I was in school with Bob Lyeth, grandson of George, who was the photographer of last week’s hunting photo. Howard and Chantal are friends of my son Keegan. Bob was a combat helicopter crewman in the Vietnam War. I became acquainted with Bob when I wrote a story about his dad, George Vincent Callaghan, published in Volume II of my book, “You Know What.”

He was a WWII combat veteran. Sgt. Callaghan had already been awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star when his Infantry Regiment joined the Battle of the Bulge, the largest battle fought by the Americans in WWII. Let me tell you, just that one incredible story of Sgt. Callaghan in WWII is worth going right out and buying my book.

I went to school with Bob’s Uncle Dick in this very house where we live today, the former Harrietstown District #1 school house. The Callaghan family, there were 14 kids in the family, and lived down the road just a piece.

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The gas station and cabins were owned and operated by Robert S. Lyeth, father of my school mate, Robert J. Lyeth. The cabins were located at the approach ramp to the railroad overpass. (Photo provided)

Howard Lyeth writing about the hunting photo in last week’s column taken by George Lyeth: “George Lyeth was my great grandfather and Bob Lyeth’s grandfather. George ran a grocery store down in Nyack with his brothers. He moved up here after his wife passed away. The closet he got to being a grocer here was running a grocery boat for Matt Otis on Upper Saranac. He was a painter and my folks have a George Lyeth original. He also took photos and as you mentioned in last week’s column he was the hunting photo photographer. He had his photos made into postcards which were sold through various channels including down at the store in Nyack, which I assume his brothers continued to run. Lyeth’s cabins and service station were not his but were started by Bob’s father.”

[Howard also added in another note that Rachel Lyeth, 1900-1996, is buried in the Harrietstown cemetery here on Route 86.]

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Bob Callaghan furnished all the photos and information, except the family picture, and added this: “I knew Rachel Lyeth well, George and Estelle’s daughter. They had five children, according to the 1910 census. Robert S. was the father of your schoolmate, Robert J., sister of Phyllis. George Jr. was the first WWI enlistee from Lake Clear. At age 18 he died of war injuries in France where he is buried. The Lyeth home, still in the family is opposite the former Catholic Church parking lot.”

To get your bearings, here is a long view of the railroad overpass — train is visible at the extreme right of the photo. (Photo provided)