23DECEMBER2008

News Letter December 23,2008

The "new" Corner
You may not recognize your little village when you come for the 2009 Reunion Weekend in July (hint, hint). The "new" Cambridge includes the new Rite Aid at the corner of East Main and Park Street (attached photo). BTW, that's not real snow in the photo. We had it shipped in just to look festive for Christmas. Yeah, right, it started snowing on Friday and didn't stop until Sunday night!

Depending on your age, this is the corner where you used to find: the old Rite Aid, the "new" A&P, the Esso gas station and Grange Hall, the Old White Church, or waaay back the Old White Church. In 1792-93 they built the White Meeting House on this spot. The first United Presbyterian church in the area. It was just south of old cemetery on North Park Street. In 1832 they tore it down and built the White Church which served the United Presbyterians until the current church was built across the street in 1872.

If you ever see any old postcards of the current UP church, you'll see it was brownish or tan (attached postcard - incorrectly labeled as Methodist Church). When they built the new church, they didn't tear down the other one, which became known as the Old White Church. My theory is the brownish color was to avoid confusion when referring to the "white UP church" even though the old one wasn't a church any more. After the older generation had passed on, the UP's felt safe there would be no confusion by painting their new church white. The Old White Church became the Grange Hall, which had a steeple on the south gable facing East Main Street (attached photo). I've heard stories about the classes held in Grange Hall after the old school burned in August 1947.

And, speaking of Presbyterians, have you ever asked yourself why there are 3 variations of them in the area. My theory? The East End (North White Creek) and the West End (Cambridge Corners) could never agree on anything. And, Coila, well, Coila has always done its own thing. In 1866 when North White Creek, Cambridge Corners, and Dorr's Corners (junction East Main and Rt 313) merged to form the village of Cambridge, they asked Coila to join. Coila said "thanks, but no thanks".

United Presbyterian - at the traffic light - started in 1792-93
Protestant Presbyterian - oldest church, at the south edge of the village on South Union Street (Turnpike Road) - started 1775, finished 1783 - moved to the red brick Presbyterian church on West Main in 1844-45.
Associate Presbyterian - Coila - I don't have much details on that yet

And, if 3 variations wasn't bad enough, about the time the UP's were building their new church on the corner in1872 I've been told there was a rift in the congregation that led to the building of the Congregational Church (attached photo). This was located where the Victory Theatre was, aka the "new" A&P (after it moved out of the Hitchcock Block), aka Washington County Post, aka A&M Printers. I've heard the rift didn't last too long and that the congregation reunited shortly after the new UP church on the corner was finished.

As I've said before, all of these "facts" are true to the best of my knowledge. I'm always interested in adding to and correcting my knowledge base, so please pass along your "facts". It's scary to think that we are quickly becoming the "older generation" upon whom people will rely to hear stories of the past. Here's hoping we can weave a thread or two of truth among the stories ;-)

Merry Christmas,
Ken Gottry '68
ken@gottry.com

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From Last Time
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Alumni Basketball Tourney
John Herbert seems to be the impetus behind starting the tourney, probably bringing the idea with him from NH. It was a chance to bring back the championship team of 1957, especially to play against the championship team of 1960 ('57 won ... or at least that's the way they remember history ;-)

Where’d You Eat in Cambridge?
Thanks to everyone for the great responses. I especially enjoyed the ones from the later classes who filled me in on what Cambridge was like during my hiatus from 1968-2002.

Looks like we must have eaten out more than I remembered based on the number of eateries. Well, many responders referred more to milkshakes than meals, so maybe these are places we stop to tide us over till dinner.

Jack Weller’s Restaurant - Friendly Restaurant - aka Phoenix - in the Hitchcock Building - Ed Cantwell '58 recalls Jacks across from CCS
The area across from the East End Market (The Bog) was very popular, hosting the following:
1. Friendly Restaurant - Jack's
2. Estramonte's
3. Tommy Powers (or was it Joe Powers)
4. Chauncey's
Cambridge Diner
Bill’s at the corner of West Main and North Union - aka Mac's - aka Mother's
Lamplighter (just west of Cooper’s Pharmacy)
John & Ann Severson had a place in the back of the building just west of Charlie Ackley’s store
Log Cabin
Oasis
Burger Den
King’s Dairy Bar – aka Thom Thumb
Fiesta – now Benson’s on the corner of Rt 22 and Rt 67
Dunham’s Dairy Bar – at the junction of Turnpike Road and Rt 67
Legrys Drug Store - aka Kinnins starting in 1963
King Bakery
Cambridge Hotel
Eagle Bridge Inn – Kyer’s
Jim Bassett’s family had a lunch place across from CCS
Red Brick Hotel
Innisfail
Club 22
Jim's Diner!!!! Up there by that junk collector's paradise place going toward Salem on Rt 22!!
Paul &Alice Dennis' Coffee Shop and Candy Shop (aka Pops Candy Shop) just west of the Hotel
Dering's - in Arnold Wilson's TV store - just west of Hubbard Hall
Village Tavern - yes, it was in Valley Falls, but VT Pizza was legendary in Cambridge - VT sold their recipe to Henderson's in Schaghticoke (go straight instead of bearing right across the bridge on Rt 40)
Popcorn wagons
1. Barrato's
2. Albert Rich's (Dot Madison's)
Town House (Park 56)
Russo's Ristorante
Whipple City Pizza
Hanks I - corner 313 and East Main - aka Bennett's Corner Store
Union House (across from Fedlers, aka Shapiros)
Foggy Notions (aka The Bog)
Sicily Station - just south of the village on Rt 22, just past Merrimans
West Village Market
Across from the new bus garage
1. Hanks II
2. Copper Kettle
3. Sardo's
Yushak's - best subs in Shushan!
State Line Diner
Giarria's (Greek pizza place on the north side of West Main where Union House was (where Jay's Pizza is now).

Did you march in the Parade?
I'm still working on compiling these results. Fascinating stories