Category: Mohican

The return of the Old Badger:
‘The First of the Mohican’

First published in The Freeman’s Journal on March 24, 1976:

“If at first you don’t succeed,” must have been mouthed by many Cooperstonians as they left the lakefront without having witnessed the scheduled launching of the Mohican. They did try again, and on the 4th of July, 1905, the good ship Mohican began its long career on Otsego Lake. The following reports from the Freeman’s Journal of that year tell the story:

June 29th 1905:
“Miss Marie Anheuser Busch to Christen Boat Thursday.”
“Thursday afternoon at 4 o’clock the new boat Mohican of the Otsego Lake Transit Co. will take her initial dip in the waters of Otsego Lake. As soon as the boat is free to move, Miss Marie Anheuser-Busch, daughter of August A. Busch and granddaughter of Adolphus Busch, will christen it with champagne and the words, “I christen thee Mohican.” The public is cordially invited to witness the ceremony, which will take place at the Corporation dock.”

July 6, 1905:
“Large Steamer in Otsego Lake has Carrying Capacity of Four Hundred – Made her Initial Trip July 4th.”
“The Mohican is Launched – at about 1:40 on Saturday afternoon in response to the persuasion of a couple of jack screws placed against the bearings on either side, the big boat slid gracefully down the ways and kissed the waters of Otsego Lake. There was a high splash and the craft rode out jauntily about 50 feet, bringing taught the line, with which it was tied to its mooring at the Cooperstown Wharf. As it moved toward the water, Miss Osborne, daughter of the builder, broke a bottle of wine on the bow and spoke the…

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Robert Badger Seaver: The Badger

Bob Seaver was born in Boston in 1924 and spent his childhood summers on Otsego Lake in his grandfather’s camp, Wranglehurst, now called Highview, near Hickory Grove and, for reasons no one knows, across the lake at Camp Chenango.

His mother was from Springfield Center and his father was a pilot from WWI who was recuperating in Cooperstown. Bob attended Phillips Andover Academy and Amherst College, graduating in 1946 as an English major, then joined the crew of the U.S.S. Niblack as first Lieutenant in the Pacific at the end of WWII.

He taught school in Philadelphia and San Francisco and for several summers at the Mohican Reading School in Cooperstown, before he moved permanently to Cooperstown in 1960 to become supervisor of the experimental “talking typewriter” reading program for dyslexic and autistic children at Bassett Hall.

On the side, he taught at the Cooperstown Elementary School and ran an antiques shop near Hickory Grove.

He was president of the PTA in the early 1960s, a founding member of the Brookwood Foundation, a member of the Otsego Golf Club, the Mohican Club, the Friends of the Cooperstown Library and an original member of the Town of Otsego Planning Board. All these organizations, their members, friends and the people Bob ran into during his daily strolls on Main Street served as bait for The Badger.

In the early 1970s, Bob, who had been writing “Bits of my mind, written on paper,” regularly since he was in 7th grade, began submitting a weekly column about, in his words, “anything,” to The Freeman’s Journal. It was to be called The Badger, which was Bob’s middle name (and also a somewhat nasty omnivore that is related to otters, polecats, weasels, skunks and ferrets).

Bob left us more than…

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The 70,000-acre park Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area was the 10th most-visited national park in the country in 2020, with 4.1 million visits recorded. As the area emerges from the pandemic, this year promises to be just as busy.

Visitors can plan ahead by calling the information desk at 570-426-2452 or visiting the park’s Facebook page or webpage (nps.gov/dewa). The Current Conditions section includes up-to-date information on Covid-19 health and safety measure.

Some services remain limited or unavailable. For information on accessible facilities in the park visit the park’s website or call 570-426-2434.

Cool off on the river

All beaches and boat/canoe launches are open for the season. A $10 per car fee is charged 7 days a week; annual passes are available for $45.

● The Cadoo Recreation Site in New Jersey has a hand-launch access open Monday mornings through Friday evenings and is closed on weekends; there is no charge to use the access.

● Lifeguards will be on duty at Milford Beach from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Monday, beginning June 20 and ending Aug. 28.

● Inflatable pool toys are not permitted within designated swimming areas and lifejackets are recommended when lifeguards are not on duty.

● Rentals: Visit the park website for a list of businesses in the area that rent canoes, kayaks, tubes, and rafts and provide transportation, bring your own boat. Always wear a properly fitted and fastened U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejacket when on or near the water. Lifejackets must be worn by children 12 and under while aboard any vessel.

Go for a ride…or a drive

● The McDade Trail in Pennsylvania is a great place to ride your bike (and it’s the only trail in the park where bikes are permitted). Visit the park website for information on…

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