The Vedder Research Library

Anton (Tony) and Mary Fursatz opened Fursatz’s Elm Grove in 1921, first as a farm and then a boarding house. After Mary and Tony retired, their daughter Anna, who had married Fred G. Spohler (The Spohlers had operated a boarding house in Acra), took control in 1955. With help from their son Fred, daughter-in-law Carol, and family, the resort continued operating. Fred and Carol assumed control of Elm Grove in 1973 until its closure in 1983 after 62 years. Located on Red Mill Rd, near the corner with East Red Mill Rd (also known locally as Shaw Mill Rd), this establishment has since operated as Grace Manor and Higher Ground Christian Center, exemplifying the role that religious organizations have had in operating several former resorts.

A view not seen for nearly a century, springtime water flows over the Red Mill Dam on the Basic Creek. The Red Mill sits left, using the diverted water to power its machinery and wheels before the availability of electricity. According to local lore, a freshet destroyed the dam, perhaps in the 1930s. In addition to water power, the dam supplied ice for refrigerative purposes (before electricity) and for recreational purposes. The spray of water on the left is probably the diverted water that just powered the mill.

Except for a few undependable fording spots, bridges of all sizes and types were needed to cross Greenville’s waterways to ensure safe passage. The largest creek flowing through the Town of Greenville, the Basic Creek, is crossed three times within town boundaries, with Scripture (Scriptor) Bridge the northernmost crossing at SR 81. This early 20th century photo shows a classic bridge structure of that time, while the insets show the preparation for the newest bridge as well as a view from below.

The Greenville Dairy serviced the Greenville area in the post-WWII era until the mid-1950s. Earlier, Leroy Hannay, who lived on the Cedar Lane farm closest to CR 38, worked a dairy and delivered milk to area households. According to local sources, Bill Graf bought the business, opening at a new site, today the entry way of Lou’s Garage on SR 81at the west end of Scripture Bridge (inset). The Dairy not only sold milk to the Greenville Central School for a time but also ran a popular summertime ice cream bar (inset). Graf sold the business in the late 1940s to E. Ross Hopkins; the Dairy closed about 1955. Posing, tentatively identified; top: Frances (Terhune) Graf, Mrs. Tillie Terhune (Frances’s mother), Larry Cernic, Ron Golden, ? Jaycox; bottom: ?, Gale Gedney, ?, a dog, Bill Graf, and ?.

In 1921, Cornelius (“Neil”) and Bertha Baumann opened their farm house to boarders. Son Russell and wife Rose Denowski joined the business in 1945; when Rose died, Russell’s second wife Vivian Calapa Callahan joined the business in 1951. Russell and Rose’s daughter Carol and her husband Richard Schreiber Jr entered the business in 1965, to be joined by fourth generation son Richard III and his wife Lynn, daughter Rosemary and her husband Kevin Lewis, Courtney and her husband Jason Reinhard. The fifth generation include Pierce and Emily Schreiber, Tucker and Russell Lewis, and Ben and Julia Reinhard. Celebrating the 2021 centennial: Richard Schreiber III, Courtney Reinhard, Carol Schreiber, Rosemary and Kevin Lewis. The inset, taken from a mid-century brochure, shows Carol, Rich Jr, Vivian, and Russell.

Breezy Knoll was emblematic of the patchwork of the few dozen boarding houses/resorts that dotted the Greenville area in mid-20th century. Located on State Route 81, a quarter mile west of the Red Mill Rd & Ingalside Rd intersection, Breezy Knoll opened its doors probably in the 1920s. Following the pattern of a farm house taking boarders to supplement income, Breezy Knoll (aka Jesse’s Breezy Knoll, Breezy Knoll Acres) advertised a capacity of 75 guests in 1945 and that number grew to 125 in 1960. One of its local claims of fame, unverified, was “Longest Bar in the Catskills.” The chain of ownership started with the Jesse family (Fred and Minnie) in the 1920s and ended with a group of seven partners, one of them Al Kozich, in the 1960s (Joey D, Little Al also remembered). The resort closed in the early-mid 1970s and sat vacant for a few years before the next reincarnation. (next calendar page).

The founding of Orgyen Cho Dzong Buddhist Retreat Center, the former Breezy Knoll (previous page), in 1980 caught the attention of passersby with its vibrancy of color. OCDR is connected to the main temple building Yeshe Nyingpo located in NYC. OCDR acts not only as a spiritual place but also as guardianship of Tibetan culture, tradition, and ancient artifacts brought over from Tibet dating back up to 2000-2500 years. One structure is the World Peace Stupa, built with the aspiration that all wars and disasters would be averted, contains relics of Lord Buddha and other saints. The founder, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, along with current leaders, worked tirelessly to upkeep the center for the community’s benefit. In keeping with the Buddhist principle, the door is open to everyone. For more info, visit: www.dudjomtersar.org. The main photo shows the view from the road through gate, capturing only part of the whole campus. The insets show valued edifices on the grounds.

caption assist, inset photos by Quoc Do