Glen’s Falls in the Apostrophe Era — Prosperity in 1863

This is the latest in an occasional series of posts based on local 19th century news reports before Glen’s Falls dropped the apostrophe from its name.

It was a prosperous year for the Glen’s Falls area lumber trade in 1863.

“The season that just closed has been a most profitable one to our lumber men,” The Glen’s Falls Republican reported on Dec. 15, 1863. “If reports are true, several have made fortunes large enough to satisfy the wants of our modest men, while others, of smaller caliber in the financial line, have hoarded piles of greenbacks.”

The prosperity carried over into related industries.

“We learn the Mr. A.N. Cheney will build, during the present winter, a new sawmill on the Moreau side of the river where the old stone building now stands,” the Republican reported in a separate article. “This, when completed, will make fourteen sawmills here and in our immediate vicinity — a sufficient number, it would seem, to saw all the lumber which floats on the Hudson.”

It wasn’t so prosperous a year for the newspaper trade.

“A few loads of hard wood wanted at this office in payment of indebtedness for papers and advertising. Bring it immediately,” the Republican advertised on Dec. 8, 1863.

Yet even a poor newspaper man could find contentment come Christmas.

“Christmas was indeed a merry one here and abouts. … We are seldom blessed with such a fine Winter’s day, and none need be told that it was improved right heartily,” the Republican reported. “Even the poor printers, although they were forced to dine on codfish, as usual, partook of their noonday meal with a keener relish, thankful to kind providence that they faced no worse.”

Click here to read the most recent previous post in the series.