E is for Elephants, mastedons and local excursions. Fifth of twenty-six posts in the April 2017 Blogging From A to Z Challenge on the theme “Whispering Chimneys: My Altamont childhood” — where my genealogy journey began. Wish me luck!
Although we lived way out in the country, my parents and grandparents were good about taking me to local events and regional attractions.
I have fond memories of the elephants, mastodons and local excursions that I experienced as a young child. Here are highlights of some memorable outings in the vicinity of our Altamont, N.Y., farm.
Ringling-Barnum Circus (Schenectady). This is probably where I saw my first elephant. But what I vividly remember was the clown who rushed up and fake-kissed my mom to the laughs and applause of the crowd. He appeared from nowhere in a blur of polka dots and gave Mom a dancer’s dip to add a flourish to his antics. My goodness — how exciting!
Museum mastodon (Albany). In 1866 an excavation in Cohoes, N.Y., unearthed an excellent mastodon skeleton. In the 1950s I saw the mastodon on display at the State Education Building in Albany. But what I remember most was the hairy replica displayed with it. My tiny jaw dropped as I gazed up at what looked like a towering elephant with giant tusks — and wearing a fur coat. Amazing!
Gene Autrey’s stage show (Troy). From 1950-56 the Gene Autrey Show starred the country-singing cowboy and his comic sidekick Pat Buttram. My parents sat me by the T.V. to watch — and in March 1955 my mom drove me in heavy snow to their personal appearance in Troy. The duo sang and told jokes up on the lighted stage — and I was awed, at five, by my first theater experience!
Thatcher Park (Altamont). Even more awe-inspiring were tales of the Native Americans who once bravely traversed nearby Thatcher Park. Some followed a precarious trail through a crevice way up on the cliff face — astronomically higher than the steep hall stairway to my second-floor bedroom! I remember swimming in a pool jam-packed with children in the bucolic park — an early introduction to the natural settings I’ve grown to love.
Catskill Game Farm (Catskill). Opened in 1933 as a giant petting zoo, this 900-acre Catskill Mountains farm featured sheep, deer and donkeys in the early 1950s. During my first visit at age four, I came face-to-face with a gentle burro eager to eat the tiny food pellets out of my hand! Sadly, this landmark closed for good in 2006 — but my childhood memories of the Game Farm endure.
Up next: F is for Freddie Freihofer: My T.V debut. Please stop back!
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