My
great grandfather
John Scullin,
his brother
Paul and sister
Susan came
to America from
Ireland sometime
before the
Civil War. I
understand my
Great grandmother
died at sea
on the way
over and that
Paul, who was
in the Civil
War, returned
to Ireland
and died there
in 1870.
The
family had a
place near Parksville,
NY before grandfather
John moved to
Beaverkill and
built the house.
My
grandfather
John married
Catherine Devenny
in 1873 and
they had ten
children. Their
oldest son,
Paul attended
a college in
Ohio, taught
school and moved
to Texas. He
married and
was employed
by Texaco thereafter.
Three other
sons, my father
and Uncles Matt
and Gus moved
to Ardmore,
Pennsylvania
and started
a business selling
butter, eggs
and milk. They
all married
Ardmore girls.
My father Tom
died in 1910.
I was one year
old and do not
remember him.
My uncle Matt
moved to Trenton,
New Jersey and
in 1915 my Uncle
Gus moved to
Roselle, New
Jersey. He was
employed by
Texaco in the
New York headquarters
for the rest
of his life.
I
always had close
contact with
my uncles Ed
and Gus and
corresponded
regularly with
my cousin Margaret,
uncles Paul’s
daughter. Not
too much contact
with other family
members.
In
the summer the
farm was always
a gathering
place for relatives
and cousins
of all degrees,
especially the
city folks.
Quite
a number of
boys from the
Catholic Home
Bureau in New
York City lived
at the farm
after grandmother’s
death. They
provided much
needed company
and assistance.
RECOLLECTIONS
On
my first trip
to the Beaverkill
in 1919, Uncle
Ed did not yet
have a car.
He met us at
the O & W
railroad station
in Livingston
Manor and drove
us to the farm
in a horse drawn
open wagon.
We arrived at
about 2:00 a.m.
and my grandmother
had strawberries
and cream cake
for us.
Uncle
Ed’s
wife, Lil was
of French extraction
from Cold Spring,
New York. She
was very good
to Uncle Ed’s
parents and
an excellent
cook and very
hard worker.
The
milk shed was
attached to
the kitchen.
Here the milk
and cream were
churned, ice
cream made and
food kept cool.
There was no
refrigeration
or ice. The
milk was not
sent to market.
The cream was
used by the
family and the
milk fed to
the pigs.
Hay
was a big crop.
It was cut in
June and several
of the Dewitt
neighbors helped
out for a week
or more. It
was the busiest
time of the
year. The only
other field
crop was buckwheat
which had a
white blossom
which could
be seen in the
moonlight.
The
cow barn was
the buidling
furthest from
the road. Uncle
Ed has eight
Jersey cows.
Hay was stored
in the barn.
It was blown
down in a windstorm—maybe
in the 1960s.
Attached to
the cow barn
was a sheep
shed. There
were about 40
sheep left to
roam the hills.
They were sheared
and butchered
in the sheep
shed.
There
was an unpainted
shed across
the farm road
from the carriage
barn. This was
the shop for
blacksmithing
and mechanical
work. Next to
the shed was
a tall painted
building called
the bunkhouse.
It was built
to accommodate
the “boys”
when
there were too
many to fit in
the house. It
was not there
on my earlier
visits.
MEMORIES
°
The
bracing air
and cool spring
water.
°
The
self-sufficient
life style.
°
Evenings
in the kitchen,
playing checkers
by the light
of kerosene
lamps.
°
The
smell of
wood fire
in the big
kitchen stove,
which was
well set out
from the
walls.
°
Grandfather
sitting in
his chair
tilted against
the wall
in the corner
behind the
stove.
°
Grandfather
out berry
picking with
his kettle
and high
wood staff
taller than
himself.
°
Uncle
Ed’s
sense of humor
and lack of
hurry.
°
Aunt
Lil’s
cooking.
°
Butchering
-- chickens,
sheep, pigs. Once
a bull was
butchered
and this
required outside
help.
°
The
wild strawberries
to be found
near the shallow
ponds.
°
Woodchucks
in the stone
walls. Also
porcupines
and chipmunks.
°
Chopping
wood for the
kitchen stove
and the tools
and wedges
used.
°
Pitching
horseshoes.
°
Trips
to the Manor
and the various
stops including
Johnson’s
Feed Store.
°
Reading
matter—the
Rural New
Yorker and
Walton Reporter.
°
Traffic
on the hilltop
road—one
or two cars
a day.
°
The
climb up the
drive to the
road.
°
Trips
to the Beaverkill
post office
across from
the covered
bridge.
°
Haying
time.
°
The
fields were
not plowed.
The chickens
roamed free
and there
would usually
be a calf
tethered in
the small
orchard behind
the house.
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Uncle "Ed"
Scullin and
Paul
Scullin
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Ed
Scullin and
Aunt Lil |
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Old
Mr. "Ed"
Scullin |
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James
Scullin |
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