Editor’s note: Beacon was created in 1913 from Matteawan and Fishkill Landing.
150 Years Ago (January 1874)
According to the Fishkill Standard, burglars attempted to break into the Coldwell & Tompkins hardware store opposite the Howland library in Matteawan by using an iron bar to jimmy the front door. A window in the door was broken and the knob inside had blood in it, but the rather ordinary lock held. A piece of muslin soaked in oil and resin was found on the stoop, suggesting the burglars intended to carry away what they could and burn the building down to cover up their crime.
The Fishkill Landing Machine Works was building two engines for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Co. and a 700-horsepower engine for a Chicago elevator. At the same time, its owners reduced wages by 10 percent.
Two men attempting to break into the Matteawan home of James Richards fled after a 15-year-old boy inside shot at them with a revolver.
The Wappingers Falls Chronicle called for the towns of Poughkeepsie and Fishkill to be divided, and a new town created, noting that Poughkeepsie had 20,000 people and six delegates on the county board, while Fishkill had 12,000 and one.
A musician who came to Fishkill Landing from New York City for a performance in Newburgh lost his bank book and $30 [about $800 today] on the train. On his return trip the next morning, when the conductor came around for tickets and was told of the loss, he produced the bank book and cash, which had been found by the brakeman while sweeping the car.
125 Years Ago (January 1899)
Samuel Stebbins, of the W.A. Jones fire insurance agency of Fishkill Landing, was distributing 1899 calendars to his customers.
The ferryboat to Newburgh was operating 5 to 10 minutes behind schedule because of ice in the river.
Grocers in Newburgh, Fishkill and Matteawan were victims of a scam by a man who claimed to provide Royal Silver soap at a discount. The product, which turned out to be washing soda and grease, crumbled when exposed to air. The fake soap was delivered by local truckers accompanied by men who collected the cash.
W.G. Gomersall, superintendent of the Sargent estate at Fishkill Landing, was elected secretary of the Dutchess County Horticultural Society.
William Pollock, who started the first steam laundry in Cold Spring, went out of business after moving his plant to Fishkill Landing.
David McLaughlin died at age 65. He was a tobacco and cigar manufacturer, as well as the Fishkill Landing postmaster for 16 years.
The Lewis Tompkins Hose Co. reported that it had cost more than $400 [$15,000] to bring home the body of Sidney Scofield, who had been killed in Cuba while fighting in the Spanish-American War. The federal government offered to contribute $35 [$1,300], according to the Fishkill Herald.
The Rev. Edward McGlynn (at right) delivered a lecture at the Presbyterian Church in Matteawan titled “The Destiny of the English-Speaking Race.” He said: “The ends of the world are coming together; even Japan is thinking of adopting English as a domestic language. Ours is destined to be the language of the world. It has strength, elasticity, [and] is sweet, admirable.”
John Howard, a gunner aboard the Princeton, had just left for Manila when his estranged wife showed up unannounced at the Matteawan school to inquire about the whereabouts of their 6-year-old daughter, who was living with her aunt and uncle. The woman had come to New York from Cincinnati, having walked part of the way. Alarmed, the aunt hid the girl with a neighbor — taking her out the front door as the mother came in the back — and said a judge should decide. The mother said her husband had kidnapped their daughter and that if she wasn’t give custody she would kill herself.
Matthew Herbert, 50, who drove the grocery wagon for Benjamin Deyo, was found lying on Rector Street at 7 a.m. on a Wednesday after suffering a fatal heart attack.
The Lady Washington Hose Co. from Poughkeepsie visited Matteawan to take on the D.C.W. in a game of basketball. The home team prevailed, 9-6. The Poughkeepsie team featured a 6-foot-4-inch center who, according to The Fishkill Journal, “seemed to wave the ball all the time, but the scientific play of our boys prevented him from making the coveted goals.” The paper declared the freakishly tall player to be “both exciting and amusing.”
Shortly before leaving office, Gov. Frank Swett Black pardoned John Dermoody, a prisoner serving 10 years for robbing a man in Troy of a gold watch. Investigators determined that someone had slipped the watch into Dermoody’s pocket. He had served three years, including the most recent three months at the Matteawan asylum.
The Newburgh Mænnerchor [German social club] celebrated its 38th anniversary by entertaining the Matteawan Mænnerchor.
The Poughkeepsie Eagle-News reported on a merchant who had formed a clothing club with 50 members who paid $1 [$37] per week. Each Tuesday evening, the merchant held a drawing and the winner received a suit worth $25 [$925] and left the club. The drawings would continue for 25 weeks, until 24 members had received suits at a cost of $1 to $24, and the 25 remaining would each receive a suit for the $25 they had invested.
The Fishkill Landing correspondent for the Eagle-News reported: “The rare sunlight striking our home mountains produces many beautiful colors. They are a constant source of delight to the lover of nature.”
While traveling by train along the Hudson, the Rev. Dr. Fritts of Fishkill Landing left his wallet with $60 [$2,200] on a seat. Five days later, an anonymous package arrived from a town in Ohio with the wallet and cash.
A Newburgh man and woman drowned while skating on the Hudson near Fishkill Landing. They were leading a group of friends when the ice cracked and they quickly sank out of sight.
Among the eight students receiving lessons at the private Mount Beacon Academy was a young Puerto Rican learning English. His father was a banker in Ponce.
100 Years Ago (January 1924)
Dr. D. Mandell, a chiropractor from New York City who specialized in chronic and nervous ailments, opened an office at 472 Main St.
Samuel Beskin, the former mayor, died at his home of a heart attack at age 59. He was born in Russia in 1864 and, at the age of 26, came to the U.S. to become a merchant and contractor. A Democrat, he was elected in 1917. All businesses in Beacon closed during his funeral, which was held at his home at 10 South Ave. and conducted by Rabbi Blatt of Newburgh.
Albin Boyce of Beacon, accused of abandoning his wife and five children, was arrested at the ferry station in Newburgh after being a fugitive for 14 months. After his arrest, Mrs. Boyce sued Louise Edgerton, a Newburgh widow, for alienation of her husband’s affection, asking for $25,000 [$450,000] in damages.
Ludwig Ruf sued Beacon for $500 [$9,000], claiming its neglect had caused Asylum Brook to flood his gardens.
A county judge upheld the conviction of Antoni Brozowski on charges of operating a disorderly house where he sold whiskey. His attorney argued that witnesses only described seeing “something that looked like whiskey.”
Charles Fisher, president of a toy block company based in New York City, purchased the estate of Charles Watson on Knevels Avenue. Fisher planned to convert it into a studio for his firm’s art department, which had 15 employees.
An amendment to the state constitution required Beacon and other cities to move their elections from March every other year to November of odd-numbered years.
With the temperature hovering around zero, fire nearly destroyed the Genuine Panama Hat Co. factory at 139 Rombout Ave. The building had previously housed four private schools between 1885 and 1920.
John Burns, the former superintendent of Hillcrest Farms in Beacon, was acquitted of carrying a concealed revolver. Three workers had alerted the owner of the farm, who filed a criminal complaint, but the judge cited a lack of evidence.
A Peekskill man who allegedly hit and critically wounded a pedestrian on the road between Fishkill and Beacon before fleeing the scene was arrested near the Beacon Hat Works while fixing a flat. Witnesses had described the car to police. The driver, a salesman for a national oil company, was released on $3,000 [$54,000] bail provided by his employers. When the victim died at the hospital, the driver was charged with manslaughter and his bail increased to $10,000 [$180,000]; he said the damage to his car was caused by a collision with a telephone pole.
75 Years Ago (January 1949)
At a City Council meeting, residents protested a proposed law that would require mobile-home owners to pay an annual fee of $150 [$1,900].
The City Council approved the purchase of a Protectograph automatic check signer so the mayor and finance commissioner would no longer have to sign every city check, including those for payroll.
A North Street man said he was watching television with a friend on a Tuesday night when his car was stolen off the street. It was found the next day in Tarrytown.
The school board weighed a proposal to force teachers to retire at age 70.
The Kingston High School boys’ basketball team won at Beacon, 50-32, for its 39th victory in a row.
The owner of the Watch Hospital at 161 Main St. said a couple stole a $400 diamond ring after distracting him by asking to see watches stored in the back.
A guest at the Dutchess of Beacon Hotel was overcome by smoke, apparently after she fell asleep with a lit cigarette and caught the mattress on fire.
Based on a state recommendation that districts have 25 students per teacher, a survey concluded Beacon could cut 14 positions and save $37,170 [$480,000] annually in salaries.
50 Years Ago (January 1974)
Beacon police arrested two men in connection with a burglary of a Church Street home and two teenagers accused of breaking into a dentist’s office and a warehouse, where they stole a tape deck.
A representative from the Socialist Labor Party presented a lecture at St. Andrew’s Church titled “Signs of Capitalist Collapse.”
Mayor Robert Cahill said the 50 row houses at the privately owned Groveville became a hazard for residents when the complex’s owner, John Milano, closed the bridge over Fishkill Creek. The only other access to the community was from Mill Street, which was blocked whenever Penn Central trains passed by. Cahill said he hoped the freight line, which had been reactivated three years earlier, would be abandoned. He also noted that Tioronda Avenue was blocked at times by long freights as they proceeded slowly up the grade.
Digger Phelps, 32, a Beacon High School graduate who coached the No. 2-ranked Notre Dame basketball team, led the Irish to a 71-70 win over No. 1 UCLA in South Bend, breaking the Bruins’ 88-game winning streak. His father, Richard Phelps, an undertaker, said more than 400 people showed up at the family home to celebrate. Digger Phelps said he received many calls and telegrams, but one that stood out was from his high school English teacher, Margaret Forrestal.
After missing three shots in the final 35 seconds against Kingston, junior Lewis Brown scored on a rebound with one second left to give Beacon a 68-67 home basketball win.
The change to Daylight Saving Time on Jan. 7 prompted the Board of Education to delay the start time at its six schools by 30 minutes so students would not have to walk in the dark.
25 Years Ago (January 1999)
Mayor Clara Gould, in an interview with The Poughkeepsie Journal, was optimistic about the city’s future. “There’s a much more upbeat attitude because people see we’re moving along,” she said. “But it’s not easy. We’re continuing to market the city — particularly the west end. It is a constant effort to have the retention and expansion of businesses.”
Fugo Gomez, a native of Colombia who owned America’s Bakery and Restaurant on Main Street, began a food and medicine drive for the victims of an earthquake there that killed more than 1,000 people.
Thirteen AmeriCorps volunteers with hatchets, chain saws and pruning shears cleared a section of Madam Brett Park of an invasive species known as ailanthus, or Tree of Heaven. The group was spending six weeks in the Hudson Valley working with Scenic Hudson. AmeriCorps was started by President Bill Clinton in 1994 to allow young adults to earn money for college through community service.
