Albert Gordon

Mother on Red Boat, Fourth Lake

After seeing the picture of me on the red boat I had to respond! That particular picture was taken by the professional photographer at Camp Eagle Cove. Al Edison was his name and he was a staff photographer at the Syracuse Herald Journal and Post Standard, and made extra money by freelance commissions. For years he was hired by Fayetteville-Manlius High School to take some of the group pictures for the yearbook, and I was one of the students assigned to work with him when I was in "Yearbook Club" at F-M. This particular picture was taken in either 1960 or 1961 the two years I worked at Eagle Cove. Because he knew Al and Dorothea, he would stop at Penwood for a drink and conversation as part of his photo shoot at Camp Eagle Cove. -- Margery Gordon Burstein

And a House on Top. . .

Our Adirondack camp, Penwood, was named for our family's company, Penfield Mfg. Co. in Syracuse, New York. The company was run by my great-grandfather, then my grandfather, Albert Gordon, and finally, by my uncle Charles L. Gordon. It recently, sadly, closed its doors after a long and distinguished history as a part of the Syracuse community. Like many of the manufacturing companies that used to thrive in upstate New York, Penfield suffered from the modernization of the industry, global commerce, ease of shipping, efficient manufacturing, and consolidation of industries and, of course, competition. There was no 1-800-MATTRESS in the heyday of Penfield, let alone a mattress.com. Hotels did not sell their Fabulous Beds on their Internet sites, like Four Seasons, Starwood and other hotel companies now do. It was crippled by its inability to change and be flexible in a world of commerce that is all about adapting fast and staying competitive. Another local company, L&JG Stickley, almost suffered the same fate, but it was bought and rehabilitated by Alfred Audi and his wife and turned into a shiny new model of quality and efficiency. So here is a small tribute to Penfield and its great old building on Salina Street, with a little house on top.