Judy and I have been getting ready to move to an independent living facility here in Grand Rapids. In the process of cleaning out “stuff”, we ran across this photo which was sent to me by Izzie Hayes several years ago.
I have been in the hospital with a dangerous blood infection. The doctors removed my defibrillator and installed a penicillin infusion pump. It will be in for 6 weeks. Then I graduate to an antibiotic in pill form the rest of my life. In addition, when I went to the emergency room, my diabetes glucose reading was 23. That nearly always means coma or death. Needless to say, they injected me with a lot of sugar water.
I have run out of material for the blog. If you have a story, please send it. I will post stories as they come to me. Please. Won’t you send a story. The blog is now yours. Please write soon.
June 23, 1943 — July 27, 2020 CORINTH — Mary D. Fuller, 77, of Oak St., passed away Monday, July 27, 2020 at Wesley Health Care Center in Saratoga Springs following a long illness. Born on June 23, 1943 in Corinth, she was the daughter of the late Paul and Ruth (Carter) Dayton.
Mary attended Corinth Central School and graduated from Houghton Academy in 1961. She married William H. Fuller on February 28, 1963 in Plattsburgh and the couple resided for many years in Corinth.
Mary was employed at Adirondack Regional Hospital in Corinth for several years and at Saratoga Hospital for a few years. She then worked for several years doing page layout and design at the Pennysaver News in Corinth until her retirement.
She first attended the Corinth Wesleyan Church for many years, before becoming a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Corinth where she served as Deacon, Elder, and bible study leader. Mary enjoyed music, road trips, books on various topics, animals, and God and family above all.
Besides her parents, she was also predeceased by one brother, John Dayton and one brother-in-law, Keith Tyler.
Survivors besides her husband of 57 years include one son, Andrew Fuller (Ania) of Porter Corners; one grandson and the light of her life, Lochlan of Porter Corners; three siblings: James Dayton (Judy) of Michigan, Priscilla Tyler of Pennsylvania and Stephen Dayton (Dr. Nancy) of Indiana; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Arrangements are private and at the convenience of the family. A celebration of Mary’s life will be held at a later date.
The family wishes to thank Community Hospice of Saratoga, and the nurses and staff at Wesley Health Care Center, for their kindness and compassionate care given to Mary during her illness.
The family suggests that in lieu of flowers, memorials take the form of donations to First Presbyterian Church, 203 Palmer Ave., Corinth, NY 12822 or Community Hospice of Saratoga, 179 Lawrence St., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Arrangements are under the direction of the Densmore Funeral Home, Inc., 7 Sherman Ave., Corinth.
By Izzie Hayes
You might be amazed to know how many rescue efforts for hapless sports participants are staffed by VOLUNTEERS. On the ski slopes, when the “shushing goes awry” or the tree moved into the wrong spot, the skier that shows up with the basket for your rescue may be a recreational skier intent on your safe extraction in this or any emergency. His or her only recompense is the free access to the slopes he loves. They serve—without pay—because they love to make a difference in a sport they love.
On the water, where things can go wrong suddenly and with devastating consequences, THE U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY, has a cadre of boaters that serve on the waterways of our nation with their boats and their highly trained skills in life saving efforts. All volunteers, they spend hours in training sessions and keep their vessels equipped and ready to move.
Water rat that I am, that appealed to me. I joined the Auxiliary soon after we moved to the Chesapeake Bay Area in Maryland in 1980 and became a highly involved member in the training portion of the Auxiliary mission as well as patrols on the water. The member training was topnotch. Included were navigation skills, safety requirements, navigational markers and light signals, use of the marine radio, weather, and everything a trained boater should know. The materials were similar to the training texts used at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. A rigid testing program was in place and kept us on our toes!
About that time, Maryland enacted a law that required every boater born after July 1972 to have a state certificate of satisfactory completion of the Boating Safety Course in order to be at the helm of a boat, power or sail. The Auxiliary had a major part in making this challenge a reality. We taught the classes for power and sail throughout the winter and the Maryland State Boating Course at the Parks and Recreation Center during the summer. Our classrooms were log huts or vacant classrooms wherever available, and our students were young and old. It was a joyous time for all of us.
One August night, in a basement room at the high school, the Southern Maryland classroom was muggy, and since school was not officially “in session,” no air conditioning stirred to relieve the oppressive humidity. Concurrent thoughts raced through my mind, as we ended another session on Safe Boating Basics for the State of Maryland: “I’ve taught this same material three dozen times already [although not to this particular group]; they’re half asleep–eyes glazed over–and the final topic for the course was “Capsizing in frigid water.” “Who in their right mind would even be out on the water in freezing temperatures!”
“OK, Class, I think this may be a wrap, but I do need to make one final—crucial—comment: Cold water kills——-quickly! It’s called HYPOTHERMIA. Notice the illustrations at the bottom of this last page and the Hypothermia Chart. If the water temperature is 50 to 60 degrees, exhaustion or unconsciousness can occur within a 1-2 hour period. I can’t conceive of any of you finding yourselves in this situation, BUT———-if you are, check your flotation device; stay with the boat; do not attempt to swim ashore [It is farther than it appears to be!] and the effort much more difficult than it would be in warmer water. You can preserve body heat by clinging to each other. Share a GROUP HUG and stay as still as you can, until help arrives!!!”
The entire class passed the final exam the following week, which was always a joy for us U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Boating Instructors! But especially so for two of the “graduates”—with their brand new certificates that authorized them to “operate a vessel on Maryland State waters— ” as they put their knowledge to the ultimate test later that fall, AND SURVIVED!
In early December, a father and his 12-year-old son from that August session, boarded the El Toro, a substantial-looking wooden hulled charter boat out of the Potomac River, with nearly twenty eager customers looking for a little excitement and some end-of-the-season fishing. Counting the skipper and crew, there were 23 aboard.
Some of the roughest turbulence on the Chesapeake Bay exists almost constantly where the Potomac meets the bay, and is made even more treacherous on an inbound tide and contrary winds. The charter boat pounded its way through heavy seas as it rounded Point Lookout and headed south.
Suddenly, in spite of the fact that the boat had recently passed its State Safety Inspection, she began taking on water. Two boards had parted and been lifted from the keel. The captain sent an immediate S.O.S., which was received at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, less than ten air miles from the scene. Rescue helicopters were dispatched and quickly began the process of plucking the survivors from the frigid water and transporting them to the Base Hospital.
Two of the group died from exposure, but, although the twelve-year-old and his father were the last to be rescued, they were on full alert as they met “the Press” when the chopper landed (and the usual in-depth questioning session followed): “You were in the water longer than any of the other victims. How do you account for your remarkable survival in near freezing temperatures?”
“We took the Safe Boating Class this summer, and our instructor, Ms. Hayes, told us what to do in a case like this—a ‘group hug’—and I reminded my dad that we had to hug to hold in our body heat. That’s what we did!”
The following August, my fellow Auxiliarists and I were on the dock in Annapolis to receive the honor as Runner-up in the Annual Governor’s Award for Volunteerism. No cold chills that day, but there were plenty the previous December, when I realized how fortunate it was that I had opted to hold the class a few minutes longer and stress the technique for surviving hypothermia—–even as I thought, “This will never happen!” Sometimes I feel that heroism is simply a matter of putting one foot in front of the other and doing what you were trained to do.”
by Izzie Hayes
Before my dad was Rev. Charles A. Dayton, or even a DAD, his dreams were fairly simple. Like most teenagers, he wanted to complete his schooling, find a beautiful, loving companion, support his church, hunt and fish, and enjoy whatever came along. Abruptly, at sixteen, he found it necessary to drop out of high school and assist his family with unexpected medical expenses. His father had been seriously injured at work in the mill in their isolated Upstate New York town. Situated on the Hudson River, the mill, the International Paper Company, had the river as an easily accessible power source for their industry and had become the chief employer for the men living in the nearby Adirondack Mountains area.
As the oldest son of five children, Charles began his own brief career as a mill worker. Already a rugged young man, over six feet tall, handsome, affable, and ready for action, he quickly became known for his quick wit and “brute strength,” which he was happy to share whenever needed. Every lunchtime, after setting aside their metal lunch buckets, the men gathered to let off a little steam before returning to their presses.
Modesty dominated the Dayton genes in that generation, and bragging was a definite no-no, so I am not certain how he acquired his skill as a boxer in that circle of mill workers, nor how proficient his opponents were. It’s human nature to cheer on the newcomer, and I think those seasoned mill workers probably looked forward to lunch hour and a chance to see “the kid” pummel the current top contender! I did hear that he at one time unseated the highly touted “top man to beat.” I doubt there was a ring—with ropes, and I think he only fought bare-fisted, without the protection of gloves. I can visualize a pan and a hammer for the bell and a “dead serious expression” on the faces of the timer and the “crowd,” as they cheered on the newcomer.
In my childhood memories, there were times when the threat of being pummeled by our resident “Jack Dempsey,” was my biggest nightmare. He knew the moves, and he was 6 feet, 4 inches tall. His were playful jabs, but I never developed any skill in “parrying” to his playful thrusts.
When a higher calling drew him out of the ring, he became involved in the educational training for the ministry, and abandoned the draw of boxing.
My theory is that you can “take the man out of boxing, but you can never take the boxing out of the man.” My sister Doris and I, and often my mother too, were reduced to assuming the fetal position whenever Dad took the stance and said ,“Put up your dukes!”
Years later, televisions screamed from the neighbors’ houses, as the excitement of the Monday Night Fights blasted through the open windows.
I sensed my dad leaned into the sound. It may be a bit sad to realize that his promise as a boxer never materialized into a reality. Boxing is “a sport,” of course, but in my adolescent mind, knowing how useless I was as a competitor, and that all of his strength and agility and thoughtful approach to every challenge seemed wasted to never have had a chance to be proved!!!!
I always surmised ,i.e., a thought without any strong evidence on which to base it at all, that Dad would have loved to be pushed into a situation in which the only honorable solution would be for him to step up and PASTE THE VILLAIN ONE! For the Gipper, maybe!!!
This conclusion was a part of my psyche so much so that when I was working a swing shift in a small hosiery mill in Cohoes, N.Y., for some much needed college money in the mid 1940’s, one of the regular crew became determined to plant a kiss on the college kid. I thought he was slimy, and I was equally determined that he wouldn’t. My mistake was in telling my dad that he had!! I think Dad went berserk. He was insistent that he be at the gate when my next shift was over. “Just point him out to me!” I don’t know if it was my mother’s tears or my suggestion that the headlines would surely be amazing the next day: “Local Minister Mauls Mill Worker.” Something prevailed; a crisis was averted. And poor old dad never got to plaster a sleaze-ball! It’s my story—— “HE COULD HAVE!!”
The Corinth Wesleyan Church, established in 1873, grew to be the largest church in the Champlain Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist denomination in the late 50’s and early 60’s. At its zenith, it achieved a Sunday School attendance of over 300 persons. The normal SS attendance was consistently over 200. In its later years, attendance waned to the extent that, in the early 2000’s, the pastor declared that “this church is no longer dying…it’s dead.”
Shortly thereafter the Corinth Wesleyan Church discontinued all services and activities. In one of the most irresponsible and bizarre actions I have ever heard of, the church officials simply locked the doors, walked away and listed it with a realtor. It was a heartbreaking action for those members who loved the church which was their spiritual sanctuary. The officials left everything behind. They did not save or retrieve a single thing.
Recently, my brother, Steve, was able to retrieve ALL of the churches baptism, marriage and funeral records from 1873 to the day the doors closed. He also retrieved the financial books and the quarterly conference meeting minutes. I have been scanning every non-financial page and will make the PDF’s available to anyone who wants them when I am finished.
You can’t image my excitement as I witnessed kinfolk after kinfolk showing up as elected officers…the backbone of the church. Even grampa and gramma Dayton (Wilber and Jessie) were elected church officials several times.
From time to time in future posts, I will be revealing findings and observations. I even held an elected position once…assistant bell ringer. Hey…it’s in the official records so it must have been a big deal. Let’s face it, the pastor wouldn’t have known when to start, were it not for us bell ringers. Another Dayton ringer alumnus was Roger Dayton. Congratulations Roger.
by Mildred Jenkins, May 30, 1980
Norfolk-The Rev. and Mrs. Charles (Josephine) Dayton, Norfolk, are closing the year with the Norfolk Wesleyan Church and are retiring in West Chazy, N.Y., and Brooksville, Fla., (near Orlando). They will be leaving the last week of June where they will be attending the Annual Conference and Camp Meeting of the Champlain District of the Wesleyan Churches, to be held at West Chazy starting June 25. The Rev. Dayton’s last Sunday, as pastor of the Norfolk Wesleyan Church will be June 22, and they plan to leave for West Chazy on Monday, June 23.
The couple’s daughter, Mrs. John (Camilla) Luckey, Alexandria, Va., plans to spend the week-end of June 21 at the home of her parents, and will accompanying them to West Chazy on June 23 and will leave on Tuesday, June 24, to return home to Alexandria, Va.
The Rev. and Mrs. Dayton have resided in Norfolk for the last four years where the Rev. Dayton has served as pastor of the Norfolk Wesleyan Church.
This makes 50 years that the Rev. Dayton has served as a minister with the Wesleyan Church, which started in 1930 when he first carried on the work in a country schoolhouse in Lake Luzerne (near Corinth) and in the Wesleyan Methodist Church in East Corinth for two years. For the past 48 years he has served under Conference appointment, since 1932 with his appointment as pastor, June 1932, in Chittenden, Vt., where he served for three years.
The Rev. Charles Dayton was ordained by the Champlain Conference in July 1934. He served as Champlain District President for 22 years.
He served the Champlain District in many responsible positions starting as a layman, President, and trustee. He served several terms as Youth President and several years as Sunday School Secretary, and many years as Camp Meeting President and represented the District several times as the District Representative at the General Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church (which became the Wesleyan Church in 1968) and represented the conference on the college boards at the United Wesleyan College, Allentown, Pa. He was a member of the comity(sic) Committee for pursuing of the merger of the two churches: The Pilgrim Holiness Church and the Wesleyan Methodist Church, which became the Wesleyan Church in 1968.
The Rev. Charles Dayton has pastored the following Wesleyan churches: Chittenden, Vt., 1932-1935; Glens Falls, 1935-1940; he started a new church in Watervliet, 1940-1946; he became the Champlain District Superintendent in 1946 where he served until 1952. He served his home church as pastor from 1952 to 1960. He became District Superintendent, again, in 1960, where he served in that capacity until 1976, when he was called to become pastor of the Norfolk Wesleyan Church.
As District Superintendent, he also pastored. He was instrumental in opening a church in Waterford where he pastored 1945-1946, and he pastored, twice, at the Springfield, Mass., Church, and has opened up other churches.
The Rev. Dayton has been a member, for the past 40 years, of the Christian Holiness Association, which is a National Organization; and a member of the Board of Administration of the Christian Holiness Association for 25 years. He served two terms as the President of the New York Holiness Association and has served as President of the Tri-County Holiness Association, for several years, comprising the counties of Saratoga, Washington, and Warren, and has also served as the President of the St. Lawrence County and Clinton County Christian Holiness Association. At the present time, he is serving as the President of the New York State Christian Holiness Association.
He has conducted evangelic(sic) Services, done work and preached across the country from Massachusetts to Oregon, Canada, Columbia, South America, Puerto Rico, Italy, and in several other states in the Union.
The Rev. Charles Dayton was united in marriage to the former Gladys R. McDonald of Corinth, on February 3, 1926. She died in 1949. They were the parents of two daughters: Isabelle and Doris. Isabelle is married to Major Quentin O. Hayes, former Chaplain in the U.S. Army, and the couple reside in Phoenixville, Pa. Doris, who is a Registered Nurse, is married to the Rev. John Lamos, who is pastor of the Springfield, Mass., Wesleyan Church, and the couple reside in Springfield, Mass.
On April 11, 1950, the Rev. Charles Dayton was united in marriage to the former Josephine Fisher, in Corinth. They are the parents of one daughter, Mrs. John (Camilla) Luckey, Alexandria, Va.
The couple has 8 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Mrs. Charles (Josephine) Dayton, is director of Christian Education at the Norfolk Wesleyan Church, and as a retired educator. She taught for 11 years in Ohio and 11 years in N.Y.S. Public Schools. She also taught missionary training at Nyack and had 4 years’ experience as a civilian supervisor at the military communications in Arlington, VA, during World War II. She also taught in Nyack Missionary Training College, north of New York City, and for the past 15 years she served as District President of the Women’s Missionary Society of the Champlain District. She has taught classes in teacher’s training in the Champlain District churches for the past 30 years. She holds a degree in education from Asbury College, {Wilmore} Kentucky, and a Masters of Religious Education from the Northern Baptist Seminary, Chicago, Ill. In April 1980, she was re-elected, for a 2nd term as second Vice President of the Women’s Auxiliary of the National Christian Holiness Association at a meeting held in a Baptist Retreat at Richcrest, North Carolina.
The Rev. Dayton has also served as President of the Wesleyan Benevolent Society of the Champlain District and at present is a member of the board.
The Rev. and Mrs. Dayton have made 3 trips to the Holy Land and have given several inspirational illustrated talks of their trips.
The Rev. Dayton’s ministry has led him on many speaking engagements in evangelism to Europe, to: Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Belgium, Netherlands, Greece, Cyprus and Rhodes in the Mediterranean; and also to Mexico, and several meetings throughout Canada and the Maritimes.
The Rev. Charles Dayton is now listed with the General Wesleyan Church as an evangelist and with headquarters in Fla., and he will now be traveling throughout the country and to mission fields, overseas, and the Daytons hope to conduct tours to Israel.
While the couple have resided in Norfolk, the Rev. Dayton, was overseer of the new building annex to the Norfolk Wesleyan Church, the sale of the old parsonage located on Morris St., and the new parsonage located over the church; new piano and organ installed, insulation, paneling, carpeting of the church, and updating of the Sunday School rooms and Sunday School equipment and general repairs.
Mrs. Josephine Dayton is also Director of the Norfolk Women’s Missionary Society, and treasurer of the WMS, and also Director of Community Missions.
The Rev. Dayton is a member of the Nutrition Advisory Board of St. Lawrence County.
Both Rev. and Mrs. Dayton are members of the Jolly Agers Senior Citizens Club of Norfolk; and the Golden Agers Senior Citizens Club of Norwood, and the Rev. Dayton has served 2 years as secretary of the Golden Agers Senior Citizens Club of Norwood; and he is also a member of the Advisory Board of the SLCCSC (St. Lawrence County Council of Senior Citizens).
Everyone is invited to attend the Open House to honor the Rev. and Mrs. Dayton, which be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday night, June 14th, in the Norfolk Fire Station so that everyone may come and say “good bye” to the Daytons!
Everyone who has known and worked with the Rev. and Mrs. Dayton, regret to have them leave Norfolk, but we both know that they are very worthy of their retirement, and even though we dread to see them leave this area, everyone of us wishes both of them the very best in their retirement and in their plans for traveling throughout the country and overseas in evangelism!
This post is the first of a multipart series of posts on Dayton family sports interests.
When you think of the activities the Dayton family are involved in, sports hardly ever comes to mind. The words Dayton and sports used in the same sentence is an oxymoron. We Daytons are more into books, learning, religion, the fine arts and nature. Seemingly, the Dayton family is not known for sports at all. We seem to have a distaste for them. Other than hunting, the Dayton boys seemed quite devoid of sports. At least that’s what I thought until I started doing research for this story. Now I’m finding sports stories popping up all over the place. Hail Dayton Sports! Viva Dayton sports!
I have several ideas which will turn this topic into a multi-post series. I’ll cover Paul Dayton first. By doing so, you will get an idea of types of sports information I’d like to report. You can help by sending me sports stories or information or leave comments on posts which you’ve read. Any person affiliated with the Dayton clan is fair game… your patriarchs, father, mother, son, daughter, etc. This post about Paul may give you ideas for subsequent posts.
Paul Dayton–The Sportsman I Never Knew
I love sports of all types, especially baseball, and college basketball, but I got that from my Carter side of my family. The Dayton boys loved hunting. I’m not sure where they developed their skills because Grandpa (Wilber Dayton Sr) never hunted. Perhaps their interest came from the White family. Hunting was certainly in Chop’s DNA, and I think the other boys just followed in their big brother’s footsteps. I’ve written about deer hunting and probably will again in the future. But can you think of any other sport they liked?
Softball
Softball—As I was recently searching though old newspapers, much to my delight, I ran across the article at the left. Paul Dayton had hit a home run in an organized, town softball league. I didn’t even know he played. The EMBA was a very respectable town league made up of former high school and college ball players. I don’t know anything more about his softball endeavors than this article. I do know that he had another baseball glove dating from the 50’s. It was also in the garage, buried under more imporyant stuff like firewood. I imagine that glove was the one he used in the EMBA league games. I kept that one, had it framed, side by side with my first glove, and gifted them to my grandson Luke.
Baseball
Baseball—Each year, dad took our family to New York City to see either a Yankees or Mets baseball double header. They did it for me. Dad was frugal, and two games for the price of one was a deal he couldn’t pass up. In those days, you could take a picnic basket of goodies into the stadium, so mom packed enough to feed setion 207. The year Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth’s home run record we sat in the outfield stands so close to Maris that we could have hit him with a baseball or a bottle when he went to the fence to catch a ball.
In 1964, dad thought it would be a good father-son bonding experience to take me to a Mets-Phillies game at Shea Stadium in New York. It was a twi-night doubleheader, game time 6:00 p.m. We travelled by Greyhound bus, leaving about noon and returning about 5 a.m. the next morning. It was a long day and one I will never forget. Thanks, dad.
Stock Car Racing
Stock Car Racing—Paul was a fan of auto racing. Most Thursdays we went to the track in Menands, NY, then on Fridays we often went to Saratoga Speedway. His favorite track was Fonda Speedway where we enjoyed a Saturday evening filled with entertainment.
Corinth Wesleyan Methodist Church held a weekly Prayer Meeting service on Thursday evening until the mid-1950’s. That conflicted with the Stockcar races, so Paul petitioned the church to change Prayer Meeting to Wednesday evening. I don’t know the circumstances or motivation for the other board members’ votes, but dad’s reason was clear to everyone. And they did change to Wednesday evenings.
Swimming
Swimming—Paul always enjoyed swimming. He was a good swimmer, and he had to be. He was in the Navy. Not one of his five kids nor his wife knew how to swim a single stroke. One summer he was determined to change that. He thought it best if we were at the beach at 7 A.M. every Saturday morning. Probably it had something to do with both modesty and timidity. We returned home around 9 to the greatest breakfast a mom could make (bacon, ham and eggs with all the trimmings). However, dad’s mission was a failure. We never learned to swim, and we kids protested so much he ended the experiment after a month.
Logging Competition
Logging Competition—Although dad never competed, we went to a logging competition in Tupper Lake, NY every summer. The logging show was an outdoor extravaganza with all the latest in logging and sawmill gear. Kids loved it. They received vendor samples, watched a big parade of logging machinery, and viewed competitions of chain saw log cutting, axe log cutting, tree climbing and log rolling. Dad was positively sure that he and Red Allen would be undefeated in the log rolling race, but they never tried. Any combination of Chip, Paul and Roger would probably have won too. Dad and I would have come in last. I was pathetic.
Other Sports
Other sports—A few years before he died, I asked dad if he was interested in any particular sport besides hunting and he said, “oh, I don’t care as long as it isn’t football,” and he reached over and teasingly and lovingly slapped my arm. I had been the MVP running back on our high school football team. My mom and dad attended every game, and much later in life they told me they went to the games to make sure I didn’t get hurt. I’m not sure of the logic of that statement, but I appreciated it. He went on to mention that he ran cross country for Corinth High school. The coach begged him to play soccer, but it conflicted with his paper route. In the winter he liked to play hockey with neighborhood kids.
Although he didn’t like sports all that much, he knew I did so he always read the sports page and was prepared to talk about what happened the day before. I can remember discussions about Cassius Clay (AKA Mohamad Ali) knocking out Sonny Liston, Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points in a basketball game, and Warren Spahn pitching his 300th baseball game win. He knew they were my favorite players.
My mom was involved with sports too…she was constantly yelling at me to stop bouncing the basketball in the house.
Today’s post find’s two characters, Chip and Chop Dayton, daring each other to cross the Hudson River by walking across pulp wood blocks which filled the river. I’ll leave it up to you to decide the outcome. These brothers were the Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn of the Hudson River. If I had to guess, about 90% of you chose the correct outcome of the story. It’s always fun to listen to Chip, the master story teller, recount the event.
Anna Maria (Flansburg) White was an accomplished trapper. Most trapping done in the Adirondacks was for the purpose of selling pelts to the local tanneries. The most commonly trapped pelts were muscrat, rabbit and mink, although many other species were also favored by the tanneries. Anna taught her skills to her daughter Jessie Belle Dayton who used to trap more for amusement and to put food on the table than she did commercially.
Listen as Chip tells how his grandmother taught Jessie Belle how to trap partridges.
One day Grandpa Dayton proved he was a better trapper than Grandma…and not only did he trap, but he actually used “Dayton ingenuity” to invent the method. To digress,let me explain “Dayton ingenuity”. When Dayton brothers were suddenly faced with a problem at the sawmill they didn’t look up a “fix it man” in the telephone directory. Instead one brother said to the other, “let’s noodle on this until we come up with a solution”. To use an old business cliche, they thought “out of box” until they found the answer…that is what they called “Dayton Ingenuity”, and it always surely was. Let’s listen as Chip tells us the method.
Dayton Family History 