HISTORY & MYSTERIES
LIQUOR LADEN PLANE FROM CANADA FALLS AS IT NEARS CITY Drops 250 Quarts of Scotch Near Croton, Where Water for Highballs Comes From FLIER ESCAPES IN AN AUTO Car Apparently in Waiting Whisks Limping Aviator From Scene “Dusk was deepening into darkness” on the night of May 15, 1922, as a Curtis biplane circled slowly … Continue reading The Mystery of the Rum Plane
Here’s a tasty bit of Harmon history, currently being offered on eBay. This vintage menu from the Mikado Inn features two Spring Lamb Chops for $1.50, Filet Mignon Mikado for $3.00 and a Porterhouse Steak for two for $5.00. Just between us, I recommend the house specialty, Chicken or Beef Sukiyaki , “seasoned with Soyu … Continue reading What’s Cookin’ at the Mikado?
"Something New!" proclaimed this ad from the May 30, 1908 issue of the Peekskill Highland Democrat. "Right on the Beautiful Croton River, where Cool Breezes blow even on the warmest days." This ad must have been the beginning of a publicity campaign, because about a month later the New York Times 1 published a short … Continue reading American Cooking, Japanese Service!
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
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
Here are ads for three Croton "road houses" from the June 12, 1921 issue of the New-York Tribune. They were part of a full page ad for Westchester hotels and restaurants that appeared under a banner reading "Westchester County, the Motorist's Playground, 900 Miles of Good Roads." It's hard to imagine what driving was like … Continue reading The Motorist’s Playground
The Tumble Inn was located where Skyview is today. This postcard shows the backyard in 1919. The note on the front reads "view from our bedroom windows." On the back, "Aunt Ella" writes "Wish you were with us. $7.50 per day for my room and $10.00 for the other two at 'Tumble Inn' . . … Continue reading Tumble Inn
Nikko Inn (aka "The Japanese Tea House") back in the early days when real estate developer Clifford B. Harmon was modestly advertising his new community as “HARMON, the New City on the Hudson—the most important and extensive suburban development in the history of New York.”
CROTON 