HISTORY & MYSTERIES
Oscar Levant, the quick-witted pianist, composer, actor, author and quiz-show panelist, had his first "extended engagement" at the Mikado Inn in 1922. In his 1965 book, The Memoirs of an Amnesiac, Levant wrote about those days, which must have been quite an experience for a young man who was then just 16 years old. "During … Continue reading Oscar Levant Plays the Mikado
"Harmon-on-the-Hudson has been one of the most active suburb real estate centers since early this spring," reported the New York Tribune in this article published on June 12, 1921. "Clifford B. Harmon . . . says that in the last few weeks about one hundred building lots have been sold mostly to recently married couples, … Continue reading Newly Married Folks Buy . . . at Harmon
Here is an early post card of the "Belle Terre, Log Cabin Restaurant at Camp Broadway, Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y." According to the book by the Croton Historical Society in Arcadia's Images of America series, the Log Cabin Restaurant was located near the "present entrance to Arrow Crest." In a previous post we featured a later post … Continue reading Log Cabin Restaurant Revisited
These two nineteenth century puzzles, showing the Old Croton Dam and High Bridge, were part of a set called Sliced Objects, published by E. G. Selchow & Co., circa 1867 to 1880. The puzzles came in a box (shown below) along with puzzles of other New York landmarks—the Bethesda Fountain, St. Paul's Church, the statue … Continue reading Croton Aqueduct Puzzles
Below is issue 1 of Theodore J. Cornu's extraordinary hand-drawn, hand-lettered, self-published journal, Hudson Valley Echoes. When the publication opens you can click on the pages and enlarge them. The embedded viewer uses Flash, so if you don't see it below because your device doesn't support Flash, you can click here. Issues 2 to 4 … Continue reading Hudson Valley Echoes, Issue #1
Here is a post card showing the "Croton River, from Quaker Bridge, where Washington's Army Crossed." Below is a post card from the same period, showing what Quaker Bridge looked like at the time. Except for the unpaved road and the railing it looks the same as it does today, because our beloved Quaker Bridge is … Continue reading The View from Quaker Bridge
The amazing thing about searching with Google is that not only can you find a needle in the internet haystack—sometimes you find needles you weren't even looking for, like this story of Richard T. Underhill's involvement in the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway Company, the company that began the New York City transportation system. First … Continue reading R. T. Underhill—Doctor, Winemaker, and Investor in the First New York City Elevated Railway
On June 17, 1922 the New York Times published an article on several raids conducted by Federal prohibition agents. The Central Brewing Company in New York City was indicted for selling beer with more than 4% alcohol content. The Feds also seized a Rabbi's wine, a widow's whiskey still and further upstate some multi-talented agents … Continue reading Our Multi-Talented Federal Prohibition Agents
"Nikko Inn, in Harmon-on-Hudson, Must Close for Two Months," read the headline of a short article in the New York Times, on May 20, 1925. "Ten restaurants, saloons and speakeasies were ordered closed yesterday by Judge John C. Knox in the Federal Padlock Court. The Nikko Inn, a Japanese roadhouse and tea room in Harmon-on-Hudson, … Continue reading Roy Kojima, Busted and Boastful
This vintage post card of the Nikko Inn is interesting for several reasons. Given the high cost of color printing at beginning of the 20th century, the fact that this is printed in black-and-white indicates that it was probably a local production—not a card issued by a major publisher. The back side confirms this because … Continue reading A Delightful Place to Dine
CROTON 