Strawberry season — 1890

It was strawberry season in Glens Falls.

“Stephen Carpenter, Center Street, enjoys the distinction of having picked the first ripe strawberries of the season this spring,” The Morning Star of Glens Falls reported on June 13, 1890. “They were grown in his garden and served on his table on Wednesday and Thursday.”

It would be only a few days more before the majority of local strawberries would begin to ripen.

“Delicious homegrown strawberries made their appearance in the market yesterday. They are selling for 18 cents a quart,” — the equivalent of $6.21 in 2024 dollars, The Morning Star reported on June 17.

The flavor was great, but the harvest small.

“The strawberry yield in this locality will, it is said, be much smaller this year than the average,” The Morning Star reported on June 18. “The fruit, however, judging from present indications, will be of finer quality than last year.”

Strawberry picking at French Mountain began on June 19.

In some places, strawberries could still be found in July.

“Wild strawberries were picked yesterday at Fort George by a Glens Falls party,” The Morning Star reported on July 19.

In other June strawberry news reported in northern New York historic newspapers:

1895

• The Ladies’ Home Missionary Society of the Friends Church had the honor of holding the first strawberry festival of the season in Glens Falls, The Morning Star reported on May 20. 1895.

The festival was held at the home of F. H. Pierce at 40 William Street.

• “At the social to be held at the home of Mrs. S. A. Parks, 48 Park Street, on Friday evening next, abundant refreshments will be served,” The Morning Star reported on May 28. “There will be hot biscuits, strawberries and coffee for twenty-five cents (the equivalent of $9.33 in 2024 dollars); ice cream and cake for fifteen cents; and the admission fee will be ten cents. The full program of musical entertainment will soon be announced.
• “Strawberries in all forms will be served this evening by the Methodist Episcopal ladies at the residence of J. M. Coolidge, Glens Street. Everyone is earnestly invited to come and assist the ladies financially and socially,” The Morning Star reported on May 28.

1894

• “It takes a pretty hard storm to keep people in Glens Falls away from a strawberry social, and the attendance was large in spite of the rain,” The Morning Star reported on May 25, 1894.
• “The strawberry supper to be given by the Ladies’ Aid Society at the Presbyterian Church tomorrow evening will fill a long-felt want, so to speak,” The Morning Star reported on May 10. “Strawberries in various tempting forms will be served, but a specialty will be made of hot strawberry shortcake.”
• “Field strawberries are in blossom, and judging from the number of blossoms there will be a large crop,” the Fort Edward correspondent wrote in The Morning Star on May 10.
• “M.H. Tanner recently picked from his garden four strawberries which measured each six inches around, and one berry that measured 6 1/8 inches. Can anyone beat this?” the Bolton correspondent reported in The Morning Star on June 28.

1883

• “A strawberry festival will be held at Glens Falls this week to buy uniforms for the Police Department,” the Glens Falls Messenger reported.
• “During strawberry season. Mrs. H. Rice, eighty-seven years old, picked six quarts of berries in one day,” the Welch Hollow correspondent reported in The Morning Star on July 7.

1881

• “The first two strawberry and ice cream festivals of the season — one a ‘social’ at the residence of Mrs. Kate Colvin for the benefit of the Baptist Church, and the other a ‘lawn party’ on the grounds of Mr. K.P. Cool in the interest of the Episcopal Church — were quite successful, affording plenty of enjoyment for those in attendance,” The Glen’s Falls Republican reported on June 21, 1881. “The receipts for the first were $35 (the equivalent of $1,077 in 2024 dollars), and of the second $45 (the equivalent of $1,385 in 2024 dollars). Cusson’s Orchestra furnished music for the lawn party.”

1877

• “Strawberries are plentiful, and our old friend Vraddenbourgh is doing a fine business,” the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on June 17, 1877.

“Strawberries are numerous, and we intend to have our share of them,” the Moriah correspondent reported.

“Strawberries are ripe. We’ve had some,” the Ironville correspondent reported.

“Now is the time to pick strawberries. There are plenty of them in the region,” the Factoryville correspondent reported.

• Strawberry season was a great time for charitable fund-raisers.

“The Ladies Aid Society of the M.E. Church of Ticonderoga will hold a strawberry festival on Tuesday evening June 19 in the yard of their church.”

There was another opportunity to enjoy strawberry deserts two days later.

“The Burleigh Hose Co., assisted by their friends, will hold a sociable at Burleigh’s Hall on Thursday evening, June 21, 1877. Strawberries and ice cream will be furnished, also music for those who wish to dance. Everything will be done to make the entertainment a most enjoyable one.”

• At Moriah: “A strawberry festival will be held at Joseph Wright’s hall on Wednesday evening, June 20, for the benefit of the Congregational Church and society.