Clambakes

photo provided by Kevin. J. Dragulski

photo provided by Rene Elliott
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Kevin J. Dragulski wrote:
Clambake August 31, 1909 Morris NY. I assume this was either with Zion or the grange. I believe the man in the front row, second from the right is my great grandfather Erle Smith of New Lisbon and the man 5th from the right in the front row is my great great grandfather Wilbur Moore of Morris. Does anybody recognize anyone?
—in Morris, New York.

Rene Elliott replied:
Yup it's a clambake, The informal version has beer bottles. Standing second from left is attorney Merritt Bridges Sr., 5th supposedly Frank Elliott, sixth is George Elliott (my GGF), Sitting about tenth from left is Homer Davis (a little man and "printer's devil" at the Morris Chronicle office, who set the type). Reclining to his right is one of the local preachers. The man in white behind him may be Norm Carey, (butcher/telegrapher/photographer on the corner of Church & Main) who may have been doing the cooking? I understood this to be "Bowne's Grove" which is the gulley back up into the hillside from Rt 51 on Dugan's. I'll have to look and see what I have written down.

Sept 7? 1909 Otsego Farmer (date cutoff when microfilmed?) Morris -" Rev. George H. Sterling has been confined to his bed for the past few days and was not able to be at church sunday as he had anticipated for his last communion service as rector. His sister Miss Anna Sterling , an invalid is in very critical condition." (Was ill when she returned from NYC? ) Maybe it was a farewell party, and maybe this is why Sterling is laying down in the picture?

OK will try this using a piece of paper from Ken Cooke Sr. (rather than my memory from 30 years ago),

"Standing left to right as you face it, unknown, Merritt Bridges, Clarence Cooke, unknown, unknown (he thought Frank Elliott but not enough to write it down? it could also be Ed Niles?), George Elliott (Jr.), Albert Dexter, Andrew Carleton, unknown, Ed Gardner (of the hotel, in white), Charles Lawrence (hardware store nearest the creek? in the brick block of the Naylor Co.), Merton Porter, unknown, unknown, unknown, George Whitman, Charles Bowne.

Sitting left to right: Gibbie Weeden (harness shop), unknown, Dr. Bancroft Bishop, unknown, Frank Isbell (with the ears, merchant, insurance salesman, democrat street commissioner, livery, wagon and early auto dealer who lived where Johnston Funeral Home is, he supposedly was born in a canal boat, his father Seymour d. 1919? was a canal boat captain on the Black River & Erie Canals), unknown, Dr. Harry Cruttenden, unknown, unknown, Homer Davis, Rev. Sterling, Ed Moore, unknown, unknown, unknown, Clayton Peck."

This is where facial recognition technology might make a big difference for archival/research purposes some day. And it is interesting to be able to put faces to names you read in the old papers. I doubt it would be a Grange function (given the other picture with the booze). Two people I would expect to be in thee photo are Lynn B. Kenyon and S. Belden Burt, both portly men with mustaches such a step guy sitting fourth from left or standing fifth from right, but need a photo for comparison really.