Bob: The NYT obit of Henry Astor is the first real indept account that I have ever had the pleasure of reading about "ol Henry Astor. As kids we were always in awe of the barns in West Copake, some of the Astor houses and the general appearance of West Copake itself. I believe the "Big House" was torn down before I was born.
My Grandmother, Mina Ackley was born in West Copake across from the Dutch Reform church where her family too attended services. I don't recall her ever talking about Henry Astor. Probably my grandmother's family thought little of Astor and his money, therefore, no conversation in public. Grammy was not known as a warm and talkative woman.
I'm of the mind that Sook or John Langdon may have some Astor information as it was their relative who married Astor. I know Sook talks about the Dineharts often. Melvina was a Dinehart and Sooks ancestor.
My family's farm, Empire Farm on Empire Rd was built by Henry Astor. He loved racing horses. He put in the first race track the farm had back at the end of the 19th century. One of the barns, now gone, burned in the Copake Fires , was dated 1898.
My sister Mary has an old photo of the farm as Astor would have known it. I have a postcard photo that is in Florida.
We used to swimming in the Roe Jan Kill down at Killian Waldorf's.. I don't know the name of that place now, but the post card Chris Quimby shows is a very similar view.
We swam in the Bash Bish that ran thru our farm...no large tree for a rope to swing from there...was one at Waldorf's...fun, fun, fun so long ago.
Judy
No comments:
Post a Comment