Upstate Life Tourist Edition 2020

KE T’S

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TA - I E ON EE FR

TOURISM 2020

A Family Framework Amish Barn Company Builds Something Sturdy

Batter Up Anchors Aweigh Old-World Charms

& More!

TOURISM 2020

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A Family Framework

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These Old Walls Talk

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VOLUME 14

Amish Barn Company Builds Something Sturdy

Stories of Two Otsego Lake Landmarks

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ISSUE 3 Upstate Life Magazine, Winner, New York State Associated Press Association First-Place Award for Specialty Publications, is published by: The Daily Star, 102 Chestnut Street Oneonta, New York 13820 © 2020 - All rights reserved.

Publisher Fred Scheller

Batter Up The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Pitches ‘Safe at Home’ Online Initiative

Editor Allison Collins Graphic Designer Tracy Bender

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Cookin’ with Collins Brewery Brownies

Advertising Director Valerie Secor

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Traveling the Cooperstown Beverage Trail

Interested in advertising in Upstate Life Magazine?

Call toll-free, 1-800-721-1000, ext. 235

Establishments Joined Together Since 2004

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Anchors Aweigh

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Only Natural

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Old-World Charms

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Geology Day Trip

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Business Directory

We invite you to email your comments to: upstatelifeeditor@thedailystar.com

Set Sail with the Otsego Sailing Club

On the cover

A Story in Flowers

Exploring the Historic Inns of Cooperstown

A Glacial Lake at Fly Creek

Meet the Locals

ALLISON COLLINS

Jeffrey and Kirsten Stoop, ‘new’ owners of Amish Barn Company in Oneonta, stand with daughter Margaret in early May. 2

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A Family Framework

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY ALLISON COLLINS

Amish Barn Company Builds Something Sturdy

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When I started working “for my parents at Amish Barn, we primarily sold

smaller structures. It was the customers that started pushing us. They were experiencing the quality of our products and wanted more. I loved this.

”

— Kirsten Stoop, co-owner of Amish Barn Company

Jeffrey and Kirsten Stoop, holding daughter, Margaret.

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new chapter is starting at Amish Barn Company in Oneonta: “new” owners, a new baby, new ideas and new offerings.

Kirsten and Jeffrey Stoop, 35 and 38, recently assumed ownership of the business, which sells Amish-built structures such as garages, sheds, horse barns, gazebos and more, from Kirsten’s parents and company founders, Jake Dickman and Gail White. The Stoops welcomed their first baby, Margaret “Maggie” Stoop, in mid-April.

Jake and Gail established Amish Barn Company, begun as a retirement project, in 2005. Gail, a South Kortright native, previously taught elementary school and Jake, from Delhi, worked as a Delaware County mechanic.

Traditions and Transitions In a written statement, Gail said, handing over the reins to her daughter was a natural progression. Kirsten has worked full time in the family business since 2008.

“The family and the business kind of grew up together,” Gail said.

“Every new baby had a crib in the back room, and now it’s Maggie’s turn to fill it.

“After 12 years of ever-increasing responsibility, Kirsten was more than ready to take over the business when we decided to retire,” she continued. “Some customers would come in and ask if they could talk to a man about the building specs on a complex project. We would laughingly say, ‘You can, but they’ll send you back in to Kirsten on the hard questions!’ She has always been fascinated by the intricacies of building projects.”

“When I started working for my parents at Amish Barn, we primarily sold smaller structures,” Kirsten said. “It was the customers that started pushing us. They were experiencing the quality of our products and wanted more. I loved this.”

Kirsten and Jeff began transitioning into an ownership role, Gail noted, roughly a year ago. “(Jake and I) decided to step back and let the ‘kids’ take over to see how things went,” she said. “Jeff took over delivering all the buildings and Kirsten, with the help of dedicated staff members, assumed all responsibility for running the operation of the main office at 6048 state Highway 7 in (Oneonta/Colliersville).

“Not only could they fill our shoes, they did it better than us,” she said, laughing. “They have more energy, great ideas and are better at technology.”

Amish Barn Company employs five, Kirsten noted, including herself and Jeff.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Kirsten said she and Jeff are happy and ready to be owners. The pair’s ownership began officially in January.

“We’re the new Gail and Jake,” she said. “Our plan is to introduce new ideas and products, but uphold the tradition of caring about our customers and our community above all else.

“This year has definitely been a busy one, between the purchase and the addition of Maggie to our family,” she continued. “We may be extra tired these mornings, but only more motivated to begin each day.”

While focusing on the future, Kirsten said, she and Jeff recognize the importance of the business’ foundation.

“It’s always a little scary—well, maybe a lot scary—when, each spring, you lay everything you’ve worked for on the line to have buildings ready for the new season,” she said. “We can never thank people enough for being loyal customers who make it possible for us to keep going, even in the hard times. There are customers who have four or five different styles of buildings at their homes—maybe a garage, chicken coop, storage shed and some outdoor furniture from Amish Barn.”

FAMILY Onsite Options & Custom Creations During typical operation, Kirsten noted, the main office on state Highway 7 is staffed Monday through Saturday. A Southside lot on Route 23, directly across from the Toyota dealership, also displays structures ready to purchase and “better serve customers’ needs quickly,” she said.

“All the buildings are open and tagged with size and price,” she said. “And although we don’t man the Southside lot, we have an information booth there stocked with literature on our structures and our business.”

Custom orders, Kirsten noted, are always welcomed.

“Although we have a large selection and variety of stock buildings to choose from,” she said, “we love to create custom orders for our customers. Designing a structure to complement our customer’s home or space while achieving the function they need is exciting.

Seeing the final product … always feels extra-special, because of the personalized touches it has.”

A Community of Customers Seeing the role their products play in customers’ everyday lives, Kirsten said, is fortifying.

“It’s about making people’s lives easier, more organized and their yards more beautiful,” she said. “We offer free delivery within 100 miles and have developed a customer base that not only encom- ?

Top left: Jake Dickman, company co-founder. Right: Kirsten Stoop, Gail White Dickman, Sarah Waid and daugher, Lila, are pictured in the old store.

Bottom: Jake Dickman and Gail White Dickman pose with daughter, Kirsten Stoop, in front of one of the barns their company offers, in this 2016 photo.

JULIE LEWIS | THE DAILY STAR

passes that range, but also exceeds it, and having a presence online has opened up our neighbor network. We have so many loyal and amazing customers, from three minutes down the road, to three hours away.”

Amish Barn offers discounts on all buildings after the initial purchase as a thank-you for that continued loyalty, Kirsten noted.

“It’s another way of us showing our appreciation,” she said. “If

I’ve learned one thing in my 12 years of working at Amish Barn, it’s that customers become friends. Over the years, customers have laughed with us, cried with us, prayed with us, brought us foods to enjoy and told us some great jokes. Customers are the heartbeat of Amish Barn Company. Just thank you so, so much!”

For more information, find “Amish Barn Company” on Facebook, visit amishbarnco.com or call 607-432-0527. +

Built to Last Amish Barn Company works with more than 30 Amish families throughout the Northeast to provided handcrafted products.

“Each family (of Amish builders) has a specialty, whether it be sheds, cabins, garages, horse barns, gazebos or outdoor furniture,” owner Kirsten Stoop said. We have spent years developing our relationships with these families, and it has allowed us to provide the best quality and best price structures to our customers.

“Quality is often associated with Amish craftsmanship, and there is good reason for this,” Kirsten continued. “With their attention to detail, use of high-quality products, efficiency and little waste, Amish-made structures are built to stand the test of time.

We want to keep bringing our customers different products to add to their space, not replace products that don’t last. And with our 10-year structural warranty, we stand behind our quality.”

Amish Barn Company sells roughly 300 structures annually, Kirsten noted. According to amishbarnco.com, the business is “recognized as one of New York State’s leading providers of Amish-built sheds, barns and garages.” Amish Barn also offers camps, cabins, animal structures, backyard accents and indoor and outdoor furniture.

Stories of Two Otsego Lake Landmarks The Old Walls Talk

BY MARK SIMONSON

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wo things you simply cannot miss seeing along Otsego Lake come from families with the same last name, spelled differently.

Thanks to the families Clark and Clarke, there are stories worth telling about Kingfisher Tower and Hyde Hall.

Weigh the Virtual Anchor at ‘Clark’s Folly’ It was no secret in the village during the latter half of the 19th century that Edward Cabot Clark was a wealthy man. A New York City attorney, he made a fortune in a partnership with Isaac Singer, inventor of the Singer Sewing Machine.

When not in the city, Clark spent his leisure time in Cooperstown, where he built the mansion, Fernleigh.

Clark had a favorite picnicking spot on the eastern shore

PHOTOS BY MARK SIMONSON

of the lake. First, he built a Swiss chalet-type cottage on the property. Clark had spent a lot of time in Europe, and with a cultured eye, he thought this American lake seemed to lack something. Inspired by the old Rhine region, Clark commissioned the medieval castle in 1876, designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh. After being built, village residents reportedly called it a “useless and silly thing sticking out of the water,” dubbing it “Clark’s Folly.”

Clark, however, also purportedly built it to give work to the area’s unemployed at that time.

In a local newspaper article written by Clark, he detailed how the walls of the structure were built of stone from the shores of the lake. When first built, but long since gone, there was a drawbridge connecting to a causeway running to the mainland.

It could be said that Clark had the posthumous last laugh about “Clark’s Folly” in 1911.

Lawrence Trimble, a representative of the Vitagraph Co., a leading maker of motion picture films, was visiting Cooperstown to scout local scenery for possible filming. Trimble’s visit followed the invitation of George H. Carley, owner of the Star Theatre, in the former Bowne Opera House, 88-92 Main St. today.

Top: With the lake’s western shore in the background, Kingfisher Tower is seen in 2008. Left: Hyde Hall, seen in April. Right: A domed gatehouse, seen in 2012, was used as an entry to Hyde grounds.

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Left: A view of Otsego Lake from the southern porch of Hyde Hall. Right: Said to be the oldest covered bridge in the United States, this is on the old Hyde estate lands, now near the entrance of Glimmerglass State Park.

“The Otsego Farmer” of July 7, 1911 reported that Trimble liked what he saw, stating, “When Mr. Trimble saw Kingfisher Tower, he then and there decided it to be the ideal place for the dramatization.”

The Vitagraph Co. actors and crew wasted little time in arriving in Cooperstown for a couple of filming projects during 1911. While one of the films, about a Boy Scout camp, wasn’t well known, the other was seen nationwide, with scenes for “The Deerslayer,” of James Fenimore Cooper’s tales.

In addition to the Vitagraph players, about 40 young men from Cooperstown took part in a scene depicting British soldiers’ rescue of Natty Bumppo from the American Indians near the western shore of the lake, at what is called Sunken Island.

While Kingfisher Tower is a landmark of beauty on the lake, it is privately owned and there are no tours available. Up-close viewing can only be done by boat.

A ‘Country House’ Built on the Glimmerglass George Hyde Clarke was the grandson of the former lieutenant governor of what was the province of New York between 1737 and 1744.

After purchasing the site of the mansion and building it, he named it Hyde Hall in honor of the family seat called Hyde in Cheshire, England.

Hyde Hall is described as built and decorated in the style of an English neo-classical “country house,” and the Clarke family lived regally in the limestone mansion for five generations.

The house was set in park land comprised of fields, streams and wooded hillsides. Guests entered the property through a domed gatehouse and proceeded on a curving, mile-long drive that crossed a covered bridge, now assumed to be the oldest in America. The drive offered fleeting glimpses of the house, Otsego Lake and the countryside.

The house and site experienced few changes over the subsequent years. However, the passage of time, along with the house’s closure during World War II, took a toll on Hyde Hall.

“The Oneonta Star” of Saturday, Sept. 29, 1956 reported that what was then called the New York State Council of Parks sought to buy the estate, recently marked for sale.

Theodore P. Feury of Cooperstown, executor of the estate, said then that the high costs of restoration and overall maintenance led the

City historian Mark Simonson grew up in Oneonta, but like many, left to explore opportunities elsewhere. He returned in 1997.

Before returning, Simonson worked in public relations,

family to decide to sell. There had been nearly 30 inquiries about the 2,200-acre estate, with the state being the newest.

“The Clarke family undoubtedly would be in favor of such a plan,” Feury said. The family intended to sell it as a historical site, seminary, school, state park or personal holdings.

No actions were taken for another five years. The Star reported in August 1962 that negotiations had resumed in the spring of 1961, and that a 600-acre tract of the Clarke estate was to be transferred to New York State in the fall of 1962. Plans for acquisition of more land were anticipated, in hopes of making this area part of the state park system and today’s Glimmerglass State Park.

The state took over the land in 1963 with plans to make it into a state park, but had no plans for Hyde Hall. Facing possible destruction, a group of concerned citizens formed Friends of Hyde Hall, Inc. around this time, hoping to preserve the landmark.

The Star reported on July 20, 1965 that the Friends arranged a meeting at the Otesaga Hotel at the same time as officials of the State Council of Parks.

Members of the Friends met with Laurence Rockefeller, then-chairman of the Council of Parks, who gave the group hope for future funding through a bond issue for state park improvements, part of which benefitted restoration of historic sites. Then-Governor Nelson Rockefeller approved putting the bond issue on the ballot in 1966. Laurence Rockefeller urged the Friends, if they were to get some funding from the bond issue, to generate area interest in preserving Hyde Hall.

Funds eventually were acquired and slow work on restoration began.

By 1986, Friends of Hyde Hall sought to take control of the mansion from the state. An architect estimated that the Friends could restore Hyde Hall at about 60% less than if the state did the renovations. That same year, Hyde Hall was named to the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1988, the Friends acquired a 30-year renewable lease on Hyde Hall and its immediate environs, as well as responsibility for its restoration and management. The group was renamed Hyde Hall, Inc. in 1999, but its purpose continues.

Visit hydehall.org for details about tours and special events, including ghost tours and a Civil War Weekend. +

marketing and broadcast journalism. He worked locally in Norwich and the greater Binghamton area, and for a short time in Boston.

Simonson was appointed Oneonta City Historian in 1998. Since then, he has been doing freelance research and writing for a twiceweekly column in The Daily Star. Additionally,

Simonson has published books about Oneonta and local history in a five-county region.

Through his years of research, Simonson has come across many interesting stories about old buildings in the upstate region. He will share those stories in this and upcoming editions of Upstate Life.

Batter Up The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Pitches ‘Safe at Home’ Online Initiative

BY CAITLYN OGDEN Editor’s Note: The author was formerly employed with the museum as a grant and development specialist.

T

he National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, considered by many a crown jewel of Cooperstown, attracts an average 300,000 visitors to its hallowed halls each year.

For some, the journey is a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to the mythical birthplace of the America’s pastime.

For others, it’s a backyard treasure, a place to go on snowy Saturdays or take visiting grandkids. For all its fans, it is a place to learn about the sport of baseball, its role in American history for more than 150 years and a chance to relieve their favorite moments and memories.

At the time of writing, the spread of the new coronavirus caused the museum to shutter for the first time since opening in 1939. It’s a real difference for staff, who are used to operating a museum open 362 days a year. However, the museum’s leadership views this as an opportunity to highlight its growing digital collection, as well as the new and innovative digital approaches it’s taking to stay connected.

“Safe at Home” is the museum’s latest initiative – a landing page where guests and fans can see all of the museum’s remote offerings, including images of archival material, virtual volunteer opportunities, Hall of Famer interactions and distance-learning curriculum that brings baseball into living rooms around the world.

Jon Shestakofsky, Vice President of Communications and Education for the museum, described the initiative’s inception.

PHOTOS BY MILO STEWART JR./NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM

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The museum’s ‘Shoebox Treasures’ exhibit, dedicated to the history of baseball cards, opened in 2019.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. Library and Giamatti Research Center.

“The museum is open all but three days a year,” he said. “Being closed … has caused us to re-evaluate how we’re delivering information, staying connected and serving as an educational institution. Our focus is reaching people – allowing them to connect with baseball, the Hall of Fame and Cooperstown, and stay engaged with what we love about it, its history.”

To achieve this, Shestakofsky said, staff reviewed areas within their current web presence and considered what made them interesting.

“We collected things that had been available, and added new things, pooling it into one website,” he explained.

Bases Loaded One fun feature of the streamlined site is the online exhibits, available via the Safe at Home page as well as through the Google Arts and Culture App. “Different topics touch on the many cultural contributions of

baseball,” Shestakofsky said. “There are exhibits talking about photograph collections (and) iconic baseball imagery, as well as exhibits about American presidents and their relationship to the national pastime, members of the 3,000th Hit Club and World War II and the ball players that fought in it.”

The museum is also offering its education curriculum to parents and teachers. With 15 subjects taught through the lens of baseball, lessons are appropriate for K-12 learning.

“This is a free resource, available on the website,” Shestakofsky said. “Topics include math, social studies, science and more, with one lesson highlighted weekly with education staff.

“Bruce Markusen, Manager of Digital and Outreach Learning, has been using Zoom to deliver this live content,” Shestakofsky continued. “The resources are great for students and educators, and great for parents looking for content. It’s also a great way to stay connected with baseball, teach the importance of aspects of the game and keep kids engaged with learning in a fun way.” In ?

So much connects baseball “ with American history, and to make it available to the masses

is not only a service we should be doing as an educational institution, but also hopefully it will create interest (among) those who may not have planned to come to Cooperstown.

”

— Jon Shestakofsky, Vice President of Communications and Education for the museum Hall of Fame Library Stacks.

addition to structured lesson plans, there are also kid’s activity downloads, designed to be printed at home and enjoyed by kids of varying ages. These include make-your-own-plaque and designyour-own-uniform activities, word searches and bingo.

Volunteers, Step Up to Bat For adults and older kids, the museum has an exciting new digital opportunity: “Become a Virtual Volunteer.”

As many of the museum’s archival collections include handwritten personal and professional letters, military cards, thank-you notes and speech transcriptions, the documents need to be transcribed.

Transcription not only helps researchers sort through material more easily, it also increases the accessibility of a document.

“The process will allow us to create a more robust catalogue and improve the accessibility of a collection,” Shestakofsky said. All material available for volunteers, he noted, relates to various subject matter that aids in documenting and describing the history of baseball.

A Digital Dugout A key offering of Safe at Home is a portal to the museum’s digital collection. Home to more than 40,000 3D artifacts and 3 million library documents, the museum’s collection is vast. In recent years, museum officials began prioritizing digitization of material, with a goal to eventually get the entire collection online. Digital visitors can view plaques, read letters and contracts, view rare photographs and images and view images of 3D artifacts while reading their descriptions.

“It’s a neat little rabbit hole to jump down and see what type of history is available in Cooperstown for your favorite team, player or moment in history,” Shestakofsky said.

Even before the pandemic-induced closure, Shestakofsky noted, the digital collection opened the museum up to a wider audience, including those who can’t visit in person or may only be able to visit once or twice in a lifetime.

“So much connects baseball with American history,” he said, “and to make it available to the masses is not only a service we should be doing as an educational institution, but also hopefully it will create interest (among) those who may not have planned to come to Cooperstown.”

Extra Innings The online collection grows annually. However, the goal of digitizing the museum’s 40,000 artifacts and 3 million documents comes with a price tag, and items are added as funding allows.

One new initiative to help grow this collection is the museum’s option to “sponsor a page.”

“If you are a fan of a team or a player, you can sponsor a page in the database related to them, for as little as $5 a page,” Shestakofsky said. “The funds collected help to sustain the museum (and) our mission and grow the digital collection. It’s a small amount that can make a big impact.”

While Safe at Home was created in response to the pandemic, the museum plans to keep it as a resource.

“When things get back to normal the page will stay alive,” Shestakofsky said. “It may eventually be rebranded, but it will remain available.”

Whether looking for a virtual tour, a fun educational experience or you’re a fan wanting to check in with Hall of Famer Chipper Jones during his Wednesday Instagram Live sessions, “Safe at Home” is a one-stop-shop for all national pastime needs.

Visit baseballhall.org/discover/safe-at-home to connect with history and support the National Baseball Hall of Fame. +

Cookin’ WITH

Brownies S

ince the passage of farm brewery laws in 2012, the fertile fields of upstate, especially Otsego and Delaware counties, have been bursting with hops. With a beverage trail, a steady smattering of microbreweries and Brewery Ommegang, one of the region’s oldest and largest breweries, Cooperstown and the surrounding area is a base for beer lovers.

So, when I thought about blending this cooking column with a Cooperstown-specific food trend or ingredient, I immediately thought of beer.

But rather than incorporating beer in a more obvious, savory way—beerbattered, beer-marinated, beer-braised—I wanted to bake with beer. The result: brewery brownies.

These brownies are infused with the toasty, rich flavors of a beer concentrate, made by cooking down a coffee-flavored stout.

This recipe makes a rich, fudgy brownie.

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Collins COLUMN AND PHOTOS

BY ALLISON COLLINS

The world of stouts is wide and varied, but for this application, I’d recommend a cream, milk or oat stout. Stouts are generally dark and dubbed for their strong—or stout—flavors. Oat or oatmeal stouts incorporate oats into the brewing process, helping to smooth out the beer’s flavor.

Similarly, milk or cream stouts, also called sweet stouts, tend to be smoother and are so named for the use of lactose as a sweetener during the brewing process.

According to kegworks.com, stouts make “the perfect complement to chocolate” and are “complex, with a touch of roastiness.” Similarly, a 2016 “Parade” article states, “Stout beer is often overlooked due to its dark ominous color, which people … wrongly assume will have a bitter taste.

In actuality, many of the stouts have a chocolatey flavor, and that’s why they go so well in desserts, especially chocolate ones.”

I was able to find a New York State oat stout with Ithaca-area Death Wish Coffee mixed right in and the combination only dialed up the chocolate-y flavor. If available, I’d recommend Northern Brewery Co.’s Oat-Bituary blend. Also ideal and even closer to Cooperstown, try Moo Thunder by Butternuts Beer and Ale, Chocolateer by Red Shed Brewery (available seasonally at the taproom) or Two-Headed Stout by Roscoe Beer Co. Bottoms up!

Ingredients: 1 c. stout 10 oz. good-quality dark chocolate chips or chunks 4 tbsp. butter, softened ¾ c. granulated sugar 3 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract ½ tsp. kosher salt ¼ c. unsweetened cocoa powder ½ c. flour Frosting: 1 c. powdered sugar 7 tbsp. butter, softened 1 tbsp. beer concentrate Espresso granules, optional Recipe:

Adapted from recipes at dessertfortwo.com and glutenfreeonashoestring.com Cook stout over medium heat until reduced to 1/3 c., about 22 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid boiling over and stir occasionally. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease or line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.

Create a double-boiler by placing chocolate pieces in a heat-safe glass or metal bowl large enough to rest over a saucepan of boiling water, without the bowl’s bottom sitting on the water. Heat chocolate until melted and smooth, then remove from heat and cool briefly.

Add 4 tbsp. of beer concentrate to melted chocolate and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, beat softened butter on high speed.

Add the sugar and beat on high again.

Incorporate eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add vanilla and salt to the mixture and beat again until well mixed.

Pour in the cocoa powder and flour and mix carefully, just until absorbed.

Pour beer-infused melted chocolate into batter and beat on medium-high until thoroughly incorporated, about 2 minutes.

Scrape batter into prepared pan, tap to remove air bubbles and bake for about 24 minutes. Brownies should be set and puffed slightly in the middle, not jiggly.

Allow brownies to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, blend softened butter with powdered sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add in remaining 1 tbsp. of beer concentrate. If using, add in ½ tsp. of espresso granules.

Spread frosting on cooled brownies. +

1 1. I used Northway Brewing Co.’s Oat-bituary coffee-infused stout, but any sweet, dark stout will work for these brownies. 2.

A dark, sweet stout makes an ideal choice, as the natural toastiness of the beer complements the chocolate in the brownies.

3. Reduce the beer over medium heat for 20-22 minutes, until only 1/3 c. remains.

Watch it closely, though, because it can boil over quickly. 4. Brownies are cooked when slightly puffed in the middle and no longer jiggly. 5. The last tablespoon of beer concentrate gives the buttercream its distinct flavor and color. 6. Allow brownies to cool completely before frosting.

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Tourism 2020 | 15

TRAVELING THE

Cooperstown Beverage Trail

Cooperstown Brewing Company The bar in

BY ERIK BERGGREN

L

ocals and tourists alike know there’s much more to Cooperstown than baseball.

Another large draw to the area is craft beer and fine wine, with several breweries, wineries and a cidery within easy reach of the historic village. There’s even a distillery, for those who want their drink a little stiffer.

Many of these destinations are joined together and cataloged in the Cooperstown Beverage Trail, established in 2004, offering special promotions and giveaways for guests who stop at every location.

Starting at Bear Pond Winery in Oneonta, the trail takes visitors to Cooperstown Brewing Company in Milford; Brewery Ommegang, Red Shed Brewery and Cooperstown Distillery in Cooperstown; Pail Shop Vineyards and Fly Creek Cider Mill in Fly Creek; and Rustic Ridge Winery in Burlington Flats.

Bear Pond Winery Established in 2000, Bear Pond Winery is the first stop on the trail and sits just across from Goodyear Lake between Oneonta and Milford. Bear Pond pro-

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duces and sells more than 20 different wines, as well as select bottles from other New York State wineries.

Bear Pond has something for any palate or occasion, including reds and whites; dry, sweet, fruity and dessert wines; and even mead.

Because of the pandemic caused by the spread of the new coronavirus, plans to celebrate the winery’s 20th anniversary have been postponed until summer 2021. However, Bear Pond will still be pushing for expansion, according to president and owner Mark Lebo.

“We are taking this time to expand our product production offerings,” he said, “with more wines than ever before.”

Lebo noted plans to offer more guest wines, ciders and spirits, as well as wine slushies, a larger charcuterie menu and special events on location.

“We have and will always be here for our locals and tourists,” he said.

More about Bear Pond Winery can be found at bearpondwines.com.

Brew

Red Shed Brewery

Red Shed Br

Cooperstown Brewing Company

Bear Pond Winery Bear Pond Winery, at 2515 state Highway 28, Oneonta.

Founded in 1995, Cooperstown Brewing Company embraces and celebrates the region’s baseball history with brew names such as Bambino, Old Slugger, Benchwarmer, Nine Man and more. CBC even produces a “Pop Fly” line of sodas for the kids.

The brewery is housed in an old milk-plant building in the village of Milford. Today, the brand is owned by Oneonta’s Northern Eagle Beverages, Inc. and beers are no longer brewed on location. Instead, larger batches are produced at the Glens Falls Brewing Company in Queensbury. The original location remains a popular taproom for locals and visitors.

Despite the cancellation of this year’s Baseball Hall of Fame Induction, manager Lauren Ward said, CBC will be moving forward with new releases. “[Cooperstown Brewing Company] is still rolling out our 2020 Limited Edition Induction Ale, and the highly anticipated release of our Limited Edition Captain can,” she said. “We do plan on offering shipping in New York State, only for those that cannot make it to our taproom to pick them up.”

Visit cooperstownbrewing.com to learn more or contact the brewery.

Brewery Ommegang Cooperstown Brewing Company’s taproom is at 110 River St., Milford.

Brewery Ommegang

wery Ommegang’s taproom is seen behind its production building, at 656 county Highway 33, Cooperstown, in May.

rewery’s Cooperstown taproom is at 709 county Highway 33, Cooperstown.

Located between Milford and Cooperstown, Brewery Ommegang was built in 1996, using traditional Belgian standards. Brews for any taste are always available, whether it be pilsner, saison, dubbel, witbier or various forms of ale. The brewery also hosts a popular annual Summer Concert Series, boasting headliners such as Jack White, Death Cab for Cutie, The Lumineers, Cake and more.

Ommegang’s largest claim to fame came 2013 when the brewery partnered with HBO to brew a line of beers inspired by and dedicated to the network’s hit show Game of Thrones. Their tap house, Cafe Ommegang, serves traditional Belgian dishes designed to pair perfectly with their beer.

To see more about Ommegang and upcoming events, visit ommegang.com.

Red Shed Brewery Although the “red shed” for which this brewery is named sits in the hills of Cherry Valley, Red Shed Brewery has a Cooperstown taproom just 500 yards down the road from Brewery Ommegang.

All Red Shed beers are small-batch craft brews available locally and exclusively on tap. Availability of different brews is always subject to change, but Red Shed does offer growlers for visitors wanting to take a taste home. Red Shed Brewery is proud to be designated a New York farm brewer, with all the hops used to make their beers coming from farms in New York State.

Visit redshedbrewing.com to view the brewery’s newsletter and blog.

?

Cooperstown Distillery The only stop offering hard liquor on the trail, Cooperstown Distillery gives visitors a look into the entire operation, from mash to barrel to bottle.

Cooperstown Distillery offers a variety, including whiskey, vodka, gin and rum, with spiced or flavored varieties as well.

Visitors looking for a keepsake or gift will also find a large selection of merchandise, both clothing and barware. Guests may also want to stop by the distillery’s Main Street storefront, the Cooperstown Beverage Exchange.

More information about the distillery can be found at cooperstowndistillery. com.

Cooperstown Distillery

Pail Shop Vineyards

A window display is seen in May at Cooperstown Distillery’s Cooperstown Beverage Exchange, 73 Main St., Cooperstown.

Pail Shop Vineyards Pail Shop Vineyards is at 126 Goose St., Fly Creek.

Fly Creek Cider Mill

Fly Creek Cider Mill, 288 Goose St., Fly Creek.

PHOTOS BY ERIK BERGGREN 18

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Although this winery’s selection is smaller, with only six wine varieties, Pail Shop Vineyards in Fly Creek has other ways to keep people coming back.

Groups can book painting party sessions to paint canvases, buckets or wine glasses. Pail Shop also hosts “Sangria at Sunset” on Wednesdays throughout the summer, featuring live music and the winery’s signature sangria blend.

“We have Adirondack chairs and picnic tables around the pond,” owner Brad Carso said, noting a push to develop their outdoor area. “In addition to our current outdoor tasting area, we have converted a 1946 pickup truck into an outdoor tasting bar.”

Events and information are listed at pailshopvineyards.com.

Fly Creek Cider Mill One of the oldest mainstays in the region, Fly Creek Cider Mill is an annual tradition for many locals and tourists.

Travelers on the Beverage Trail will find a selection of hard apple cider and apple wines, alongside blends flavored with other fruits such as raspberry, cranberry, black current, cherry and strawberry.

More than just a winery, the cider mill is fun for the whole family and features a play area, mill pond and marketplace full of sweet and savory treats. Although summer is the busy season, the mill is open year-round.

“We are open all year and our e-commerce sales have been strong,” Bill Michaels, vice president and co-owner of the mill, said.

Shop or learn more at flycreekcidermill. com.

Rustic Ridge Winery Self-proclaimed as “Burlington’s oldest winery,” Rustic Ridge opened in 2010 on the Bennett family farm in Burlington Flats.

In addition to offering an array of wines, owners have partnered with other farms and entrepreneurs to offer locally produced cheese, jam, maple syrup and jewelry. Rustic Ridge Winery encourages guests to bring a picnic, enjoy the views and make a day of their visit.

Directions and information can be found at rusticridgewinery. com.

Butternuts Beer & Ale Though a member of the beverage trail since 2013 and included in the trail list at the time of press, Butternuts Beer & Ale will not be renewing its membership. Owner Charles Williamson cited a focus on wholesale, not retail, for this decision.

“My business model has mainly been wholesale manufacturing,” he said. “To service a retail room without the correct infrastructure does not serve the customer or the business very well.”

Named for the Butternut Valley in which it resides, Butternuts Beer & Ale in Garratsville is a family-run brewery. Opened in 2005, the brewery resides in a repurposed dairy barn. Butternuts’ year-round production lineup includes the Pork Slap pale ale, Moo Thunder stout, Snapperhead IPA and Heinnieweisse weissebier.

Williamson said he is reviewing options for onsite sales.

“I have been considering a ‘bottle shop’ concept, where customers can buy beer to go,” he said, “but that is yet to be designed.”

Contact the brewery or learn more by visiting butternutsbeerandale.com.

A glass of Rustic Ridge wine is seen paired with a strawberry cream Lindor truffle at one of the winery’s wine and chocolate events.

The winery is at 2805 state Highway 80, Burlington Flats.

Rustic Ridge Winery

Hit the Trail With a free downloadable and printable coupon sheet, travelers on the beverage trail can receive free gifts from each location, while individual supplies last. These items include a corkscrew, coasters, magnets, a sticker, a keychain and a wine stopper. Guests that visit every location to get their sheet stamped can submit it to receive a complimentary Cooperstown Beverage Trail glass.

For more information on the Cooperstown Beverage Trail, or to view the trail map, visit cooperstownbeveragetrail.com or pick up a trail guide pamphlet at one of the trail locations. +

AA

nchors weigh

Set Sail with the Otsego Sailing Club

L

ook out over Cooperstown’s glinting Otsego Lake this summer interest of the love of sailing and a love of the lake on which we sail.” and you’ll likely see sailboats dotting the water and the comeMembers share that vision, Ainsworth said, and represent roughly as-you-are clubhouse belonging to the Otsego Sailing Club.

85 households in Cooperstown, Delhi, Oneonta, Walton and across The club, founded in 1961 by five area families interested in the Mohawk Valley. At $625 a year, “full” memberships are open to sailboat racing, has evolved over its nearly 60-year history. Its 2.5-acre boat owners and give holders voting rights within the club; “crew” property at 5992 state Route 80, Cooperstown includes 325 feet of memberships are $325 annually and open to non-boat owners. A shoreline, areas for children and camping, a private launch ramp and crew membership includes full use of club facilities and access to all a clubhouse with kitchen, bath and men’s and women’s changing club events. facilities.

Longtime club member and Rear Commodore, George “Butch” According to otsegosailingclub.com, OSC “offers opportunities to Weir, a 73-year-old Cooperstown resident, said crew memberships broaden horizons, entertain, enjoy friendships and improve boating make a good introduction to the club. skills.”

“If you were thinking about sailing and wondering if you might “Whether your interests are racing, cruising or learning to sail,” the like it, you can join as a crew member and possibly sail with some of site states, “OSC provides the perfect venue to share these interests ​ our full members,” he said. “You can see if it’s something you’d like with other club members and friends.” to pursue and, a lot of times, people eventually buy a boat and join the club.”

Commodore David Ainsworth, 45, joined OSC roughly 20 years ago. Ainsworth, an Oneonta resident, was elected to his two-year post last November. Ainsworth said he, together with a six-member board, aims to steer the club toward the future while honoring its traditions.

“The club’s mission is to promote an interest in sailing and sailboat racing,” he said, “but we also promote stewardship of the lake and … intervention against invasive species and sailing programs for kids, with lessons in ecology. So, it’s just a combined OSC members enjoy the waters of Otsego Lake in this undated club photo.

BY ALLISON COLLINS

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CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Sailors compete in last year’s Otsego Sailing Club Glimmerglass Regatta, held on Otsego Lake in September.

All Hands on Deck Club camaraderie, Ainsworth and Weir said, runs deep.

“We all love what we do and we’re all members as well as friends,” Ainsworth said. “Everybody across the board seems highly committed to maintaining what really is a pretty special place. You sit out on the docks on a nice afternoon and you have this stunningly beautiful lake with very few boats on it and it’s just beautiful. We get to use the club and the lake for half the year and … it’s a bargain. (Membership) is really cheap compared to what you’d spend anywhere else in the country, so we’re all very aware that we have this gift and therefore we’re all highly motivated to preserve it for as long as we can.”

“Our club is a bit different than most, in that we are a totally volunteer-run club,” Weir, a member since 1980, said. “It’s phenomenal what the membership does; members do everything except mow the lawn. We are a hands-on organization and it’s not a club where you can expect to be waited on or entertained; it’s a club that, if something needs fixing, we get people and we fix it. When you start working with people and building things together, it builds relationships … and that’s what really binds our club “When I talk about the sailing club,” Weir continued, “I like to call it a sailing community, because that’s really what we are. We are a group of people that like to sail and have invested time in the organization of this club in such a manner that it eventually … be- ?

FREEPIK.COM

Knowing the Ropes: OSC’s Sailing School To foster a love of sailing and ensure the club’s longevity, OSC began offering instruction to sailors 5 through adult in 1992. Courses are taught in age- and skill-appropriate craft, by United States Sailing Association-certified instructors.

“The program was started by Kurt Offer and it started with the club purchasing four Laser sailboats,” Rear Commodore George “Butch” Weir said. “I became affiliated with the program in ‘94 and have been doing (it) ever since.”

Since its inception, Weir noted, the club’s collection of instructional craft has grown to include eight Optis, 10 Lasers, four Bic Opens, two Flying Scots and one Vanguard. Roughly 160 students enroll annually, Weir said.

Though not offered this season because of the spread of COVID-19, sailing instruction remains a club cornerstone.

Commodore David Ainsworth and Weir said the summer sessions, particularly the Opti Camp, are perennially popular.

“Probably our biggest program is the Opti Camp,” Ainsworth said, noting that an Opti is a “very small sailboat for beginner sailors, from 5 to 10.

“On any given week, (the Opti Camp) is pretty well full,” he continued. “We

have one-week sessions and at the end, they’ll want to sign up for the following week, because they have so much fun.”

According to the club website, “students are taught how to rig the boats, basic boat-handling skills, basic right-of-way rules, general seamanship, knots and nautical vocabulary associated with sailing.”

Sessions, Ainsworth and Weir said, take place on and off the water. “(Participants) spend half the time on land with a teacher doing exercises, learning about sailing the lake and the history of Cooperstown” Ainsworth explained, “and half the time is on the boats teaching them how to sail. It’s fairly adorable. They look like little ducks.”

“We’ll have 10 kids on the water and 10 doing camp stuff, then they switch,” Weir said. “We’ve always had that educational component, so it’s not just fun, but they do have fun.”

Kids 10 to 18 with “more skills in place” enroll in the Junior Sailing Program, taught on Lasers, Ainsworth noted, and adult lessons are offered on Flying Scots, boats donated by the Flying Scot Foundation.

“We can fit three or four adult students on board with a skipper, or instructor, and … we teach them everything they’d need

to know to go sailing,” he said.

Weir said, despite this season’s pandemic-induced hiatus, the program’s future remains “brighter than ever.”

“We have a group of gung-ho instructors,” he said. “We have some phenomenal people in there.”

For more information, find the “Sailing School” tab at otsegosailingclub.com or email Communications@Otsego SailingClub.com.

A young sailor-in-training stands by one of OSC’s Optis, small sailboats ideal for instructional purposes and used as part of the club’s Sailing School.

“

If you were thinking about sailing and wondering if you might like it, you can join as a crew member and possibly sail with some of our full members. You can see if it’s something you’d like to pursue and, a lot of times, people eventually buy a boat and join the club.

”

— George “Butch” Weir, longtime club member and Rear Commodore

comes part of the fabric of our lives. It’s the best-kept secret in Otsego County: a place that’s quiet and calming, where you can take your family swimming, sit on the dock and sunbathe or put a chair in the lake and watch the sailboats come in and out.”

Buoyed by Members Membership , Ainsworth and Weir noted, remains steady.

“Generally, levels are pretty consistent and have been for the last 15 years or so,” Ainsworth said. “We’ll have some new members join each year and lose a few, but we actually lost very little this winter, so this year, retention has been great.

“We are still accepting new members,” he continued. “It’s about interest in the endeavors and not who you are and, as a result, memberships are very reasonable.”

“We’ve got third-generation families in our club,” Weir said. “Sailing clubs are funny things – some are on the rise and some are on the decline. We’ve been fortunate, because we’ve been staying very steady, (because) I think … we have a community of sailors who enjoy being at our club and enjoy that environment.”

Though primarily membership dues keep the club afloat, Ainsworth said, it also benefits from its sister organization, the Otsego Sailing Foundation. Donations to the foundation are tax-deductible, he noted, and especially fund the club’s instructional program.

Events in the Offing Ainsworth said highlights of a typical club season include weekend races, several regattas, a Fourth of July barbecue and the Commodore’s Roast each August. Because of the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus, he noted, OSC is treading water.

“Normally, we have a spring meeting … at the Otesaga in mid-April and the first weekend in May, we hold our Spring Dock Day, where all members come, pitch in and, in the course of a morning, open up the club and make it ready for use.

“We host racing every weekend and members have to provide host duty one weekend a year,” he continued. “Some weekends we have a more formal series – Memorial Day, the Fourth of July –but there’s always some kind of racing going on. The end of the year is November, when we have our fall meeting at the Otesaga. We give a summary of all events from the year and give out all our racing awards. Basically, we’re on the water from mid-May to October … and the last scheduled weekend for racing is the Glimmerglass Regatta.”

Though if this year’s Glimmerglass Regatta will take place was undetermined by the time of press, Ainsworth said the event is a club centerpiece each September.

“We typically have between 25 and 30 boats racing for the regatta,” he said, “and we bring in boats from all over the Northeast to compete in that race. We have three different classes of boats that race – Thistles; Flying Scotts, the primary racing fleet; and Lasers.”

The club website calls the Glimmerglass Regatta “an event that has

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grown in stature over the years and attracts some of the finest sailors in the East.”

For more information on the club or regatta updates, visit otsegosailingclub.com, find “Otsego Sailing Club” on Facebook or call 607547-9473. +

A Story in Flowers

Only l a r u t a N

BY ANNA KRUSINSKI

W

e’ve all given a bouquet of flowers at one time or another to share our love, offer comfort or to express congratulations at life’s joyous occasions. And during the warmer seasons, when wildflowers abound and gardens are bursting with blooms, the fragrant and colorful blossoms call out to us.

What better way to bring that cheer and beauty into your home than with a bouquet of fresh flowers?

But did you know that the flowers selected for bouquets each carry individual symbolism? In the language of flowers, also known as floriography, plants and flowers are used to send messages in the form of floral arrangements.

During the 19th century, the Victorians would exchange “talking bouquets” (also known as tussie-mussies or nosegays) which were small bundles of flowers that could be worn or carried, much like the corsages and boutonnieres with which we are familiar today. For the more poetic at heart, one might even create elaborate floral arrangements to send coded messages unsuitable to express openly in polite Victorian society.

Wouldn’t it be fun to bring this tradition into your floral gifts? An easy way to carry on this charming tradition and bring joy into someone’s day is by gifting them with a lavender tussy-mussy. In the language of flowers, lavender signifies love, devotion and loyalty, making it a perfect choice for sending a message of affection.

Check out these fun and fascinating reads on the history of floriography, and for guidance on creating your own symbolic floral arrangements.

The Posy Book: Garden-Inspired Bouquets That Tell a Story, Teresa H. Sabankaya A Victorian Flower Dictionary: The Language of Flowers Companion, Mandy Kirkby Flowerpaedia: 1,000 Flowers and their Meanings, Cheralyn Darcey 24

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Here are some other flowers you can mix and match in your bouquets, based on their meanings: • Aster: Love, fidelity • Bachelor button: Hope • Baby’s breath: Innocence • Daffodil: Respect • Daisy: Loyal love • Fern: Sincerity • Hyacinth: Playfulness • Iris: Faith • Peony: Happy marriage, prosperity • Pink rose: Perfect happiness Anna Krusinski is the owner of Willow & Birch Apothecary, shopwillowandbirch. com, a Victorianinspired apothecary and perfumery in Bloomville, where she creates natural bath and beauty products.

Contact her at anna@ shopwillowandbirch.com.

• Purple lilac: First love • Red carnation: Admiration • Tulip: Love, passion Next time you order a bouquet for someone special, think about the meaning you’d like to convey and look for flowers that symbolize your intended message. For an extra-special touch, include a handwritten card or note explaining the floral meanings so that your recipient can appreciate the personalized message every time they enjoy their flowers. It may even spark them to get creative with the language of flowers next time they send a bouquet, too. +

Support your local florist Visit your local flower shop and get their expert help in creating the perfect assortment of blooms to signify your intended message. Or treat yourself to an arrangement to grace your home or office with selections such as yellow roses for gladness, ranunculus for charm, sweet pea for bliss or tiger lily for prosperity.

Coddington’s Florist 15 Clinton Plaza, Oneonta, 607-432-3744 Mohican Flowers 207 Main St., Cooperstown, 607-547-8822 Sidney Flowers and Gifts 67 Main St., Sidney, 607-604-4248 Wade’s Towne and Country Florist 79 Main St., Stamford, 607-652-2500 Wyckoff’s Florist 37 Grove St., Oneonta, 607-432-4422

The Cooper Inn is a member of the Historic Hotels of America. The elegant Federal-style brick mansion was built in 1813 and updated during the Victorian era with Italianate-style details, such as these fancy brackets, shown on the front façade.

Old-World Charms

Exploring the Historic Inns of Cooperstown

BY ANNA KRUSINSKI

I

n the heart of the quaint village of Cooperstown, the stately Cooper Inn stands nestled within serene grounds, dappled in summer sunlight.

Built in 1813, this grand Federal-style manor was originally the private residence of Henry Phinney, son of the renowned Elihu Phinney, founder of Cooperstown’s first newspaper, The Otsego Herald. As a poetic tribute, the home was named “Willowbrook,” referencing the charming, willow-lined brook still gracing the property.

More than 200 years later, The Cooper Inn hosts visitors in its 15 rooms, each brimming with 19th-century charm and elegance. In an

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The

artful melding of past and present, contemporary comforts blend seamlessly with period accents, such as richly detailed woodwork, antique fireplaces and the home’s original wooden staircase.

The result is a warm and welcoming haven for visitors.

Whether whiling away the morning in one of the inn’s cozy parlor rooms or stepping through Willowbrook Room to enjoy a splendid view of the brook from the veranda, it’s easy to imagine how one could lose track of time enjoying all that this very special hotel has to offer.

For more information on The Cooper Inn, visit cooperinn.com or call 800-348-6222.

Cooper Inn

| Tourism 2020

The inn showcases many antique details, including nine original fireplaces, such as this fine example in the sunny parlor room.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE COOPER INN

The Inn at

Cooperstown When in Cooperstown, a pause at the village stoplight is always rewarded with a view of the Inn at Cooperstown, a grand structure standing proud in its historic beauty. This impressive example of Second Empire architecture was built in 1874 and designed by architect Henry J. Hardenbergh, most notable for his work on The Plaza Hotel in New York City.

Lovingly owned and operated by Marc and Sherrie Kingsley, the inn is now home to 18 guest rooms and a luxurious private suite, giving it the feel of a hotel with the warmth and coziness of a bed and breakfast.

Passing through the welcoming entryway, it’s immediately apparent that every detail of this inn is a labor of love.

Throughout the first-floor common areas, each wall color has been selected to highlight the craftmanship and beauty of the original trim mouldings, while creating a backdrop for a thoughtfully curated mix of antiques and contemporary pieces designed

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Top left: A thoughtful blend of period furnishings and antique details creates a warm and comfortable atmosphere. Middle left: An antique painting features young Lucy Cooke, who grew up at the inn when it was used as a private residence in the late 1800s. The painting is on loan from the Cooke family and holds pride of place above the fireplace in the inn’s dining room. Top right: Intricate exterior trim work frames the inn and showcases its unique charm.

Bottom: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Inn at Cooperstown is brimming with character.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INN AT COOPERSTOWN

to fit the age and style of the building. On the second and third floors, each step is a glimpse into the past, with hallways lined with photos showing scenes of Cooperstown during the late 1800s, lending a sense of place within the inn’s storied narrative.

Out on the front porch, time seems to stand still, with cozy rocking chairs inviting visitors to linger and enjoy the warm summer breeze as the picturesque village bustles below. This vantage point also affords a closer look at the ornate woodwork lacing every cor-

The

ner, capped by a unique window feature framing the north side of the porch. This beautiful trim work is one of the building’s most characteristic features and is carried throughout—testament to the inn’s grandeur, past and present.

Visit innatcooperstown.com or call 607-547-5756 for reservations and information on special packages, including Baseball Hall of Fame Getaways and the Bed and Brew with Brewery Ommegang.

Landmark Inn

Beneath a canopy of lush maples from the local orphanage to enjoy a sits The Landmark Inn, a boutique day of fun, food and family. Today, bed and breakfast steeped in history. this tradition of hospitality continDressed in warm and welcoming colues with innkeepers Robin and Fred ors and adorned with graceful period Schneider, who have taken great care details, this 1856 Italianate was origito create an atmosphere of ease and nally the private residence of J.P. Sill, elegance, from the airy gardened a noted politician and president of the porches to the chandeliered parlor The elaborate trim work and rich paint colors of the Bank of Cooperstown. and cozy guest rooms.

Landmark Inn reflect the luxury and elegance within.

Once known as “The Maples,” this Situated on two acres of lush lawns elegant mansion has been impeccably PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LANDMARK INN while just a stone’s throw from Main restored to its original splendor and Street, the hotel boasts spacious now hosts guests in its 11 rooms and surrounds with easy access to the best of Cooperstown’s village suites, each with its own personality and designed for luxury and charms. comfort.

For more information on The Landmark Inn, visit This home is no stranger to hosting visitors. Early in its history, the Sills opened their home and hearts to welcome children landmarkinncooperstown.com or call 607- 547-7225. +

A Glacial Lake at Fly Creek

BY ROBERT AND JOHANNA TITUS

A Glacial Valley You can’t truly understand the Cooperstown region’s landscapes without knowing what the glaciers did here, much of it about 18,000 years ago.

We have learned a lot of what we know from following in the footsteps of our friend, Dr. Jay Fleisher, professor emeritus of geology at the State University of New York at Oneonta.

Fleisher has devoted much of his career to studying the ice age geology of the upper Susquehanna River basin. Some of his favorite locations lie just south of Cooperstown and extend westward toward the hamlet of Fly Creek.

Fleisher sees this as a landscape once overrun by glaciers. Specifically, he sees a valley glacier that, long ago, advanced down the Susquehanna Valley, crossing Cooperstown until reaching what is today county Route 26 (see the white on accompanying map).

At its maximum advance, the glacier deposited large heaps of earth known as a glacial moraine (see the brown on accompanying map). Later, as those glaciers melted, it became a landscape with a substantial glacial lake (see the accompanying photo and the blue portion of the map). There is even a delta in the lake (yellow).

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We have frequently driven along this path and seen what Fleisher has seen. Soon, we hope, you will bring our map there and see all this for yourself.

Because of what we have learned from Fleisher, we have been able to make our own special journey into Cooperstown’s ice age past.

An Ice Age Image of Cooperstown April 3, 15,980 BC, just before sunrise – We are the mind’s eyes, a pair of human imaginations. We are drifting southward, through the sky, down the uppermost Susquehanna Valley, just crossing over what will someday be Cooperstown. It is very late in the Ice Age. The ice has been melting but, below us, the valley is filled with a glacier—a stream of ice nearly filling the valley. Pushed from behind by ice extending all the way back to Labrador, this glacier is advancing. There is a full moon still hanging low in the western sky. Its light is shining down upon and reflecting off the glacier. That ice is covered with fresh snow, so there is a brilliant sheen.

The sheen is broken by a host of great jetblack fractures, huge curved crevasses spread across the ice from east to west. They speak to us of the glacier’s recent movements. The brittle ice, as it’s flowed down the valley, has been breaking into these crevasses. We pause and hang in the air not all that far above the ice. We can hear its movements, great cracking sounds, accompanied by groaning and grinding noises emanating from within the ice below. This is an active glacier, moving south at what, by glacier standards, is a pretty good clip. We continue ourselves, the mind’s eyes drifting in the same direction.

We reach the someday site of county Route 26. There, the moonlight is reflecting off mounds of snow-covered earth and, south of and abutting the ice, that’s the glacier’s moraine. This will be the glacier’s most southern reach. Those morainal earths were bulldozed to

Geology Day Trip

PHOTOS BY ROBERT TITUS

where we see them by the advancing ice.

We turn west and follow the Oaks Creek Valley toward the future Fly Creek. But first we see the snow-covered surface of a frozen lake; let’s call it Glacial Lake Fly Creek. That sheen reappears across the lake’s surface, this time in a truly brilliant, nearly glowing show of light.

As the mind’s eye, we can go anywhere and do nearly anything. We rise high into the sky and, entranced, gaze north. The setting moon casts its glow at just the right angle. The ice of the Susquehanna Valley lights up to an even more intense brightness. It is an unforgettable image, an ice age image of Cooperstown.

We are fortunate to be geologists who can make time travels such as these. And we always have the good sense to appreciate that. +

Contact the authors at randjtitus@prodigy.net, find “The Catskill Geologist” on Facebook or read their blogs at “thecatskillgeologist.com.”

Business Directory Advertising & Media

Entertainment

(Publishers, Public Relations, Marketing)

(Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Travel, Events, Museums)

Meet the Locals Home & Garden

The Cooperstown Crier 102 Chestnut St., Oneonta, NY 607-432-1000 www.coopercrier.com

(Home & Garden, Remodeling Bath & Kitchen)

22 Main St., Cooperstown, NY 607-547-9777 • www.cooperstownart.com 44 West Street, Walton, NY 607-865-7090 www.purecatskills.com

The Daily Star

Auto, Motorcycle & Campers (Automobile Dealers, Auto Body & Painting, Auto Clubs, more...)

6460 State Hwy. 12, Norwich, NY 607-334-3400 • www.oliverscampers.com

Stringer’s BODY SHOP Est 1943

Stringer’s Body Shop

155 River St., Oneonta, NY • 607-432-4982 www.stringersbodyshop.com

Construction & Building Services

Secor

Finance & Insurance

Otsego, Delaware, Chenango & Schoharie Counties 607-287-7908 Secorhomeinspections.com

(Banks, Financial Advisors, Insurance)

Home Inspections

bieritz insurance Ben Novellano 209 Main St., Cooperstown, NY 607-547-2952 • 607-263-5170 (Morris) www.bieritzinsurance.com

A&J’s Windows & Doors Kitchens & Baths

4189 State Hwy. 28, Milford, NY 607-286-7856 www.anjwindows.com

Health & Fitness (Medical Centers & Clinics, Dentists, Rehabilitation Centers)

6 Country Club Rd., Oneonta 157 East Main St., Norwich 607-238-4100

Home & Garden (Home & Garden, Remodeling Bath & Kitchen)

Amish Barn Company

(Residential, Commercial, Moving, Storage)

Sybil’s Yarn Shop

65 South Main St., Milford 607-286-4061 • sybilsyarnshop.com 365 Main St., Oneonta 607-432-9173 www.bordingerrealty.com

ServiceMASTER by Burch

607-988-2516 www.servicemasterbyburch/com

The Tepee

Restaurants

7632 US Hwy. 20, Cherry Valley, NY 607-264-3987 info@thetepee.biz

Personal Services & Care (Salons & Spas, Funeral Homes, Driver Training, more...)

The Squire’s Tankard

BROOKS’ House of BBQ

438 Main St., Franklin, NY 607-829-6885 Tom & Tina Briggs

5560 State Hwy. 7, Oneonta 607-432-1782 • www.brooksbbq.com

Crystal Palace Barber Shop 18 Dietz St., Oneonta, NY 607-386-0363

Faithful Friends Pet Crematory 1977 State Hwy 23, Morris, NY 607-263-2363 www.faithfulfriendsofmorris.com

Columbus Public House

4301 State Rt. 80, Sherburne 607-847-8422 • columbuspublichouse.com

Dante’s

416½ Chestnut St., Oneonta, NY 607-432-2020

Morris Tent Rental

Thistle Hill Weavers

143 Ben Baxter Rd., Cherry Valley, NY 866-384-2729 www.thistlehillweavers.com

TREMPERSKILL COUNTRY STORE Tremperskill Country Store

1024 County Hwy. 1, Andes, NY 845-676-3244

WEAVER’S Farm Market

CarpetsPlus COLORTILE

61 South Main St., Oneonta, NY 607-353-7433 Carpetsplusoneonta@hotmail.com

The Red Barn Clubhouse

Tuning In - Tuning Up

264 Co. Hwy. 38, Arkville, NY 1-800-GO-TITAN • 1-845-586-4000 www.titanwelldrillingny.com

Real Estate, Moving & Storage

26 Mills St., Morris, NY 607-263-9916 www.morristent.com

Aqua-Tec Water Services Inc.

Titan Drilling Corp.

Shopping & Retail (Appliances, Clothing Apparel, Accessories, more...)

Bordinger Realty LLC

Eric Dohner M.D.

6048 State Hwy 7, Oneonta, NY 607-432-0527 www.amishbarnco.com

Gilboa, NY 1-800-853-5453 • 607-588-9413 www.waterwellsandpumps.com

Downtown Sherburne 607-674-9529 www.empirewirelessllc.com

(Full Service, Casual Dining, Fast Food)

(General Contractors, Construction, Engineers, Architects)

Windows & Doors Kitchens & Baths

Empire Wireless LLC.

NY Power Authority

1378 State Rt. 30, North Blenheim 1-800-724-0309 nypa.gov/BGVisitorsCenter

Bieritz Insurance

Oliver’s Campers Inc.

(Utilities, Internet, Cable, Recycling)

COOPERSTOWN ART ASSOCIATION GALLERIES

Pure Catskills

102 Chestnut St., Oneonta, NY 607-432-1000 www.thedailystar.com

Public Utilities & Environment

2322 Rt. 7, Cobleskill, NY 518-254-0275 • www.cobleskillgc.com

OPEN YEAR ROUND! Weaver’s Farm Market

1272 East Side Rd., Morris, NY 607-263-2030

Oneonta, NY 607-433-2089 www.tuningin-tuningup.com

UPSTATE LIFE magazine

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