Born in New York. Wife of W. B. Sylvester. Descendant of Sergt. Samuel Seymour, of Connecticut. Daughter of William H. Seymour and Narcissa Pixley, his wife. Granddaughter of Samuel Seymour and Rebecca Osborn, his wife. Samuel Seymour served several enlistments as private and sergeant during the Revolution. He was a pensioner when he died at Litchfield, 1837, aged eighty-three.
Source: The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution
Monday, November 20, 2006
When Penfield Closed, Tradition was Put to Bed
January 1, 2006
Chuck Gordon seemed a bit weary the other day as we talked and walked around a city landmark.
A landmark business and a landmark of a building: 1710-20 N. Salina St. It was a hard week for the Gordon family. Wednesday, they closed Penfield Manufacturing Co., maker of mattresses in Syracuse for 113 years.
There was a party at the plant for the 35 workers, lots of tearful goodbyes and tons of loose ends to be tied.
Was the alarm system put in a different mode? Boxes of records packed? Rolls of unused padding gotten off to the suppliers for credit?
Chuck, the fourth president of Penfield in more than a century, was in sweat shirt and sneakers. His wife, Julie, kept coming into his second-floor office with questions and papers to sign. He looked ready for the few weeks of downtime he planned to begin at the end of the day Thursday.
"We tried to preserve what we had as long as we could," Chuck says.What he and his sister, Margery Burstein, had is a modestly successful company, with 36 workers at the end, and a piece of a franchise to build mattresses for the Ther-A-Pedic company.
The Gordons had the license that covers Upstate New York and Vermont, supplying mattresses and box springs to hotels, colleges and furniture stores. Penfield also made its own "Buyer's Choice" sets.
We've had mattress sets made by Penfield in this town since the Penfield family started its shop on South Franklin Street (in modern Armory Square) in the 1890s.
Chuck's grandfather, Reuben Gordon, bought the business from Florence Penfield, the founder's widow, in 1913. Chuck's dad, Al Gordon, took over the company from his father when Reuben died in 1957. Chuck did the same at Al's death in 1967, shelving a plan to go to graduate school and play his guitar for money. Chuck confides he didn't want to be the next Gordon to die on the job. He's 61, and the stress of his hands-on management style was closing in on him, he explains. Plus, he figures it would take an investment of a million dollars to re-equip the factory, upgrade the building and stay competitive.
The decision to close Penfield wasn't easy or quick, according to Chuck. He and his sister decided about 18 months ago to begin a strategy that involved selling the business, and the building, to a fellow mattress-maker that would take over Penfield's standards and sales territory.A real estate broker and business consultant were hired, but the original plan didn't work out.
"Finally," Chuck explains, "we decided that the end of '05 would be the end, no matter what.
"Employees and customers would be told at the end of November. Workers - all but one decided to stay to the last day - were given severance packages, counseling and chances to look for new jobs. A few already have lined up work in the field.Penfield is selling some stock and equipment to Alliance Sleep Products of Buffalo. Alliance also is picking up Penfield's Ther-A-Pedic license. Chuck plans to auction what's left in the building sometime next year.
The 220,000-foot-square factory at Salina and Wolf streets, extending east to Park Street, is another matter. The Gordons hadn't found a buyer by closing day, but will continue to list it with Pyramid Brokerage, through agent Mike Kalet.
Chuck knows this isn't just any old factory. The landmark's got a lot of baggage, including the familiar "house on the roof" - a place of many Syracuse legends.In 1880, H.A. Moyer put up the main building - the factory bought from Porter-Cable Co. by the Gordons 48 years ago - to build a line of 200 carriages. Later, he raised an annex across Park Street to make Moyer cars.
At one time, we're told, the plants employed 600 workers. Porter, the toolmaker, bought the original factory from the Moyers.Lithographs of the time show that the carriage factory had two "houses on the roof," one flying a flag from the top, the other a buggy weather vane. The annex had a smaller penthouse.
Legends aside, none of the "houses" ever were homes, or anything close. Today, the survivor - so visible from Interstate 81 and other North Side vistas - holds only rafters and machinery for an old freight elevator. We're told it held a water tank early on.
In 1937, Harvey Moyer's daughter, Maud (wife of architect Ward Wellington Ward), explained in a newspaper interview that the house - 21/2 stories and 25 square feet - was nothing more than an architectural gimmick used to attract attention to the business.It's done that nicely, across 125 years.
Chuck Gordon knows the Penfields, and his family, have provided millions of copies of a product of steel, cloth and wood that's essential to life. Penfield at its peak assembled 350 mattress sets in an eight-hour day, roughly 50,000 a year, "and we're a small factory compared to the big makers, which can do about 2,000 a day.
"Even though the tools, and materials, have been modernized since the original Penfield days, a mattress is still made by hand. A sign in the now-quiet shop reads: "You're sewing the mattress that sleeps the world."
In his 38 years on the job at 1710 N. Salina, Chuck says the product got "bigger and heavier with more exotic materials. Today, what makes it a good business is the marketing of the product."Some makers sell at factory shops. Penfield had a home furnishings store in the building until 1996. Syracuse's surviving mattress maker is the Southard family and its three Sleep Master stores.
Over the next few weeks, the Gordons will clean out their landmark and look after it. They're hoping to find a buyer who will feel the way they do about it."We'd like to see the character kept, if it's feasible," Chuck says. "It's an important piece of property. We're committed as a family to stay with it for a while."
Chuck Gordon seemed a bit weary the other day as we talked and walked around a city landmark.
A landmark business and a landmark of a building: 1710-20 N. Salina St. It was a hard week for the Gordon family. Wednesday, they closed Penfield Manufacturing Co., maker of mattresses in Syracuse for 113 years.
There was a party at the plant for the 35 workers, lots of tearful goodbyes and tons of loose ends to be tied.
Was the alarm system put in a different mode? Boxes of records packed? Rolls of unused padding gotten off to the suppliers for credit?
Chuck, the fourth president of Penfield in more than a century, was in sweat shirt and sneakers. His wife, Julie, kept coming into his second-floor office with questions and papers to sign. He looked ready for the few weeks of downtime he planned to begin at the end of the day Thursday.
"We tried to preserve what we had as long as we could," Chuck says.What he and his sister, Margery Burstein, had is a modestly successful company, with 36 workers at the end, and a piece of a franchise to build mattresses for the Ther-A-Pedic company.
The Gordons had the license that covers Upstate New York and Vermont, supplying mattresses and box springs to hotels, colleges and furniture stores. Penfield also made its own "Buyer's Choice" sets.
We've had mattress sets made by Penfield in this town since the Penfield family started its shop on South Franklin Street (in modern Armory Square) in the 1890s.
Chuck's grandfather, Reuben Gordon, bought the business from Florence Penfield, the founder's widow, in 1913. Chuck's dad, Al Gordon, took over the company from his father when Reuben died in 1957. Chuck did the same at Al's death in 1967, shelving a plan to go to graduate school and play his guitar for money. Chuck confides he didn't want to be the next Gordon to die on the job. He's 61, and the stress of his hands-on management style was closing in on him, he explains. Plus, he figures it would take an investment of a million dollars to re-equip the factory, upgrade the building and stay competitive.
The decision to close Penfield wasn't easy or quick, according to Chuck. He and his sister decided about 18 months ago to begin a strategy that involved selling the business, and the building, to a fellow mattress-maker that would take over Penfield's standards and sales territory.A real estate broker and business consultant were hired, but the original plan didn't work out.
"Finally," Chuck explains, "we decided that the end of '05 would be the end, no matter what.
"Employees and customers would be told at the end of November. Workers - all but one decided to stay to the last day - were given severance packages, counseling and chances to look for new jobs. A few already have lined up work in the field.Penfield is selling some stock and equipment to Alliance Sleep Products of Buffalo. Alliance also is picking up Penfield's Ther-A-Pedic license. Chuck plans to auction what's left in the building sometime next year.
The 220,000-foot-square factory at Salina and Wolf streets, extending east to Park Street, is another matter. The Gordons hadn't found a buyer by closing day, but will continue to list it with Pyramid Brokerage, through agent Mike Kalet.
Chuck knows this isn't just any old factory. The landmark's got a lot of baggage, including the familiar "house on the roof" - a place of many Syracuse legends.In 1880, H.A. Moyer put up the main building - the factory bought from Porter-Cable Co. by the Gordons 48 years ago - to build a line of 200 carriages. Later, he raised an annex across Park Street to make Moyer cars.
At one time, we're told, the plants employed 600 workers. Porter, the toolmaker, bought the original factory from the Moyers.Lithographs of the time show that the carriage factory had two "houses on the roof," one flying a flag from the top, the other a buggy weather vane. The annex had a smaller penthouse.
Legends aside, none of the "houses" ever were homes, or anything close. Today, the survivor - so visible from Interstate 81 and other North Side vistas - holds only rafters and machinery for an old freight elevator. We're told it held a water tank early on.
In 1937, Harvey Moyer's daughter, Maud (wife of architect Ward Wellington Ward), explained in a newspaper interview that the house - 21/2 stories and 25 square feet - was nothing more than an architectural gimmick used to attract attention to the business.It's done that nicely, across 125 years.
Chuck Gordon knows the Penfields, and his family, have provided millions of copies of a product of steel, cloth and wood that's essential to life. Penfield at its peak assembled 350 mattress sets in an eight-hour day, roughly 50,000 a year, "and we're a small factory compared to the big makers, which can do about 2,000 a day.
"Even though the tools, and materials, have been modernized since the original Penfield days, a mattress is still made by hand. A sign in the now-quiet shop reads: "You're sewing the mattress that sleeps the world."
In his 38 years on the job at 1710 N. Salina, Chuck says the product got "bigger and heavier with more exotic materials. Today, what makes it a good business is the marketing of the product."Some makers sell at factory shops. Penfield had a home furnishings store in the building until 1996. Syracuse's surviving mattress maker is the Southard family and its three Sleep Master stores.
Over the next few weeks, the Gordons will clean out their landmark and look after it. They're hoping to find a buyer who will feel the way they do about it."We'd like to see the character kept, if it's feasible," Chuck says. "It's an important piece of property. We're committed as a family to stay with it for a while."
Dorothea R. Gordon, 74, Community Leader, Artist
Dorothea Edythe Rosenthal Gordon created beauty through china painting and embroidery and in her garden.
Her contributions endowed a Torah and helped develop the library at Temple Society of Concord.
She was associated with Penfield Manufacturing Co., the family wholesale furniture business, many years.
Mrs. Gordon died today at Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital after an illness of a few months. She was 74 and lived at 106 Fayette Circle, Fayetteville, and Penwood on South Shore Road on Fourth Lake, near Old Forge.
"She was very creative. Whatever she did - china painting, embroidery, volunteering, the garden club - she was always creating beautiful things for people," her daughter, Margery Burstein, said today.
"Her home had a feeling of appreciation for life, especially for the arts. She definitely stopped to smell the roses."
Mrs. Gordon was a member of Temple Society of Concord for more than 50 years. She was president of its Sisterhood, active in its Seniors Group and played with the Temple Bridge Club.
"I have lost a friend who helped welcome me to Temple Concord as soon as I arrived in Syracuse three years ago," Rabbi Shelly Ezring said today. "She responded to one of my first dreams for the congregation by donating a Torah scroll in memory of her beloved husband, Albert, so the congregation would have a new and perfectly proper Torah to use in the synagogue. She shared her feelings and her friendship with the congregation, with the community and with me personally. Along with her family, I mourn her loss deeply."
Mrs. Gordon was born in Pittsburgh and grew up in Dayton, Ohio, the daughter of Charles H. and Rose Marie Lambie Rosenthal. Her father was trained as a rabbi but went into the tobacco business; her mother was a concert pianist.
Mrs. Gordon graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in 1940, where she was a member of Theta Sigma Phi and Alpha Epsilon Phi.She married Albert Gordon in October 1940 and lived the rest of her life in the Syracuse area. He was a founding trustee of Onondaga Community College, active in Republican politics, chairman of the Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital board and first chairman of the Onondaga County Youth Board. After his death in 1967, Mrs. Gordon helped establish a scholarship fund at OCC in his memory. The college student center bears his name.
Mrs. Gordon, a 40-year volunteer at Fayetteville Free Library, was honored in 1991 by the library as its longest serving volunteer. She also volunteered many years at the former Cerebral Palsy Center, now Enable.She was a member and treasurer of Garden Gate Garden Club and parliamentarian of the Embroidery Guild. She studied through the Professional Porcelain Artists Association and was active in the Cherry Valley China Painters and New York State China Painting. She won many awards for her artistry.
Mrs. Gordon was widely traveled. In recent years she visited Israel, Egypt, Australia, Hawaii, Europe and China.
She was a member of Lafayette Country Club and its bridge group, the Corinthian Club, Cavalry Club, National Council of Jewish Women and Women's American ORT.
Surviving are a son, Charles L. of Cazenovia, president of Penfield Manufacturing Co.; a daughter, Margery Gordon Burstein of Fayetteville, education director of Epstein School of Jewish Studies; and four grandchildren, Jenny Rebecca Gordon and Mark Albert, Florence Beth and Robert Gordon Burstein; and nieces and nephews.
Services are at 2 p.m. Friday at Temple Society of Concord. Burial is in Woodlawn Cemetery, Syracuse.Calling hours are 12:30 to 2 p.m. Friday at the temple, 910 Madison St., Syracuse. After the funeral, family and friends will gather at the home of her daughter, 106 Fayette Circle.Contributions may be made to Albert Gordon Torah Fund of Temple Society of Concord; Rabbi Epstein School, 450 Kimber Road, DeWitt; or Auxiliary of the Jewish Home of Central New York.
Her contributions endowed a Torah and helped develop the library at Temple Society of Concord.
She was associated with Penfield Manufacturing Co., the family wholesale furniture business, many years.
Mrs. Gordon died today at Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital after an illness of a few months. She was 74 and lived at 106 Fayette Circle, Fayetteville, and Penwood on South Shore Road on Fourth Lake, near Old Forge.
"She was very creative. Whatever she did - china painting, embroidery, volunteering, the garden club - she was always creating beautiful things for people," her daughter, Margery Burstein, said today.
"Her home had a feeling of appreciation for life, especially for the arts. She definitely stopped to smell the roses."
Mrs. Gordon was a member of Temple Society of Concord for more than 50 years. She was president of its Sisterhood, active in its Seniors Group and played with the Temple Bridge Club.
"I have lost a friend who helped welcome me to Temple Concord as soon as I arrived in Syracuse three years ago," Rabbi Shelly Ezring said today. "She responded to one of my first dreams for the congregation by donating a Torah scroll in memory of her beloved husband, Albert, so the congregation would have a new and perfectly proper Torah to use in the synagogue. She shared her feelings and her friendship with the congregation, with the community and with me personally. Along with her family, I mourn her loss deeply."
Mrs. Gordon was born in Pittsburgh and grew up in Dayton, Ohio, the daughter of Charles H. and Rose Marie Lambie Rosenthal. Her father was trained as a rabbi but went into the tobacco business; her mother was a concert pianist.
Mrs. Gordon graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in 1940, where she was a member of Theta Sigma Phi and Alpha Epsilon Phi.She married Albert Gordon in October 1940 and lived the rest of her life in the Syracuse area. He was a founding trustee of Onondaga Community College, active in Republican politics, chairman of the Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital board and first chairman of the Onondaga County Youth Board. After his death in 1967, Mrs. Gordon helped establish a scholarship fund at OCC in his memory. The college student center bears his name.
Mrs. Gordon, a 40-year volunteer at Fayetteville Free Library, was honored in 1991 by the library as its longest serving volunteer. She also volunteered many years at the former Cerebral Palsy Center, now Enable.She was a member and treasurer of Garden Gate Garden Club and parliamentarian of the Embroidery Guild. She studied through the Professional Porcelain Artists Association and was active in the Cherry Valley China Painters and New York State China Painting. She won many awards for her artistry.
Mrs. Gordon was widely traveled. In recent years she visited Israel, Egypt, Australia, Hawaii, Europe and China.
She was a member of Lafayette Country Club and its bridge group, the Corinthian Club, Cavalry Club, National Council of Jewish Women and Women's American ORT.
Surviving are a son, Charles L. of Cazenovia, president of Penfield Manufacturing Co.; a daughter, Margery Gordon Burstein of Fayetteville, education director of Epstein School of Jewish Studies; and four grandchildren, Jenny Rebecca Gordon and Mark Albert, Florence Beth and Robert Gordon Burstein; and nieces and nephews.
Services are at 2 p.m. Friday at Temple Society of Concord. Burial is in Woodlawn Cemetery, Syracuse.Calling hours are 12:30 to 2 p.m. Friday at the temple, 910 Madison St., Syracuse. After the funeral, family and friends will gather at the home of her daughter, 106 Fayette Circle.Contributions may be made to Albert Gordon Torah Fund of Temple Society of Concord; Rabbi Epstein School, 450 Kimber Road, DeWitt; or Auxiliary of the Jewish Home of Central New York.
July 3, 1992
Dorothea Edythe Rosenthal Gordon, 74, of 106 Fayette Circle, Fayetteville, died Thursday at Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital after a long illness.
A native of Pittsburgh, Mrs. Gordon grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and came to the Syracuse area after her marriage in 1940 to Albert Gordon. Mr. Gordon, who died in 1967, was a founding trustee of Onondaga Community College and chairman of the Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital board. After his death, Mrs. Gordon helped establish a scholarship fund at OCC in his memory. The college student center bears his name. Mrs. Gordon was associated many years with Penfield Manufacturing Co., the family wholesale furniture business. Her son, Charles L., is the current president of the firm.
Mrs. Gordon was a member of Temple Society of Concord for more than 50 years. She was president of its Sisterhood, active in its Seniors Group and played with the Temple Bridge Club. She helped develop the temple library and recently endowed a Torah at the temple in honor of her late husband.
Mrs. Gordon was a 1940 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, where she was a member of Theta Sigma Phi and Alpha Epsilon Phi. Mrs. Gordon, a 40-year volunteer at Fayetteville Free Library, was also a volunteer for many years at the former Cerebral Palsy Center, now Enable. She was a member and treasurer of Garden Gate Garden Club and parliamentarian of the Embroidery Guild. She studied through the Professional Porcelain Artists Association and was active in the Cherry Valley China Painters and New York State China Painting. She won many awards for her works.
Mrs. Gordon was a member of LaFayette Country Club and its bridge group; the Corinthian Club; Cavalry Club; National Council of Jewish Women; Women's American ORT; and the auxiliary of the Jewish Home of Central New York.
Surviving besides her son of Cazenovia is a daughter, Margery Gordon Burstein of Fayetteville; four grandchildren; and nieces and nephews. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in Temple Society of Concord. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery.Calling hours will be 12:30 to 2 p.m. today at the temple, 910 Madison St. After the services, friends may call at their convenience at the family home. Contributions may be made to Albert Gordon Torah Fund of Temple Society of Concord or the Rabbi Epstein School.
A native of Pittsburgh, Mrs. Gordon grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and came to the Syracuse area after her marriage in 1940 to Albert Gordon. Mr. Gordon, who died in 1967, was a founding trustee of Onondaga Community College and chairman of the Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital board. After his death, Mrs. Gordon helped establish a scholarship fund at OCC in his memory. The college student center bears his name. Mrs. Gordon was associated many years with Penfield Manufacturing Co., the family wholesale furniture business. Her son, Charles L., is the current president of the firm.
Mrs. Gordon was a member of Temple Society of Concord for more than 50 years. She was president of its Sisterhood, active in its Seniors Group and played with the Temple Bridge Club. She helped develop the temple library and recently endowed a Torah at the temple in honor of her late husband.
Mrs. Gordon was a 1940 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, where she was a member of Theta Sigma Phi and Alpha Epsilon Phi. Mrs. Gordon, a 40-year volunteer at Fayetteville Free Library, was also a volunteer for many years at the former Cerebral Palsy Center, now Enable. She was a member and treasurer of Garden Gate Garden Club and parliamentarian of the Embroidery Guild. She studied through the Professional Porcelain Artists Association and was active in the Cherry Valley China Painters and New York State China Painting. She won many awards for her works.
Mrs. Gordon was a member of LaFayette Country Club and its bridge group; the Corinthian Club; Cavalry Club; National Council of Jewish Women; Women's American ORT; and the auxiliary of the Jewish Home of Central New York.
Surviving besides her son of Cazenovia is a daughter, Margery Gordon Burstein of Fayetteville; four grandchildren; and nieces and nephews. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in Temple Society of Concord. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery.Calling hours will be 12:30 to 2 p.m. today at the temple, 910 Madison St. After the services, friends may call at their convenience at the family home. Contributions may be made to Albert Gordon Torah Fund of Temple Society of Concord or the Rabbi Epstein School.
Fayetteville Library Exhibit Honors 42-Year Volunteer
In 1991 Fayetteville Free Library named Dorothea Gordon Volunteer of the Year. This year, in further tribute to her 42 years as Tuesday night volunteer, the library hosts an exhibit of Gordon's art. Gordon, who died in 1992, was trained as a journalist and had broad interests, as the exhibit illustrates. Visitors will see examples of her needlework, china painting, knitting and drawing.Gordon was a longtime member of the Garden Gate Garden Club and often took floral arrangements to the library. For the exhibit, her daughter-in-law, Julie Gordon, has made an arrangement in the Japanese style that Gordon loved.Gordon was also fond of painting on china. She had a kiln in her kitchen and used it to turn out tea sets, platters and desert dishes. She enjoyed painting roses and portraits of Native Americans, and both appear in her works on china.
Dorothea Edythe Rosenthal Gordon, 1918-1992, Artist & Philanthropist
Born June 2, 1918, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Died July 2, 1992, Syracuse, New York
Widow of Albert Gordon
Daughter of Charles H. Rosenthal and Rose M. Lambie
Mother of Charles L. Gordon and Margery Ellin Gordon Burstein
Buried July 3, 1992, Woodlawn Cemetery, Syracuse, New York
Died July 2, 1992, Syracuse, New York
Widow of Albert Gordon
Daughter of Charles H. Rosenthal and Rose M. Lambie
Mother of Charles L. Gordon and Margery Ellin Gordon Burstein
Buried July 3, 1992, Woodlawn Cemetery, Syracuse, New York
The Owners of Lots 40, 41, 42, 43 John Brown's Tract, Herkimer County, New York
1791-State of New York
1792-Alexander McComb
1798-John Brown
1803-Estate of John Brown
1893-William Seward and Eliza Osgood Webb (40, 41, 42, 43)
1893-Arletta E. Ingham (40, 41)
1901-William Bedell Sylvester (40, 41)
1903-William J. and Marie B. Thistlethwaite (42, 43)
1905-James and Anna Thistlethwaite (42, 43)
1905-Helen Seymour Sylvester (42,43)
1908-Herbert Agate (part of 43)
1915-Helen Seymour Sylvester (40, 41, 42, 43)
1921-Estate of Helen Seymour Sylvester (40, 41, 42, 43)
1921-James Horatio Seymour (fee simple); William Sylvester (life)
1933-Estate of James Horatio Seymour
1943-Helen Seymour Wiley
1945-James M. and Marjorie A. Kennedy
1953-Albert and Dorothea R. Gordon
1967-Dorothea Gordon
1970-Dorothea Gordon (40); M.G. Burstein/C.L. Gordon (41, 42, 43)
1980-Dorothea Gordon (40/life); Margery Burstein (40, 41, 42, 43)
1981-George L. Spoll (42); Joseph and Josephine Testa (43)
1992-Margery Burstein (40, 41)
1792-Alexander McComb
1798-John Brown
1803-Estate of John Brown
1893-William Seward and Eliza Osgood Webb (40, 41, 42, 43)
1893-Arletta E. Ingham (40, 41)
1901-William Bedell Sylvester (40, 41)
1903-William J. and Marie B. Thistlethwaite (42, 43)
1905-James and Anna Thistlethwaite (42, 43)
1905-Helen Seymour Sylvester (42,43)
1908-Herbert Agate (part of 43)
1915-Helen Seymour Sylvester (40, 41, 42, 43)
1921-Estate of Helen Seymour Sylvester (40, 41, 42, 43)
1921-James Horatio Seymour (fee simple); William Sylvester (life)
1933-Estate of James Horatio Seymour
1943-Helen Seymour Wiley
1945-James M. and Marjorie A. Kennedy
1953-Albert and Dorothea R. Gordon
1967-Dorothea Gordon
1970-Dorothea Gordon (40); M.G. Burstein/C.L. Gordon (41, 42, 43)
1980-Dorothea Gordon (40/life); Margery Burstein (40, 41, 42, 43)
1981-George L. Spoll (42); Joseph and Josephine Testa (43)
1992-Margery Burstein (40, 41)
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
I'm not making Thanksgiving dinner this year, which is pretty rare for me. Over the years, I've adjusted and perfected my turkey recipe, and I thought I'd share it. This isn't a recipe in the Julia Child sense. No measurements, or anything like that. I like to cook by feel.
The Marinade.
Pulverize a small package of dried porcini mushrooms in a coffee grinder (one that you've never used for coffee ... I keep two, one for coffee and another for herbs and dried mushrooms). Combine the mushrooms with chopped shallots, a lot of fresh rosemary (preferably organic), a few cloves of garlic and a few tablespoons of truffle oil (yes, truffle oil). Process all of these ingredients in a small food processor until it becomes a smooth paste, somewhat like the consistency of stone ground mustard. Set aside.
The Night before Thanksgiving.
Take the turkey out of the package and remove the organs in the cavity (you will use them later, so save them). Try to get a good free range turkey; they really are tastier. Wash the turkey thoroughly in cold water and pat dry. Carefully loosen the skin of the breast and begin working small amounts of the marinade underneath as far as you can, being careful not to break the skin. Using a small, sharp knife, make a series of small incisions inside the cavity of the turkey and then spread the marinade throughout. If you have any marinade left, spread it liberally around the entire surface of the turkey. At this point, you can truss the turkey if you like.
The Sauce.
About an hour before placing the turkey in the oven, saute chopped onions, carrots and celery in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the vegetables are glistening, turn up the heat and add some good quality chicken stock and a large sprig of fresh rosemary. At this point, add all of the turkey organs you set aside the night before. Once the stock comes to a boil, add a full bottle of red wine (a nice Bordeaux with oak overtones will work well, or even a Beaujolais if you want a brighter, fruitier flavor). Simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes or until reduced by about a third. At this point, you can take the sauce off the heat and discard the organs.
Roasting the Turkey.
Preheat the oven while you're making the sauce above. Place the turkey in a good quality roasting pan and arrange large pieces of autumn vegetables, lightly tossed in olive oil, all around. Generally, it's a good idea to follow the roasting instructions included with your turkey. I tend to roast mine at 400 degrees until a meat thermometer registers the proper temperature when inserted between the wing and main body of the turkey. After about an hour, or when the turkey starts to turn a golden brown, add all of the sauce to the roasting pan. At this stage, I baste the turkey every 30 minutes, using a baster with a metal syringe tip. If you think the turkey is browning too much, cover it with a sheet or two of aluminum foil. If you find that the sauce is reducing too much, don't be afraid to add another bottle of wine.
Finishing the Job.
Once the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and place it on a large carving platter. It's important to let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before serving. Remove the vegetables and place in a serving dish. Place the roasting pan over a couple of burners on the stove top and set to medium-high heat. Deglaze the pan and reduce the sauce until it achieves the thickness of a thin gravy. If you wish, you can strain the sauce before serving it alongside the turkey.
That's it. You should end up with a luxurious turkey featuring deep, complex and subtle flavors. Best of all, it will even taste better the next day. For those of you brave enough to cook the Friday after Thanksgiving, there's a delicious soup you can make from the leftovers. I'll post that recipe later in the week.
The Marinade.
Pulverize a small package of dried porcini mushrooms in a coffee grinder (one that you've never used for coffee ... I keep two, one for coffee and another for herbs and dried mushrooms). Combine the mushrooms with chopped shallots, a lot of fresh rosemary (preferably organic), a few cloves of garlic and a few tablespoons of truffle oil (yes, truffle oil). Process all of these ingredients in a small food processor until it becomes a smooth paste, somewhat like the consistency of stone ground mustard. Set aside.
The Night before Thanksgiving.
Take the turkey out of the package and remove the organs in the cavity (you will use them later, so save them). Try to get a good free range turkey; they really are tastier. Wash the turkey thoroughly in cold water and pat dry. Carefully loosen the skin of the breast and begin working small amounts of the marinade underneath as far as you can, being careful not to break the skin. Using a small, sharp knife, make a series of small incisions inside the cavity of the turkey and then spread the marinade throughout. If you have any marinade left, spread it liberally around the entire surface of the turkey. At this point, you can truss the turkey if you like.
The Sauce.
About an hour before placing the turkey in the oven, saute chopped onions, carrots and celery in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the vegetables are glistening, turn up the heat and add some good quality chicken stock and a large sprig of fresh rosemary. At this point, add all of the turkey organs you set aside the night before. Once the stock comes to a boil, add a full bottle of red wine (a nice Bordeaux with oak overtones will work well, or even a Beaujolais if you want a brighter, fruitier flavor). Simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes or until reduced by about a third. At this point, you can take the sauce off the heat and discard the organs.
Roasting the Turkey.
Preheat the oven while you're making the sauce above. Place the turkey in a good quality roasting pan and arrange large pieces of autumn vegetables, lightly tossed in olive oil, all around. Generally, it's a good idea to follow the roasting instructions included with your turkey. I tend to roast mine at 400 degrees until a meat thermometer registers the proper temperature when inserted between the wing and main body of the turkey. After about an hour, or when the turkey starts to turn a golden brown, add all of the sauce to the roasting pan. At this stage, I baste the turkey every 30 minutes, using a baster with a metal syringe tip. If you think the turkey is browning too much, cover it with a sheet or two of aluminum foil. If you find that the sauce is reducing too much, don't be afraid to add another bottle of wine.
Finishing the Job.
Once the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and place it on a large carving platter. It's important to let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before serving. Remove the vegetables and place in a serving dish. Place the roasting pan over a couple of burners on the stove top and set to medium-high heat. Deglaze the pan and reduce the sauce until it achieves the thickness of a thin gravy. If you wish, you can strain the sauce before serving it alongside the turkey.
That's it. You should end up with a luxurious turkey featuring deep, complex and subtle flavors. Best of all, it will even taste better the next day. For those of you brave enough to cook the Friday after Thanksgiving, there's a delicious soup you can make from the leftovers. I'll post that recipe later in the week.
Secret Cigarette
The young, hormone-rich bodies of the two fourteen-year-old boys sent signals to Mark and Tad that urgently needed translating. Their conversations, normal verbal communication, in the fresh, Adirondack air, by the lake and in the sun, and at night, definitely at night, were subsumed by a much more powerful chemical communication exchanged between them through the air, in a language neither understood and neither could control.The stolen, secret cigarette shared between them by the campfire was arousing not because cigarettes were forbidden but because they were sharing, the two of them, in a secret together. The intimacy of a shared teenage cigarette was a deep, wet, and hungry kiss. Their first.
As I exhaled the smoke from the Marlboro purchased with a forged note from Mary's Gift Shop in town, I tried to decipher the signals I was getting, not just from Tad, but more importantly from myself, my body. The smell of the pine trees and the gentle lapping sound of the lake against the shore is idelibly connected to the sound of my racing heartbeat and flushed, smooth skin: thump-thump-thump, so hard it seems to show through my t-shirt.
Tad came to the Adirondacks from another country, the son of a wealthy family who purchased a second -- or third, or fourth -- home on our lake. His differentness and originality felt to me like emerging from the stale air of an airplane into the fresh tropical air of Florida and the Miami sun.
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 BursteinSkip and Trudy on Penwood Porch
Skip and Trudy are close friends of my Uncle Chuck and Aunt Julie. Chuck and Julie invited Skip and Trudy to the camp from time to time, and here they are sitting on the Penwood front porch. This must have been taken in the early 1970's. I was a few years old - three or four? You can see the original hemlock bark siding on the house, the (possibly) original green trim color and the porch as it was more than 30 years ago. Skip and Trudy look very groovy.Mark Water Skiing, Fourth Lake
Photo Credit: Jeffrey WatsonThis photo was taken when I was first learing to waterski. I was using Cypress Gardens trainers, as you can see from the way the rope is tied to the skis. I think I used these only once or twice, and they have been sitting in the boathouse ever since. Our good friend and annual Penwood guest for many years, Jeff Watson, took this picture (I think). He is an excellent photographer and gives us a photograph every year, which hang in Penwood and Nina's Camp.
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