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Volume
I
 In
1998 when we
formed Friends
of Beaverkill
Community we felt
strongly that
the word “Community”
be a part of our
name. Part of
our growing sense
of community
were the records
of valley events
we found in boxes
left in attics
in the old houses
we bought, old
‘flyers’ about
the campsite
or hotels in the
area, some of
which had been
printed in magazines
or newspapers
and pictures
left behind by
previous owners.
There were also
a few individuals
who had written
out their memories.
Through
existing material
and interviews,
we saw an opportunity
to give voice
to earlier members
of this community
and create a written
legacy that would
be a part of our
valley for years
to come. Our goal
was to keep the
individual “voices”
of the various
pieces and create
a book which gave
a bit of the flavor
and atmosphere
of Beaverkill
over the past
one hundred years.
There
was a great deal
of enthusiasm
for both the writing
and then for the
book itself, and
in the fall of
2003 the Friends
of Beaverkill
Community published
Stories of the
Beaverkill Volume
I. We soon sold
out our first
edition of 200
copies and decided
that not only
would we have
a reprint of Volume
I, but we saw
that we had enough
material and willing
volunteers to
start on a second
volume.
Volume
II
Volume
II, which was
all new, was the
result. Like the
earlier work,
it is a compendium
of writing and
photos that focus
generally on the
area and people
in that portion
of the lower Beaverkill
Valley whose sentimental
hub is the Beaverkill
Covered Bridge.
As an oral history,
it goes back no
further than the
unwritten stories
and traditions
that have been
passed on to and
captured by the
authors herein.
Thus, the earliest
material touches
lightly on the
sunset of the
farming days and
the beginning
of permanent summer
residence by visitors
around the turn
of the last century,
and the latest
ends, generally,
with the vibrant
social scene of
the ’50s and early
’60s. In order
to place the valley
culture in a broader
context, some
historical notes
from farther afield
are included,
such as the fine
short history
that appeared
in the commemorative
yearbook published
in connection
with the dedication
of the new Livingston
Manor High School
in 1939.
Many
voices are heard
herein, and the
close reader may
note that in a
few cases they
do not entirely
agree and that
their recollections
of history may
not entirely accord
either with each
other or with
the official chronicles.
To
better show the
temporal and geographic
bounds of the
volume and for
easier reference,
there have been
included a map
of the area showing
where many of
the principal
characters lived
during the times
in question, together
with a timeline
showing principal
landmarks of Valley
history.
Volumes
I and II: Heritage
Edition
In
the event, Volume
II essentially
sold out through
subscription before
its printing,
and we came to
believe that this
latest edition,
which contains
both earlier volumes,
together with
a collection of
photographs from
the Beaverkill
archives, should
be produced not
only to keep the
books in print
and available
to Friends and
to future Friends,
but also to preserve
the heritage of
our valley for
generations to
come.
©
Friends
of
Beaverkill
Community
1998-2011. All
rights
reserved. |
