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WHOEVER has made a voyage up the Hudson must remember the Kaatskill mountains. They are a dismembered branch of the great Appalachian family, and are seen away to the west of the river, swelling up to a noble height, and lording it over the surrounding country. Every change of season, every change of weather, indeed, every hour of the day, produces some change in the magical hues and shapes of these mountains, and they are regarded by all the good wives, far and near, as perfect barometers. When the weather is fair and settled, they are clothed in blue and purple, and print their bold outlines on the clear evening sky; but, sometimes, when the rest of the landscape is cloudless, they will gather a hood of gray vapors about their summits, which, in the last rays of the setting sun, will glow and light up like a crown of glory.
At the foot of these fair mountains, the voyager may have descried the light smoke curling up from a village, whose shingle-roofs gleam among the trees, just where the blue tints of the upland melt away into the fresh green of the nearer landscape. It is a little village, of great antiquity, having been founded by some of the Dutch colonists, in the early times of the province, just about the beginning of the government of the good Peter Stuyvesant, (may he rest in peace!) and there were some of the houses of the original settlers standing within a few years, built of small yellow bricks brought from Holland, having latticed windows and gable fronts, surmounted with weather-cocks.
–Rip Van Winkle, Washington Irving
(credit: High Tor Hiking Trip/Jason )
I grew up in Rockland County in the heart of the Hudson Valley. As a child, my dad loved to hike locally to unfold the region’s extraordinary beauty and history for me. We hiked throughout Harriman (Palisades) State Park. But the first hike I remember was up High Tor. There are several approaches, but the one he chose was through the High Tor Vineyard, which sits just about a small village called Centenary.
After hiking up the mountain, we were rewarded with an extraordinary 360 degree view of the entire Hudson Valley. It isn’t a particularly difficult climb or steep ascent nor do you top out at a formidable elevation. But the view rivals some of the great peaks for its sweep and scope.
The town of Haverstraw (my father’s birthplace) lay spread out at our feet. I could see the high school where he taught for over 30 years. I could even see his birthplace at 103 Hudson Avenue. There was the railroad line where, as an eager child, I waved at the engineers in the cabooses of all the trains that passed. But most important of all, the Hudson River, one of the great rivers of the world, laid out before me like a wide, waving ribbon cutting through the Hudson Highlands as far as the eye could see. At Haverstraw, the river is 3 1/2 miles wide, the greatest width in its entire run from the Adirondacks to New York City. This is the reason that Henry Hudson anchored in Haverstraw Bay on his return southward journey down the Hudson River in 1609. My dad even told me about one frigid winter when the entire river froze from Haverstraw to Ossining on the other side allowing people to walk from shore to shore.
This hike first introduced me to the majesty of the Hudson. Ever since, I’ve loved mountains more than any other outdoor terrain (now I’ve been in the Sierras, Cascades, Sybellines and others). But the Hudson Highlands will always hold a special place in my heart.
early 1900s image of Haverstraw from High Tor (credit: Town of Haverstraw website)
This is where Rip Van Winkle (in Washington Irving’s story of the same name) laid down for his twenty winks which turned into 20 years of sleep. This is where Benedict Arnold met Maj. John Andre to plot the betrayal of West Point to the British. This is the beloved land which Maxwell Anderson saved from the wrecker’s ball with his Pulitzer Prize-winning play, High Tor (see accompanying play poster–there was also a 1956 film version starring Bing Crosby (!) as Van Van Dorn). This is the land of my father.
High Tor is a national historic landmark and managed by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. A park staff member directed me to Friends of Palisades, an eye-catching website devoted to the parks and historic sites managed by PIPC.
My sister, Joanne, replied above. If Mr. Silverstein was a teacher in the old Haverstraw School system that became the Haverstraw Stony Point School system, he had to have known our Mom, Thirza Fitzula. She worked in the school system from the early 1960′s until she retired in the early 1990′s. Our Dad was a Trustee in the Village of Haverstraw in the early 1970′s and then a Councilman for the Town of Haverstraw, under Phillip Rotella, until the early 1990′s when he and Mom and Dad retired to Florida in 1994.
Our family history in Haverstraw goes way back on my father’s side. His mother was Caroline Holt and that side of the family lived in Haverstraw a very long time. Caroline’s Dad was the horse and buggy “taxi” in the town for many years in the early 1900′s. Caroline (our NaNa) relayed stories to us about the the day when a lot of Haverstraw was lost to the Hudson River because of all the clay mining under the homes! Half her back yard was gone that night. The Holt family is one of the cornerstones of Haverstraw. The George M. Holt Funeral Home (my grandmother’s brother) still carries on the family name in the town.
My Dad’s father came over from Italy in 1907 and settled in West Haverstraw. Joseph Fitzula (Fezzugulio) was seven years old. His father, Michael, and wife, Juliette, carved out a life for their family here in America on Benson Street. Joe’s father died in 1927. Juliette later remarried and she and Grandpa Vinci ran a grocery store on Benson Street for years and I still remember visiting it in the early 1960′s as our family moved to 24 Hillside Avenue in 1960. Joe, my grandfather, had a sister Mary Fitzula Gamboli and a brother Bill Fitzula. I am sure you remember Fitzula Jewlers in West Haverstraw (owned by his son) BUT before that is was an ice cream store and soda fountain run by my great Uncle Tony Fezzuguli and later by his son.
My grandfather, Joe Fitzula, was the ABC Commissioner for 44 years for Rockland County, very active in politics over the years and resided on Hillside Avenue in Haverstraw from the 1940′s until his death in 1984. His daughter, Julia Fitzula Martino (remember Martino’s meat market in Myers’s store at the Bank Corner?) still resides on Hillside Avenue in Haverstraw. She is 88. Our Dad, Michael Fitzula, formerly of Hillside Avenue has resided in Florida since 1994. He is 90. Our Mom, Thirza, died in 1997.
High Tor……….what a place. After we moved to Hillside Aveue in 1960, we became aware of a path in our back yard that led us to the top of the mountain! After the city gals got used to climbing the mountain, we visited High Tor and the Beacon (remember the beacon?) many times and took our friends up there. The vista of Haverstraw and the huge Hudson River at Havertraw Bay are memories forever etched in our minds! “Climbing” the mountain became a very usual thing fo us to show all visitors the magnifiicent views of “our home.”
Lots of history between all the Haverstraw families. Would love to hear from people who grew up in Haverstraw, are still there and ones that left (like I did). Haverstraw was the dream place of a very young child, the place growing up where the dream came true and the very special place cherished in my heart.
I just visited two weeks ago. It is so sad that “My Haverstraw” and that of our families is not there anymore BUT I will always remember the Haverstraw I knew. Memories are everything.
Donna Fitzula Lee
Hi, Donna–
I was introduced to this website in the summer of 2009 and love going back to it. I wonder if you know any of the Korns from Haverstraw. My dad was Murray Korn. He was born in Haverstraw and had an accounting firm in Haverstraw for many years. I grew up in New City, where I knew Richard Silverstein who started this site. Many in our family have written on the site.
Best wishes to all.
Rachel Korn Wasserman
Thanks so much Rachel for those kind words. I’m so proud there are 63 comments in this thread & that it serves as a means to bring people from the community together no matter how many yrs it’s been since we actually we’ve actually stepped foot in town. There definitely should be a Facebook page for Haverstraw families & alumni if there isn’t already!
Hey Donna: My Mom seems to think that your Mom was a music teacher?
Oh, yeah…I forgot to mention, Donna and Joanne, I taught in “your mom’s building” for 32 years…along with Richie Korn.
BTW…about 10 years ago, George Jochum was invited back to school to speak at the anniversary of the building. He’d been ill but was recovering nicely. When he took out his notes…they were not organized correctly…to fill the gap while organizing his notes he said, “Thirza! Where are my glasses?” Those of us who’d been there for those days
roared! So nice to remember.
Hi Donna,
I’m Mary Lou Gohring Dillon. My parents, John and Louise, lived next door to your Aunt Julia before she relocated to Hillside Avenue.
When you still lived in Queens and came to Haverstraw to visit we’d play together.
Good to hear from you.
Hi, All. I’m always so excited when I get an email that there is a new posting on this site. Mary Lou, it is good to hear from you. Hope you and Bob are well. Take care. Best wishes to everyone.
Rachel Korn Wasserman
First off, I’d like to thank Richard Silverstein for initiating this “trippy” walk down memory lane. I grew up in Haverstraw (78 Sharp Street). My father was Jake Korn and he owned a pool hall down on Main Street. It’s so true that I may have left the village but the village will remain in my heart and soul till the day I croak. It was an amazing place to grow up.
One small anecdote: I always knew Mr. Perry, as “Perry the Milkman” and he always had this mellifluous voice that rang out “milkman” when he brought his dairy goods to drop off in the metal container we kept on the front porch. It was slightly corny but totally endearing. Bottled milk! And I would always ‘noodge’ my mother (Sylvia) into buying a bottle of chocolate milk.
There are sooooo many memories and I could spend the next 5 years blogging about it. But I shall spare you!
Regards to all the Korn clan.
-The Black Sheep-
PS – To Rachel & Risa: I still have a picture in my Bar Mitzvah album where you were both supposed to kiss me on each cheek and I ducked and hardy har har – you kissed each other! What a kibbitzer, eh!
Peace!!
Michael,
My mother is in her 80′s and grew up in Haverstraw. I would go there as a kid to visit my grandmother, who owned a candy store on Broad Street. My mother knows your family. Where do you live now and how old are you? I am interested in corresponding with you by e-mail.
Sheryl, from Warren County, NJ
Ask your mother if she knew the Broders? They ran the Meat Market on Broadway. My father Joseph is now 83.
Hi,
My name is Jennifer Broder Jones and My dad was from the other Butcher in town. Louie’s Meat Market. Louis Broder, wife, Yetta Broder. My father is Joe Broder. The market was on Broadway…64 Broadway. My grandfather sold it to the Specios before he moved away.
My dad remembers so many people from there Benny the ice man, Micky the Goose, Definitely All the Korns, the movie theatre, Dr. Hirsch( he delivered my father and his sister in the house). His Aunt Rose and Uncle owned a variety store in town too. Nat and Blanche Simon took it over later. He remembers the football coach, ED Demosky, And O’reilly his assistant.
He has told me stories for years about his life growing up there. Tough times but in someway I find myself wishing towns were like that again. Everyone knew everyone and there is something that is sweet about that.
I am not sure what year you lived there but wondered if any of these names sound familiar to you,
thanks so much,
Jennifer
Hi, Michael. I don’t remember the Bar Mitzvah picture, but it is good to hear from you. Hope all is well. I love this site.
Rachel
I grew up in Congers at the end of Old Haverstraw Rd. My brother and I kept a small motorboat down on the hudson just past the road leading down by the rock conveyer. I worked up at High Tor Vinyards for Everett Crosby, and have fond memories of climbing up to High Tor.
My highschool sweetheart and I discovered the old Katz estate and would sneak up there occasionally to wonder what it must have been like to live there.
Looking at Google maps the areas has changed since I left in 1965. I am visiting the area this September for my High School 50th reunion. I look forward to trying to find some of the sites we used to haunt back then.
Walt Wager
My name is Jennifer Broder Jones. My father Joseph Broder grew up in Haverstraw with his sisters and parents. My grandfather owned the meat market on Broadway and they lived behind the store. His name was louis broder and my grandmother was yetta.
My father has told me so many stories about growing up. He has mentioned a police officer, Mickey the goose, dr. hirsch and many more. There was a young man Sheppard the son of Getrude{i think blackwell was the last name}
Just wondered if anyone remembered them.
thanks
jennifer
Jennifer,
Where on Broadway was your father’s meat market? The reason that I’m asking is that my mother, soon to be 91, grew up on “upper Broadway.” That is where Broadway and Westside Avenue intersect.
In my childhood (I’m soon to be 63) there was a Kosher meat market on Broadway near to St. Peter’s Church. Was that your father’s?
I’ll ask my mother about your family…but I usually need to be specific about where some business was located.
Mary Lou Dillon
My Dads market was Louis Meat Market and it was 64 Broadway. His wife was Yetta and three children,
Doris, Joseph (Joe) and Blanche. My father is Joe and he is now 83, soon to be 84. I know that my grandfathers place was not kosher but that there was one in town.
His store was down the street and across form the movie theatre and they lived in the back of the store.
Ask your mother if she remembers any of them…What was her family name?
Thanks
jennifer
My mother remembers them well. Her maiden name was Louise Meilucci. My grandfather was Louis Melicci. He and Dan Cordisco had a barber shop on New Main Street near the Times office.