Chapter 199
12/29/2008
Stoner Lake 1949
Texas Oil lubes the way
Back when I worked in oil business briefly (Oct '73), I helped drive and deliver home heating fuel when my father-in-law, Peter Kanches, had a broken ankle. He owned a Texas Oil (Texaco) gas station (later Sunoco) on the corner of State Rte 67 and Rte 5 in Ft Johnson with his Lithuanian born father until my government agency, the NYSDOT, expanded the road and took it away under eminent domain. He had also maintained his own small fuel oil delivery and service company which continued till his retirement.
The family has just converted into DVD (two for 4 hours) the 8mm movies he took starting back in 1947. My video is a condensed edit of the surprisingly good quality home movies. It is a glance back at the somewhat bygone era of the simpler joys of summer camp life on an Adirondack lake with wooden boats, seaplanes, big fish, and other recreational activities. It's not so far back for most of us and not really so out of style as a half century sounds.
The camp experience didn't just happen by accident. Pete, without benefit of a high school diploma, did quite well for himself as a hard working and stern man who had rules to obey. It's not everyone who has a second summer home on an Adirondack lake. You have to respect the legacy he created and left behind.
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scene details need to be provided (in digital format) by family- like my family, they wont
Pete at gas station 1948
Lillian & Emilia (Pete's sister), Paul Pete B&W lic plate # 7 on beat-up car (grandpas 1935 Plymouth) probably the 71147 filmed later on the 1948 plate
Pete fix tire
Texaco gas (Fire Chief and tetra ethly lead now outlawed Sky Chief) sta maybe '53 (by 1958 was Sunoco)?
red delivery truck 51 Chevy? if new because Kathy about 4 in 1951 -phone #1574
xmas 46 w/ very cool old metal cars
May 30,1947 picnic-at Wells near Sacandaga River 1940 plymouth
1948 lic
pete-dave bikes in chicken yard next to house
1949 first bought camp
nicky & sis, Kathy, Dave, Paul behind camp
Cessena 195 seaplane owned by Bill Wilt (next to Nicky's) takeoff Stoner?
new 1949 19ft Mahogany Cris-Craft Runabout Racer (maybe a handbuilt copy w ford V8) inboard straight K-6cyl 158 hp, sold after a short time- too much wake for neighbors, elite boats for the stars , award winner , model available $144, or buy comparable $40,000 or get serial number and track down original, or buy new model $
Paul Kathy Dave Pete Bootsie
Paul in Cris Craft
boat shots
Pete with 2 Chain Pickerel (9#, 29inch using forensic photo analysis) next to new mahogany wood boat w/1951 Evinrude 2cyl 25hp outboard
kids pike
pete different pickerel
Republic Aviation RC3 Seabee amphibian seaplane unusual aluminum Swedish pusher plane made Farmingdale, LI -fuselage goes right in water w/ pontoons under each wing, last sold in 1948- 175 hp Franklin opposed 6cyl flat air cooled, remnants of air-cooled Franklin Motor Car engines (Syracuse) visited in Ch 183, also owned by Bill Wilt- later crashed and survived in Canada when passenger had a heart attack slumped forward hitting controls and killed engine.
pete/dave rowing boat
3 in canoe
dave solo row boat
dave kathy sinking wooden row boat
paul dave sink boat
kathy in wood boat
back of camp-flathead V-8 blue 1949 Mercury coupe -driven by James Dean in Rebel without a cause
winter
ride to camp
bridge to E Stoner Rd
Petie 15? run on frozen lake
Paul put on skates
Dave skate checkered hat
Paul Kathy Lillian on sled
neighbors on sled
petie? on cross country skis
Paul run fall on snow shoes
back of camp
Pete et al shovel snow off camp roof
Speed skating segment actually at Ft Johnson or won at Hagaman - Pete Jr won many races- thinks he's a champ but he's the oldest one there
Paul in snowshoe race
Laura dancing in front of camp
Petie 16? wood boat white bottom
Robbie Miller in Kanches wood boat
Pete slalom ski
Petie 15? w/ Pickerel
white ducks
neighbor boys carry 21 ft Glastron fiberglass boat to store under camp robbie, Bobbie Vivian & brother Paul
Kanches red 1954 jeep pull out fiberglass boat at L George /chick's Marina Bolton Landing?
gas station now Sunoco 1960? Pete's 54 green/cream Chrysler at pump, customers 57 chev, 60 chrysler 300 wh tailfins, gas 27 cents
1948-Pete's dad always in Texaco hat , couldn't write so when customers called for heating fuel had to give orders verbal to Pete
1948 Lilian in fur collar coat
1948 Pete in late mid 1942s red Chevy fuel truck