Chapter 1 - Stepping Back In Time: Reynoldston, New York

After the arrival of the hay bale feeder, I went shopping for other equipment. At the tractor dealer, I learned of a fascinating logging/mining town set way back in the forest. I was told that it was still alive, but a shadow of its former self and that there was a website filled with old photos:


So of course you know where I went next. I drove right to the little settlement of Reynoldston which was located deep in the forest at the end of a dead end, narrow, County road. I've selected a few of the old photos to mix in with the modern photos for a sort of "then and now" blog post. This photo shows a logging crew about 1900:

There were some nice modern homes, but I was mostly fascinated by the old, abandoned homes like this one. It wasn't posted, so maybe I could have gone in. Well, maybe next time:

Here's another old photo, this one of a man named Matthew M., in the office of the Reynolds Brothers Sawmill around 1890. The website for the history of Reynoldston is here:

Reynoldston is located within the town of Brandon, New York and the town offices were in Reynoldston. Apparently Brandon, New York is mighty sparsely populated. The entire population of the town in 2010 was 570:

I almost didn't include this photo because of its poor quality, but it really shows the look of the town in its heyday. That square building in the center was the famous/infamous Bordeaux Dance Hall and picture was taken in 1906. The website cited above made the point that a woman's life at the time was one of nonstop drudgery. Men toiled in the mine, forest or sawmill by day, but spent the rest of their time drinking and fighting, often at the Bordeaux Dance Hall:

There weren't a lot of homes in Reynoldston, but I snapped pictures of many of them:

This home had lots of firewood and other stuff:

And another home which seemed abandoned. Might this have once been company housing?

The Reynolds Brothers Mill signed a big contract with Brooklyn Cooperage in 1908 and Reynoldston became a boom town. This photo was taken just about then. I'd imagine one wouldn't have given this lady any guff  not more than once, at any rate:

Another home which, from the look of the roofing, may have been abandoned. But there was more to the fascinating, historic settlement of Reynoldston and I'll post Chapter 2 tomorrow: