Historically Speaking
Sadie’s Some local residents still recall the sign on the tiny old dilapidated building that their mothers would point out to them as children while driving through Sparta. It is surprising how many longtime Sparta residents remember Sadie’s; and fondly they do. Sparta had grown from the mid 1800s surrounded by farming-with an emphasis on dairies. Creameries were located in several locations in Sparta, on the several railroad lines that crisscrossed the township, in order to supply the New York City area with important commodities: milk and milk products. With the advent of those same rail lines, a thriving ice harvesting market grew. Ice would be cut from the local lakes such as White Lake, stored in giant wooden barns separated by sawdust, and transported to the cities, also by train, for use all summer long. Many a gentleman’s whiskey was freshened “on the rocks” with what then was a valuable and hard to obtain coolant. With the combination of these marketable products and the very thriving summer vacationer destination, the Sparta area also had a great treat known as ice cream. Sadie’s was the quintessential local blossom of this delight! Sadie’s was located in “Lower Sparta” as it was know a hundred years ago. This was an area of Condon’s wheelwright shop and two blacksmith shops, and also one of Sussex County’s largest grist mill that utilized the water power provided by the Glen Brook. Sadie’s was situated on the west side of the Ogdensburg Road, the second building south of the Glen Brook, near the Brookside Inn where vacationers spent their holidays and also near Slockbower’s butcher shop. Catherine Morris recall in the 1920s and 30s that Sadie’s father was tall and thin, and her mother was quite round. Sadie was very, very round! Catherine recalls the last day of school in June when the class would go to the Glen and the boys would bring loads of ice cream in pails (see the Children’s History Corner also in this issue for more information). Marjorie Littell Cifelli went to Sadie Davenport’s as a child. Sadie gave generous portions. There was also a candy counter there, where one could buy for a penny or a nickel candy like Tootsie Rolls, Menthol Wafers, Baby Ruths. Or Marjorie, located near the White Lake section of Sparta, could get goodies at the Woodruff Gap Store (a story for another time). Another local, Don Earl, remembers Sadie Davenport sold Breyer’s ice cream. She was a heavy woman and her husband was thin. They had a glass counter and huge assortment of penny candies, and she never made money on it. They sold a very generous portion Even on the hottest days the backroom was always cool because of a spring, and water was from spring. Jane Sandford Lockwood fondly remembers that she was given 5 cents for a huge Sadie’s ice cream, and she got vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, Hershey’s ice cream from New York State, and penny candies in the case up frontbut mostly ice cream. Jane graduated from 8th at the school when it was located at the present (for now) town hall school in 1934 had the ceremony at the Lake Mohawk Country Club and then went to high school in Newton by bus owned by Martin Smith. Marilyn VanKirk Mull says that in the summer cars would line up from the railroad tracks up to Glen Rd, on both sides, to go to Sadie’s. Crackerjacks and penny candy, or sugar coated watermelon candy, was what she remembers. Sadie’s made all of the syrups for the ice cream. Sadie’s mother worked hard too. They had only cold running water and would heat it on a hot plate for cleaning dishes. Marilyn VanKirk Mull worked there in the summers. In the 1940s, as well as her mother, and aunt and many other town people as waitresses on weekends. Marilyn Van Kirk went to school at the only school in Sparta in the 40s which was the present Mohawk Avenue School. Marily Van Kirk also recalls the last day of school in the Glen. Sounds like this adventure is an idea for a field trip today! Debbie Wilson recalls that as you walked in the door a counter with candies was to the right and about four round metal tables and chairs were to the left in the one story, small building. A favorite subject for artists, a painting of Sadie’s is shown here that was done by Agnes Schwartz of Ogdensburg in the 1980s, and is now hanging in (and photo by courtesy of) the PNC Bank on Woodport Road. Ruth VanCampen Woods grew up in the house that would now be under Rt15 just west of the bridge, near the VFW. She recalls that Sadie’s mother Laura’s house was next door to Sadie’s, between the ice cream store and the Glen Brook. Sadie’s father, Peter Davenport, worked for the railroad. Sadie Davenport got married to Joseph Young from Brooklyn. She passed away December 1, 1974 at age 78. She had owned Sadie’s Ice Cream and Candy Store for 54 years. The building laid vacant for some time before quietly disappearing in the 1980s. I still recall my mom’s mention of the name as I pass by, although the site is now a quiet and pretty flower garden hidden behind a pretty white picket fence. Bill Truran is a member of the Sparta Historical Society, author of Images of America: Franklin, Hamburg, Ogdensburg, Hardyston and most recently, Sparta, NJ: Head of the Wallkill