Printed From Acorn-Online.com
Window into History
Dec 20, 2007
A visit with Chapman Miller
and many Cross River Christmases past
In keeping with the spirit of the holiday season, this column will sneak a peek at several Christmases from a long time ago. Recently, a collection of diaries belonging to Chapman Miller, the longtime postmaster of Cross River, was found in a basement in Katonah. The little leatherbound books are in the process of being transcribed and they provide decades of lives lived in that hamlet. The Millers farmed on the hillside just west of the “downtown” area of Cross River, where the highway from Bedford meets the highway from Katonah. The post office and store stood where Yellow Monkey Village is now. The post office is now the store to the west of the big barn and the Millers’ home is now the art gallery.
The oldest diary was written in 1901, when Chapman was 15 years old. It is the record of a serious young man, a hard worker with his father on the farm, and a fervent church-goer who sometimes attended church services three times on a Sunday. His dedication to the Cross River Baptist Church remained until his death. Judging from the writings in his diaries, life was not terribly easy for the family, but there were the socials and church suppers and entertainments to help lighten the times.
December 1901
We can get a sense of what was happening in the Cross River of 1901 from Chapman’s writing. The hamlet has been much changed. In 1901 there was no reservoir, and where the water sits now there were two streets and a number of houses. Farms bordered the more developed area in all directions. Most families were self-sufficient, except for dry goods and services. Travel was by foot or horse-drawn vehicles and the train in Katonah took travelers to New York City.
Chapman seems to be occupied with farm and household chores and school. He doesn’t talk about hunting or ball playing, pastimes enjoyed by others his age. The Miller and Reynolds families were related and did much in each other’s company. Christmas was a major happening in the village and preparations in the two churches started several weeks in advance. Chapman first mentions preparations on ...
“Sunday, Dec. 15 — Services as usual today. We are practicing for Christmas now.
“Monday, Dec. 16 — I took a music lesson tonight, after which I went to Carrie’s and practiced Christmas music.
“Thursday, Dec. 19 — Have helped to trim the church tonight. (Cross River Baptist Church at the entrance to the reservation).
“Friday, Dec. 20 — Helping at the church decorations.
“Saturday, Dec. 21 — Still trimming. The church looks fine.
“Monday, Dec. 23 — The Baptist Sunday School had the Christmas festival tonight. Everything was fine. The decorations were something better than we have had for a good while. I received a little book, a package of candy and an orange.
“Tuesday, Dec. 24 — The Methodist Sunday School had their entertainment tonight. Their decorations were fine and all was good. I received a book — ‘With Lee in Virginia,’ a box of candy and an orange.”
For whatever reason, there are no more entries for 1901 so we do not know what young Chapman’s actual Christmas was like, but he probably celebrated it with his parents and his older brother, Alex, and another brother. Before the next Christmas, Alex would be gone. He died on June 8, 1902, at the age of 22, from pneumonia contracted as a result of the measles.
December 1935
Chapman Miller, now 49, has two grown daughters, Arvilla and Ruth. A third daughter, Laura, died tragically at the age of two in 1926. Mr. Miller has been Cross River postmaster for many years. The post office includes a bakery and small store. He is assisted by his wife, Laura, who does much of the baking of the bread and rolls that they sell. Christmas and the Baptist Church are still the focus of December for Mr. Miller.
He sells Christmas cards along with the normal post office services. The postmaster’s salary in a fourth class post office such as Cross River is based on the number of stamps sold, cancellations and other transactions of the office, hence the joy at the large number of cancellations mentioned in this year’s entries.
Diaries for the years between 1906 and the early 1930s are missing so we have nothing of the courting of Laura or the birth of the Miller children, but without fail, Christmas comes around at the close of every year. The economy is not good and many in the area are just making do. I find it charming and significant that oranges are still an important part of the Christmas celebration.
“Monday, Dec. 16 — Xmas rush began tonight with five people mailing their parcels.
No cards to speak of mailed yet. There have been several other Xmas mailings, but not like tonight so far this year.
“Tuesday, Dec. 17 — Not much mail this morning but we had quite a good outgoing mail. Cancellations over $11. Getting quite a lot colder tonight. Rehearsing Xmas songs at our house.
“Friday, Dec. 20 — Bought a small Christmas tree for 50 cents in Katonah.
“Saturday, Dec. 21 — Mail is holding up to about last year’s amount. We have been quite busy.
“Sunday, Dec. 22 — We used the Sunday School hour in going over the Christmas songs and recitations.
“It was a cold afternoon although pleasant except for the cold wind.
“Monday, Dec. 23 — Our Sunday School Christmas program was tonight at the Church. We had a nice program with Jonathan and a Mr. Brown assisting with concert music. The tree and Santa Claus (Lachlan — Chapman’s nephew, I believe) were especially interesting to the children. We gave oranges to the children besides a suitable gift to each.
“Tuesday, Dec. 24 — Made rolls and got to bed at 2:30. Got a bridge lamp from Larkin’s for Laura.
“Wednesday, Dec. 25 — Xmas day. Laura baked 8 dozen rolls and I made some ice cream. We had a nice Xmas. Laura, Arvilla & I went to Hawleyville (Chapman’s father and stepmother’s home). Stopped at Josie’s (Laura’s sister) on way home. Got home around 11. Ruth went to a show in the afternoon so she was not with us. I received 2 shirts, tie and shaving articles. Gave Laura a Bridge lamp.
“Thursday, Dec. 26 — Put away Xmas cards. Not so many left. William has closed the store, or it has been closed so for the time being our business has picked up just a little bit.”
December 1936
“Wednesday, Dec. 9 — Rehearsal of Christmas songs at our house tonight. I didn’t get along very well and attempted to practice alone afterwards. I think maybe it helped a little. My hearing is affected so much that I can’t sing as well as I used to, and it troubles me, because I like to sing.
“Friday, Dec. 11 — Very stormy. Had a rehearsal tonight of Christmas songs.
“Monday, Dec. 14 — In the evening after closing the P.O., Laura and I went over to Josie’s (Vista). Made up bread. Bed about 1 o’clock. Quite a little parcel post going out. Cancellations nearly $10.
“Wednesday, Dec. 16 — Mild weather. Nice day, but raining tonight. Practically sold out bread and rolls. Cards mail just beginning to go out. Practicing at Cyrus’s tonight. (Cyrus Russell, a neighbor who would become town clerk and eventually town supervisor.)
“Saturday, Dec. 19 — Not so nice today. Began to storm early in the evening and is a mean kind of night. Adrian Byington gave a Christmas tree for the Sunday School. Cancellations over $9.
“Sunday, Dec. 20 — We all went to S.S. (Sunday school) and C. E. (Christian Endeavor). Practiced Christmas pieces at Sunday school and after C. E.
“Monday, Dec. 21 — Heavy mail today. Cancellations $28.85. Clara drove the car and Laura and Arvilla went with her to Danbury this evening.
“Tuesday, Dec. 22 — School Christmas tonight. All went but Clara and I. After I closed the P.O. I went down to the church with the others to get the tree ready for tomorrow night. Didn’t make up bread tonight.
“Wednesday, Dec. 23 — Sunday School Christmas tonight. It was very nice with singing, speaking, and a Christmas tree with Lachlin as Santa Claus. We had ice cream and cake as refreshments.
“Thursday, Dec. 24 — I had trouble starting the car this morning. Had to be pushed ... went to Ryan’s (garage in Mount Kisco) and had some work done on the car to keep the battery charge better. Bought a little Xmas tree for Hawleyville. Laura and Clara went to Danbury and Hawleyville this eve.
“Friday, Dec. 25 — Pleasant day and night. We took our dinner with us and all had a nice Christmas together at my father’s (Hawleyville) between 5 and 6. I got ice from the cove by the bridge and made ice cream and took that, too. Got back after 10 and stopped at Edwin’s (Reynolds, in Cross River, a neighbor) for awhile. Made up a small batch of bread.”
Since we have come to the end of our peek at Christmases past, we shall close with Mr. Miller’s diary entry for the last day of 1936. He celebrated about 15 more Christmases, a few more than his beloved Laura who passed away in 1948. After Mr. Miller’s death, his daughter, Ruth Rohner, became Cross River postmistress and served in that position for many years.
And now to New Year’s Eve, 1936.
“Thursday, Dec. 31 — Went to Marion’s (Edwin Reynolds’ wife and Laura’s cousin) this evening. Played dominoes. P.O. report made up tonight. This quarter’s compensation — $268.56. Happy holidays to all, and don’t forget to celebrate with an orange!”
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