Afton Memories

Mrs. R.C. Guy Writes of Family

Afton Enterprise, June 20, 1957

Excerpts from an interesting letter recently received from Mrs. R.C. Guy, formerly of Afton, now of Crosswinds Trailer Court, St. Petersburg, 4, Florida. The historical details were related to her by her father in years gone by.

My father would be 100 years old now, if he were living, and my mother about 92.  My step-mother would be about Aunt Nora's [Benedict] age and my mother a little elder.  Randolph's parents and my parents always lived in Afton [Chenango Co., NY] excepting my step-mother before his marriage, lived in Bainbridge.

 

My grandfather, Celar Decker and family moved from Schoharie County when my father, Joseph Decker, and Charles Decker, father of George, Frank and Lillian Decker [McKee], were young boys. They moved to  where Bernett now lives.  Charles stayed there and raised his family.  My father, when a young man went into town and engaged in business. I can't tell where, but it was before the big fire.  Henry Carr had one side of the store, selling drugs, and my father had a general store on the other side.

 

In time my father left there and bought the store of the Church family.  When the big fire came and burned all the stores on that side of the street, my father said that their household goods and some things from the store were moved across the street in the night as all the stores were burned by morning.  Then my father built the store where Jenks & Swart are now in business.  We owned the store for some years but then sold to Jenks & Swart.  I was born there.  Then we moved to the home on South Main Street.  My father married Lillian Whitaker.  Her father, Britton Whitaker, used to be a cooper and had a shop down by the old under-ground crossing. I can remember going out to the creek on Pollard land where he soaked his staves.  he made barrels and butter firkins and had a good business.  When Grandfather Decker moved to Afton, there was no Presbyterian Church in Afton; they went to Nineveh to Church.  he was one of those who helped to establish the Presbyterian Church in Afton.