§16 We Remember Mount Ross (4)

The 'New' Bridge, showing lights (V06-53.GIF)

I have lived in Mt. Ross all of my life and have seen a great number of changes--some very welcome, others still most regretted.

I remember in the 1930’s the train arriving twice a day on its way to and from Rhinecliff and Boston Corners. We could see it from our kitchen window as it passed by on the other side of the creek. We would wave to the conductor of course and he always waved back and sometimes blew the whistle. The station was always open and it was fun to play there. No one objected. One day the train off-loaded a small herd of horses which was then driven up the mountain road past the school to the Sam Deuel place. 1 There was a post office in the station earlier but it had been closed and our mail was delivered to the house.

My folks, Dick and Rebecca Kruse Muller, both from the Bronx, bought our house in 1920. It is located just west of the bridge and north of the creek. A tax roll tells us that it was built in 1848 and has had a number of owners. 2

My Mother's sister, Aunt Margaret Kruse Vater, lived, just across the road. My Dad's sister, Aunt Sophie Feuss, lived in the same house somewhat earlier. His brother, Uncle George, farmed the hillside land north of the intersection. I remember people stopping by to watch in awe as he guided his team sideways along the steep side-hill fields. He did this even later when he bought a tractor, but as far as I know he never tipped over! My Grandfather, Klaus Kruse, also lived nearby in a house that has since burned down. He was custodian at our school. I also can remember with a grin that our teachers sometimes ended up shoveling the school paths themselves! My two sisters, one brother, our cousins, and the Rasmussen kids just about filled the school. I remember our teachers, Miss Wernefeld whose family owned the general store at Jackson Corners; Mrs. Grant, whose husband and her sister-in-law published the local newspaper; and Miss Hart, who retired as the last teacher at Mt. Ross.

The school closed in l942, but I transferred to the new central school in the village when I was in 6th grade. A Mr. Hutton was hired by the School District to drive us in his own car although there were regular buses elsewhere.

Our general store & garage was built in the early 20's attached to the local blacksmith shop. Our home was, and still is, immediately behind it. The store was the neighborhood gathering place. We all attended the Gallatin Reformed Church which was located not far east of us on Columbia County Rt. 2.

We had a fun family including a lively little monkey named JoJo who entertained us all, sometimes by biting fingers and pulling hair, especially blond hair!. Our family raised ponies, my favorite being Jane whom I rode all over. When I outgrew her, she was given to the Hedges family up on the hill for the younger children, and she lived there the rest of her life. We had a few goats and dogs and lots of kittens. We also owned, for a short while, a 5-legged calf! My Dad even took it on the road one summer with a travelling carnival. But soon he traded it—for JoJo!

In the summer our favorite place to play was right in the creek – a deep and wide section near the house. Even JoJo swam with us on a leash. We also fished for eels. My Uncle Henry, who lived in Silvernails, was a butcher, and he smoked all we caught. In the winter we skated on the creek. Winters were different then. The water was often frozen clear across. We could ride the ponies or drive from one side to the other. We skated on a pond at the Rasmussens by the side of the road. It is no longer there, dried up, I guess. Also we enjoyed sliding on the road, especially when the lights were lit across the bridge. These were removed recently and never replaced… just one of the 'regrettable changes'.

By the early 40's business had slowed, so my Dad tore the store down but continued with the gas station for another few years. By now the trains were discontinued and the tracks removed, to be used as scrap during World War II. The school was closed and sold to the Kullman family, relatives of the current owner. And of course the mills were long gone. We had become a comfortable little neighborhood--no longer the busy hamlet.The city folks continued to vacation at several boarding houses, but even that business slowly disappeared. Only the old farms remained active, as a few do even today. Most recently there have been several new homes built in the area, and new families have also moved into some of the older homes.

Today I am still very happy to be living here in Mt. Ross at the site of the old mills. I do cherish the quiet country atmosphere and my memories of the days gone by.

Notes:

1. << Now owned by the Elsohns
2. << Conklin, Bentley, Wilbur, Wright etc. You will recognize these as Mt. Ross Mill owners. -Ed.

We Remember Mount Ross (3)	Table of Contents		Afterword
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