About Tim Rowland

Tim Rowland is a columnist, author and outdoors writer living in Jay.

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Comments

  1. A J Greenleaf says

    Error in paragraph 2. No Dept. of Defense until 1947 when the Departments of War and The Navy were combined.

  2. Lorraine Pantaleo says

    I worked for the Superintendent of Mines at Republic Steel from 1947-1949 and
    there is much I don’t remember. Much I do. It would certainly be a good thing if
    rare earths could be realized; we need them and it would help the economy of
    that region. These articles stir a lot of memories and I enjoy them.

    L

  3. chuck samul says

    like many I have hiked in from Pelfershire Road and have stared in amazement at the height of the tailings pile. at 340 tons per hour, if the mine ran 24 hours it could have easily filled and entire 100 car unit train every day, every car of which had to come down the switchback. from my career working on railroads around the country I can say that was no small feat. hats off to the miners and railroaders who made that happen!

  4. Bob Sagan says

    I stumbled across this article online and was immediately transported back to a different time and world. I was born in Port Henry and spent my early years living in the village before the family moved. How well I remember the mines, switchback , Whiterbee and Sherman, towns of Witherbee and Mineville. A number of my childhood friends had family members who worked in the mines. Our family was in the clothing business in Port Henry and my father and uncles took care of so many men who worked in the mines and even cashed their paychecks. I have a picture of my mother and her lady friends wearing safety helmets and sitting in a tram about ready to go down into the mines for a tour. I also remember the name Scozzafava and believe that my parents were friendly with ,I am assuming, Tom’s grandparents.On another note, I did return to Port Henry, now a hamlet in the Town of Moriah, as a part of my 80th birthday celebration. The trip was made so I could share my birthplace and early years with my grandchildren; they were fascinated with my storytelling. The visit brought back a chunk of my life and a very happy time but also saddened me to see the current status of what i call my birthplace. Thanks for the memories!

    • Bobo says

      I wish we took better care of the past. It should be the duty of us young individuals to preserve the past in order to ensure a future. Those tasks are one in the same.

  5. Elaine (French) Duve’ says

    I love to hear the stories of the iron ore mines in Mineville. My grandfather worked in the mines for many years. My dad grew up in Moriah and I was born in my grandparents house in Moriah Center in May of 1949. I remember marveling at the site of the huge tailings “mountains”!! I’m sad to hear that it is being demolished but will never forget the history and the fact that my Pepe’ was part of it.

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