I’m working on a post or series of posts regarding the past and present of the City of Pougkeepsie, so while I develop those, you’ll get some lovely, fluffy picture posts! Enjoy!

Kilmer Barn Fire 10/03/1946

Red Hook Fire Co. responds to this disaster in full Kodachrome color. Photo by John Losee. According to grampa’s notes, this fire was at John Kilmer’s farm in Clermont just over the border in Columbia County, NY.
Note the gentleman in overalls standing on the fire truck smoking a cigarette while attending a fire. Priceless.

Welcome!

I thought I’d like to have a place to post various musings about northern Dutchess County, NY which my family has called home for over 200 years. I have collections of color slides, letters, newspapers, family bibles etc. which can provide a steady stream of content for years to come.

To start things off, below is “Phil Setting Decoys” 10-27-1940 by my grandfather, John Losee. It was probably his favorite image and a scan, even with a lot of photoshop to try to get close to the real thing, doesn’t do it justice. Grampa Losee was born July 7th, 1907 in Upper Red Hook to Rosalie Fraleigh and Dr. Harvey Losee. He was an avid sportsman in his younger days, hunting all manner of woodland creatures, some of which we still have in taxidermy!

Here, his friend Phil (who’s surname has been lost to time so far) sets decoys in the early morning hours with John’s dog, Amos probably somewhere along the Hudson River in October, 1940.