Long Ago Memories, by Heidi Saenger-Moran

“My great-grandfather, Henry F. Poggenburg built a cottage in the Elka Park Club around 1893. He and his wife, Pauline, were summer residents in the park for about 3 years. Poggenburg was in the insurance business. Because he provided insurance for many of the park residents, and the club itself, he thought there could be a conflict of interest. He decided to purchase property outside the park. He bought 110 acres that bordered the Club boundaries (presently the Latvian Lutheran camp).

The property was wild and had to be cleared. He built barracks to house the crews he brought in to do all the work. Roads, paths, stone walls, bridges, and various structures were part of the work that was done. He had Cook Creek dammed and dredged out to create a lake, (later known as Grill’s Lake). Besides the main house, there was an observatory, boathouse, and a natatorium (from Latin, nata, to swim). There was also a pool house.

Poggenburg did a lot of entertaining connected with his insurance business. He purchased an old tannery below the main house (on Elka Park Road) and had it turned into a place for guests to stay. That became known as The Casino (later to become the Forest Inn). There was a long stairway that went up through the woods to the lawn of the main house.  

Louise Poggenburg married John George Grill some time in the 1890s. J. G. Grill bought the property from the Poggenburg estate prior to WW I. J.G. sold The Casino to Mike Curran, from Mink Hollow, who then turned it into the Forest Inn.

Heidi, the author, said, “Her Aunt Sue fondly remembers back to the school year of 1922-1923. Grandma loved the mountain top and persuaded Grandpa to stay at the Grill house through the winter. My (Heidi’s) dad, Werner, and Aunt Sue, attended the little school in Elka Park. Their teacher was Vesta Tompkins Hommel. They went to school by carriage or sleigh. Sue also remembers sledding down Green Hill. She said the road was very different back then. The hill was longer with more curves to it. She remembers sledding from the entrance to the main house to the Elka Park Post Office.

Heidi said, My grandfather worked in the city. He rode a horse down the back mountain in Platte Clove and then took the train from Saugerties.  His horse was stable in West Saugerties with a blacksmith named Cobbell. Grandpa made the trip down the mountain, sometimes twice a week. It wasn’t uncommon for him to arrive home as late as 2 or 3 am – sometimes asleep atop his horse. He stuffed his boots with newspapers to keep his feet warm in winter. The Grill house was destroyed by fire the following year.

In 1943, Grandpa bought what is now the Saenger house on Platte Clove Road from Mrs. Seifert. The house was built in 1928. Across the road was Seifert’s Boarding House, called the Meadowlawn. It was destroyed by fire in 1933 or 34.”

Heidi said she wrote this to show how for generations her family has lived on, and loved, being a part of the mountain top community. She then thanked her family members, and others, for their help in remembering.

Thank you, Heidi.

This was published in the wonderful Hunter-Windham Scene newspaper that Pam Meigs used to write, and with Heidi’s permission, I was able to share it. (It would be wonderful to have that publication back!)

Thanks for reading. Stay safe and be well.

Dede Terns-Thorpe/Hunterhistorian@gmail.com