonight) will find a spelling bee composed of the Mettowee grange of Granville, and the Friendship circle of East Poultney. Friday night will find a quiz holding the prominent position. The battle will be between a lawyer's team of Granville, composed of Attorney Charles Potter, Attorney Paul Hughes and Attorney Albert Berkowitz, and a team from Lake St. Catherine, including Willis Pratt, Norman Ritchie, and Marshall Rising. Saturday night will be amateur night, with many interesting and entertaining features on the program.

"The following events will be staged at the village green Saturday of this week: Parade of Horribles, program of music and speaking, music by the Granville band and a ball game between Wells and Wallingford."

+++

The same issue included this item from Middle Granville, of an event arranged by the Penrhyn Engine and Hose Company: "The Middle Granville Firemen's Carnival opens Saturday of this week and continues for a week to include September 3. The men in the company are working hard to get things all ready for the Saturday night crowd and they are looking forward to a happy but busy time.

"The affair takes place on the church grounds and during the week there will be band concerts, pony rides, bingo games and amateur contests. The grand prize Saturday evening, September 3, is a General Electric radio.

"They say the hot dog stand will be handy by the entrance and booths of food, fancy articles and general merchandise will be operated each evening. These firemen who help the entire community in time of disaster are inviting everyone to come, help the cause and have a rattling good time."

The article the previous week (August 18) regarding the planning of the carnival indicates it was held on the grounds behind Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, and referred to it as an annual event.

A Middle Granville carnival in 1938 may come as a surprise to many from Middle Granville, as the longtime annual carnival was held by the Penrhyn Engine and Hose company from 1951 into the mid-2000s.

+++

Time brings much change, and unfortunately one of those changes was the demise of many of the carnivals in this area. The Granville firemen's carnival, the Middle Granville carnival, the Italian-American Society celebration, all of which were held in 1938, have since bit the dust. The same goes for several other carnivals that were held later, including those put on by the North Granville and West Pawlet fire companies.

The one exception is the "carnival and Old Home day" in Wells, organized by the Pine Tree Camp of the Modern Woodmen of America. The current rendition of their carnival is being held in Wells this week. The above quoted writeup was of its first year in 1938; it is now the only one left of the carnival events covered here in this week's column.

Granville Then & Now – July 27, 2023

By Erik Pekar

Road improvement was one of the topics mentioned in the Granville Sentinel of July 27, 1923: "At a special meeting of the county board of supervisors held late Thursday afternoon in the Hudson Falls court house, an appropriation of $7,600 was made for the repair and completion of the Comstock-Granville road. The work on this road is now at a standstill and the highway is in bad condition. The state commissioner of highways has promised to take this road over into the trunk line system provided it is repaired by the county. The appropriation of $7,500 makes a total of $20,000 for the construction of this road which is 5.2 miles in length. This amount is considered by the county commissioner of highways a reasonable amount for this length of road."

The state did eventually take over the road in question, as it became part of State Route 22. Most of it is still used as such, with a few portions here and there bypassed for more direct roads.

+++

An interesting item gave birthday greetings of a different sort. "Troy Times: In a casual way, just as if it were nothing extraordinary, J.L. McArthur remarks in the Granville Sentinel that it is forty-eight years since he started the Sentinel. That is quite a voyage on what the genial editor calls 'the uncertain sea of journalism.' Congratulations, Colonel, and many happy returns. It is now contended, as the result of scientific observation, that juvenile precocity continues to superior maturity. It is just as true that the good do not die young, but continue to bless the world with their presence. The Granville Sentinel, prosperous at forty-eight, and The Troy Times, ditto at seventy-two, are substantial proof."

The felicitations on the part of the Troy paper, and remarks by Publisher McArthur, were both a little premature. The first issue of the Granville Sentinel is dated September 17, 1875, which means they were off by two months. The volume-issue count did jump up to the next volume and reset the issue number with the July 20 issue, so this could have been the source of the confusion. The volume convention would be discarded in 1935 in favor of using the ordinal number of years since 1875. The dissonance between the volume-issue increment and the actual years passed would not be solved until 1994, with 1995 being the first year where the first issue was "Number 1" of the volume. The switch to tabloid size that year resulted in another jump in volume-year numbers, which would not restabilize for a few more years. Since then, the system as appeared more or less accurate to the years since 1875, with the issue numbers resetting yearly.

+++

A church group in Granville gained itself a new pastor: "Rev. J. Parry Jones, who came to Granville from Wales a few months ago to supply the pulpit of the Welsh Presbyterian church, has accepted a unanimous call to become its pastor. Mr. Jones is an exceptionally bright young man and a fine preacher. He has already received a most cordial welcome in the community. The church parsonage is being made ready for the occupancy of the pastor and his wife."

+++

Two Granville residents went off to go fishing and caught something: "Craig Weir and little son, Nelson Ramadill, visited a brook near Belcher Tuesday and brought home the finest catch of trout ever exhibited in town. Two of the larger fish, weighing from three-quarters to one and a fourth pounds were caught by the young lad. The boy is named after an old Saratoga sport, J.N. Ramadill."

+++

Lake Saint Catherine was in its busy season, and some had made a long tradition of going to the lake: "This is the fifty-seventh year that W.B. Miller of Granville has been at Lake St. Catherine. There were no cottages on the west side of the lake when he first came here. Idylwild was  the first and owned by the late Henry Reynolds of Granville. Today from Mrs. Guild's cottage on the west shore around the lake to what was formerly known as Grey Gables, there are cottages of all descriptions, about eighty-five in number and forty-three of them are owned by Granville people."

+++

A section regarding auction sales included this seemingly late mention of a Granville business: "Twenty-eight horses will arrive at the Central House Livery barn, Granville, N.Y., and will be sold at auction Saturday, July 28. Horses weigh from 1,000 to 1,600 pounds. - P. Myers." The livery was the last remaining building of the former Central House, a hotel that stood at the corner of Main and North Streets, and which burned in February of 1917. It was the last full-fledged hotel establishment operating in the Village of Granville.

Granville Then & Now – July 20, 2023

By Erik Pekar

The Granville Band was mentioned in last week's column, and comes up again in this item from the July 20, 1923 issue of the Granville Sentinel: "The members of the Granville band tendered their leader and musical director, Frank B. Allen, a surprise Tuesday evening at his beautiful new bungalow on the old Lake St. Catherine house grounds and it was all that the word implies. While preparing his program for the weekly concert in Granville, the band, in the rear of his place, 'hit up' a number, which took him completely off his feet and up to the present time has been unable to regain equilibrium. Several selections were rendered from the veranda throughout the evening, which was greatly enjoyed by numerous people on the lake and nearby cottagers, after which refreshments were served. The members of the band departed for their homes at about 10 o'clock after a very pleasant evening being satisfied that the surprise had added ten years to Mr. Allen's existence."

+++

The following news item is also from Lake St. Catherine, and displays some sentiment that may be familiar to Granville area residents today, even if the terminology is different: "Some one around these parts is a linguist of 'purest ray serene' as is shown by a circular proposition to cottagers to remove garbage in a manner 'not to "offuscate" the sense of sight or smell of the residents.' Offuscate may be a good word to use in some sentences but Webster fails to connect it up with the garbage industry. But then, in this instance, it may be an innovation. Just think of the joy of some genius coming along and 'offuscating' your garbage cans. Somewhat aesthetic, eh?"

The term "offuscate" is an older form of "obfuscate," the latter understood today to refer to the obscuring or hiding of things. In other words, the originator of the circular proposition likely felt the garbage cans were unsightly and smelly, and wanted them hidden from view of passersby on the roads along Lake St. Catherine.

+++

An unusual happening was reported in Truthville: "Our meat-market man, Charles Connor, had a very narrow escape from being thrown over the gorge near William Aldous' by a fast running car recently. The meat car just stopped before toppling over an embankment of many feet in height. The fast car kept on without ascertaining the damage but some numbers were secured." There were two general stores in Truthville at the time, owned by William L. Bemis and Delbert Chapman; Connor may have worked for one of these stores, or had his own meat market.

+++

Granville semi-professional baseball fans had a situation, as arrangements for playing a team in Granville had gone sideways. The situation was also told in detail in a letter to the editor, some of which is reprinted: "Editor Sentinel: Granville baseball fans are very much peeved over the treatment accorded them by the Glens Falls baseball team whose management has made arrangements to play Sunday baseball in Granville only to discontinue after playing three games to record breaking attendance. ... the Glens Falls team announced that it has severed all connection with Granville baseball fans who have enthusiastically assisted in helping Glens Falls to maintain its team financially..."

The letter writer continued: "The only excuse given by the Glens Falls team for its discontinuing games was that there was not enough money in it, in spite of the fact that the attendance the last game totaled nearly 3,000 paid admissions." Glens Falls then attempted Hudson Falls and Saratoga; both rejected. The writer suspected that Glens Falls would attempt to approach Granville again but discouraged Granville fans from being "used as a 'sucker' to any such scheme." They asked why Granville players such as Atsey and Andy McGrath, Kenneth Woodard and "Bill" Humphrey should go to other teams rather than play in Granville.

The writer summed up their sentiments by encouraging a Granville team be formed: "Granville has always had good talent ... With the assistance of a few hired players, if necessary, our own boys can make a good showing on the baseball field with any of the teams from this vicinity. Why not give the same support to our boys who have never commercialized the game and who have always played for Granville to win, regardless of the box offices receipts, rather than have three thousand loyal fans turn out to contribute and help swell the treasury to keep a baseball team (from) another town? And it is a hundred to one shot that our own Granville team can put up a better brand of baseball than the kind that was forced on to local fans for three consecutive games."

The letter writer concluded by saying they wrote it "at the request of several local fans who feel highly indignant at the treatment accorded them by the management of the Glens Falls baseball team. Yours for class play, Morris Rote-Rosen."

Some still wanted to see baseball played, even if it wasn't in Granville: "A number of Granville fans attended the ball games Sunday at Greenwich, Poultney and Saratoga, there being no game on the Granville diamond that day. Owing to the dissolution of the Granville-Glens Falls partnership local games are up in the air, but there is thought that a new nine will be organized soon."