Oak Hill and Vicinity: What was in the newspapers?

I love newspapers.  When I was in high school I wanted to own a weekly newspaper when I grew up. I never made that happen but I still like to read local newspapers, both old and new.  So, when a friend brought me a folio of Gilboa Monitors from 1878, I was pleased.  On the first page of the book was the handwritten note: B Raymond Miller 144 North Allen Street, Albany, New York, “Bought this volume of Monitors of Mr. Page Hoagland of Oak Hill, Greene Ct, NY, Thursday morning Dec. 5, 1912.”

Pasted at the bottom of the page was a piece of notepaper headed, The Oak Hill Record.  Oak Hill NY, P.T. Hoagland & Sons, Publishers.  Fine Jobwork a specialty.  Handwritten was a note dated Sept 1, 1911, addressed to M. Miller. “Dear Sir:  The Bound Volume of Gilboa Monitor I have still and will sell same for $1.50.  I can send by Carrier direct at small cost. Respectfully. P. T. Hoagland.

I knew from previous research that Hoagland (1857-1932) was born in Gilboa and came to Oak Hill in the spring of 1894 and established The Oak Hill Record.

I was interested in the Gilboa paper and as I went through the book I came across a number of copies of The Catskill Valley Monitor, Oak Hill 1878.  That was even more interesting to me. I had never heard of this paper.

Some internet research told me that The Catskill Valley Monitor was a weekly newspaper published briefly in Oak Hill in 1878. It was essentially a temporary name change for the existing Gilboa Monitor. It had been published between May 31, 1878, and Nov 1, 1878. My book contained copies from May 24, 1878, to Nov. 22, 1878—but close enough.  It basically carried the news from the same location as the Gilboa Monitor had but with more Oak Hill news. There is a microfilm copy in the Library of Congress and the N Y State Library.

Both newspapers listed M Dings as the editor.  Research stated that while P. T. Hoagland was the general editor, M Dings and D Ding were likely involved in the newspaper operation or printing. Dings seems to have lived in several locations over the years, including Oak Hill.

The parts of historic papers I find especially interesting are the copy and the ads they carry.  Let’s look at some of the stories. from the Gilboa paper:

- T Thorn of West Conesville, under the skillful treatment of Dr. Hagadorn, has been relieved of a tapeworm measuring over 120 feet. The last of it, containing the head of the worm, was secured last Saturday.

- June 19, 1879, Oak Hill Notes, the bridge over the Catskill Creek at this place has been undergoing repairs this week.

- Medusa Notes: Our baseball club has reorganized. They meet every Saturday afternoon for practice.

- The wages of the average haymaker is $1.25 per day.

- Blenheim:  Wm H. Snyder, who was taken to the Utica Asylum about a year ago, died July 9 and was brought to the village for burial.  He leaves a wife and two children.

- I P Utter and Edwin Taylor of Durham, Greene County, made us a pleasant call one day last week.

Advertisements also often shed light on what was going on in the community:  

- Poor Man Store is offering eggs for thirteen cents a dozen.

- Miss Hattie Tripp is clerking for her brother Isaac in the store.

- Miss Addie Winchell has gone to Newark, NJ to remain with her aunt during the winter, with the intention of taking lessons in music.

- Miss Fannie Banks of Oak Hill, is teaching in district No. 11 in Gilboa.

- David Zelie killed four spring pigs which combined weight was 1,200 pounds.

- There will be a meeting at the ME Church Saturday evening of this week, for the purpose of organizing a singing class.

- Frank McCarrick, formerly of this office, is at work on the Rensselaerville Press

- Jacob Roggin, his wife and daughter have gone to Hudson to spend the winter.

- The Live Oak baseball club are open for challenges.  Address all communication to F. Peck, corresponding secretary of Oak Hill.

Every week O.L. Chittenden in Durham advertised, “Manufacturer of and dealer in all kinds of furniture.  Undertaking a specialty.  A general assortment of coffins, caskets, habits, robes, etc. constantly on hand. Also has the exclusive sale of Stein’s popular cloth-covered, noiseless sliding Glass Caskets.” I have never heard of glass caskets and will have to research that topic one day.

- G. M Hollenbeck and Emerson Ford of Oak Hill regularly had an ad: NEW GOODS! Come all ye who would desire to buy good goods at Low Prices and examine our new Stock.  Just received a large stock of Dress Goods, Clothing, etc. at still lower prices.   S. Ives sells all kinds of Goods CHEAP FOR CASH.

- J. Terbus, HARNESSMAKER, Oak HILL, Greene  County, N.Y.  Shop in Cleveland Building.

- Dr. E. H. Benjamin, Oak Hill, Greene County, N. Y. At the Old Place, Lower end Church Street

- Frank Baldwin, M.D. Oak Hill, Greene County NY.  Office near the post office.

Then each issue contains columns with all sorts of information.  The following all come from one edition of The Catskill Valley Monitor:

- Croquet is not so popular as it was.

- Miss Vanetto of Albany is visiting a H. Graham’s.

- Hop picking commenced at Cleveland’s on Thursday.

- Miss Fanny Washburn of Medusa is visiting at D Dings.

- On the 1st of January next, all taxes must be paid.

- One lady in town recently picked twenty-four quarts of blackberries.

- A great many of our citizens are making preparations to visit the hop yards.

- Mrs. Mary Augustus has a begonia plant which has upon it 105 blossoms and a large number of buds.

- The Oak Hill Manufacturing Co, made another shipment of goods to Europe on Tuesday.

- The independent voters of the town of Durham are respectfully invited to meet in caucus at the hotel of Wm. F. DeWitt, Oak Hill on Saturday, August 31, at 7 o’clock p.m.  for the purpose of appointing delegates to attend the County convention of the National Greenback Labor Party, to be held at East Windham, Sept. 4, 1878, and transact such other business as may come before the meeting. By Order of Town Com.

- You have all heard of a malcontent but did you ever see a female content?

September 13, 1878. Catskill Valley Monitor Oak Hill:

- Our school closes today.

- The potato crop here abouts will be light.

- Mr. Wm F DeWitt is building a new carriage house.

- The hops crop in the vicinity of Cooksburgh is good

- The boarders in the vicinity of Wright Street have nearly all departed.

- Rensselaerville furnished its quota of hop-pickers, likewise Oak Hill.

- John L. Smith, of this village, will exhibit his oxen at the Cairo fair.

- A large number of our citizens attended the barbecue at Albany, on Wednesday

- Miss Nettie Cleveland was taken dangerously ill on Tuesday. She is slowly recovering.

- Mrs. A. Newman, of this village, grew a dahlia 7 1/2 feet high, upon it 129 buds and blossoms.

- The Live Oak’s of this village, go to Westerlow on Wednesday next, to play a match game with the baseball club of that place.

- The concert at the Presbyterian Church Durham, on Sunday night last , was largely attended, and passed off pleasantly.

- The outbuildings of Mr. Cartright near South Durham were burned to the ground last week.  All contents, consisting of hay, grain, farming implements, etc. were destroyed.

- Our foundries are overcrowded with orders.

- Cheritree Bros have just placed a new bell upon their foundry.  No excuse for being late to work now, boys?

- Mr. and Mrs. Walter Cheritree have returned from they bridal trip.

- The amount of goods, iron and coal handled by Cheritree Bros. in October was one hundred and ten tons.

- The Eagle Bridge mill is running night and day.

- Mr. Jeremiah Cunningham of Durham picked Oct 14th ripe strawberries from his field.

- Miss Lulu Moss, of Durham, has been quite ill with diphtheria, is now slowing recovering.

- P. Hoagland is visiting friends in Delaware County.

I learned a lot about what was happening in Oak Hill and Vicinity then.

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Mary Lou Nahas serves as the Town of Durham historian. She owns and operates I.U. Tripp & Co. Antiques and Collectibles in the heart of Oak Hill.

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