The Smoke Rise Inn in Pictures: Indoors

I promised you more photos of Smoke Rise Inn activities taking place during the early Smoke Rise days in The Smoke Rise Inn In Pictures: Outdoors. Here follow images of several types of events that took place indoors at the Smoke Rise Inn.

These first two photos seem to relate to a sale of Christmas items - perhaps books, cards, ribbons and calendars. Based on the poster announcing an auction on October 17th, I assume this photo was taken in early October [note short sleeves and scene through the glass door. However, the little girl behind "Frenchy" in the second photo is wearing earmuffs... and I can't figure out the wintery scene behind the glass doors.]

Of course, I'm assuming the two photos were taken at the same event based on Mrs. Chantler's outfit.

Pictured here are: Marion Dougherty, Ann Nevius, Mrs. Braks, Mrs. Chantler.

Louise "Frenchy" Scott and Mrs. Sam Chantler.

Note the food items for sale behind the two women: cole slaw, fresh cauliflower, spinach. What do you suppose is in the tins?

Events at the Smoke Rise Inn look to me to have been marvelous affairs and perhaps not so different from those taking place today. What do you think? I love the details that these pictures capture.

Halloween Party at the Smoke Rise Inn - 10/29/1949

Conga line on the terrace outside? - Smoke Rise Inn Party - 9/3/1949

Santa visits the Smoke Rise Inn 12/19/1948

As the children listen carefully. Or, are they more interested in the photographer?

These next photos relate to the same dinner event.  I'm assuming the evening started out in the seating area, moved on to the bar and then to the dinner table.  That's how I've organized them.  Unfortunately, no dates or names... Must have been early '50s.

Magazines on the coffee table:  TIME, Bazaar. I love the hat.

I'm assuming this took place during the warmer months. Notice the open window and also short sleeves. Why is that young man seated on the floor?

I love the patterned dresses.

Notice the windows are open. Also, the boy-girl seating.

Fun, no? Do you have stories or memories related to these events? Let me know!

Many thanks to Tom Kline for sharing these photos.

The Smoke Rise Inn In Pictures: Outdoors

Care for a trip through time? Here's a visual one about the Smoke Rise Inn in the early days of Smoke Rise in Kinnelon and some of the outdoor activities that took place.  Please refer to Tom Kline's post about The Smoke Rise Village Inn - part 2 for perspective on those days and these pictures.

Notice where the cars are parked, in what is today the Inn courtyard.

I find this view fascinating. This section is now covered and corresponds to where the current Smoke Rise Inn bar area is.

This view is from the opposite side of the courtyard looking at the barn building.  Notice the Adirondack chairs? Those have to be from the beach... The event taking place is most probably the same fashion show pictured in the first picture above.

Here you have a Ladies' Event... Perhaps tea? Interesting that cars aren't parked in  the courtyard area, but rather along the road, making room for tables.  Notice the field? That's where the current day parking lot and tennis courts are.

Socializing outdoors at the Inn.

In this photo, Louise Prescott and Cappy Dixon. I love seeing the children.  What do you think is in the big bag?

Group photo on the same steps.

Front row: ?, Morkish, Hunzinger, Hennessy, Mrs. Bruce Dixon, Wohltmann, Getty, ?, Mrs. Baker, Mrs. Chandler
Back row: Tuite, Carter, Mary Sims, Serrie, Mrs. Dixon, Cappy Dixon, Alice Johnson, Willette Wight, Mrs. Chantler, Mrs. Evans, Mrs. Louis

This looks to be a regular day at the Smoke Rise Inn, with cars parked quite close in.  Note the tables and umbrellas over in the background. That's where the photo of socializing outdoors was taken.

These marvelous pictures are all courtesy of Tom Kline and offer an unique perspective on the early days of the Smoke Rise Village Inn and some of the activities that took place outdoors.

I'll share with you more pictures from the Inn. Those will be of activities taking place within.

The Smoke Rise Village Inn - Part II

If Walls Could Talk…The Smoke Rise Village Inn - Part II:  The Birth of the Village Inn.

In Part one of this story about the Smoke Rise Village Inn, I indicated that the Smoke Rise Community was born in 1946.  Interestingly, the Smoke Rise Inn was one of the first facilities to be worked on. The Inn was actually operating before the beach was constructed.

The story of the Smoke Rise Village Inn continues.

One of the earlier concepts of the Smoke Rise Community, was to have a self contained “Village” within the reservation. Hence the name “Village Inn”. At one point, in the late 50s, the piggery was converted into a small grocery store called “The Village Store” but that’s a story for another day. The original Smoke Rise Company Brochure published in 1946 gives some insight into the plan.

“Smoke Rise –Today
The buildings at Smoke Rise, as it stands today on the threshold of planned development, are few. They include “Stone House” built in 1886, where the Company offices are installed, and a group of farm buildings in the proposed Village area which will serve as temporary facilities for Company and Club. Until the Village itself is built (as the community progresses) certain facilities will be available. These will be a combination restaurant and inn, with accommodations for Club Members, making it especially convenient for owners who may wish to stay at Smoke Rise while supervising the construction of their houses, a food shop, a service center for building and road construction work and a large hall for temporary club quarters. The old stone barn will house some of these facilities.”

The “Village” is described in greater detail in a subsequent section.

“Smoke Rise-Tomorrow
…Village – The proposed Smoke Rise Village will be strategically centered in the reservation and will cover about 20 acres in area with 20 more held in reserve for expansion, should they be required. And an ideal village it will be. Colonial in plan it will be the very heart of the community.

Here all the conveniences associated with modern living will be available, including shops, essential services, library and theatre. Here also will be located the Company and Sales Offices and a Building Construction Center with its architect, engineer, contractor, electrician, plumber, painter and decorator, together with display rooms. The main road through the Village (The Smoke Rise Village Common) will be 50 feet in width and there will be ample parking on both sides of this road as well as along the Perimeter Road thus assuring easy flow of traffic and ample, convenient and safe parking at all times. A system of excellent roads through-out the reservation will bring all facilities within easy reach.”

Just in case anyone was wondering how Perimeter Road got its name, it was the road that was to be on the outside “perimeter” of the Village.

Above is an artist drawing of the proposed Village from the 1946 brochure. Note how the “Perimeter Road” is laid out almost exactly how it is today. You may also note in the drawing a small church located about where the present gas station is…Hence the name “Chapel Hill Terrace”. More on road names at another time.

An application for a Retail Liquor License dated March 18, 1947 from the Smoke Rise Club for The Smoke Rise Village Inn building, lists that alcoholic beverages would be served on the ground floor of a “hollow tile and stone structure” with outdoor consumption on a “Summer Dining Terrace”. The application was signed by J. Alden Talbot, President. Road construction on Perimeter Road was carried out in the summer of 1947. The kitchen and rudimentary bar facilities were quickly completed. Extensive landscaping was completed outside including the planting of a few thousand daffodils. The landscaping included the raised terrace which extended between the two main wings. Parking, by the way, was in the courtyard, unless the courtyard was being used for an outside function. A couple of partitions here, some carpet over there and voila…instant, restaurant, lounge and Inn.

The Inn was a modest enterprise in its early formative days. Just so everyone can follow, the present day entrance wing, I will call the North-South Wing and the present day ballroom the East-West wing.

In the early days, the kitchens were located in the north-south wing, the bar in the old slaughter house, and the dining room was located in the area that is presently occupied by the Board meeting room and bathrooms. Bathrooms, in the early days, were located on the second floor of the north-south wing along with a number of guest rooms, set up for sleeping, perhaps six to seven in number. The area where the present bar is located was an outdoor terrace. As the community grew and more space was needed the westerly part of the cattle barn was converted into a ballroom, and was first known as “The White Room”. The ceiling in the White Room was quite low, perhaps no more than 8-9 feet high. Above this area was a cavernous hayloft that was used to store just about everything one could imagine (except hay).

In those early days, when the beach closed on Labor Day weekend, all of the beach apparatus; lifeguard stands, Adirondack chairs, umbrellas, picnic tables etc, were stored in the hayloft. The easterly most part of the cattle barn was also used for restaurant and liquor storage. There were a number of floor to ceiling posts running down the middle of the white room. These posts designated the individual stalls for the cattle.

Almost immediately, the Inn became the social hub for the community. Just about every type of event was conducted there from Church Services to summer parties, Halloween parties, Christmas parties and ballet recitals. Yes, the Community Church of Smoke Rise held regular Sunday services in the “White Room” from 1952 until the new church was constructed on North Road in 1956. Next time you visit St. Hubert’s Chapel, check out the black and white wooden sign that, on one side, reads “Service in White Room” and the other side reads “Service in Chapel”.

As the Community grew so did the Smoke Rise Inn. The outdoor patio area (present home of the bar) was enclosed and became the dining room. It was this addition that joined the structures; the east west wing, the slaughter house, and the north-south wing. This was perhaps the last big structural change to the facility, with one exception, that was to occur prior to the major renovation that was to happen much later. When the dining room was moved to this area, the old dining room would undergo a rather interesting and somewhat peculiar transformation (The old dining room being where the current board room is located.).

I note from a 1958 issue of the Smoke Rise Club News…

The Village Inn

“The South Room has been reserved for the exclusive use of the younger set. Teenagers and children (writer's note, is there a difference?) are welcome. Facilities offered are a juke box, billiard table and private meeting room as well as dispensing machines for ice cream, soft drinks, candy and crackers. The South room is open till 10 PM Weekdays 11 PM Fridays and midnight Saturdays. There is a rumor that Frank is planning to have a back-to-school surprise party for the teen-agers complete with barbecue and everything.

New Facilities at the Inn: On August 7th the new Charcoal Grill Room and Kitchen, and the outdoor “Bullpen Patio” had their official grand opening. This new area has been the scene of a great deal of activity from that time on. However, even though an announcement was sent to all residents, it still seems that many people still do not know about these added facilities in the “Come as you are” section. Dress is strictly informal at lunch and dinner times. The present Terrace Dining Room will still be formal in that men are expected to wear jackets at lunch time and jackets and ties at dinner time. Women’s dress should also be comparatively formal for the Terrace Room.”

For nostalgia purposes, I located a late 1950s menu. Let’s see what fare could be had...

• Shrimp Cocktail….50c
• Smoked Novi Scotia Salmon…25c
• Broiled Lamb Chops (2) $4.00

This was the dinner menu that included appetizer, soup, main course; with potato and vegetable, and dessert. The dessert entries included “Smoke Rise Parfait”.

• Family Buffet was offered on Sundays for $2.75 (Children $2.00)
•  
• Among entrees that could be ordered a la Carte (in advance)
•  
• Rack of Lamb for two…$10.00
•  
• Partridge, in cocotte au Champagne…$5.00

The most expensive item on the menu was -- of which I have no idea what this is -- Faisan Roti Souvaroff for 2…$15.00 (~ Pheasant in Cream Sauce?)

In addition to the menu items, a small blurb reminds residents that they could buy their liquors from the Inn, including the Smoke Rise Village Inn private brand liquors.

Indeed there was a time that you could purchase Smoke Rise Village Inn Gin, Vodka, Bourbon, Scotch, Rye and Champagne. (What else could anyone need?) I located an old label in the archive. I wonder if any of these bottles still survive?

On another note, all the dinnerware was a bone white china with a small green border. At the top of each plate was the familiar green Smoke Rise Club logo with the chapel located inside the circular disk. I think one such plate (and only one) still survives today at the Inn.

As the 1960s rolled on by the Inn continued in much the same fashion as it did in those early years. Occasions of all sorts, Sailing Club Dinners, Gun Club Dinners, Women’s Club luncheons, Card Parties, Bridge, as well as formal dances were conducted at the Inn. Around about 1965, the area just beyond the present parking area was dug out and flooded to create an additional skating facility and the “South Room” was turned into an informal luncheonette.

Regrettably, as the 1960s came to an end, there was trouble brewing on the horizon. The former Kin-Wood Inn had changed ownership and had become “Calamity Jane’s” and was doing a booming business. Patronage at the Inn was beginning to falter. The facilities were beginning to become somewhat run down. The Smoke Rise Company, which owned and operated the facilities, was losing money consistently on the Inn operations. As the seventies began, the owners of the Smoke Rise Company began to seek an exit plan. In order to stop the hemorrhaging of cash at the Inn it was decided in the fall of 1972 to close the operations.

Relief was found the following spring when George F. Foley, a devout Smoke Rise resident, bought the Smoke Rise Company. The purchase included about 1500 Acres of undeveloped land, about 80 acres of lake and shoreline, the two gate houses, about 50 lots, the Inn and the entire Village Green as well as other miscellaneous parcels. The purchase was made with a minimal down payment and one huge mortgage.

Now there are many who may still be bitter about Mr. Foley and his handling of the Smoke Rise operations during the middle 70s. However, I truly believe he had the best of intentions.

From a historical perspective I believe his two major gaffs were, one, being seriously under-financed and two, being in the wrong place at the wrong time in history. 1973 saw the first Arab oil embargo; the unwinding of the whole Watergate Scandal, the stock market declined 60% between 1973 and 1974; a general overall decline in real estate activity, a club membership that desperately wanted to seek its independence from the Smoke Rise Company and a public which began to question its leaders and institutions. NOT a fantastic time to enter into a new real estate business venture! Particularly not a good time to start such a venture with a dollar and a dream.

Nonetheless, recognizing the need for a community social hub and trying to find ways to invigorate the Inn, Mr. Foley re-opened the Inn in the summer of 1973. The very east end of the Cattle Barn, which was previously used for storage, was opened up into a potentially thriving liquor store.

Display cabinets and refrigeration displays were purchased and the birth of the “Smoke Rise Wine and Spirits Shop” came about. The most easterly door (facing Perimeter Road) was the entrance to this new endeavor. A paved turnaround was installed so that residents could “drive right up to the door” and stock up. In addition to reopening the bar and restaurant, the old Charcoal Grill Room and Bullpen dining terrace was re-opened as “The Smoke House” where light lunch fare could be obtained. JJC and I often ate there during the summers as both of us were Smoke Rise Club summer maintenance employees during our high school years.

From the 1985 Smoke Rise Newsletter

About this time participation in tennis at Smoke Rise had risen to an all time high. The two paved courts on North Road and the old clay court across from the gas station, (current site of the basketball court) were insufficient to meet the demand. So the Tennis Club began discussions for expanded facilities. Each location that was considered was met with a “not in my backyard” response. At one point the open areas behind the Inn were considered as a potential location. However, that too proved unsatisfactory and ultimately a number of acres were purchased across the street (more or less in nobody’s back yard) where the six new har-tru courts were erected about 1975. You are probably wondering what this has to do with the Inn. Read on.

The Inn operations continued in its previous fashion for a short while until the Kinnelon Board of Health determined that conditions were not right and the Inn closed again in May of 1975.  Unable to weather the economic firestorm, The Smoke Rise Company filed for bankruptcy in 1976. Most of the properties were still under mortgage by the previous owners and were subsequently recovered by way of Sheriffs Sale.

During the recovery process, the previous owners of the Smoke Rise Company, namely John Talbot and his partner, E. B. Leone, offered to sell all the assets of the Company to the Smoke Rise Club for $1,100,000. This included the 1500 acres, more or less, of undeveloped property, 80 acres of lake and shoreline, The Inn, the two gate houses, the remainder of the Village Green and other miscellaneous parcels. On October 15, 1977, by a vote of 325 opposed and 152 in favor, the acquisition proposal was turned down by the Smoke Rise Club membership. Shortly thereafter the primary assets of the Smoke Rise Company, including the Inn, were sold to Comco America.

During these turbulent years, in an interesting twist of events, The Community Church of Smoke Rise became the social hub for the community. However, many of the members, with happy nostalgia, longed for the Inn to re-open or in the alternative to have another clubhouse.

Consider all the patrons, parties, weddings, college mixers, graduation parties, confirmation parties, dances and other events that had transpired over the facilities first 25 years. The Inn was way more than just a restaurant; the Inn had become a fondly remembered institution. Negotiations commenced almost immediately with Comco for the Inn. However, proposal after proposal was found to be unsatisfactory to the membership. Finally, in 1979, a proposal was passed by the membership to expend club funds to develop plans for a new club house, presumably to be situated across the street in the vicinity of the new tennis courts. At this point Comco stood up and took notice.

A major turning point in the history of the Inn was about to occur.

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Thanks, Tom!

Note: Images courtesy of Tom Kline, Kinnelon & Smoke Rise Historian.

The Smoke Rise Village Inn History - I

If Walls Could Talk…The Smoke Rise Village Inn History - Part One: The Cattle Barn.

After reading the great review by Ted Whittemore about the Smoke Rise Village Inn on the Smoke Rise and Kinnelon Blog, I decided that my son Chris and I should have a night out. So, a recent Thursday, we headed out to the Inn. As we sat there eating our dinner, which I will elaborate on later, I said to Chris, “If only these walls could talk, for they would reveal thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of happy memories”. Chris was somewhat awestruck at the magnitude of happiness. So I began to elaborate on my years of experiences at the Inn. It was painful for Chris to listen to my ramblings on but he very patiently listened and occasionally asked a question or two for verification. I knew he was taking it all in. Hopefully, someday he will be the next Kinnelon historian. After we finished and arrived back to our home, I began to compose this story, which has taken a couple of months to research and complete.

The Smoke Rise Village Inn, as many of you know is a public restaurant open Wednesdays through Sunday. Of course, proper attire is required, which lead to some heated discussion before we left, but that is a discussion for another day. All you need to know is that I prevailed! Reservations are encouraged but not necessarily required unless it is a big holiday event.

For those of you who are into Kinnelon trivia, The Smoke Rise Village Inn is Kinnelon’s oldest and, more or less, continuously operated restaurant and lounge. Yes, one could point to Piccolos, as perhaps an earlier rival, but that fine establishment has had more names than even I can recall. (Valley House, Kin-Wood Inn, Calamity Jane’s, Hungry Bear, Stone House Inn, Lotsa Pasta…uggh!) I do not mean in any way to disparage Piccolos reputation. I actually go there quite often. It’s just that the Smoke Rise Village Inn has operated under the same name, almost continuously, since 1947, that’s almost 65 years. Of course the building is much older than that. So, let’s take a quick look back at its early history and development.

The Smoke Rise Village Inn is part of a group of farm buildings that were constructed in the 1890s by Francis S. Kinney. The Inn itself was actually four original Kinney structures that were merged together over a period of time. The first part, the cattle barn was built circa 1890. This is the stone part of the Inn (Presently the Ball Room) that you can still see today. The small stone building that presently forms an appendage off the “bar area” was the slaughter house, which was constructed in 1892. You can see the corner stone above its arched doorway. The present day main entrance was the hog pens, which was an open structure with stone and brick walls that separated the animals. The forth structure, now gone, was a tile brick silo that used to occupy an area where the present kitchens are located.

Francis Kinney was vitally interested in breeding Brown Swiss Cows, a breed thought to offer superior milking output. In an article entitled “A Short History of the Brown Swiss Breed in New Jersey” published in the March 1932 issue of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture “Circular”, Warren Kinney, second son of Francis, wrote, in relevant part, “ On October 5, 1890, Francis S. Kinney, who then owned Kinnelon Farms, decided to establish a small herd of Brown Swiss Cattle. He had previously experimented with other dairy breeds but with little success, due largely to the extremely rugged nature of the country and the consequent lack of pasture. The herd started was on a small, conservative basis, the foundation stock representing some of the best breed lines of the breed obtainable in this country at this time. Seven animals, six cows and a bull composed the original group, which included Hebe F., 581; Brunnen 3rd, 580; Brunnen 4th, 667; Hebe, 323; Lola 2nd, 668; Muotto 3rd, 531 and the bull, Imperial, 406. All were purchased of W. R. Fisk of Mystic, Conn., one of the few eastern breeders of the day.

For many years there was no attempt to make production records at Kinnelon Farms, nor to do any showing. The pasture there was very poor, then, and, in spite of the fact that these first Swiss cows were forced to pick up what they could literally from between rocks, they made a very fair showing at the pail. The milk was not weighed in those early days but it is well known that these animals produced much more heavily than any of the local cattle under the same conditions. Fresh blood was introduced into the herd from time to time through the rather frequent purchases of new herd sires, and a general policy of gradual expansion was carried out.

The death of Mr. Kinney in 1908 necessitated a change in ownership of the herd, and the writer, in partnership with his brother, took over both the farm and animals that same year.

In 1916, the cow Eloise C 2d, 5095 was purchased of Walhalla Farms, Middleburg, NY. She had won the grand championship at the New York State Fair the previous year, was a very heavy producer, and soon proved a decided asset. Shortly afterward, new dairy equipment was installed, improvements were made to the barn, and the making of production records were attempted in a conservative manner. Eight records were completed during the years 1916 and 1917, but the cows were not in any way forced and outstanding results were not expected. However, with very moderate feeding and average care, the mature animals tested averaged better than 400 pounds of butterfat. Participation of the United States in the World War (keep in mind this was written in 1932) then caused an interruption of activities on the farm for several years, but, in 1921, advanced registry testing was finally resumed and has continued regularly ever since.

In the fall of 1924 the herd was purchased outright by the writer, moved to its present home at Lee’s Hill Farm, New Vernon and its, name changed accordingly.”

It should be noted that Warren Kinney, Kinnelon’s first Mayor, continued to work with the herd, obtaining many top awards across the country, until his death in 1975.

A little bit of trivia about the weather vane. It is original to the stone barn and was presumably meant to symbolize Francis Kinney’s dedication to animal husbandry.

What a great article that gives some insight into the operations and attitudes of the Kinney Estate! The article also gives some historical perspective to the Inn. In 1912, the original Kinney horse stable and carriage house was destroyed by fire. Shortly thereafter, Warren and Morris Kinney, went on a building spree. The main entrance to the present day Inn was enclosed, the silo was added in the back, along with a new piggery (present maintenance building). Also added, at this time, were a garage in the rear of the building and a smoke house, which, along with the silo, were removed in the 1980 renovation. All of these 1916 vintage buildings were made of a hollow tile brick. All, by the way, have bronze date plaques indicating 1916.

In addition to these buildings, Warren and Morris also constructed, from red brick, a new stable, carriage house and green house, all of which still survive today, on private property. Incidentally, if you ever need to remember who built what, remember that Francis constructed his buildings out of wood and stone, whereas Warren and Morris built out of tile and brick.

After Warren left the estate in 1924, most of the old farm buildings, including the Inn, were essentially vacant. The vast staff that was needed to operate the estate was significantly reduced. Most of the other animals were sold off. At this point, Morris spent a good deal of his time traveling around the world. One such trip lasted from 1926 until 1931. Although vacant, all of the buildings were maintained by a much smaller staff of caretakers.

View of the Inn approximately from where the Smoke Rise Service Station now stands.

Morris Kinney died in October of 1945. He left his estate to his lifelong friend J. Alden Talbot. In trying to determine a way to preserve the natural appearance of the property, Talbot conceived the idea of the Smoke Rise Community. In 1946 the Smoke Rise Company was incorporated.

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What a story! Thanks, Tom.

Next, If Walls Could Talk: a History of the Smoke Rise Village Inn - Part II. Stay tuned!








NOTE: Photos courtesy of Tom Kline.

Trail from Butler to Montville and Boonton

Do you recognize this overpass? Here's a hint: I took this photo from Route 23 heading North in Butler / Kinnelon, just past the Ford Dealership and right by the Butler Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealership at Cascade Way. According to Tom Kline, this overpass most likely connects Butler to the the Butler-Boonton and Butler-Montville trails. Here's what Tom wrote me after reading New Pyramid Mountain Park Trail:

I read your blog post about new trails at Pyramid Mountain.

Now here is a bit of trivia for you but I do not have back-up information to prove my claim. Just a recollection of something that my father once told me many, many years ago. But I will get to that in a minute.

There were two ancient trails that crossed Kinnelon from the 1930s and perhaps even earlier. They were the Butler-Boonton trail and the Butler-Montville trail. Now known as the white trail and the blue trail, both wind on either side of Kakeout reservoir and traverse through Pyramid Mountain. Although re-marked and perhaps called out by different colors, one ended in Boonton and the other ended in Montville. You can actually take the white trail all the way from the dam of the reservoir right past Tripod rock to the top of Pyramid Mountain and considerably beyond.

As the name implies, I believe at one point in time, these trails started in Butler. You know, like downtown Butler.

So the little bit of trivia is the one and only pedestrian walkway (bridge) that crosses Route 23 and currently located just about where the new Butler Jeep dealer is (also at the foot of Cascade Way) was constructed to insure that the trail was not broken by the highway. If you follow Cascade way up to Kakeout Road, voila, you have arrived at Bubbling Brook Road, where the trail now starts.

As I said, I don't have the documentation to back it up but perhaps the Butler Museum folks could address the issue. Alternatively, perhaps the New York New Jersey Trails Conference may have some back ground information and ancient trail description.

It is awfully odd that it is the ONLY pedestrian walkway the crosses the ENTIRE length of Route 23. I think 23 ends somewhere down in Montclair and extends all the way out to Port Jervis. If you are looking for an in the car adventure some day...check it out. High Point is always a cool place to visit also!

Thanks, Tom!

What do you think? Have you taken the Butler-Montville and Butler-Boonton Trails?

Tower Tales: Smoke Rise to Honor Founder

Many thanks to Tom Kline for sharing this article about the Smoke Rise Tower. This is the short-lived news he referred to in The Smoke Rise Tower on Kitty Ann Mountain. Can you spot any inaccuracies?

From the Newark Evening News, Thursday, January 9, 1964

Smoke Rise to Honor Founder

Restoring Tower for Talbot

by Richard Reeves, Staff Correspondent

Kinnelon - A neglected 60-year-old observation tower on Kitty Ann Mountain will be restored by residents of Smoke Rise in memory of John Alden Talbot Sr., founder of the exclusive residential community.

The skyline of Manhattan and other sights within a 40-mile radius will be visible from the 80-foot high tower on the 1,156-foot peak when the restoration is completed in the summer.

The tower was built in 1904 by Morris Kinney to survey his 5,000 acre estate, which is now a restricted residential area of 450 homes in the $40,000 to $230,000 price range. Talbot, who inherited the estate after Kinney's death in 1945, planned the development of the unique community from 1947 until his own death on Christmas Day 1962.

WW II Lookout

A major phase of the restoration project will be the construction of iron stairs to the top of the structure. The tower's original stairs rusted away after World War II, when it was used as an aircraft observation post. It also was used by the state forest fire service.

The tower, 15 feet square at the base, was built with stone quarried from the site.

The board of trustees of the Smoke Rise Club, composed of the 1,500 residents of the area, initiated the project to honor Mr. Talbot. Work on the tower is scheduled to begin this spring, according to John Alden Talbot Jr., president of the board and a son of Mr. Talbot.

The Kinney estate dates back to 1884, when Francis Kinney, a pioneer in the tobacco industry, built a huge "summer cottage" here. His son, Morris Kinney, for whom the borough of Kinnelon was named 41 years ago, lived most of his life on the estate.

The younger Kinney left the estate to Talbot Sr., a longtime friend and former mayor of the borough. Talbot was a founder of Chilton Memorial Hospital, Pompton Plains. He was a patron of the arts and was credited with the revival of ballet as a major art form in the United States in the 1930s.

Alden Descendant

Talbot was a direct descendant of John Alden and a member of the family of two American presidents, John Adams and John Quincy Adams.

When friends asked to purchase land on the estate to build homes, Talbot decided to develop a planned community designed primarily to serve New York corporation executives.

Smoke Rise was the result in 1948. The name is a translation of the Pequannock Indian name for the mountainous area, where a heavy mist often rises at sunset.

The community, located entirely in Kinnelon, is administered by the club, which must approve all residents and their building plans.

Inside the community which can be entered only through two locked gates, are 30 miles of road, three lakes, two churches, a general store, inn and recreation facilities. Smoke Rise provides its own police and fire protection.

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Thanks, Tom!

Note in the photos the large erratic that both Tom and Herb in the Early Days of Smoke Rise mentioned. Also observe the state of the tower crenellations.

I have one more Tower related article to share with you....



NOTE: The images above are courtesy of Tom Kline. They cannot be used or reproduced without permission and attribution.

The Smoke Rise Tower on Kitty Ann Mountain

Have you wondered about the Smoke Rise Tower in Kinnelon?And what about Kitty Ann Mountain? Here is a tale about both from Tom Kline, St. Hubert's Chapel restorer and Smoke Rise & Kinnelon historian.

The Smoke Rise Tower on Kitty Ann Mountain

This a story that ends where it began. Last August, a group of Smoke Rise refugees gathered at the top of Kitty Ann Mountain for a reunion and a toast to friends. There we were, gathered under a dreamy moonless starlit night. The night air was warm with gentle breezes. As we talked an occasional shooting star would flicker on by as they so often do in the August sky. It was not only a reunion of friends; it was review of our childhood days in Smoke Rise, perhaps more notably our teenage years. The Smoke Rise Tower was always a magical spot, one that was endeared into each and every one of us who gathered to celebrate friendship and our joint connection to that very special place called Smoke Rise.

Francis S. Kinney constructed the Tower in 1904 as an additional diversion for his burgeoning 5000 acre estate. Contrary to what may be written elsewhere, the stone for the Tower was quarried on site. It is a distinctive sandy brown color. The structure is approximately 80 feet tall and sits on the highest point within Kinnelon. The elevation at the base is 1156 feet. From the top of the structure is a 25 mile view in almost every direction. The skyline of Manhattan is readily visible to the East, the lower Catskills to the North, the rolling Ramapos to the South and East. Rumor has it that on a clear day you can see the High Point Monument to the Northwest. I am not so sure how true that is.

The New Jersey State Forest Fire Service, under an agreement with the Kinney Family, manned the structure from 1919 until 1943. It was also used to spot for enemy aircraft during World War II. After Morris Kinney died in 1945 the structure became neglected and eventually the iron staircase rusted beyond usability. There was some movement in 1963 to restore the structure in memoriam to the founder of Smoke Rise, J. Alden Talbot, who passed away on Christmas Day, 1962. This movement was very short lived.

The Tower always held both mystique and wonder. In 1957, when I was a one year old, my parents, Emmie and Charlie Kline, bought their lot on Ski Trail. We were clearly not the first to venture into this new development but we were there for an awfully long time. Our house was built the following year. It is a gorgeous lot on the edge of a ridge line that offered views of the surrounding mountains. In the winter, we could see the lights from scores of Smoke Rise homes that dotted the landscape like the lights on a Christmas tree.

Dad was sort of an oddity in the early days because, unlike many of our neighbors, he did not cut down every tree in the back yard in order to obtain the full panorama. It may be that he did not like looking across the valley into the gravel pit, which was this huge brown scar on the landscape. Instead, he cut two vistas one towards Kitty Ann Mountain and the other looking out to the northwest to Copperas Mountain. In my formative years, I would gaze across the valley from our living room, up to the top of the mountain where the Tower stood, dark and menacing. It intrigued me from my earliest days.

In those early years, I am talking about the early sixties, my brothers, who were five and seven years older, had managed to gain entry to the Tower, through a low window, and were able to ascend to the top via the handrail because the stair treads were too rusted through to be trusted. They told me their tale of the magnificent view, in every direction. This only led to my being further intrigued with this historic structure.

There were, of course, a few families that lived in the immediate area. One such family, the Hunts, lived in such very close proximity, that Mr. Ralph Hunt, could easily hear when any shenanigans were occurring at the Tower. The popular story, at the time, (circa 1965) was that some teenage ruffians had gained access to the top of the Tower and had managed to push one of the pretty massive turret stones from the top. Another teenager, who was standing precariously at the bottom of the Tower, was in perfect line to be crushed, save for his being thrown out of the way by Mr. Hunt who appeared at just the right moment to stave off the imminent catastrophe. It was shortly thereafter that the remnants of the staircase and handrail were cut out and removed. This happened about 1965.

One of my earliest friends was Byron Coley who lived at the intersection of Mountain Road and Mountain Road Terrace. I recall the Coleys installed a propane powered street lamp that burned day and night all year. The warm yellowish glow that was cast by the long gone lamp illuminated the intersection.

As young adolescents, Byron and I would venture to the Tower, lugging personalized white lunch bags that Mrs. Coley carefully packed. There at the base we would eat our lunch by the giant purple stone, which was another glacial erratic pushed here thousands of years ago from some distant place. As one of our group recalled, there was a time that you could sit atop of the massive stone and could see New York’s Skyline in the distance. The trees, having grown significantly, now obstruct this view.

There was an interesting cast of characters that lived in the immediate area. The Coleys, the Hansens, the Hunts, the Swansons, ( who were rumored to be related to the TV dinner bearing their name) the Moorehouses, the Orlandis (who had fantastically elaborate Easter celebrations) and the Peabodys, whose home included a concrete bomb shelter, complete with bottled water and cases upon cases of canned saltines. The semi famous Smoke Rise aviator, Herb, and Emily Fischer rounded out the residents at or close to the summit.

There were always great adventures to go on at the top of Kitty Ann Mountain. We could sneak into the Moorehouses’ back yard and observe where the stone for the Tower was quarried. Hike along the old part of Mountain Road that lay off to the west of the present course. Walk out to a rock cliff to the west, to a place we called Tower rock, where a view of thousands of undisturbed acres could be seen. (Regrettably, someone came along much later and built a house there.) Hike down the east side of the mountain in search of aircraft parts. (A plane had struck the Tower in December 1948 and left miscellaneous parts strewn down the east side of the hill.) Or just sit in the tall grass and watch an occasional plane go by. In those early days, it was rare to see a jet passing by.

The Tower was quiet, somewhat obscure and like so many of the old buildings in Smoke Rise, definitely neglected. Most of the plantings around the base were so thick that a car passing by could not see the base of the building. This would become an important fact later, during our teenage years. By late summer the grass was a good two feet tall. After the stairs were removed the metal chain link door was also removed leaving a hollow cylinder. Inside, the echo of the cooing pigeons reverberated from the stone and made the birds seem much larger than they actually were. The bottom of the Tower was littered with the massive turret stones that had become dislodged from the top by lightning and vandals. A full post and rail fence which surrounded the driveway was obscured by the overgrowth.

It was this neglect that became one of our first public service causes and the beginning of my interest in historic preservation. The Tower engaged me long before I ever set foot on Chapel Island. As preteens, Byron Coley, Sanford Peabody and I, would routinely gather at the Tower equipped with rakes, loping shears, lawn mowers and the like. Our aims were to try to cut back the overgrowth so as to expose the wooden fence, keep the grass cut low, and generally try to make the place look presentable. It was an endless battle.

Now, as I pointed out, the overgrowth that separated the Tower driveway from the road was so thick that a passing car could not see through it, even in winter. As we matured (maybe) the area became the perfect spot for, well, parking. Some of you may recall first dates, first kisses, and well, parking. As the 70s rolled on the Tower also became a favorite spot for our friends to gather. A picnic table was commandeered from the beach to add to the park like setting. The tower was always the place to go to observe the summer meteor showers and other celestial events. This lasted for a short while until disgruntled neighbors, reasonably upset at the late night shenanigans, complained. This is when things started to go from bad to worse. In order to dislodge those who would park at the Tower, it was determined that a good offense would be to collect all of the turret stones from around the base of the Tower and line them across the entrance to prohibit anyone from driving around to the difficult-to-see back side. This definitely prevented obscured parking, but friends would just park by the road and celebrations continued on for some time.

Along about 1973, Mr. George Foley had acquired all of the assets of the Smoke Rise Company, including the Tower. Mr. Ned McIntosh, who was a neighbor and friend of the Foleys, agreed to be Vice President of the Smoke Rise Company. Turns out, one of my best high school friends was Bob McIntosh. So, as we met with other friends at the Tower during our high school years, Bob and I would frequently discuss how one could best access the top of the structure. Tales of my older brothers’ ascent kept haunting me. Once off to college, Bob had met some rock climbing enthusiasts. My lifelong dream of gaining access to the top, as my older brothers had done so many years before, was beginning to become a reality. So, with the blessing of Bob’s father (as VP of the Smoke Rise Company) we obtained permission to scale the Tower. I will not elaborate on how it was done under the heading of “don’t try this at home”. However, in 1975 we ascended to the top platform on two occasions, once in the spring, when the trees were leaf bare and again during the fall at the beginning of the fall foliage.

We were the first people to be on the top in almost a dozen years and probably the last unofficial types to have been to the top since. The view was every bit as spectacular as I was lead to believe. Interestingly, the turret stones sat atop a thick piece of bluestone or slate. I was amazed at the carvings in the stone. The ledge was inscribed by previous visitors that had been there decades before. Initials such as MK 23’, RR 40’ and JJC 65’ (only kidding) were timelessly preserved in the stone.

This monumental event also corresponded with our being off to college. Although we continued to visit the Tower after the legendary ascent our visits became infrequent and eventually almost nonexistent. As we grew up and moved out the Tower came to symbolize everything about our youth: our adventures, our friends, our loves, our losses and our desires.

Sometime later, in the mid 1980s, when the first East Gate Restoration was underway, it was decided to construct a member’s entrance lane, which required a new retaining wall to be built. Unimaginably, there seemed to be a lack of stones to use for this new rock wall. At one point, a moron (every story needs at least one) decided to collect all the turret stones from the front driveway of the Tower and utilize them in the new wall. If one looks closely at the wall by the gate, the distinctive brown stones, so carefully hand squared so many decades ago, can readily be distinguished from the standard blue gray stones that are most prevalent in this area. Hopefully someday, when serious Tower restoration occurs, the stones will be retrieved from the wall and restored to their proper location on the Tower at Kitty Ann Mountain. In the interim, the lack of stones guarding the entrance to the Tower has lead to, well, parking.

So there we were again, BH, LO, KP, PD, TK and later JJC, at the place where it all started. It was a grand evening, doing what we did in our youth, sharing our stories of first loves, first dates, first friends and first parties, first cars and fast cars, motorcycles, horseback riding, camping, and canoeing. Recounting our legendary childhood adventures in Smoke Rise until the summer crickets were fast asleep. As long as the Tower stands, these tales and the memories of a lifetime will be forever preserved.

As I drove home from the Tower in the morning I realized it was a bittersweet moment. It was great seeing friends whom I grew up with and many of whom I had not seen for decades. It was sad knowing that a repeat of this re-union will likely never happen again. Well, maybe.

TOM

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Thank you, Tom! What a marvelous story about The Smoke Rise Tower and Kitty Ann Mountain!



NOTE: All of the images above come courtesy of Tom Kline. They cannot be used or reproduced without permission and attribution.