who were left were Julia McNallen (78), Harriet Jones (88)
(colored) who had come from the WF when it closed, Josephine
Hewitt (60) and Libbie DeLong (50). There is a photo of them
taken on the steps of the dwelling house by a newspaper, since
their removal in 1926 made the headlines "Plan to Raze Shaker
Village is Blocked by Survivors of Church Family Who Refuse to
Vacate"; "Not Informed When Farm Was Sold and Got No Part
ofj$60,000 Paid by Bergan, Who Sold to County for $160,000."
These four sisters may not have known when Bergan sold to
the County but they certainly knew it was going to be sold for
many years, as must have known when it was sold to Bergan. Of
course they didn't get any of the money - it went into the Shaker
Society account. The newspaper article goes on to say that "not
only will they not vacate the farm, but they will not give their
consent to the county's plan to raze such of the buildings as the
Democratic officials have decided upon eliminating in their
scheme to transform the property into an alms house."
But vacate they did. What happened to Harriet Jones or
Libbie DeLong we haven't yet discovered; Julia McNally had a
legal agreement with Stedrnan, representing the Shakers, to
receive $25 per month as long as she lived or until she should
ask to be reinstated; and also agreed to bury her in a suitable
place with suitable ceremonies. She died in 1931, age 84, and is
buried in the Shaker Cemetery. Information on Josephine Hewitt
comes from a Mrs. Miller who said that when Josie left the Sha-
kers she was given $3000 and bought herself an automobile, even
though she had never driven. She also received a full supply of
Shaker furniture and lived in Albany. Apparently she spent the
rest of her $3000 equally foolishly and was destitute. Mrs.
Miller "s grandmother tooki- her food. Mrs . Miller remembers her
grandmother carrying a heavy basket up the stairs to Josie's
rooms. In Josie's room, next to her Shaker bed, on the floor she
had a mattress for her spirit when she died, and Mrs.(Miller was
terrified of this. When Josie died in 1935 (aged 74), Mrs.
Miller's grandmother got her Shaker furniture and it has come down
in the family. Josie is buried in the Shaker cemetery.
Lucy Bowers' diary for 1929 tells of going to the CF in Janu-
ary and being "escorted all over the building." (Probably the old
Office, now being remodeled into the "Van Rensselaer Preventorium"
to be used to house children in danger of contracting tuberculosis
But Albany County had also built an airport on the CF land
and on January 27th she comments "Fliers are often in the sky."
8 Feb 1929 "Men and boys from Preventorium for candy.
Invited to the picture show when machine is bought and placed."
12 Feb 1929 Six sisters go to CF to see moving pictures at
7:15, home 10:30 p.m. (These were shown in what had been the Sha-
ker Meeting House, now a recreation hall, and later to become a
Catholic chapel.)
13 Feb 1929 Boys from the "Pre" come often for candy, must pay
for it. "Our square piano is offered to them for temporary use."
16 Feb 1929 Ministry sisters and qLucy go over to Pre and look


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