Printed From Acorn-Online.com
Window into History
Jan 31, 2008
With sleds now a scarcity, a look
at local life in the good ol’ sledding
times
Is it global warming or just the whim of Mother Nature that we haven’t seen much snow this winter? There have been few chances to try out that shiny new Christmas sled or even shovel the walk or plow the driveway so far this season, but winter is not over yet, and those sleds may still see plenty of action.
This column had its impetus in our search for a Christmas present for our two little grandsons. Mom said they might like a sled, especially since they live in the snowfields of upstate New York. That shouldn’t be a hard request for Santa Koehl to fill, but think again, Santa Koehl. There were few of the old-fashioned wooden Flexible Flyer type to be had, read that, none, to be seen in toy stores, Sears or even the local hardware store. Coincidentally, The New York Times ran a small article on the scarcity of sleds, stating the recent lack of snow and winter weather in the metropolitan area had slowed the clamor for sleds ... little snow and more time spent in front of the boob tube and the Xboxes and virtual sports screens made for little need for outdoor winter sporting equipment. Pity the poor fools who still considered sledding a joy of winter! The salesperson at Sears said the store didn’t even stock sleds this winter. Go figure! Thank goodness, we have several genuine specimens of the 1940’s, and older, Flexible Flyers in the barn ... streamline racers that ruled the hills of George Washington Elementary School and the golf courses of lower Westchester.
Thinking about sleds and sledding led me to the files of the town historian’s office where I knew I had diaries telling of sledding and sleighing parties from a century and more ago. These glimpses into bygone winters follow. The first is from the series of Civil War letters from Joel M. Bouton to Stephen Hoyt and is dated Jan. 7, 1862.
Dateline Olean
“We had two fine sledding parties last week ... We had about a week of sleighing at the close of the old year, but New Year’s eve and day it was warm and spoiled it, but it snowed yesterday and it makes very good sleighing again and I hope that it won’t go off until Sunday, if it does I am intending to have a sleigh ride — go up and see my sweetheart who lives about 10 miles from here ... ”
Joel wrote to Stephen again, on March 11, 1862, and in that letter he sums up his sleighing season for his Salem friend.
“I have had two very fine sleigh rides this winter — The first time there were nine couples and the last time six, we did not get back until breakfast time either time. Besides that I have been riding four or five times with a school mate of mine and we had just a gay spree although there was [sic] no gals along. There has been about eight weeks of as fine sleighing as ever need be asked for, but it rained yesterday and I guess that we are a going to have a brake [sic] up.”
Of course, Joel was doing his sleighing in central New York, but I’m sure his friends in Old Salem, as he liked to call our town, were doing the same.
‘Country Sports’
Now let’s travel through time to 1888 and the notebook of Miss Emily V. Hait, who married into the Hoyt family — Stephen’s family. She was the mother of Alathea, Millicent and Dudley Hoyt of Oscaleta Road. She may also have been the daughter-in-law of Stephen.
At the time, according to the frontispiece of the paperbound copy book, Miss Hait was attending Ellis College in Los Angeles. The book is dated April 11, 1888. (Ellis College did not survive the 20th Century education boom in California. It was founded after the Civil War and included a TB sanitarium as one of its perks.) A news article of the time said its academics rated along with Vassar, but the same article noted, “The college commends itself to Eastern people whose daughters are too frail to endure the rigors of the [East Coast] climate, and the efforts necessary to obtain a full course of study.” We don’t know if Emily was one of the frail ones, but we do have a diary telling of her journey from west to east, which doesn’t speak of frailty.
Emily’s insight into sleighing is in an essay on “Country Sports” and judging from the penmanship, she must be a young teenager. Note that this book dates from a month after the biggest blizzard to ever hit the East Coast.
Emily begins her essay by explaining how pleasant it is to live in the country, not “way back in the woods, where you never see anyone, but a little away from a village ... In the winter you can go skating on the ice. This is very pleasant if the ice is thick enough to hold you up, but not quite so much so when it is so that you go through and get wet and go home all wet and cold. Perhaps, too, you catch a hard cold and are not allowed to go out for five or six weeks. Then go sleigh riding and get tiped [sic] out or get into a snow drift.
“I think the song, ‘Jingle Bells’ is true when it says ‘Oh! What jolly fun to ride, in a one horse open sleigh.’ Or have your fingers, nose or ears frosen [sic] in going to a party 10 miles away.”
Obviously, being stuck at a school in sunny California cut down on Emily’s sleighing time that winter.
Cross River in 1901
For our early 20th Century sleigh ride, we return to Chapman Miller’s diary of his 15th year. Chapman later became the postmaster of Cross River for most of the first half of the century. His words paint a picture of a more leisurely paced hamlet.
(Note: F = fair; C = cloudy.)
“Mon. Feb. 4, 1901: C. 28º. Snowed all day. Saw two sleighs and several sleds today. Snowing yet. Went to school all day. Had a fine time. Took my music lesson tonight. Went to bed at 9:20.
“Tues. Feb. 5: F. 20º. Sleighing. The wind blew all day, still blowing. Went to school today. Went to bed at 8:25.
“Weds. Feb. 6: F. 16º. Went to school all day. Went to the sociable at Doctor Stowes. Had a fine time. Sleighing is fine. Went to bed at 12:10.
“Thurs. Feb. 7: F. 19º. Sleighing is lovely. I went to school today. Practised [sic] some to-night. Went to bed at 8 o’clock.
“Fri. Feb. 8: F. 10º. Sleighing is quite good. I went to school today. Practised some to-night. Went to bed at 9:30.
“Sat. Feb. 9: C. F. 22º. More snow. Good sleighing yet. Cut wood at intervals during the day. Ada expected to go for Alex [brother in Pound Ridge] tonight, but a strawride was planned. Neither went. Practised some. I went to bed at 9:10.
“Sun. Feb. 10: F. 20º. Alex walked home this morning. Went to church all day except for PM. Went for a sleighride with Mamma and Norman over to Aunt Angelines. Charlie and Grace and Alex and Carrie went sleighing too. Went to bed at 9:10.
“Mon. Feb. 11: F. Went part way with Alex. Frosted my nose and got so cold that I have been sick all day. I went to school this afternoon. I did not take my music lesson to-night. I went to bed at 8:10.”
And so ends a week of winter sport! Perhaps we of the 21st Century will get our chance before the winter is out to try out our Christmas sleds. Readers with childhood memories of sleigh riding are encouraged to get those memories down on paper for future readers, or send them to funnyfarm.ss@verizon.net, or call 763-3326.
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