Concrete Fence Post Schodack N.Y.

I discovered on a stop one day to my now deceased Aunt(Covid in Texas) home a strange sight. It was a concrete fence post on her property on South Schodack Road. Other explorations led me to discover 2 more such fence posts along the road in front of a small wooded piece of property next to her house. I have last week discovered one off Niverville Rd in Columbia County. Some still have old fencing embedded in them.So the question arises what were they used for? It is most certain an average farmer would not have used concrete to make fence posts. Most likely wood and barbed wire. So what were they used for.Talking the last time with my aunt before she left for Texas and my general speculation is the railroads. All of the fence posts were found nead railroad tracks. So I believe they marked a right of way for the railroads. I would speculate they were put in at the turn of the 20th Century. The wire is old and brittle and the concrete shows signs of wear. Tops broked off and pitted. Though they are still very much embedded in the ground. So my latest discovery......a interesting find without any digging. Be Seeing You.

A New Simon Templar The Saint to be filmed

Well for those fans of Simon Templar aka The Saint of which I am I have some potentially good news. Actor Chris Pine is apparently going to play him for Paramount. Script being worked on. This character has been around since the late 1920s. He somehow manages to keep going. So hopefully in the next couple of years he will be back on the big screen.

Coal near Railroad Tracks South Schodack NY

 It has been a reasonably mild January for these parts. So I have been back to a little archeology in my spar moments, Have not found anything much. But I did find some coal near the railroad tracks in South Schodack Rd area. Small pieces. No doubt left over from when trains burned coal which some did into the early 1950s. Now electric or diesel. They were small specimens because coal is soft and wastes away quickly in weather. My mothers as well did a lot of families used to go coal hunting near these same tracks to help heat the family homestead in the 20s and 30s. 13 kids in the family and they were rather poorback then. So off I go on to other projects and mild adventures. But I have not written in a while so here is my small report.

Adam Glen Hudson

 This is a belated welcome into this world for my latest Grandson but I have not been blogging for over a year. So Adam Glen Hudson born on May 17 2018 welcome to this world. That makes 4 grandsons. Adam......I am not sure what world you will inhabit. Seems complicated but then again so  has many times before your birth.  You face a changing world and hopefully your grandpa will be around a few more years to help guide you part of the way.  You will face many challenges but I suspect you are strong and have  talents all your own. I trust you will use them wisely. God Speed.

Another MHHS Graduation

 Today I stopped by my old High School , Maple Hill in Schodack , NY. I was walking the track. Staff was setting up for the graduation that evening. Valedictorian and Salutatorian were practicing their speeches before I presume faculty members over the microphones. It was about 80. I wonder if they got through the ceremony without rain. Next year is my 50th anniversary of my senior year. Wow !!! Will have  to do some writing about that.

Back Again.......Again

 Well I am officially back again. Had a computer melt down  I also had a heart attack and a few other medical problems. But I am  atleast for this time back. Got some catching up to do. BE SEEING YOU.

Train/Car Crash in Schodack NY 1958

 I am on a small rural road named South Schodack Rd in the upstate community of Schodack NY. I am standing near the railroad tracks. In my hand is a small piece of what appears to be an old piece of car chrome, I have dug it up about one quarter of a mile from this small dirt side road. It is heavier than a modern chrome is and appears slightly melted. So why is this of any importance? So as I stand there my mind goes back to a memory I have stored away. In a sense I go back in time to circa winter of 1958. Most likely January / February. A woman by the name of Loretta Harris who was a member of The Eastern Star was coming home from a meeting of said group. On the way back from The Main St area of Castleton NY where the Lodge was she dropped off Ruth Hudson a fellow member and sister in law to her home. They talked about how it had recently started snowing  and rather hard at that. Was she going to be OK returning home. She had a relatively new car a 57 Chevy Bel Air a car that was destined to become a car collectors classic. So she felt reasonably safe. She drove slowly on into the night. She passed by the then new Maple Hill High School and turned onto South Schodack Rd. This road was not a very populated road  Even now after some development in this century it is sparsely populated still. Lots of corn and soy farmland now , a couple of dairy farms and corn fields then ,  she and her husband Donald  owned a several acre apple orchard on that road at that time.
 Ms. Harris drove slowly that night as the snow had picked  in intensity. As she came up to that dirt road that veered off South Schodack Rd  didn't realize she had come to the point where the road was a right curve and she went off onto the gravel and dirt side road that emptied into corn field as it does to this day. Only she got  stuck on the railroad tracks. Try as she might for the next 7 or 8 minutes she was stuck.Then she heard the train whistle. looked to her North and thought through the heavy snow she might be seeing a dim light in the distance. PANIC.  She tried quickly to back up. Tires spun , smoke arose. The whistle was much louder . She grabbed her purse got the door open and got out of the car. Stumbled down towards a large in a panic A few moment later there was one hell of a bang and crumple of sheet metal and chrome glass and rubber. Heavily applied air breaks wailed out in to the dark snowy night. The car was pushed down the tracks dumping off pieces of the car body as it went. From what witnesses said it was a good half a mile or more before it stopped. The car was burning and totaled of course.
 Loretta Harris was found sitting against a tree by the neighbor nearby.  She had been crying and was in a state of shock. She was wearing a long evening gown dress as is often Eastern Star protocol.It was dirty and torn and the farmer threw his coat over her , His wife called the State Police and her husband.
 It was a long night of firetrucks , state police cars and wrecker trucks. The next morning Doctor Austin our local MD stopped by the house checked her over and it is said administered her a sedative to allow some sleep. That next evening several family members gathered with her to be of support. By the way a couple of days later her husband hit the ceiling as we used to say. Her son David tended to side with his father.
 Back in the present the road looks the same , the neighbors house sits abandoned nearby and the piece of possible semi melted  Chevy chrome is my possession. It was a peaceful warm late summer day. Not like that night more than 60 yrs ago