North Country At Work

Jayville (early iron ore mining area above Kalurah) rail station with early high wheeler car. Town of Pitcairn, NY. Circa 1900.

Workers at the Jerden Falls tannery, taken the day it closed in 1919. Town of Diana, NY.

Workers at Jerden/Jordan Falls. Behind them are the house-shaped stacks of hemlock bark, which were used to tan hides at this tannery operation. Taken in 1884 by Henry M. Beach. Town of Diana, NY. For more on Henry M. Beach’s life and photography, check out our North Country at Work story on him.

Haying at Forest Home. Burton Humes with rake, Merton Mantle on load, Kendrick Shaw with pitchfork, Harlan Whipple with hand on horse, Lyman Humes in front of horse. Haying was done by hand. Piles of hay are called “haycocks.” Harrisville, NY. Circa 1920. Related story, here.

Sugar works of Warren Humes, 3/4 mile from Forest Home. Steam from boiling of maple sap. Taken March 28, 1897, by Fred E. Whipple, Warren’s son-in-law. Harrisville, NY. Related story, here.

Merton Mantle and Myron Humes unloading the sap tub, which is on a sledge. The trough at bottom right was used to run sap from the tub to the boiling pan (or holding container) so the tub could be taken back out to the sugar bush for another load of sap. This photo was taken […]

(Left to right) Merle Mayhew Valentine, Hazel Chadwick, Myrtle Mantle, Kendrick Shaw, Pearl Shaw, Dorothy Mayhew Reeder, Libbie Cring Koster, Eliazar Shaw. Unloading sap tub from special undersling gathering sap wagon, at Warren Humes’ sugar house, probably on a weekend when the children came to visit. Harrisville, NY. Circa 1910.

Sugaring camp of Edgar Mantle, neighbor of Warren Humes; they went back and forth as neighbors do. Harrisville, NY. Circa 1912.

Riverside House station wagon outside a Harrisville livery. The livery was used to board horses, both local and visiting. One could also rent a horse. Pictured out front is a “station wagon” buggy filled with passengers. They would have ridden the buggy from the station to their destination. Taken September 26, 1915. Harrisville, NY.

Cheese factory near Nye home. Fifty gallon milk cans seen on milk wagon, being lifted by winch for unloading. Caption says: Uncle Jerome Nye wearing white shirt, Uncle is driving Old Bill. Circa 1890s. Harrisville, NY.