On Wednesday, Aug. 10 in 1859, a article appeared in the Auburn Daily Advertiser on how a family could have a good Pic-Nic at Owasco Lake. Although the spelling of picnic is questionable, this new found family fad created a scenario for just plain fun.
The article gave the following instruction to enjoy the outing properly:
“In the first place, then as it is somewhat essential to get to the lake, employ Jabez Gould, as he has good hacks, and knows all the good places. Take along a tent to lay the little ones under when they get tired and sleepy; don't forget a spider to fry the perch in, nor a kettle to cook the green corn in, which you will be sure to smuggle from a neighboring corn field. Select a shady spot, where the shore is just shallow enough for the before - hinted - at ‘Juveniles' to wade in without fear-of-accident and plenty of such places can be found about a mile from the foot of the lake on the west side; and clothe the children so that they can wade in the water, play on the sand without raising apprehensions of soiled clothes. Get some boats at Dapper's or Hoagland's to give ‘all the folks' an excursion on the lake: don't fail to get the bait and lines at either of these places with which to catch your perch for dinner.
“We believe that the foregoing is a skeleton of a scheme which, if filled up with other luxuries not set down, will secure a day of real recreation - the fresh air, the beautiful scenery, the quiet and calm of the lake, the shout of the children by the shore, the happy faces about you, the lazy smoke rising slowly and sailing over the water from under the kettle from which the corn is sending forth volumes of sweet scented steam, the easy motion of the slow rolling boat that you have anchored just off the camp. And from which you are trying to inveigle the incredulous fish to test the minnow on your hook, the white tent on the green of the woods, in which, as the linen doors are tossed to and fro by the wind, you can see little faces asleep after a tiresome sport with the pebbles on the beach, will form a picture that will not be forgotten, and a day that will be remembered as one of genuine and pure enjoyment, and that comes but too seldom to the families of the city.
“One thing we had forgotten, and that was to remind the pic-nic-ians to take with them suitable bathing clothes for the whole party - ladies and all. The greatest fun is the bathing. It's all nonsense to allow Nahant and Fire Island to monopolize all this immense sport. If it's proper for ladies and gentlemen to bathe at Nahant, it does not become less decorous, nor less full of good, right down fun in Owasco Lake. In this arrangement, the tent again comes into use as the boudoir.”
Mable Crosby, former Niles historian, notated this bit of history for her collaborating work abstracting the early newspapers from 1799-1865. She was assisted by Louise Coalson and Flora Daniels.
Mable elaborated on the picnic theme:
“By the summer of 1860, Pic-Nics were the ‘current trend.'
“Every Sunday School 'had' to have a pic-nic. And any/every organization which could make a reason for it had one. Up to 1,000 to 1,500 people attended some of them!”
The 1859 story advised renting a “Hack.” Later trolleys traveled to the lake , turned around and went back down Owasco Road or Lake Avenue.
Mable considered another angle, “Think of all the horses pastured for a day on the fringe of the pic-nic ground!”
I could not help but compare this history item with the present day. Early in the afternoon on July 3, we drove past the foot of Owasco Lake. People were already gathering for the Syracuse Symphony concert and the spectacular fireworks to follow at dark. Cars were parked against the chain link fence on the curve, the Agricultural Museum parking lot was full, and traffic police and fire departments were on standby. Front lawns and driveways down Owasco Road leading into Auburn were utilized as temporary parking. Adults and young children were walking from every direction carrying lawn chairs and coolers of refreshments.
I have a watercolor post card of William Claxton, the Hermit of Koenig's Point in front of his Ocean House shack with this terse two-line message, “Doesn't Billy look nice? Are you all ready for the Conklin Point Picnic? I am!”
Conklin Point was later renamed Koenig's Point.
The dated picture for this article is from a Conklin's Point Picnic and loaned by Sheldon McCormick. He shared it with me on July 22 at Historians Day at the Ward O'Hara Agricultural Museum. It is the Owasco Anglers Society Picnic on Decoration Day in 1897.
The picture was easily restored from a faded brown tone using the technology of the Photo Copying Machine at Wal-Mart.
I am grateful for the public sharing their family pictures and stories with me. Please contact me if you have anything to share. The September article will be about Koenig's Point.
Sources: Abstracts of newspapers 1799-1865 bound volumes, by Mable Crosby; Mary V.S Waite History Room at Seymour Library; card files and Microfilm at Cayuga County Historians Office; photograph on loan by Sheldon McCormick and restored at Wal-Mart
Laurel Auchampaugh can be reached at the Owasco Town Hall on Tuesday afternoon from 1:30 to 4 p.m. or at nowthenwasco@aol.com
“In the first place, then as it is somewhat essential to get to the lake, employ Jabez Gould, as he has good hacks, and knows all the good places. Take along a tent to lay the little ones under when they get tired and sleepy; don't forget a spider to fry the perch in, nor a kettle to cook the green corn in, which you will be sure to smuggle from a neighboring corn field. Select a shady spot, where the shore is just shallow enough for the before - hinted - at ‘Juveniles' to wade in without fear-of-accident and plenty of such places can be found about a mile from the foot of the lake on the west side; and clothe the children so that they can wade in the water, play on the sand without raising apprehensions of soiled clothes. Get some boats at Dapper's or Hoagland's to give ‘all the folks' an excursion on the lake: don't fail to get the bait and lines at either of these places with which to catch your perch for dinner.
“We believe that the foregoing is a skeleton of a scheme which, if filled up with other luxuries not set down, will secure a day of real recreation - the fresh air, the beautiful scenery, the quiet and calm of the lake, the shout of the children by the shore, the happy faces about you, the lazy smoke rising slowly and sailing over the water from under the kettle from which the corn is sending forth volumes of sweet scented steam, the easy motion of the slow rolling boat that you have anchored just off the camp. And from which you are trying to inveigle the incredulous fish to test the minnow on your hook, the white tent on the green of the woods, in which, as the linen doors are tossed to and fro by the wind, you can see little faces asleep after a tiresome sport with the pebbles on the beach, will form a picture that will not be forgotten, and a day that will be remembered as one of genuine and pure enjoyment, and that comes but too seldom to the families of the city.
“One thing we had forgotten, and that was to remind the pic-nic-ians to take with them suitable bathing clothes for the whole party - ladies and all. The greatest fun is the bathing. It's all nonsense to allow Nahant and Fire Island to monopolize all this immense sport. If it's proper for ladies and gentlemen to bathe at Nahant, it does not become less decorous, nor less full of good, right down fun in Owasco Lake. In this arrangement, the tent again comes into use as the boudoir.”
Mable Crosby, former Niles historian, notated this bit of history for her collaborating work abstracting the early newspapers from 1799-1865. She was assisted by Louise Coalson and Flora Daniels.
Mable elaborated on the picnic theme:
“By the summer of 1860, Pic-Nics were the ‘current trend.'
“Every Sunday School 'had' to have a pic-nic. And any/every organization which could make a reason for it had one. Up to 1,000 to 1,500 people attended some of them!”
The 1859 story advised renting a “Hack.” Later trolleys traveled to the lake , turned around and went back down Owasco Road or Lake Avenue.
Mable considered another angle, “Think of all the horses pastured for a day on the fringe of the pic-nic ground!”
I could not help but compare this history item with the present day. Early in the afternoon on July 3, we drove past the foot of Owasco Lake. People were already gathering for the Syracuse Symphony concert and the spectacular fireworks to follow at dark. Cars were parked against the chain link fence on the curve, the Agricultural Museum parking lot was full, and traffic police and fire departments were on standby. Front lawns and driveways down Owasco Road leading into Auburn were utilized as temporary parking. Adults and young children were walking from every direction carrying lawn chairs and coolers of refreshments.
I have a watercolor post card of William Claxton, the Hermit of Koenig's Point in front of his Ocean House shack with this terse two-line message, “Doesn't Billy look nice? Are you all ready for the Conklin Point Picnic? I am!”
Conklin Point was later renamed Koenig's Point.
The dated picture for this article is from a Conklin's Point Picnic and loaned by Sheldon McCormick. He shared it with me on July 22 at Historians Day at the Ward O'Hara Agricultural Museum. It is the Owasco Anglers Society Picnic on Decoration Day in 1897.
The picture was easily restored from a faded brown tone using the technology of the Photo Copying Machine at Wal-Mart.
I am grateful for the public sharing their family pictures and stories with me. Please contact me if you have anything to share. The September article will be about Koenig's Point.
Sources: Abstracts of newspapers 1799-1865 bound volumes, by Mable Crosby; Mary V.S Waite History Room at Seymour Library; card files and Microfilm at Cayuga County Historians Office; photograph on loan by Sheldon McCormick and restored at Wal-Mart
Laurel Auchampaugh can be reached at the Owasco Town Hall on Tuesday afternoon from 1:30 to 4 p.m. or at nowthenwasco@aol.com
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