Gleaned
from various sources and from conversation with townspeople.
- During the 18th century and continuing
into the 19th century, farming was simple and for subsistence. Farms produced
beef cattle, sheep, butter, milk, oats, wheat, corn, rye, potatoes, hay, and
some hope. Pigs, chickens, cows, horses and turkeys were raised.
- Farms had "hired men", mostly
single men who worked on farms for eight months from March to October. They
were provided with room and board and got paid $10-12 a month.
- It is recorded that in 1767,
Robert Livingston (2nd Lord of the Lower Manor), sent a barrel of Newton
pippin apples to England. Because of their beauty and delicious flavor,
they elicited notices of highest approbation.
- The famous Merino Sheep were
first brought to America in 1801 by Chancellor Livingston from the flock
of Rambouillet of France. Clermont is known to have had about 1,000.
- In 1890, the first Macintosh
apple trees were planted in this area. Subsequently fruit trees were
planted every year, and today Clermont abounds with thriving orchards.
- Let's remember the barrels
of cider stashed away, a very handy juice. Some of it after a lapse
of time, and with nature's help, was converted into vinegar. To
go further, some of the cider was processed into a potent stuff
called applejack.
- Stores were few and
far between. What a delight to be sent to the country store which
had supplies of produce, eggs, candy, flour, sugar, calico, and
gingham. Very little money was exchanged. A boy or girl went to
the store with three or four dozen eggs and came out with sugar,
flour, or a piece of gingham to make a dress. Every
two weeks, the family with horse and wagon went to Hudson. In
back of St. Charles was a shed with divided petitions which
had grain bins where you "parked" your horse. The family then
shopped, traded and gossiped. This all day excursion delighted
the children, especially. (This was in the late 1800's time period.
- Spread throughout
the town were several blacksmith shops, cooper shops (barrel
making), ice houses, a grist mill, a saw mill, and several stores.
- Have you eaten
salted codfish, boiled potatoes with milk gravy?
- Have you tasted
buttermilk pop with molasses to sweeten it? This was delicious,
and called "Poor Man's Pubbing."
- Fish and onions:
standard winter staple.
- Salmagundi
(a.k.a. Salad Magundy, Solomon Grundy): a tasty dish,
cut up chunks of red herring, place in crock and salt.
Later when you made them up to eat, you added vinegar
and onions.
- Mrs. Mabel
Slater reminisces about the 50 years spent on a productive
fruit and dairy farm. Milk was taken to Borden's place
in Red Hook. The pigs were butchered in the fall.
Everyone helped: meat was cut, sorted and later smoked
in the smoke house.
- Today
our TV commercials urge the use of bran, fruit,
fiber in starting our day right. So What's new!
Years ago, you ate pop corn on your cereal.
