Town of Newburgh History

The Clinton Fish Harris House

By Alan Crawford
Posted 6/6/24

I’ve been meaning to put this together for some time and finally got around to it. Over on Elmhurst Avenue, just off State Route 52, is the Clinton Fish Harris house. Clinton Fish Harris is a …

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Town of Newburgh History

The Clinton Fish Harris House

Posted

I’ve been meaning to put this together for some time and finally got around to it. Over on Elmhurst Avenue, just off State Route 52, is the Clinton Fish Harris house. Clinton Fish Harris is a cousin to me (2nd Cousin, 3x’s removed) who was born March 25th, 1888, and left us in June of 1973. He was married to Ruth Evelyn Klyne, born June 8th, 1895, and passed away on December 5th, 1973. I’m sure other members on my extended family tree will recognize the names and how they are related.

Today, the home is painted a bright red, but retains the persona of bygone days with its architecture which blends into the landscape. Sturdy stonewalls encompass most of the property, adding to its elegance. But, there are some interesting details which are fading from memory we need to remember.

Does anyone remember the pond and dam? As you enter Elmhurst Avenue, and cross the stream, on your left, slightly obscured by the trees, is the dam. The pond is mostly dry after all these years with the dam no longer retaining water except in times of heavy precipitation.

Remember, back one hundred years ago ice was still the sought - after commodity to keep food fresh. There was an ice house here, which is long gone, but thanks to my cousin, we have a few photos of it. I especially like the one with Marguerite Harris, Clinton’s and Ruth’s daughter, standing in front of the ice house and dam in her 4H Uniform during the summer. There is another with Ruth Innis Tighe with the ice house in the background. There is also one of the dam during a winter snow storm which captures the beauty of a white carpet covering the earth.

On the farm were small cottages, or bungalows, which were rented out in the summertime to families from the New York City metropolitan area seeking a country retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There is photo of Ruth Harris proudly standing in front of one of these. Many of you may recall these small buildings in the Orange Lake area.

For those of you who have only had the luxury of driving an automobile, the basic mode of transportation before old Henry Ford was the horse and wagon. You didn’t go out and turn a key, you had to harness up old Betsy to the wagon! But, once the Model T came into vogue, old Betsy was left to stay warm in the barn while the wagon was hitched to one of those new automobiles!

And lastly, as much as some of the younger persuasion don’t realize, country folk always sought out means to improve their life with ingenuity. The dam also was used to generate electricity for the family home! This was included in the upgrade when they installed indoor plumbing. They never heard of a solar panel.

Thank you, Clinton and Ruth Harris, for sharing memories with us. And thank you, Bev, for sharing these wonderful photos and remembrances!