The Deeper Side: October 2013

I left Little Falls late in the Morning Friday, for the first time in my life I decided that I would count on the GPS on my phone to get me from point A to Point B. Looking at the map I had two choices take the Interstate to the East, go through a bunch of big cities and get there quicker, or go west a ways and zig zag my way down the state coming into Sparta from the North. Of course I chose the scenic route!
Well, my phone died about ten minutes out of town, the charger actually was what died. I got to see the scenery all right, and talk with lot's of folks along the way, one nice guy even printed out turn by turn instructions to Sparta that worked fine -- for about two turns. I got to see a lot of great country and it only took me about 3 hours longer than I expected.

So Long to Sally and Susan

On the road.

Folks said it was not a great Autumn as far a the colors went.

The colors were awesome as far as I was concerned

I knew I was getting close to New Jersey when I saw this sign.

This sign meant nothing to me, except that the Andes I know are in South America,

and if it said "Marguritaville" I would have made a side trip there.

And drank a toast to Jimmy Buffet

Lake Mohawk, Sparta N.J.

This was actually my initial destination, my Uncle Wally passed on last year and I missed his memorial, and this was a "better late than never" appearance. It was a roundabout way of getting here but it was great connecting with my Cousin Don and his family (never had met Rachel and Charlotte and Ashton).
My Aunt Ruth I used to see every year or two, but I think it's been more than five since we crossed paths.

Again the weather cooperated in a grand manner, we went on a Saturday outing to a Pumpkin festival and rode a haywagon out to the pumpkin patch. Little Ashton (on the left) is a dynamo, wish I could harness his energy.

Charlotte too was a bundle of energy, I think these are the only two pictures I got of her where she was not running or jumping. Beautiful kids!

Snuggling with Grandma on the hay ride.

Sunday lunch with the Vorecks

Rachel, Ashton and Don in the back, Charlotte, Marilyn, Aunt Ruth and Paula in front

More Autumn landscapes

Three generations, Paula Marilyn and Ruth - See any resemblance?

We took a nice Sunday drive to a park that Paula used to work at. Great views a challenging hike for Aunt Ruth, but really only because she had the wrong shoes on. She laughed all the way!

One last little walk with Aunt Ruth before I say goodbye to

Mohawk Lake and Sparta New Jersey

But first a little more Family memorabilia

Above, a song featuring my dad's family.

They used to sing it every New Years, and cook a big ham.

Below, my Dad and Greta his mom and friends. Greta is standing in the back

This little cutie is my Grandpa and his Dad Philo

So long Ruth and Sparta, off to the Big Apple,

New Jersey actually where my cousin Marilyn lives.

One last shot of Paula - gotta love this one!

I am in Berkeley at the moment, still behind on this photo journaling, but having fun! I will close this for now, but expect to see the New York City/ New Jersey edition soon. Working my way South to my Niece Jessica's wedding next weekend.

Yahoo!

I ain't been here in a coons age.

I'm thinking I was about 22 years old last time on one of them "hippie road trips" from the old days.

Speaking of the "old days" I was out walking for exercise stumbled upon this graveyard. I told myself I was not going to spend a bunch of time looking for Casler gravestones. I turned into the entrance and the first four I saw were family.

It was a gorgeous day, frankly too nice to be poking around looking for gravestones.

Petri another distant relative seemed to have a presence here. I came here to see family, but enough with these "dead" Caslers. I will get to some living relatives soon..........

..........but first, a word from our sponsors. More accurately a synopsis of the history that got me here.

I met a very knowledgable fellow at the Little Falls Historical Society who gave me a history of how the Germans from the Palentinate region got here. I did not take notes, so this an approximate history:

Once upon a time in the early 1700's there was a cold snap that destroyed crops throughout Europe. It was so cold that portions of the Atlantic sea coast froze. Vineyards were destroyed as were other crops. There was a large migration of Germans from the Palentinate region of Germany. This fact along with increasing religious persecution spurred a huge migration to the New World. Families pulled up stakes and abandoned their homesteads and headed for London and established refugee camp of about 3000 Palentine Germans. At this time the Queen was sending ships to the new world, primarily to harvest timber for ship construction (Because at that time, whoever controlled the sea controlled the world) The British Navy came up with a plan to alleviate the overpopulation of Germans and conscript labor in the new world for England’s benefit. In exchange for transport to the New Holland (now New York) the Germans would work in the forests, harvesting timber, tapping trees for pitch, in short help England Build a better fleet and get a stronghold in America. At that time New Holland had only about 4000 people living there. Long story short the Palentine Germans were farmers not foresters and that endeavour failed. They needed farmland.

In 1725 after an arduous effort the Palentines were granted a land patent in the Mohawk River valley, the Burnetsfield Patent http://herkimer.nygenweb.net/patent.html This establishes the Casler Family there in 1722 (That is a little aside from the history just for my ego’s sake)

At that time the French were still trying to get a stronghold in the Mohawk Valley and there were marauding Indians assisted by the French making forays South and creating havoc.

The Mohawk indians however befriended the new settlers and actually inter racial marriages were commonplace.

I learned that the indigenous Indians of the Mohawk River Valley were not enemies of our family (and this relieved me of some latent guilt) However I know not what other injustices may have been perpetrated by my ancestors. It is nice to know a little more today than I did yesterday and I think it is time to close the historical chapter of this journal.

It's a beautiful day and and I connected with some really fun and beautiful family. Pictures below of the Casler Farm and some of the family I met. For the sake of keeping things brief in the journal I will spare you the genealogical stories - there are a lot of them :) Like the story about Richard Casler who built the stone house (This is an "inside joke")

Above: An overview of the town of Little Falls, NY Population: 4912 (2012)

I told some of the Caslers I was having dinner with that my town (Clark Fork) was a town waiting to happen. They quipped back, Little Falls is a town that is done happening. Kind of sad but true. There are many large closed down factories and vacant brick apartment buildings. However it is a beautiful little town and you can see people take pride in it.

Beautiful Parks

Seemed like there were historic buildings on every corner.

Another Park

The Overlook House

(again) Overlooking the town of Little Falls

One of the fields at the farm.

On the next few pictures note the cut in the hillside.

When they put the freeway in they bought some of the farm. Since it was on a hill they made a cut through it creating a 50 foot valley the freeway sits in.

You can hardly tell it is there from the farmhouse.

Was it Springsteen who wrote a song about having a freeway running through his back yard?

Never had it so good???