The 1938 what Stratford achieved by centralizing its school districts into one.

 

In 1938 the Oppenheim and Ephratah school districts  were considering centralization.   Stratford had centralized its school districts with the building of the Stratford Central School.   To understand better what centralization would mean to the Oppenheim and Ephratah school districts if centralized, an invitation was extended to Professor Marvin B. Loveys, the principal at the Stratford Central School to speak at the Lotville Grange on the achievements that resulted when Stratford centralized its school districts.    The 16-piece Stratford Central School Orchestra played at the meeting.

 A few of the interesting points covered in the speech on the accomplishments of Stratford Centralizing its school districts:

Before centralization, only two children could play a musical instrument.  By 1938 over thirty students received daily individual instruction.   This was a huge achievement.

The tax rate dropped significantly from $22.50 in 1928 to $7.60 per thousand assessment after centralization.

Stratford Central School was one of the smallest central rural schools in the state, with a population of 125 students, of which 20 – 30 are high school students.

Stratford Central School offered 20 secondary class courses.   Due to the smallness of the classes and individual instruction, the regents average for the school was 99 percent.

Prior to centralization 95 percent of the students dropped out after the eighth grade.  With only a few continuing to secondary education in other towns.   Since 1933 more students continued to a higher education, including universities. 

Youth were more ambitious and progressive.

Stratford Students participated in many group endeavors.  They published a weekly newspaper which served the entire community.  

 They had a student council, glee club, orchestra, dramatic club, 4-H club and Boy Scouts.

 

The Stratford Central School continued to be a focal point in the town until its closing in 1984 

 

 

 

 

Stratford, and the Great Blowout of November 25, 1950

  

The Great Blowdown was a powerful rain and windstorm.  Some described it as a Nor’easter, and others a hurricane.   It occurred on November 25, 1950.  Most of the damage came to the western and central Adirondacks, with winds exceeding over 100 mph and rain.  Depending on the account it was estimated that 420,000 acres or in some reports 800,000 acres of timber were severely damaged or destroyed by the wind.   It shut down roads and trails across the park.   In many cases it changed the landscape of the Adirondack Park. 

 

The storm also affected those in the park.  It was the last weekend of hunting season, and many hunters were in the forest.  Hikers and campers also were caught in the storm.  Many were trapped by the fallen trees.

 

In 1951 the Legislature gave the Conservation Department (pre-DEC) the ability to sell the felled timber to private contractors who were hired to clean up the debris caused by the windstorm.  It was felt leaving the fallen logs was a fire hazard.   There were an estimated two million cords of softwood, and 40 million feet of hardwood knocked down by the storm.  Allowing private contracts into the Adirondacks was quite controversial. The Adirondacks, known as Forever Wild, did not allow loggers to work in protected forests.   It was argued that it would be difficult to determine if the contractors were just clearing the land of the fallen trees or also taking down trees. 

 

So, what was the damage in Stratford?      As in most reports about the storms impact on the Adirondacks, the Stratford or southwestern areas of the Adirondacks were not mentioned.    From the map, the most impacted areas of Stratford were the northwest corner and the north end of Pleasant Lake.   Of two local description of the north shore of Pleasant Lake years later,  an account from a hunter's family, and an online devastation map provided a clearer insight into how the storm impacted Stratford.  One  mentioned his father and other family members were up in the area hunting.  They have first accounts and photos of the devastation.  Another  mentioned that he and his father hiked the north shore area of Pleasant Lake and could see the aftermath years later of the fallen trees that had been uprooted. 

 

Do you or your family members have any recollections of the 1950 Great Blowdown? 

 

 

District 9 - Knappville School House Stratford

 

 

The Knappville School on Piseco Rd.

Known as the District 9 Knappville School house, the School was made of 2 x 4s from the Knapp Sawmill. The school house was also used for church services and sabbath school.

The school was consolidate when the Stratford Central School was built in 1930 . It was later sold as a private home. The school house was destroyed by fire in 1969. 

 The property for the school was conveyed by Wheeler Knapp and his wife for a school on December 23, 1867.

In a special meeting held at the Knappville School house on September 1943 it was decided to sell the school house and property. The property sold in 1943 for $69.00.

The House that Helterline built

  

 

David Helterline, at the age of 21, emigrated with his family from Bavaria to Stratford in 1852. Census records note that he was a farmer and engaged in lumber and bark.  He married Margareta Lorse and together they had 11 children.  

 

 By 1882 he owned a saw mill in Oregon at the north end of Stratford, and one on the western shore of Canada Lake.  By 1897 he had purchased land around Pleasant Lake including the saw mill at the south east corner of the lake.   His other businesses were  a tub factory and a general store.  

 

David held different town positions through the years; 

    Highway Commissioner for 7 terms, 

    Town Supervisor for 4 terms, 

    One of two Postmasters.   

 

In an 1896 newspaper article David Helterline was noted to be the wealthiest man and most extensive landowner in Stratford.   At the time of the article he owned 5,183½ acres of land.   

 

Prior to 1890, he built the house that now stands at the corner of Piseco Rd and 29A.  Upon his retirement in 1891 he moved his family into the new house.  A newspaper article from 1902 shows a photo taken for the Golden Wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. David Helterline with the Stratford house in the background. This house still stands today in Stratford.

 

Emmonsburg (Stratford, NY) and Delos White Emmons

 

The area that we know today as Emmonsburg, has in the past been known by other names.  The area names were usually in reference to an influential person that lived in the area.    Early Stratford town minutes referred to the area as Hart’s Bridge and later Whitesburgh.   Today we know the area as Emmonsburg.  Who was the Emmons that gave Emmonsburg its name?

 

Delos White Emmons was born in Oneonta, New York in 1828.  He moved with his family to the Stratford area in about 1858 – 1859, settling on the Herkimer side of the East Canada Creek.  He was in partnership with Israel Corse, and Edmond Thompson in a tannery also located on the west side of the creek.  The business was described as “tanners of sole leather and general dealers in merchandise”.   Also on this property was a store.

 

Delos Emmons also owned two lots of land on the Stratford, Fulton County side of the East Canada Creek.    Assessment records for his Stratford properties show that on these properties were two houses and a barn.

 

In 1859 Delos Emmons moved the post office from Stratford, Fulton County to Herkimer.    In 1872 it was moved back to Stratford, Fulton County.  In 1892 the Post office changed the name from Emmonsburgh to Emmonsburg removing the H.  

 

Delos left the Herkimer/Stratford area in about 1870.  As per the book West Virginia and its People,  Volume 2, page 126,  Emmons later went on to join his brother in law, Collis P. Huntington  in a real estate venture in West Virginia.   The book continues to indicate that he selected the site of the present city of Huntington, West Virginia and named it after Mr. Huntington.  It was in West Virginia he acquired great wealth.