Mrs. MaCaulay Writes of 1912 History

Mrs. Edward C. MaCaulay was kind enough to pen some reactions and additional historical background on last week's 1912 Democrats' story in The Yorktowner. The daughter of Jake Maurer, prominent Republican and merchant of that era, Mrs. MaCaulay also gets our thanks for establishing the original owner of the editor's house.

Your article on 1912 Democrats was most interesting, especially to one whose parents' name was mentioned in the article. Time obscures many facts, very often, so I am sure you will not mind a little correction and additional information.

"Jake" Maurer, whom you referred to as a prominent Republican, was my father. The two-story building (not one of "three frame buildings") was attached to the former Dunning Garage but was built and owned by my father, originally on the site opposite Harsey Electric - which house, by the way, was the home of Edward Dunning. The building contained apartments upstairs and three store stalls down - one of which was my father's meat market and grocery store.

One of his tenants was Delaney Hardware (in those days who had plumbing?) In fact, the iron pump and well which supplied all the tenants with water is still three across from Harsey, or it was not so long ago.

The building was purchased by the Dunning family and moved around the corner to become attached to the Dunning and Flewellen Garage. For years, Charles Friedman had a similar type marked in the spot where my father had his.

My father then opened another market by putting a front on a Mansard House, now the Gift-Mart.

I can remember as a very small child the huge building being escorted around the corner to its new location. The garage and 2-story building was recently demolished.

You referred to my father as a German-American. It is true that this father, Jacob Maurer, Sr. was a native-born German, but his mother was a fiery North of Ireland immigrant. It was a very late marriage, and she was fifty-two years old when my father was born, according to neighbor and family reminiscences.

Now for my big surprise! My grandfather's home was the house you live in on Hanover Road. My father was born there - a native American, if there ever was one! My grandfather was a farmer. His fruit orchard was one of my happy childhood memories - because he had varieties of apples that I have not seen nor heard of since.

When my father married my mother, Emily Giehert [Gilbert], also born on Hanover Road (the present Cummings site) our new home was built on land adjoining my grandfather's land on the south, and which I believe had been part of his land, because our farm extended up to and in front of your present home, and south to Birdsall Land.

The house where my brother and I were born is now Briccetti's, and has not changed family name since my father sold it to Tito Briccetti many years ago.

James Fowler, also mentioned in your interesting article, lived in the present Historical Society home (museum) when I knew him, but had been a farmer formerly on land now Mohansic Park near the lake, he told me himself.

My father thought so highly of James Fowler, as I did also, that he made him executor of his will. But he died some years before my father, who was also a prominent Real Estate Broker for many years (often selling his market to Gordon McBride.)

My father died in Yorktown, still in business, at the age of 84, in the year 1957.

The 4-H exhibit of old Yorktown at the Yorktown Grange Fair - 1972 - and after exhibited at the Historical Society - not only shows the exact location of my father's store, but reproduced the building with amazing accuracy.

Source: Mrs. Edward C. MaCaulay, The Yorktowner, February 21, 1973