Memories of a railroad man’s daughter
By Bob Cudmore, Focus on History, Daily Gazette, 04-11-15
Marguerite Hackert Dickershaid, 97, of Schenectady has a place in her heart for Beech Nut from its days in Canajoharie when the food factory helped railroad families at Christmas.
Born on Hibbard Street in Amsterdam, Marguerite’s family moved to Scotia and then Schenectady. Her father, N. Frank “Porky” Hackert, worked on freight trains for West Shore Railroad, a subsidiary of New York Central.
He started as a fireman and before his sudden death in 1939 at age 48 he had become a locomotive engineer. Her father though especially enjoyed being a fireman, shoveling coal in the cab of the steam engine. The exercise kept him fit.
In our area the West Shore was actually on the south side of the Mohawk River and serviced the Beech Nut plant.
Dickershaid said, “During the Depression in the late 1920s and early 1930s, when he delivered goods or picked up freight at Beech Nut, the factory would give us a five pound box of bacon at Christmas.”
Beech Nut also gave the railroad men another box of food products. This generosity was much appreciated.
“That was our Santa Claus,” Dickershaid said. She added that the family put the bacon in the ice box and then placed it under the Christmas tree before sharing it with the whole family.
A 1925 Recorder article listed the products produced by Beech Nut Packing Company: ham, sliced bacon, beef, jams, jellies, peanut butter, gum, confections and coffee. Beech Nut today is in the town of Florida.
Dickershaid said her father was a jolly man. The family enjoyed driving their old Ford to a spot in Pattersonville her father found that had the purest water and watercress growing nearby. They would have a barbecue then wash their hands in the clear spring water using a plant called soapweed. The weed grew along the railroad tracks.
Being from a railroad family, the Hackerts had free travel on the railroad and would sometimes go to New York City.
TURNER CONNECTION
Marguerite’s mother was Kathryn Turner Hackert, related to the people that formed the Turner Construction Company in Amsterdam.
When Marguerite was only three and living on Halcyon Street in Scotia, her mother would put her on a trolley car bound for Amsterdam. Her aunt Tressa would meet her at the foot of Vrooman Avenue and trudge up the hill to where her grandfather, George Turner, resided. She recalled her grandfather grew wonderful plum tomatoes which she called “baby oons.”
Her grandfather had been raised on a hillside near the Sacandaga River in the town of Day. The area was flooded in 1930 to create the Sacandaga Reservoir.
The family went to survey the scene, stopping frequently for water to keep their old Ford from overheating.
When they climbed a hill they found the cabin where George Turner was raised. He got down on his knees and began to cry. Later Marguerite stopped in a country store where she had some lemonade.
TURNER CONSTRUCTION
The family construction company founded in Amsterdam by George’s brother John J. Turner built Amsterdam’s Clock Building, the former Elks Lodge on Division Street and schools including Lynch Literacy Academy. The Turner firm spent four years renovating the mansion owned by the carpet-making Sanford family on Church Street, now City Hall, and built many new homes for other captains of industry.
John J. Turner died in 1924 at age 71. His son John P. Turner headed the company until his death in 1927 at age 45. Richard E. Turner then headed the company assisted by his brother Thomas. Richard died in 1940 and Thomas passed away in 1953.
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