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Mementos of the resort industry...
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Here are a few mementos of the
once-thriving resort industry in
Liberty and the area surrounding.
Before the Borscht Circuit:
(Click on any of these photos to see an
enlargement)
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Above is a card from The Wawanda,
once a large resort hotel in Liberty.
Wading in the Delaware River circa
1910. The Delaware (the river that forms the Western boundary of Sullivan
County) was a day trip from Liberty in those days.
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The Era of the Great Resorts
Equestrian pursuits, circa 1931.
Now, that's LUNCH!
The resorts tried hard to hold
onto their clientele, who were tempted by low airline fares and elaborate resorts
in other countries and elsewhere in the United States. One way was to provide
something at the resorts that had not been there when the parents of the new
generation had come to the Catskills. Grossingers, for
instance, hosted the World Barrel Jumping Championships (above is a competitor's
number from that competition), and Rocky Marciano, then the World Heavyweight
Champion, trained at the resort -- and both at the same time!
(Click on any of these photos to see an
enlargement)
Fire ultimately destroyed many of the old
resorts. Fortunately, very few of the truly destructive fires occurred when
the resorts were full of staff and guests. The fire shown in the picture above
is one that was unusual in several respects.
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Academic study of the Catskills:
Not everyone is aware
that the area, particularly the parts of the Catskills that have historically been
popular resort areas, is the subject of academic study now.
The
Catskills Institute, hosted by Brown University, has collected and studies
material from many sources. Its purpose is "to promote Research and
Education on the Significance of the Catskill Mountains for American Jewish
Life." If you're really interested in the Catskills' history as a
resort area, you should not miss their comprehensive website. (There, you'll
see an extensive bibliography, the opportunity to attend academic conferences about
resort life, see listings of hotels and bungalows, and even the opportunity to join
the Institute.) Highly recommended!!
to visit it (but don't forget to come back!).
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Click this button to go
Did you know that we have published a second
CD-ROM in the Memories of Liberty series, aptly titled "Memories
of Liberty, Volume II?" Interested in learning more about it?
Just
!
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