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 DEDICATION: This book is dedicated to Audrey & Donald Hauprich
and Maeve Noonan for their endless support & encouragement with this
literary labor of love -- and to -- Nancy Reynolds Rooney & Maurice
"Chris" Morley who brought history to life in a manner that
instilled pride in our past with hope for many bright tomorrows.
PREFACE
How -- and why
--
this book came to be
It
is said that in this life we often start out writing one book and end
up with quite another. That has literally been the case with the
limited edition volume book pictured on this web page.
What
began as a simple 200-page souvenir of the 200th anniversary of the
incorporation of the Village of Ballston Spa somehow blossomed over a
two-year period into a literary labor of love nearly twice that size,
filled with more inspiring stories and unforgettable images than I
ever dreamed possible.
Exactly how this happened, I'm still not sure. It would certainly have
been far easier, faster and less expensive to produce had I stuck to
Plan "A” limiting the scope of the book to standard history book
topics and illustrating the text with Then & Now pictures of familiar
landmarks and scenes. Make that black and white pictures, like one
taken by J. S. Wooley around 1907 that featured youngsters milling
around The Old Iron Spring with Brookside in the background. How it
was transformed into the meticulously hand-colored image that graces
our cover is explained by archival photographer Michael L. Noonan on
the pages that follow.
Suffice to say that while one of us kicked into Michaelangelo-like
action, the other found herself dashing from one welcoming setting to
the next, listening spellbound to the stories of old-timers like
Maurice "Chris" Morley and Nancy Reynolds Rooney, both of whom are
honored with special dedications in this book's opening section.
Others who made priceless contributions include Joseph Bruchac III,
John J. Cromie and C.H. Grose about whom you will read more elsewhere
in the book.
What
matters most is that research that had been expected to take place in
solitary corners of libraries and museums instead unfolded in a broad
diversity of private homes in and on the outskirts of the village.
History came to life as I had the joy of listening to stories about
the way things were as vividly recalled by senior citizens. Many
shared family tales that had been handed down from
generation-to-generation within family circles, but which had never
been heard by others in the community. On other occasions, I had the
honor of turning the faded pages of ancestral journals and photo
albums.
I
soon realized this was not going to be a traditional history book
framed by the dates 1807 - 2007, but rather a vibrant living history
book that would span the thousands of years before the coming of the
first white settlers with no definite ending. It ultimately evolved
into an open door leading from the way things were and are to the way
they hopefully will be many moons from now.
A
great deal of inspiration was drawn both from the words penned by
Edward F. Grose back in 1907, and those of Canadian author Margaret
Atwood, who once addressed the New York State Writer's Institute. It
was she who observed: "Literacy is not only a mirror; it is also a
map, a geography of the mind. Our literature is one such map; if we
can learn to read it as our literature, as the product of who and
where we have been. We need such a map desperately; we need to know
about here, because here is where we live. For the members of a
country or a culture, shared knowledge is their place, their here; it
is not a luxury, but a necessity. Without that knowledge, we will not
survive."
It
is my profound hope that this book will in some small measure
help this and future generations appreciate Ballston Spa for the
treasure it truly is: a community that is destined not merely to
survive, but to thrive.
In closing, I would like to express heartfelt gratitude to impeccable
Publisher Pat Peck and all who gave generously of their time and
talents to make this book a reality. Their photos are scattered
throughout the pages that follow with some biographical information
tucked inside of the colorful dust jacket. Should you spot them on the
street, I hope you will greet them with a smile and express how much
you appreciate their part in charting the literary map titled
"Ballston Spa: The Way We Were, The Way We Are."
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface by Ann Hauprich & Michael L. Noonan
..............................7
Before the White Settlers by Joseph Bruchac III
..........................13
A
Look Back at the Past Two Centuries by John J. Cromie ..........21
Memories of a Bygone Era by C.H. Grose
...................................37
Special Dedications by Ann Hauprich
.........................................55
Carving a legacy of caring with Maurice "Chris" Morley
More
than a few minutes with Nancy Reynolds Rooney (and her brother Andy)
Landmarks, Legends & Legacies
..............................................86
Preserving the ordinary makes Brookside extraordinary by Ann Hauprich
Heritage Hunters search for ancestors by Audrey Bopp Hauprich
Abner Doubleday's Home Base by John J. Cromie
Make
tracks for Ballston Spa by Ann Hauprich
All
aboard the PPJ by Maurice "Chris" Morley
How
sweet it was "and is” at the Chocolate Factory by Michael L. Noonan
The
"Painted Lady" with the Verbeck name by Francis G. Hauprich
History on tap at National Bottle Museum by Ann Hauprich
Memories & Milestones
............................................................157
Special Commemorative Section by Ann Hauprich & Michael L. Noonan
Centennial of 1907, Sesquicentennial of 1957 & Bicentennial of 2007
Bonus: Return of the Queen: A Royal Tribute to the former Margaret
Zepko
&
the enduring ties that bind her to former Apronstrings Leslie & Della
Groom
Ordinary People; Extraordinary Lives
.......................................197
Special section by Ann Hauprich
Paving the way with the big-hearted, rock-solid Pompas
Don
Mundell could have starred in "A Wonderful Life"
Firm
Rowland Street foundation keeps Eberts grounded
Lorraine Zahn Janack: How she remembers Mama & Papa!
On
the go with the Legnantes at Jim's Ballston CITGO
Michael Polsinelli could have his own "The Way We Were Car" Show
PLUS
The Mangino wheels have been turning for half a century by Cari
Scribner
&
Bob Curtis named Great Northeast's 2007's Lumberman of the Year by Pat
Peck
In Their Own Words
................................................................243
Surviving rheumatic fever by Marjorie Sack Hobday
Her
love lives on through journal entries by Esther Armstrong Charon
The
Nifty Fifties & Groovy Sixties by Carl Feathers
What
made life pleasant on Pleasant Street by Dave Sherwood
A
small byte of computer history by James A. Lestrange
Houses of Worship: Answer to a Prayer in Good Times & Bad .....266
Ballston Spa Presbyterian Church by the Rev. David H. Bennett
Christ Episcopal Church by Rev. Derik Roy
First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa by Don Mundell with Alice
Lattimore
St.
Mary's Roman Catholic Church & School by Audrey Bopp Hauprich
United Methodist Church by Karen Staulters
Service Above Self
............................................................... 317
Irving Wiswall helped charter this local service club in 1922 by Ann
Hauprich
Ruralities
..............................................................................
332
How
Cornell Cooperative Extension has grown by Ann Hauprich
The
Crawfords have deep & electrifying roots by Ann Hauprich
BONUS: The "scoop" on Stewart's by Wendy Hobday Haugh
Remembering "The Way We Were"
......................................364
What
went on behind-the-scenes on Front Street by Dick Buyer
The
Way We Are & The Way We Hope To Be by Ann Hauprich
Tudd, The Wonder Dog: A Parting Tail by Michael L. Noonan ......
370
Meet Some History Making Contributors
............................... 374
-----------------------------------------------------
NOTICE: The first
limited edition hard cover copies of this book are almost
SOLD
OUT.
Please visit this
website again soon for updates regarding future editions.
-----------------------------------------------------
Click here
to read what people are saying about this book.
Click here
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