Footnotes to Long Island History
Active Middle Islander Still Woodcutter at 83
by
Thomas R. Bayles
MIDDLE
ISLAND- One of the most active men for his age in this part of Long Island is
Lewis E. Ritch of Middle Island, who although 83 years of age, is still working
some every day, and last winter cut and piled several cords of fireplace wood
in his yard for sale, besides cutting firewood for the family cook stove.
Mr.
Ritch is one of the few remaining men who were engaged in the cord wood cutting
an shipping business during the later part of the past century. In those bygone
days cord wood cutting was an important industry through the middle of the
island and during the winter months thousands of cords of wood were cut and
hauled to the shores the sound on the North Shore.
Great
piles of wood were made there and during the summer months the wood was loaded
and shipped on sloops that came in to shore at high tide and loaded the wood
while the tide was down, then sailed when the tide rose again. Most of the wood
was shipped to New York City and also up the river to Haverstraw where it was
used in curing bricks.
Spins
colorful Tales
Many a
tale Mr. Ritch can tell of those colorful days when cordwood was such an
important product of the forests throughout this section. He drove the teams
with the creaking farm wagons that hauled the wood across the Island to the
Sound shore and it was a slow trip in those days.
He can
tell of being called out in the middle of the night to go over to help load
"sloop" on the shore when the tide was right, as the work had to be done according
to the tide, and many a night the beach was a scene of feverish activity by lantern
light with several sloops loading at once. He also tells of the many trips he
made on the sloops as mate. Among the boats he sailed on were the Falcon, The
Alert, the Sharpshooter, and the Olive Leave which was the last wood sloop to
operate from the sound shore.
Only Memories
Left
The
cord wood business with the teams of horses and farm wagons which made employment
for a great many men during the last century have all passed from the American
scene and nothing is left but the memories and tales of a few remaining men
like Mr. Ritch. The only sale for wood now is for the use in fireplaces.
Mr.
Ritch has lived in the ancestral home all his life and operated the farm which
has been in the Ritch family since 1811, when it was purchased by his
grandfather Lewis E. Ritch from Charles Gerard, He was born on October 11, 1869
and when a young man married Katie F. Homan. They had three children, two boys,
and a girl all of whom are living. The youngest son Raymond and his wife live
in the family homestead with Mr. Ritch.
For
over 40 years he has been a trustee and custodian of Union cemetery opposite
the Presbyterian church, and is so familiar with the grave stones there that he
is able to repeat the inscriptions on a great many of them from memory. He
possesses a remarkable memory and is able to tell many a tale of events of the
years gone by. He is familiar with property bounds, roads and local conditions
that existed year ago and he is sought out by surveyors, title searchers and
others in search of information.
A
Great Walker
Mr.
Ritch is a great walker and is a familiar sight on the roads for miles around.
He celebrated he eightieth birthday by walking from the steamboat dock at Port
Jefferson to his home at Middle Island, a distance of 10 miles. In the years
past he thought nothing of walking to Port Jefferson or Patchogue and is often
seen at night walking to some of his neighbors with his lantern. He attributes
his good health and age to simple living and exercise everyday.
Mr.
Ritch stands out prominently in these days of rush and money-getting as one of
those fast-disappearing types of men who with their simple kindly ways are
never too busy to stop and give information to someone looking for help.