Earlier this week I was taken by some of the wonderful watercolor painting by Jean S. Kaiyou and they triggered a memory for me, taking me way back to when I was almost 5 and my folks had taken me back to their homes in the Catskills.
Some Incredible Art
The wonderful water colors by Jean S. Kaiyou publisher of Unfinished Sketchbook stirred a memory from when I was 4 or 5, prior to my family moving back to where both my mom and dad were born in the Catskills Mountains and Mohawk River Valley. We would spend summers in Roxbury where my mother’s family lived, and my Dad was starting to get his business going so he could move us back east from Evanston.
Jean’s latest collection from Parliament of Owls was the trigger.
Roxbury, Home To Mountain Flowers and More
My mother was born and raised in Roxbury in the heart of the Catskill Mountains, and until I was 5 1/2 we would travel each summer from Chicago back to Roxbury to spend the summer while my dad toiled to get his business launched.
Roxbury is birthplace to the quintessential conservationist and a notorious robber baron, both born within a year of one another.
John Burroughs (1837-1921)
- Burroughs was a renowned naturalist born and raised in Roxbury.
- He is recognized for his significant contributions to the environmental movement and his role in popularizing nature writing.
Jay Gould (1836-1892)
- Gould was born in Roxbury and went on to become a prominent financier, often referred to as a “robber baron.”
- Although his business practices were controversial, his family’s philanthropic contributions, including the Jay Gould Memorial Reformed Church, had a lasting impact on Roxbury.
Helen Miller (Gould) Shepard (1868-1938)
- Helen Gould, the daughter of Jay Gould, made significant contributions to Roxbury.
- She purchased and expanded Kirkside, developed its extensive gardens, and donated the property for use as a retirement home after her death.
- She also made several other contributions to the town, including building a gas plant, funding the connection to the state road system, and ensuring a reliable water supply.
Finley Johnson Shepard (1867-1942)
- Finley Shepard was Helen Gould’s husband.
- He was a railroad executive, and he and his children continued to use Kirkside after Helen’s death until 1949. He is also credited with moving the bell clock donated by Frank J. Gould to the Methodist Church.
Liberty Preston (1798-1882)
- Preston was the original owner and builder of Kirkside in 1857.
- He served as the Justice of the Peace and Postmaster of Roxbury.
Frank J. Gould
- Frank J. Gould donated a bell clock to the town of Roxbury in 1895.
Some Famous Names and Interesting School Mates
Who would have imagined two more opposite characters being close friends from childhood, but famous naturalist John Burroughs went to the same one room school as Robber Baron Jay Gould.
Jay Gould
Birthplace and Date: Jay Gould was born in Roxbury, Delaware County, New York, in 1836.
Early Education: He attended the same one-room schoolhouse as renowned naturalist John Burroughs. The exact name and location of this schoolhouse aren’t specified in these sources. However, a historical marker about John Burroughs notes that Burroughs first attended a school known locally as the Stone Jug, located on Hardscrabble Road, about one mile from his childhood home. It also mentions that Burroughs later attended the West Settlement School, two miles from his home, alongside Jay Gould.
Relationship with John Burroughs: While the sources highlight their shared origins in Roxbury and attendance at the same school, they do not elaborate on the nature of their relationship during their youth. However, another source mentions that Jay Gould and John Burroughs were close friends throughout school. It recounts an anecdote where Gould helped Burroughs complete a school assignment, suggesting a supportive and perhaps academically inclined dynamic between them.
Limited Formal Education: The sources indicate that Gould left Roxbury as a young man to pursue a career outside of farming, ultimately making his fortune in railroads. This suggests that his formal education might have been limited to what was available locally in Roxbury at the time. The sources don’t specify if he pursued higher education.
Contrasting Paths: Despite attending the same school, Gould and Burroughs took divergent paths. Burroughs remained deeply connected to nature and became a celebrated naturalist. Gould, characterized as a “quintessential robber baron,” found success in the world of finance and railroads.
Jay Gould earned the title of “the most reviled man in America” due to his ruthless business practices and controversial financial maneuvers during the late 19th century. Here are the key reasons for his notorious reputation:
Aggressive Business Tactics
Cutthroat Competition: Gould was known for his aggressive negotiating tactics and willingness to engage in unethical practices, such as stock manipulation and spreading false rumors to undermine competitors. His actions often destabilized entire industries, particularly in the railroad sector, where he sought to gain control over rival companies through unscrupulous means.
The Erie War
Corporate Takeover: Gould’s involvement in the Erie Railroad conflict, known as the Erie War, exemplified his cutthroat methods. He engaged in illegal stock manipulation and bribery to gain control of the railroad, effectively undermining Cornelius Vanderbilt and creating a chaotic environment that drew public ire. This conflict not only tarnished his reputation but also led to broader calls for regulatory reforms in American business practices.
Financial Scandals
Black Friday Incident: In 1869, Gould and financier Jim Fisk attempted to corner the gold market, leading to a financial panic known as Black Friday. Their manipulative tactics nearly toppled the economy and resulted in significant financial losses for many investors. This scandal solidified his image as a villain in the eyes of the public.
Labor Relations
Exploitation of Workers: Gould was also criticized for his treatment of laborers. He was involved in several labor disputes, notably during the Great Southwest Railroad Strike of 1886, where he employed strikebreakers to suppress workers’ rights and demands for better conditions.
Public Perception
Crony Capitalism: Gould’s connections with political figures, including his ties to Tammany Hall, further fueled public disdain. His ability to navigate political networks for personal gain exemplified the era’s crony capitalism, leading many to view him as emblematic of corporate greed and corruption.
John Burroughs – Focus on what is around you
John Burroughs (1837-1921) was a renowned American naturalist, writer, and philosopher known for his captivating essays and books about nature. [1, 2] He was a key figure in the early environmental movement, advocating for the preservation of natural spaces and fostering a deeper appreciation for the wonders of the natural world. [3, 4]
Here are some details about his life and achievements:
Birth and Upbringing: John Burroughs was born on April 3, 1837, on his family’s farm in the Catskill Mountains near Roxbury, New York. His childhood was deeply intertwined with the natural world surrounding his family’s farm.
Literary Career and Style: Burroughs’s writing career took off after a period of early challenges. He developed a distinctive writing style that focused on observations of the natural world through a local lens, encouraging readers to find meaning and connection with nature in their own backyards. Unlike other naturalists who often focused on grand landscapes, Burroughs often wrote about the smaller creatures and occurrences on his own homestead, Riverby.
Achievements:
Prolific Author: Burroughs authored 27 books throughout his lifetime, selling over one and a half million copies. [2] His essays were also featured in prominent magazines, further broadening his influence and reach.
Champion of Environmentalism: Burroughs was a leading voice in the early 20th-century naturalist movement, advocating for the protection and celebration of nature during a period of rapid industrialization and expansion. [3, 4] He warned of the negative environmental impacts of pollution long before they were scientifically understood.
Influential Figure: Burroughs’s work resonated with a wide audience, including prominent figures like President Theodore Roosevelt and automobile magnate Henry Ford. He fostered close relationships with these individuals, encouraging them to take action on environmental conservation. His writings were also incorporated into school curriculums across the country.
Nature Fakers Controversy: Burroughs sparked a national debate when he publicly criticized authors like Ernest Thompson Seton and Jack London for attributing human-like qualities to animals in their writings. This controversy, dubbed the “nature fakers” controversy, ultimately involved President Roosevelt, who sided with Burroughs and helped bring the debate to a close.
Legacy: John Burroughs left an indelible mark on the world of nature writing and environmentalism. His works continue to inspire readers to connect with the natural world, and his influence can be seen in the work of later environmentalists like Rachel Carson.
Kirkside
Looking For Driftwood
I am 4 or 5, an age and a time when memories are mere hazy snapshots
My mom and dad are young, my dad a tall bear and my mom a pretty mountain flower.
This is far back for me, I am 58 today, but in this memory from when I’m 4 or 5
Before my sister came into this world
And we are back in the Catskills, my home still in place that I can say
I can’t say how close Evanston is to Roxbury where we have traveled this summer
Roxbury is green, we’re in the mountains, staying in a house behind a place called Kirkside
Mornings are cold, misty, dark.
Home in Evanston is an apartment, basement level.
Here have river running in the back of Kirkside, and while our place is just cottage
The buildings at Kirkside are all made out of stone
Like stone churches
Dad is gone during the days – to work with Uncle Dave.
Mom takes me to Mum’s house – Mum is my mom’s mom.
It’s just walk down the street, and we pass the school where mom went
Before I was “even thought of”.
Hearing that phrase a lot growing up, I assume she said the same on those walks
Night times Dad would be back, and we’d take car rides to place called Grand Gorge
These places were in deep hollows – valleys what other people call them
One time – and I don’t know if this is Grand Gorge, it’s somewhere not Kirkside
Mom wants Dad to help get driftwood
Driftwood
At 4 I am still a city kid – my parents live in Evanston so these words are new to me.
We won’t move until another year
And I grow up where my mom and dad did
In a place where you had to make things yourself most of the time
If your were board – really rare – you learned to draw
Driftwood. When I hear that word the first time I can’t guess what that means
I can’t even guess what that is.
But remember we found a river bed somewhere, it may have been after having pizza at a place called Bennys
But we stopped the car and walked along the banks.
My mom is of the mountains, a mountain flower
She’s nimble, pretty, and can pass through the prickers that just cut into my shin
Dad is not a good as she
But she just weaves, dad picks me up just to get through the prickers
Driftwood
Why do we want driftwood?
“I’m going to paint on it, like Midge showed us”
Midge was a nice lady, not as much white hair as Mum
To my mind she’s older than mom and dad
But I can’t put numbers yet to age
But Midge had a cool house, lots of pieces of wood that she painted
Images of raccoons, chipmunks, birds, especially robins.
Dad is quiet – he doesn’t do the art things that mom and her family can do.
Midge tells mom about how to paint something called earrings
Mom listens, looks at all the paintings
These paintings look real to me, they are that good.
They’re like the cover of the book that mom reads to me
I still remember his name, Thornton Burgess
He lived near Kirkside, mom tells me several times that summer
There’s a painted piece of driftwood that has a robin on it.
It will end up at our house when mom buys it for dad – it’s our family name after all
We still have it, I looked at it for years growing up
I am old now, 58, still have a list things I need to do
And sadly my memories are just these slices
I just looked up Kirkside now, and memory is the funny thing
As I think I recognize some of the buildings
I do know the small river that runs through the back of the property
And I can see that driftwood with the robin painted on it, orange breast
With Midge’s signature on the lower corner
And my mom, working on painting so many things
You make what you don’t have
I learned that from my mom whose name means lady of flowers
And from my dad who is still a bear, and taught me to parlay what I had
Into something more
I am old now, live far away, and I call Dad
About where we found the driftwood
“Gilboa Dam,” he says. “But you got Grand Gorge right. I remember Midge and taking the drive that night.”
They live there still, in those mountains
My heart is with them, I need them to keep these memories fresh
Imagination is the Birthright of Every Child
I remember those summers in Roxbury, and being couped up in an apartment in Chicago made me squirrelly, so I took every advantage to play on the banks of the Delaware River which ran behind Kirkside. Nature was something I couldn’t get enough of, and night my mom would read to me Old Mother West Wind. For years I would get Burroughs and Burgess mixed up – I heard both names all the time.
Thornton Burgess
Burgess’s Childhood and its Influence on His Writing
Thornton Burgess’s childhood experiences in Sandwich, Cape Cod, had a profound impact on his writing, shaping his themes, settings, and characters.
Early Exposure to Nature’s Rhythms: Growing up in a coastal town, Burgess was immersed in the natural world from a young age. He spent his days exploring the beaches, forests, and marshes, developing a deep familiarity with the flora and fauna of his surroundings. In his autobiography, “Now I Remember,” Burgess vividly recounts his childhood experiences observing wildlife, including a memorable encounter with a beached blue whale . This early and intimate relationship with nature would become the foundation of his writing career.
Financial Hardship and Resourcefulness: Burgess’s childhood was marked by financial hardship. His father died when he was an infant, leaving his mother to support their family. To contribute, Burgess took on various odd jobs, such as picking berries, herding cows, and trapping muskrats. These experiences instilled in him a strong work ethic and a deep appreciation for the interconnectedness of nature and human survival. He witnessed firsthand the delicate balance of ecosystems, understanding that animals, like humans, had to rely on their environment and each other for sustenance. This understanding of nature’s practicality and often harsh realities found its way into his writing, where his animal characters faced similar challenges of survival, resourcefulness, and predator-prey relationships.
Developing a “Sense of Ecosystem”: Burgess credited his childhood in Sandwich with shaping his unique ability to portray ecosystems in his writing. He recalled becoming aware of the interdependence of different species and their environment as he roamed the fields and forests. This awareness allowed him to craft stories that accurately depicted the interactions between predators and prey, the changing seasons, and the importance of habitat. His stories showcased a complex web of life where animals relied on their instincts, cunning, and knowledge of their surroundings to thrive.
Ordinary Prudence and Mindfulness: The constant change of residence during Burgess’s childhood, living in ten different houses in Sandwich, is suggested to have fostered in him a heightened sense of awareness and observation. This “ordinary prudence,” as Nikki Giovanni calls it manifested in his acute attention to detail when describing animal behavior and the nuances of the natural world. This ability to perceive and convey the often overlooked aspects of nature made his stories both relatable and captivating for young readers.
Burgess’s childhood experiences were instrumental in shaping his literary voice and his commitment to environmental education. His stories served as a bridge between the increasingly urbanized world and the natural world he cherished, fostering a sense of wonder and respect for nature in generations of children.