On becoming a land baron

For many years prior to our purchasing property in Manchester Township, Barb and I had dreamed of owning a piece of land on the banks of a trout stream. At one point back in the 70’s we almost settled for land high up on a ridge overlooking the Beaver Kill. However, this place was accessed by an old quarry trail off of old Route 17. When we discovered what it would cost to bring electricity to our location, we dropped the thought of this purchase.

We investigated buying a place on Shin Creek, a small tributary of the Beaver Kill, but came to discover it would take nearly an hour to drive from there, along back country roads, to the Beaver Kill. Therefore, that location was deemed a poor choice.

While canoeing on the Delaware below Hancock, we noticed a sign proclaiming land for sale. The owner was selling about 10 lots in a small development. We both felt this was an ideal location. However, for three and one half acres, part of which was a swamp, the owner was asking as much as we had paid for our home in Westchester County, NY. Bye bye.

We continued our search and were shown some land just upstream from the town of Long Eddy. The problem with this property was the long, very steep bank going down to the railroad tracks and then on down to the Delaware. I tried to imagine myself carrying our 66-pound canoe, on my back, for some 60 yards up that slope. The very thought was demoralizing.

At long last, fortune smiled upon us. One Sunday I came upon an ad in The New York Times. A realtor, Joseph Freda, was offering land in the Callicoon area. Our first outing with Freda did not turn us into buyers. However, within a week he contacted us regarding a piece of land on the Pennsylvania bank of the Delaware. Not wanting to take a day away from my business on another wild goose chase, I asked Freda where the property was located. He told me the property was about a mile above Kellam’s Bridge. Bodda bing, bodda boom! I decided we would look at the place the very next day.

As Barb and I walked the acreage with Freda, we could hardly conceal our excitement. It was perfect. The price, while not cheap, was within reach. When the realization hit me that we were about to lay out a considerable sum of money to buy our dream, I began to get cold feet. Freda had quoted us two prices. A higher price for property with river frontage and a lower price for land back from the river on a low ridge. I suggested to Barb that perhaps we should buy the lower priced land. She shook her head and reminded me that I had always wanted to be right on a river. Her attitude was if we were going to buy land, let’s buy what we really want. That was just what I needed to hear.

We drove down to Freda’s office in Callicoon and purchased 4.2 acres of PA riverfront. Now, some might be inclined to laugh at considering oneself to be a land baron with four acres of land. It all depends on your perspective. Barb and I were raised in the Bronx, in apartment houses. We eventually moved to Westchester County where we owned a home on only half an acre. Therefore, we could not have been happier if we owned the entire Delaware Valley.

At the time of our purchase the area was split into two camps: those who favored the river area becoming a national park and those who adamantly opposed the idea. Barb and I attended several of the anti-park meetings. After hearing the overheated rhetoric from those in opposition, we decided to support the idea of a national park. We had been told that if the National Park Service (NPS) gained a foothold in the valley, property values would collapse. Furthermore, we would have to ask permission of the NPS if we wished to paint our home any color but brown. In fact, if the park presence was approved the sky would fall. The fact is the value of our land alone has tripled in price, no one cares what color our cabin is and the sky has not fallen.

Though I doubt if he knows who I am, I always give Freda a big hello when I see him down in Callicoon. After all, he deserves the credit for leading us to our little piece of heaven on the banks of the beautiful Delaware.

Our land purchase has caused us to make many great new friends, and we have discovered a number of new streams that we had never fished before. Shortly after buying the land we built, in the words of one of our new neighbors, a small nondescript log cabin, which we jokingly refer to as the “Long Eddy bar & grill.” This because of the steady stream of fishing buddies who drop in to visit and fish with Barb and me.

Our purchase of this property was the second best decision the two of us have ever made. The best, well shucks, after we’ve been happily married for 53 great years, you should be able to guess what the best one was.