Meet William P. Child: Smoke Rise Map Creator

William P.Child, a long time former Smoke Rise resident, is the creator of the Smoke Rise Map described in Support St. Hubert's Chapel in Smoke Rise!

He reached out to us after that article was published and shared wonderful details about the map, growing up in Smoke Rise and his love of art and music.

I'm pleased to share those details with you here.

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William P. Child writes,

Growing Up in Smoke Rise

I was born and lived a few years on Long Island, N.Y., but for most of my young life I grew up in Smoke Rise, living at the same residence, 445 Pepperidge Tree Lane, for over 20 years - with my family, parents Ernest (Jim) Child Jr. and Elizabeth (Betty) Child, brother Jim and sister Susan - from 1955 to 1975/76? when we moved to Lake Mohawk, in Sparta to have a lake access residence for our family deep keel sailboat and small water ski runabout.

I am proud to say I am from Smoke Rise, and have many fond memories of life there.  My dad could never beat Mr. Ray Edwards in sailing back in the day, though he tried every Sunday, so his name might not be on the sailfish winners plaque (though it might be for second place?).

I went to Kiel, Stonybrook, junior 7th and 8th grades and the first year of high school at KHS, before transferring to Avon Old Farms in Avon, Ct (same school Pete Seeger graduated from in 1936 and Kristian Bush of Sugarland graduated from in 1988 - Bush's family is renown for the Bush Beans famous product, the one with the dog on the commercial that might give out the family recipe if allowed). 

I was in one of the first "rock" bands, The Aztecs, that played for Kinnelon Junior and High School dances back in the mid 60s and am friends on Facebook with an original member of the Aztecs and Smoke Rise neighbor, Gregory Applegate Edwards. (I'm friends on Facebook with several old friends from Smoke Rise and Kinnelon.)

I have myself written over 135 original songs (copyrighted 31) and am in the Jefferson Township Community Chorus, which performs on Jefferson Day (super nice fireworks display at night too!), including a song I wrote in 2005 "My Sweet Home Jefferson," that we have sung there the last 5 years. Music and art, and Nature are major aspects of my makeup and it all started in Smoke Rise during my youth.

For fun you can hear some of my songs on Youtube or at Reverbnation.com

The Smoke Rise Map

I extensively hiked the terrain, trails, etc. of beautiful and misty at times Smoke Rise on many short hikes (many off-trail) several times a week for many years, keeping written logs and rough sketches of all springs, rivulets, interesting rock formations (Sacred Mesa is one discovered? and shown on my map just west of Hawks Wing - my given name to Green Hill just south of Pine Tree). All of the Indian (Lenape or Delaware) names, as stated in the Legend on the map itself, were derived from various books mostly those of Herbert Kraft and M.R. Harrington. 

Other interesting names were derived from my investigation/knowledge/creativity. It was a long painstaking process (you should see my normal handwriting.. ugh) to get all the details onto the board with quill pen and nib and ink, and brush on the water color layers for elevation visual aid -- all with no major uncorrectable or cover up for "mistakes".

I finished the map original and, it being the country's bi-centennial in 1976, thought it might be great to have copies made and sell them door to door, framed or unframed (interesting that many of the frames were obtained at the present frame shop in Sparta before I was the resident framer as I am presently). I went to The Fairfield Press in Fairfield, N.J. and agreed to pay for 400 copies (a mere start and about 30 second run, then stop the 4 color separation offset litho process large machine).

The original map (in my attic) had a much darker blue to the ponds and lakes but the artists at the Fairfield Press colored them in with the blue you see on the copies now. I still have some of the original copy run in my back porch. I recently sold one to Ms. Karin Rohrer who lives in New Hampshire now (if I remember correctly).

I signed the map in the lower right hand corner with my then abbreviation "logo" C (wrapping around wp) Child/William Phillips. After obtaining a Master Arts degree in Painting, from Long Island University in Greenvale, N.Y., I decided it was better on new projects to spell out, clearly, my name for future clarification of the true artist.

St. Hubert's Chapel

I wish you all good luck with the fund raising program for a very worthy continued preservation of St. Hubert's Chapel (I've rowed and sailed there many times). It's a GEM of a structure like a jewel in a "jewel of a lake" as well. Check out the structure's (reddish stone Old English Cotswold (name of Smoke Rise Mansion, too) style and symbolism of Avon Old Farms, funded and designed by the first woman, Theodate Pope Riddle, architect licensed in Connecticut, who was a survivor of the Luisitania (refusing to take up room in a lifeboat that more needy needed, grabbed a life jacket and jumped overboard). She vowed if she survived to use any power or monies her family had to make a school for young men, that they might make a better world for all (students actually worked the farm in the early years).

I actually found out about Avon Old Farms School through a good friend, Bob MacGinnis (sp?), back in the day who attended Avon as well. His parents may still live in Smoke Rise (I haven't been in touch with Bob for years). See how influential Smoke Rise was to my life! The map was pretty much a labor of love.

Thank goodness beautiful and historic Smoke Rise is still going and I hope doing well in these tough times.

Sincerely and flattered,
William P. Child

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Thank you, Bill!

Do you have memories of life in Kinnelon and Smoke Rise? Which were your favorite haunts? Let me know!