Shelley Karpilow Farm

Here is a re-post from Shelley Karpilow of Berkeley, CA who had very sweet recollections of her family's summer "Farm" in Mountaindale.

My grandparents bought a "farm" with 50 acres, about 2.5 miles out of town. This was in 1925. (Unfortuntely I could not find a map, otherwise I would show everyone where it was.) It was on an obscure road, very rocky and up-hill, on the left, skirting Anderson's farm. There was one other farm on the road, which belonged to Mr. Pechter. He had chickens and cows, and his stepson was Paddy the cop. (I have this wrong somehow, but there was a relationship.) Our "farm" was about a quarter of a mile down the road. He took in boarders for the summer, as did my grandparents.

On the eave of the porch was a sign "Forest Hill Farm" which was there when they bought it, and never changed. There was also an apple orchard, a cherry tree, and wild strawberries across the road. As our family went there only for the summer, so there was not much farming done; besides we were all city people.

A few times my mother went up early and the kids went to school there. I attended the one-room school house for about a month, and another year, my brother went to the high school in town. That would have been about 1945, ( for by then, I was too old.)

Sometime in the 40s, the place was sold for a paltry sum, one thousand dollars, I believe. My brothers loved going there, and would drive up to visit from time to time. The last time I was there was in 1974 or thereabouts. The house had fallen and just left as nature took its toll. The forest was encroaching, but we could still see the baseball fields, and the gooseberry bushes, and other landmarks from our childhood.

Of course I am very excited to see Mtdale revived. There had been artists there in my time too. The Foner brothers , amateur violinists , would play with my uncle Philip Bass, who was a professional. And Nell Blaine married another uncle, Robert.

If you want to know more, just write.

shelley karpilow

berkeley, ca usa -