- A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WESTCOTT FAMILY
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On this, the 29th day of July, in the year of our lord, 1920, we, the members of the famous Westcott family, are gathered together to duly celebrate the most momentous day in our lives, the 50th or Golden Wedding anniversary of Luzerne and Emma Westcott. We come with hearts full of love, with due reverence and with God-given thankfulness that their lives have been spared to us so that we all may pay homage and render unto them, in our humble way, the wondrous glories they so justly deserve. There have been other important days in the history of the Westcott family.
Let us briefly mention the events which occurred on these days.
The marriages of the four beautiful Westcott sisters.
The day Charles Clark blew into town wearing a silk hat.
When Reuben came back from the war.
The fatal day those pesky twins were born.
The Sunday Minnie attended a cabaret in Albany.
The morning that Winks fell off the roof and hurt his foot.
Great occasions as they were, however, they all fade into dim insignificance when compared with the great histronic event of today. Think for a moment, Oh Ye Westcott Tribe, how wondrously full and complete have been the lives of Luzerne and Emma. The golden years back on the old Homestead, where Mother had to bake only nine dozen pancakes every morning for breakfast, do all the household chores, the family washing and mending, make her own clothes, feed eight hired men and drive one team of horses during haying time. Truly, what a soft life Mother had in her youthful days. We, the younger generation, wearied and worn out by our hard labors and tiresome tasks, can fully appreciate the life of luxury and ease Mother lived in her early days. Father, too, was a gentleman of leisure back on the farm, arising at the late hour of four in the morning, just before the moon came up, he took a bit of light exercise in order to build up an appetite for breakfast. He milked 18 cows, fed and watered the horses, cows, calves, pigs, ducks, chickens, geese, squirrels, woodchucks, robbins and any other livestock he happened to see, chopped two cords of wood, mended a few harnesses, drove nine miles down to the milk station and hoed 6 acres of corn. By that time he was a bit hungry and after a light breakfast, ready for the day's work.
How we men folks envy the light, easy work Father had to do, But no wonder he is just what he is today - hale, hearty, with a wonderful constitution; due to real, honest, hard work in his early youth.
One startling event in the early history of the Westcotts deserves special mention. On one of the coldest days in winter, with the thermometer well below zero, Luzerne and Emma decided to become baptised. So they went down to the river at Milford Center, chopped through about twenty-four inches of ice and took an icy plunge while the ceremony was being performed. Now this is not my idea of having a good time at all. It has always been a source of wonderment to me why they selected such a time for this ceremony. Why didn't they wait until some nice hot day in August when they could have enjoyed a cool, refreshing plunge and maybe had a little swim on the side? Furthermore, Luzerne could have bet the Parson a good cigar that he could beat him swimming across the river. Emma could have worn a nice, stylish one-piece bathing suit and thus caused all the other ladies to turn green with envy. I shall always think that the Westcotts overlooked several bets when they decided to have this ceremony performed. This incident, however, is a striking example of their vigorous and robust constitutions during their youth.
The second period in the history of the founders of the Westcott family may be properly called "The Era of Prosperity". Luzerne became restless back on the farm, and fired with ambition decided to move to the big city of Oneonta and show the boys down there a few tricks. That he succeeded within a few years, even beyond his fondest hopes, may be well shown by the fact that he built up a large and lucrative hop business, owned and built the Wescott block with the historic town clock as an ornament, developed the Oneonta ice business and became the owner of many pieces of real estate throughout the city.
Perhaps the most enjoyable period in their Iives was the time they lived at No. 28 Elm Street.(Now the location of St. Mary's School.) There they were surrounded by every luxury that money could buy. How proudly they would drive around town, behind that handsome pair of horses, Colonel and Maje. As that eminent authority on correct English, Mrs. Charles H. Clark would so aptly remark: "Them was the happy days".
They also had a cow those days, safely hidden at night in a shed back of the barn. How well Iremember that cow. How I did love to drive that darn critter about l,000 miles up to the pasture at the head of Elm Street. I recall how my brother and myself would fight for the privilege of duly chaperoning said cow twice a day.
During my brief residence at 28 Elm Street it seems to me, outside of chasing this cow, I was mostly engaged in attending the family weddings and in running errands for my sisters, who worked that old gag on me " Well, If you won't go, then I will".
The remarkable business ability of Luzerne was very well reflected by the prosperity the entire family enjoyed during that time.
Unfortunately, however, the panic of '93 came along and hit the hop market and real estate an awful wallop. This necessitated a "back to the farm" movement, which takes in the third period in their history. Father showed his true courage and his strong will by facing conditions squarely and began again to build up his fortune.
Many pleasant days, however, were spent on the little farm near Davenport Center. The only disturbing elements there were the wild howls of the twins (born in 1899), and my attempts to learn to play the cornet. My playing did not seem to agree with some of the cows, who I understand, complained very bitterly to Luzerne about the noise I used to make down in the meadows.
I recall the dry humor of old "Doc" Thorne, the farmer living next door to us at that time. As Doc often remarked with considerable pride, he was "shot" in the Revolution and stabbed in the Rebellion". Also he had a sorrel-topped son named Surell who was one of the funniestguys I ever met. What wonderful blackberries we used to pick and what a lot of fun we used to have with the hop pickers.
In due time the hard work and careful planning of Luzerne brought about satisfactory results and once again the Westcott family moved to Oneonta.
This brings us to the fourth or Reconstructlon period in their history. Luzerne and Emma seemed to have in those days an acute attack of wander-lust, as they lived on almost every street in town until they finally reached their present comfortable quarters at No. 6 Walnut Street.
During this period Luzerne exhibited some good business judgement, buying, selling and trading real estate and finally becoming the sole owner of that famous block of apartment houses on Cliff Street. This wonderful property, so ably managed by one Mary Denton, will go down in history as a lasting remembrance and striking example of the true courage and marvelous "comeback" of Luzerne Westcott. As Cicero so aptly remarked in his "Essay on Old Age", the most wonderful period in our lives is reached after the age of sixty, providing the early years have been spent in good, healthy work which had resulted in notable achievements.
Luzerne and Emma, after many wonderful years of work, periods of hardship and prosperity and many years of happiness, can now sit quietly and really enjoy life; basking in the love of their children, surrounded on all sides by lifetime friends, they can spend their remaining days in peace and comfort, looking forward with confidence to the ultimate reward which they certainly have won - "Front Seat in Heaven." I can peer into the dim future and see Luzerne trying to persuade St. Peter to aIlow him to use a little Lyknu on his harp and shine it up a bit; or try to find some farmer to talk to about the superior qualities of Morris Brothers' new products. I can also see Emma trying to locate several congenial ladies for a quiet game of 500, or discuss the latest doings of the Baptist Missionary Society.
The following descendents of the founders of the Westcott family hereby sign their real names and extend to Luzerne and Emma many happy returns of the day, and express their deep love, loyalty and admiration for the founders of the Westcott family.
Signed: July 29th, 1920
Helen Crandall, Minnie W. Lunn, Mary W. Denton, Charles H. Clark, Bertha Westcott Clark, Reuben H. Westcott, Cora Bell Westcott, Arthur L. Westcott, Luzerne Westcott Crandall, Evelyn Cash Crandall, Wm. H Lunn, C. L. Wyckoff, Edna Westcott, Alice E. Denton, Herbert Denton, Wendall J. Denton.
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1881 - 1948 (67 years)
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