Ready for a nice walk?
It goes thru the scene of disastrous fires, past some ruins, between a couple of dumps, along a chain link fence topped with barbed wire. There's even a long uphill slog on the return. Real nice.
Since I'm not in the business of tourism promotion I get to tell it like it is. But wait, this is way better than it first sounds. Actually, one of the most popular strolls in all of Washington County. It was once the favorite pastime of a highly celebrated poet.
We'll start on Pearl Street in Hudson Falls. Should be ok to park in the American Legion's large lot. Be sure to take a moment to thank the veterans for their service and pause at the 9/11 memorial near the entrance, 'lest we forget'. From there head back towards downtown a short ways to admire the large yellow Victorian house set amid beautiful gardens. It's for sale as of this writing. This is 57 Pearl Street , the former home of William Bronk. He was a local boy who made good with his many volumes of poetry. In 1981 he won the National Book Award for Life Supports: New and Collected Poems. He also ran the family business, Bronk Fuel and Lumber, while being noted as a great cook and host and an indefatigable walker.
In fact, he never drove and that was how I got to meet him. Many years ago, maybe in the '80's, I dropped in on a poetry discussion group at Crandall Library. As closing time approached a tall, stern man whom the others clearly revered stated, "Drinks and further reading at my place". Then he looked at me and said, "I'll ride with you." I didn't have a clue who he was but felt a sense of honor and confusion at being chosen as his driver. We chatted on the short hop to Hudson Falls and then hung out with others in the big house at 57 Pearl Street.
It wasn't till later that I learned more about Bill Bronk and surmised that he was hoping to find someone as passionate about words and ideas as he. Unfortunately, it wasn't me at that time and I never saw him again, but I'll always cherish my memory of driving (and disappointing) the great poet. Maybe if we'd went for a walk together there would have been a better connection.
I can imagine Bronk bounding off the porch of Big Yellow and striding out Pearl Street to a right on the feeder canal towpath. This was his favorite route and it will be ours as well. Across the road are the many buildings of Griffen Lumber with the landmark coal silos visible beyond. Definitely worth checking them out.
The towpath here provides a pleasant shaded walk on hot summer days. The sound of running water as it rushes thru old Lock 12 makes it feel cool. Across the canal was where the sprawling Kenyon Lumber Company once stood. The American Legion now occupies one of its former buildings. In a game of musical sawmills, Griffen bought Kenyon in 1926 and moved equipment over Pearl Street to its location. A fire in 1932 destroyed a remaining Kenyon building and another of its mills was dismantled. Today what you see are a few foundation stones and the backyards of residential development.
The towpath soon crosses Burgoyne Avenue and drops down past a parking area, picnic spot and the Five Combines locks. The capped Kingsbury landfill is on the left with its ugly fence, courtesy of liability lawyers. Off to the right, screened by trees, is its sibling the Fort Edward landfill.
As you walk downslope you are dropping off a sand and gravel delta built up by the ancestral Hudson River and entering the clay bottomed floor of glacial Lake Albany. Abundant water and cover make this a good spot for birding and botanizing. It is said that Bronk could identify every flower and bush along the path. The locks and towpath here provided inspiration for several of his poems.
At the bottom of the hill the towpath levels out and crosses a bridge at a T intersection. This is where the poet liked to swim nude with his friends at 'Bronk Beach'. It was also a dark sky place for late night stargazing. The Feeder Canal empties into the old Champlain Canal here and that in turn joins Bond Creek before flowing into the modern Barge Canal. What used to be just 'the towpath' is now the Empire State Trail. If you feel like walking a little further you can go to Canada, New York City or Buffalo from here. Otherwise it's a good place to turn around and retrace your steps back uphill.
BRONK REVISITED
I'm not sure how much Bronk gets read anymore. His work isn't as easily accessible as say, Robert Frost's or Mary Oliver's. It can be rather dense, dark and challenging. In this Instagram/Facebook era of 5 second attention spans his poetry is not for everyone. You have to work to get it and then you might end up depressed for your effort.
If you are up to the task check out the Village Booksmith which may have some used copies of his poetry on their shelf. Across the street the Hudson Falls Library has a memorial to him out front and a small collection of his work inside (look in the far back corner). While in Hudson Falls you might also want to visit his grave in Union Cemetery where there is a plaque dedicated to his life and achievements. Finally, as I sometimes do, you can park in front of the the grand old manse at 57 Pearl Street and read the poems where they were written.
