THE MINK FARM
On the north side of Cleveland Avenue, about 200 feet from Rivervale Road, stands a big white house. Sometime during the early 40's this place was rented out by its owner, Andrew Artz, to two fellows that had a mink farm in their backyard. This place was directly behind our house so we would visit the mink quite often. Was kinda interesting watching these things being raised from little ones to rather good size mink. The partnership was dissolved rather abruptly, shortly after the two partners had a knife fight on the front lawn of the place. I assume that they were settling a partnership issue. Made all the local papers for a short time.

THE COLLIGNON PROPERTY
Just north of the four corners, about 400 feet, as you went around a slight bend in the road you would have seen a parcel of property on your right that was owned by the Collignon family. Setting down in a small dwell on the property was an old building that housed the necessary equipment for Mr. Collignon's cider mill. Most of the year there was not much activity on this spot, but when the apples got ripe the place was a hustle and bustle of activity. There would be trucks full of apples coming in to drop off their apples to Mr. Collignon so he could put them into his big presses and squeeze out all that wonderful cider. This became another place where we would stop in and visit on the way home from school and while there, sample Mr. Collignon's cider. If he did mind us taking his cider, which I doubt, he never complained a bit.

DOBROSLOVICH'S FARM
The property adjacent to Collignon's was owned by the Dobroslovich family and was an active farm. Mr. Dobroslovich would work on this property from morning to night and raise some of the nicest vegetables that you could find. He had a little stand in front of the house where he would sell his produce to the passersby on Rivervale Road. He surely worked very hard and very long for whatever he got out of it.

OTHER PLACES
During the early 30's there was a big baseball field on the southwest corner of the four corners. I can remember baseball being played there on Sunday afternoons with organized teams from the area. First time I ever saw baseball being played with people actually wearing uniforms.

On the southeast corner there was a big field, probably a couple of acres, that was at times filled with nice, big strawberries. These were grown by a family named Lentz who lived in a big old house on the property facing Westwood Ave. After the strawberry era someone used the field for growing gladiolus which were then trucked to New York City and sold in a flower market over there.

SCHUSTEN'S HOTEL
On Rivervale Road directly across from the end of Prospect Avenue was a big old hotel building. I went there once or twice with my grandfather probably in 1934 or 1935. I guess the only thing I remember about the place was that it was old and big and had several old men sitting on chairs on a big porch that faced north. It was the kind of place that you would have expected to see Wyatt Earp sitting and rocking back and forth in a old rocking chair. I've been told that this was once a night spot of sorts with music, dancing and whatever. Like other places in town this place had an ignominious end by burning to the ground in about the year 1935.