Red Rock Memorabilia

Ancestors on both my Mom's Goodrich side and Dad's Howes side participated in the early settlement of the Red Rock area. Researching their family histories has turned up some interesting stories about the Red Rock community where they lived and thrived. I've collected some of them here.

"RED ROCK is the name applied to an extended settlement along the creek, in the southwestern part of the town. The locality was formerly known as Pilfershire, but in 1825 a huge rock along the roadside was painted red, and crowned with a wooden column, to commemorate the change of name. In 1860 a marble shaft was placed on the rock by the inhabitants and former citizens of the place, and dedicated with imposing ceremonies. It bears the time of erection, and the date of 1750, as the time of the settlement of the place."

"The place contains several mills and churches, and numbers about one hundred inhabitants. The store and post office is kept by James J. Powell. Other merchants were Cyprian Powell, Daniel G. Thorpe, and J. W. Vincent."

Transcribed from History of Columbia County New York, pg. 325, by Captain Franklin Ellis, 1878

On the Naming of Red Rock

• Judge Cadman on the Naming of Red Rock

  "On the western slope of the Berk­shire Hills is a small village which is literally painted red once in every ten or twelve years. It lies in one of the most picturesque spots of the Taconic range, within easy distance of Lenox and Great Barrington, and near neighbor to all the Canaans of Connecticut and New York."

From the 19th Century

• Woman Suffrage Debate Held in 1849

  "Mrs. Delia Reynolds Barrett, a member of the household of Frank R. Bushnell, near Chatham, and mother of the late Mrs. Bushnell, is eighty-seven years old. Despite her advanced years she is remarkably well preserved both mentally and physically. She says she has noticed that the majority of elderly persons take comparatively little interest in present day affairs and are constantly discussing things that took place many years ago. She has tried to avoid this condition ..."

• The Grocery Oracle

  "During one of my summer vacations I was induced to take a trip to Red Rock. ...to see the race from whence many of my friends had degenerated."

Red Rock Celebrates the 150th Anniversary of its Settlement

• Red Rock Celebrates its 150th Anniversary

  "Red Rock is the hub of the universe to-day. With appropriate ceremony, speeches and sports it celebrates its 150th. anniversary, and the 40th. of the erection of its marble shaft on the monumental rock. The little hamlet has a proud record; many worthy sons has she sent into the busy world and their deeds will be recounted with pleasure. The following historical sketches, from the “Souvenir and Advertiser” will be of general interest."

• Red Rock Day

  "Last Wednesday was a red-letter day in the history of Red Rock, the occusion being the anniveraries celebration, the event that had been so anxiously awaited and eagerly anticipated, and from the formal opening of the affair in the morning until the last light was extinguished at night, not a ripple occurred to mar the pleasure of the occasion."

• Judge Cadman's Speech

  "Hon. John Cadman began his address with a description of Central Park in New York city and referred to a drive through it which he enjoyed with a friend who wanted to know what Mr. Cadman thought of it. “It is very grand,” said I, but I have now looked at it about half an hour and that will do. The fact is I was up to Red Rock last week and saw things there far superior to these in beauty and grandeur and have spent all the time I care to looking at this. (Applause.) Art cannot imitate nature, it has been tried for many centuries."

The Red Rock and Mount Pleasant Telephone Company

• Red Rock and Mt. Pleasant Tel. Co.

  Somehow I got the impression my grandfather, James Coxon, started the first telephone company in Red Rock. I can't remember now where I got that idea but I see no evidence of that in these few newspaper clippings I found on the subject.

The Christian Church Celebrates its 100th Anniversary

• Christian Church Centennial Celebration

  On Tuesday, May 30, 1922 Red Rock residents and supporters of the Red Rock Christian church gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its organization. The following is a report of the event I found in the Chatham Courier edition of the following Thursday, June 1, 1922.

The Red Rock Road Problem

• The Red Rock Road Problem Solved

  The development of the automobile at the turn of the 20th century brought with it a considerable problem with inadequate roads and by the 1930's Red Rock folks were fed up! Improvement associations formed to pressure the County to do something about the situation.

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On the Relationship of Red Rock Rural Cemetery to the Christian Church

• Red Rock Rural Cemetery and the Christian Church

  There has been some discussion of late about whether the Red Rock Rural Cemetery and the Christian Church were related. The Church meeting house stood on what is now the cemetery grounds from 1829 until it burned in 1933, leading many to wonder if the cemetery was a consecrated Church burying ground.

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Map of the Red Rock Area

Red Rock Area

Compiled from Beers Atlas of Columbia County, New York

1873

Memorabilia Sitemap

— revised 2024-07-16 jhc