Interesting information on the history of the tunnels. I still say they should be preserved and saved and that is the next step in this process. As to the article, I would suspect when it is published it will be available on the newspaper's website www.lohud.com , just click on the Westchester Section. Jan Miller wrote: > This topic has been a really interesting dialogue--suggestions and > sleuthing! > Thank you for 'going to the mat' to find and share the true story of the > tunnels in Ossining. I would never have had that one on my 'guess list'--not > having lived on/near a dairy farm as prime reason. > > The variety of suggestions was interesting as well. Did anyone guess > correctly? It's a part of the area history and we subscribers have > learned something new about a place we thought we knew well. > > As far as the bricks are concerned, my ggrandfather worked at a brick > factory in Peekskill and has a patent for improving the "Method of Operating > the mold-drivers of Brick Machines, the same being so constructed that the > mold is driven out at the proper time by the power used to operate the > machine and further so constructed that should any obstruction enter the > clod-cutter to prevent the passage of the mold, the mechanism will yield > before an injurious pressure can be exerted on the mold, thereby saving a > great expense in the repairs of molds". It is logical that much of the > interior was constructed of brick, there being much of that industry in the > area. > > When the article that you referred to appears in the paper, will you or > someone be able to scan and send? > Jan > jgrellim@sbcglobal.net > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jean Ann Lupinetti" <jeanann@bestweb.net> > To: <NYWESTCH-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 11:33 AM > Subject: [NYWESTCH] Mystic Tunnels/Mystery solved! > > > >> Hi all, >> >> This is the Reader's Digest version of what the tunnels are. I spoke >> with >> Norman McDonald, president of the Ossining Historical and he told me he >> knows all about the tunnels and what they are. >> >> >> >> The area of the site, Riverdale Farm, was owned by Orlando B. Potter, a >> huge dairy farmer. The farm was 100 acres. The tunnels were built about >> 1871 to be used for several different things. Some rooms were to store >> cattle food, some rooms were a root cellar and it was also a path for >> cattle >> to get to different pastures. Seems you can't move a herd of cattle over >> grass or they stop to eat the grass. Since the brick was on the bottom on >> the tunnels (paved) it was easy to move the cattle through the tunnels to >> different pastures! >> >> Potter died in 1915 and his two daughters began selling off sections of >> the farm. The Ossining Historical Society has maps of the farm and also >> has >> pictures (taken my Norman) before the mansion was torn down. It was in >> the >> area of St. Augustine's Church. The mansion had 30 marble fireplaces! >> >> >> >> Norman spoke to a reporter and the entire story should be in the newspaper >> in a day or two. Now someone has to decide if the tunnels should be >> saved! >> >> Jean Ann >> >> >> >> *************************************** >> Have you checked out the Westchester County GenWeb site yet? >> http://www.rootsweb.com/~nywestch/ >> *************************************** >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> NYWESTCH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > > *************************************** > Have you checked out the Westchester County GenWeb site yet? > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nywestch/ > *************************************** > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NYWESTCH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > >