Issue 91 March 2018

Editor Gail M Cramer

NNHS NEWS LETTER Northville Northampton Historical Society

OLD BASEBALL FIELD Prospect Hill

1926

First Adirondack Baseball team 1913

cemetery Ball field and picnic area

House at top of Northville Hill

Barn

House at the top of the hill

Barn

1905 map

These two maps show approximately where the baseball field was located. Compare them with the picture on the first page.

When the school district was looking for property to build a new school building in the early 1930’s. This area where the ball field was located, was one of the places they considered to build the new school. As we know they chose the present site of NCS on Third Street.

Willard Hall was the large room above the 5 and 10 cent store.

Chan Rockwell using a commer-cial and more modern snow blower

Town of Northville plow about 1950 Clarence VanVranken as driver

SNOW REMOVAL IN NORTHVILLE

Watson ‘Wockie’ Arnold’s snow blower. It appears to be made of a barrel, with the front re-shaped and small skids added, and the rear re-shaped into a discharge chute. It looks like a strut was welded across the front to support a bearing for the impeller shaft which probably was driven by a V-belt from the motor shaft. It looks like a simple and effective machine and certainly the first one in the Northville area

LPC

The Sacandaga Rustic Theater was a popular entertainment venue at Sacandaga Park. Customers came from NYC, Amsterdam and other places along the F J & G RR route. Many or most arrived by train. Some well know ac-tors and actresses Were hired to perform at the theater. Some names you will recognize are: Al Jol-son, Betsy Palmer, W.C. Fields, Eddie Cantor, J.W. Gorman Minstrels.

The letter to F. J. & G Railroad company from Gardiner Syndi-cate indicates that they were inquiring about providing an entertain-ment program/comedy act for the Rustic Theater in 1918.

“Show days came to an abrupt and early close this summer when tragedy in the nature of a fire esti-mated at $100,000 staged an unscheduled performance yester-day afternoon. Books and money kept in the business office were destroyed as was 6 valuable paintings and scenery and equip-ment. The fire broke out shortly after the afternoon matinee”

The Leader Herald 1954