1985
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1985 |
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| This is the 150th anniversary of Mark
Twain's birth. It seems an appropriate time to call attention to the fact
that he spent some time in Onteora Park.
Samuel Clemens and his wife, "Livy', panned a trip abroad in the summer of 1890 Unfortunately he, (Mark Twain), was bothered by rheumatism in his arm and shoulder, making his writing difficult. It was his hope that the waters of the German baths would bring relief. Livy had "twinges of the malady", too. Their plan was put aside when business complications prohibited their departure. Instead, Mark Twain, his wife, and family ''took'' a cottage called The Balsam, located conveniently opposite the Bear & Fox Inn. Why Onteora? Many of his acquaintances from the Century Magazine were residents there. Lawrence Hutton, Brader Matthews, Dr. Herber Newton, Jamie Dodge, and the painter, Carroll Beckworth were all members of the community Also, Associated Artists, a firm which Onteora's founder, Candace Wheeler, and Louis C. Tiffany headed, had recently decorated the Clemens' Hartford residence It was a memorable season for those who gathered on the porch of his cottage, or in the parlor of the nearby inn, listening to the stories he told. "He was fond of those gatherings and felt happy and comfortable at the Bear & Fox." He is credited with having said of the Inn, the walls were so thin, you could hear a woman changing her mind in the next room The happiness of that summer was shared by everyone from Mary Mapes Dodge and Elizabeth (Mrs. George) Custer to the local workmen, townspeople and their families who were among those who listened to his tales In a ceremony held In September of 1937 Poultney Bigelow of Malden-on-the-Hudson, offered an address, dedicating a plaque, remembering Mark Twain's visit to Onteora Originally installed on the house where the family stayed, it was later affixed to a large rock on the property, after the Balsam was destroyed by fire. |
Clemens' Cottage "Balsam at Onteora, 1890 |
On the porch of Lawrence Hutton cottage "Balsam" L to R: James Dodge, Mark Twain, and Al Hutton |