Beacon Business History Written In Stone by Denise VanBuren (from Aug 2022 BHS Newsletter)
Stoneware from the Beacon Historical Society collection
Our Historical Society recently received a generous donation of rare early Beacon stoneware from collector James Becker of Walden, NY. Three of the pieces are marked “S.G. and J.T. Smith,” while the fourth is from Samuel Beskin’s store; all four serve as tangible reminders of men who became influential early business leaders of our community.
S.G. and J.T. Smith were respected community entrepreneurs who operated stores in each of the Twin Villages of Matteawan and Fishkill Landing. Their 1892 letterhead advertised their dealings in “Dry Goods, Carpets, Boots, Shoes and Crockery.” Silas G. Smith was an early Main Street retailer who officially welcomed his son John T. Smith as his business partner in 1861. Both would serve as president of the Mechanics Saving Bank. By 1886, John would also become president of the First National Bank of Fishkill Landing; he was additionally elected president of the Citizens’ Street Railway and Fishkill Electric Railway companies that provided trolley service, as well the first president of the Mt. Beacon Association that built the Incline Railway. When the Southern Dutchess Gas & Electric Company was formed in 1906, you guessed it: John T. Smith was its president. He further served on the Board of Education, was President of the Village of Fishkill Landing from 1877-1882 and served in the New York State Assembly from 1898-1904. He claimed his most important accomplishment in the last was passage of a bill that prohibited the City of New York from diverting the Fishkill and Wappinger creeks into the city’s water supply.
The Beskin stoneware jug is an important piece due to its connection to Samuel Beskin, Beacon’s second mayor (1917-1919). A real-life rags-to-riches story, Beskin immigrated from Russia in 1891. Within a decade, he went from peddler to successful entrepreneur, became a leader in politics and established himself as an active member of several community and religious organizations. Beskin’s saloon and bottling plant, called the Colonial Brewery and located on Beekman Street, was a popular place until Prohibition shuttered it. The Society retains several items related to Beskin’s numerous retail establishments, and we are delighted to add this stoneware to our collection.
Interview with James Becker
Jim Becker, Walden NY 2022
Jim Becker started collecting stoneware, glass bottles, stereoscopic views and postcards in the mid 1960s. He developed a keen eye and engaged in learning about each specialty by joining local and national clubs and associations, reading books and journals devoted to the subject, and interacting with other collectors. Visiting museums and historical societies also helped to fuel his passion. Most of the items in his collection were bought at shows, antique shops, and auctions, with the exception of a few privy digs.
“What is fascinating about collecting these objects is the romance of each piece…wondering who owned them and what they did with them. Each piece tells a part of history.” Becker recounted how he started as a collector. When he returned home from Cornell University with a college degree in one hand and a box of bottle in the other, his parents thought he was crazy. When they learned the value of the bottles, his parent got the “collecting bug” and joined Becker in his search.
Over the years, Becker’s collections and knowledge grew. His glass bottle collection, numbering in the hundreds, consists of figural bitters bottles (in the shape of corn or fish) and historical flasks mainly of presidents or eagles, some showing national pride, others of images of foreign newsmakers such as Louis Kossuth, a mid-century Hungarian patriot and revolutionist. With each of his collections, Becker enjoyed studying how the objects were made, or of a particular manufacturer. In the case of glass making, Becker became an expert on Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, who was also an author, ethnologist, explorer, geologist, and Indian agent.
Becker’s stereoscopic view collection of about 7,000 cards from the 1850s to the 1880s consisted mainly of New York State images by famous photographers such as E & H.T. Anthony, August Loeffler, Seneca Ray Stoddard, and Newburgh photographer Palmer. Jim stated that “it must have been very enticing to see 3D images from your home town to across the world, as early as 1850.” Becker’s collection also included rare stereo viewers and photographic supplies from the Anthony Brothers Company, based in Harlem from the mid 1800s.
On the topic of collecting stoneware, Becker recommends reading William Ketchum’s books to learn about American and NY State stoneware. Finding rare and local pieces always brought depth and breadth to his collection.
Alongside the stoneware pottery, Becker donated thirty-five books to our library about collecting. Topics include bottles, stereoscopic view cards, firefighting equipment, prints, and the history of photography.
For Becker, collecting has been a lifetime of fun. “If more people knew what collecting was like, our society would be better off. You meet so many people with different outlooks.” We are thankful to Jim for sharing a small part of his collection with us!