Abe Minckler: Famous Rattlesnake Catcher
March 08, 2025
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Everybody’s friend Abraham “Abe” Minckler gained a small degree of local fame in the Sullivan County section of the Catskills as a well-known rattlesnake catcher, entertainer and salesman. By around the year 1900, Abe had worked at catching rattlesnakes for over 30 years.
Abraham Minckler was born on June 21, 1829, the son of John Minckler a...
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Alfred S. Landis: The Postcard Artist
March 01, 2025
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Introduction
Alfred S. Landis was one of the most unique and prolific artists in Catskills history. He published nearly 800 artistic postcards that depicted the hotels, resorts, boarding houses and scenery from throughout the four counties of the Catskill region. His beautiful and colorful postcards remain highly sought after collectibles to thi...
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William C. North: The Man Who Photographed Emily Dickinson
January 18, 2025
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Introduction
William C. North holds a special place in photographic history. He was one of the pioneer photographers of Cleveland and made many of the oldest daguerreotypes in the city. He was a frequent prize winner at county and state fairs and achieved widespread recognition for his daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and stereoscopic views. He took f...
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John Jacob Loeffler in the Catskills – Part 2
January 11, 2025
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This week’s post is a continuation from last week, where I posted a series of recently acquired Catskills stereoviews published by photographer John Jacob Loeffler. I had acquired 39 new stereoviews, 20 of which were published last week, and the remaining 19 are included here.
They have all been added to the Loeffler gallery, which now contains...
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John Jacob Loeffler in the Catskills – Part 1
January 04, 2025
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John Jacob Loeffler is one of the great Catskills photographers of all time. He made hundreds of stereoviews of the Catskills throughout the 1870s and 1880s. The photographs, part of the series titled Catskill Mountain Scenery, demonstrate his skill and vision as well as the timeless beauty of the Catskills, being equally compelling today as they w...
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Crazy Horse Memorial
October 05, 2024
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The Crazy Horse Memorial is a mountain monument under construction in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The monument is being carved out of Thunderhead Mountain, now also referred to as Crazy Horse Mountain. It is located approximately 16 miles from Mount Rushmore.
The memorial depicts Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse, one of the most...
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Big Foot Pass Presbyterian Church, South Dakota
September 28, 2024
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The congregation of the Big Foot Pass Presbyterian Church in South Dakota was originally organized on July 25, 1916 by Dr. William Wallace, the district missionary. Reverend G. W. Campbell, the pastor at Interior, through his “persistent labors,” also assisted in organizational efforts. Upon its founding, it was reported that “the new organization,...
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1880 Town at Midland, South Dakota
September 21, 2024
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The historic 1880 Town is located along Interstate 90 at the town of Midland, South Dakota. It offers a charming step back in time with more than 30 original buildings and thousands of unique relics.
1880 Town
Scene from the Old West
Dakota Hotel
Culpepper Saloon
The original name of the town was Two Strike after the historical L...
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Carhenge: Built with Blood, Sweat and Beers
September 14, 2024
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Carhenge, located near the city of Alliance, Nebraska, is an inventive replica of Stonhenge in England, but made with cars.
The sculpture was created by James Reinders (1927-2021), who graduated from high school in Alliance, served with the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific, attended the University of Nebraska with an engineering major and went on...
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Ghost Town at Scenic, South Dakota
September 07, 2024
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“Every town in the Badlands had its characters, but in Scenic the characters had a town.” – Reflections of the Badlands by Philip S. Hall
The abandoned ghost town of Scenic, South Dakota is located along Route 44 near the western edge of Badlands National Park, approximately 50 miles from Rapid City, and seven miles north of the Pine Ridge Res...
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Colgate Lake Reflections
August 31, 2024
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Colgate Lake is a scenic 29-acre lake located in the 1,500 Colgate Lake Wild Forest in the town of East Jewett of the northern Catskills. The area around the lake provides panoramic views of the Blackhead Mountain Range, which includes Thomas Cole (3,950 feet), Black Dome (3,990 feet) and Blackhead (3,950 feet).
The lake is named after Robert Co...
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First Old School Baptist Church of Roxbury
August 24, 2024
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The First Old School Baptist Church of Roxbury is located in the rural hamlet of Vega, New York in the northeast corner of the Town of Roxbury in Delaware County, New York. The church is idyllically situated in the Denver-Vega Valley in a pleasing country setting with stark mountain backdrops.
The First Old School Baptist Church has its ro...
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Jewett Presbyterian Church
August 17, 2024
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The Jewett Presbyterian Church is located in the hamlet of Jewett in the northern Catskills of Greene County, New York. Located adjacent to the church is the Jewett Heights Methodist Episcopal Church.
The Presbyterian congregation at the hamlet of Jewett was established in 1799. J. B. Beers wrote in his 1884 The History of Greene County of...
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Christian Church at Fitch’s Bridge
August 10, 2024
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The historic Christian Church, also known as Fitch’s Bridge Church, is located adjacent to the West Branch of the Delaware River in the hamlet of East Delhi, New York. The church is located close to the picturesque Fitch’s Covered Bridge and just east of the Judge Gideon Frisbee House, the late 18th century home of one of the area’s earliest settle...
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Blue Mountain Reformed Church
August 03, 2024
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The historic Blue Mountain Reformed Church is located on Blue Mountain Church Road in Saugerties, New York. The first movement to found a church at Blue Mountain occurred in 1832, however, this came to nothing. Nineteen years later, in 1851, the Blue Mountain Reformed Church was officially organized.
The founding date of the Blue Mountain...
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