red morning

R E D    M O R N I N G

I remember my mother speaking about the “red morning” -- it was one of those handed-down tales -- well, not a tale exactly, because it was true. From a newsclippings which came to my attention, I saw mention of this unusual event and wondered how many others had been told about the “Red Morning.”

The story went that Grandmother and Grandfather Hasner were living at that time (about 1881) near Oxbow in Jefferson County, N. Y. Early in the morning, the sky turned red and gave everything -- even the unforgiving rocky terrain of the Oxbow area, had this unbelievably red cast. As I recall my mother’s portrayal, Grandmother, already in despair from her lonesomeness as a very, very young mother, was really frightened --- well, I won’t try to describe it because the two articles I’ve found from the Watertown Daily Times describe the impact of this “Red Morning”better than I can. And by the way....I am going to find some more articles about this event and hopefully, some national articles which will explain the phenomen scientifically and will reveal how extensively it covered the northern hemisphere. Perhaps, you have a story of two from your ancestors -- if so, I’d like to hear from you.

Each of the articles was in the form of a Letter to The Times. The first letter was from a Mrs. C. M. Overton of Belleville and was written Feb. 7, 1928. The second letter from a Mrs. Maggie Burgen of Limerick, N. Y. gives us the date for the event of September 6, 1881. Her letter made slight reference to the “Red Morning” and then becomes interesting because of its reference to her school-teacher days.

Mrs. Overton’s letter appeared in the Watertown Daily Times on January 22, 1929 -- it was within an article entitled, “Fifty Years Ago This Week as Shown by Times Files.”

Reprinted with Permission
of the
Watertown Daily Times

Remember Red Day


To The Times:

Have been greatly interested in reading in The Times about the “Red Day,” which was called as I well remember it, “Red Morning.” The time of this great phenomenon has been brought back quite vividly to my mind when reading the articles in The Times and as I remember it so well, the time was about the first of September, 1881. The cause of this was supposed to be metoric disturbances. I was enjoying a refreshing nap about 4:30 a.m., when my stepmother’s voice echoed up the stairs to arise immediately, the world was on fire. As soon as possible I was down and out doors and the most beautiful sight that I have ever seen met my view. The red glow covered the sky and gave to Mother Earth such an enchanting scene. Following the red, it changed to a green and the earth was in darkness for some time and so many were frightened they could not enjoy it; especially the time the clouds began changing to a golden hue, which mellowed to a transparent pale yellow and broad day light covered the earth with a beautiful sunlight again, and all the fears of the world being on fire were driven from the minds of some of the people. We have enjoyed reading the items on the Red Day and reviewing the past with others has been very interesting.

Mrs. C. M. Overton
Belleville, Feb. 7, 1928.

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Watertown (NY) Daily Times - 1929
Jefferson County, N. Y.

Reprinted with Permission
of the
Watertown Daily Times
DIARY RECALLS RED MORNING

WHOLE GROUND HAD A CRIMSON CAST
REMEMBERS TEACHING DAYS

Wage Was $2.25 a Week and Teacher
Had to Board Herself--But
Board Was Only $1 a Week.

To The Times:

Speaking of the Red Morning, I find in my diary of Tuesday, September 6th, 1881, this description of it. “The sky seemed to be in a blaze. Everything was of a dark crimson color which gradually grew lighter until 9 o’clock when the sky began to look natural. I will never forget that morning. I was teaching school at Perch Lake and was invited to the home of William Payne to meet their granddaughter from Gouverneur. In the morning, Mrs. Payne brought a light in our room at 6 o’clock and called us but did not remark about the weather. I got up and looked through the blinds and the ground looked as if it was covered with blood. They were calm. But some in the district were badly frightened. Needless to say I had a small attendance that day.”

I am always amused when I think of taking that school. I had not planned on teaching that term. But received a letter from George Lingenfelter of Lafargeville, school commissioner, asking me to take that school as he did not have a teacher. No wonder. I found the trustee would not pay more than $2.25 per week, teacher to board herself, build fires, etc. As my home was in Clayton, getting home weekends was out of the question. My uncle, the late Hiram Beckwith of Lafargeville, and an old teacher, took me out there. I said, “What will I do.?” He said, Just as you want to.” Usually the first term teaching is considered as good as attending school. Finally the trustee offered to board me the whole week for $1. It seemed he was determined to hire a teacher for less than the previous trustee had. I took the school and did the best I could for them and stayed two years. They increased my pay each term and included boarding around the last year, which was practically visiting around as they never gave me any guide. All he said was, “Don’t go any place you don’t want to.” I enjoyed it as the teacher always had the best room and things to eat and a jolly good time. I commenced school May 9, closed Sept. 9, had two weeks vacation. Sept. 20, I attended teacher institute in Watertown. The city draped in morning for President James A. Garfield, who passed at 10 o’clock the night before.

Respectfully yours,

Mrs. Mattie H. Burgen
Do Drop Inn Farm
Limerick, N. Y.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

The event was again remembered in the “Watertown Daily Times,” dated September 30, 1931:

 

Reprinted with Permission
of the
Watertown Daily Times

RED MORNING OF
1881 IS RECALLED

MANY RESIDENTS REMEMBER
STRANGE PHENOMENON.

THROUGHOUT NORTH COUNTRY

Towards Noon the Unearthly Spell
Broke and the Sun Reasserted
Itself, Newspaper Clipping Said.

The famous “Red Morning” of September 6, 1881, 50 years ago today, has been recalled to The Times by persons who witnessed the strange phenomenon which caused comment and worry to northern New York residents.

Following is the articles (sic) which appeared in The Times, Sept. 6, 1881:

“The extraordinary aspect of the entire firmament this morning was such as will be long remembered. Nothing like it exists in the memory of our clients, so far as has been heard.

“The dawn was suffused with a roseate hue, intensifying almost to a crimson radiance at the hour of sunrise, though nothing of the sun itself was visible, even by the faintest outline. It was as if a vast celestial conflagration were seen through a distant pall of smoke. The whole eastern heavens were luminous with it to the zenith, from which point westward it gradually paled into a pinkish and flame color.

“The latter extended over eastward, from the time of sunrise, until the crimson was all absorbed in it, and the entire dome of the sky changed to a soft golden illusion--for it shed no brightness upon the earth--only dull, oppressive obscurity, such as may be supposed to have been the picture in Milton’s mind, from his words, ‘Let from those gleams, no light, but only darkness visible.’

“Toward noon the unearthly spell broke; the sun reasserted itself, the breeze began to blow and the phenomenon was at an end.

“On the streets early this morning the scene was the topic of conversation and one could see little knots of men, who were on their way to work, with dinner pails in their hands discussing the looks of the thing, while gazing heavenward. All the stores that opened early had to be lighted. Superstitious people were under the impression that the world was coming to and end, and it is said they made preparations for that event.

“From what can be learned it extended throughout northern New York. Word was received here from Lowville, and other cities and villages of this section, regarding this strange thing.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

From Rowena Petersen's column in the Spring 1949 issue of “North Country Life.”......

THE RED MORNING story of last issue brought us interesting correspondence. Mrs. George Wilbur’s father, who lived in the town of Rodman (Jefferson County), remembered the darkness of September 6, 1881, and wrote thus in his diary: “We had a queer sunrise or rather there was none. Almost everybody overslept. We had to light the lamp to eat our breakfast at seven o’clock.....” Mrs. Wilbur remembers staying close to her parents that memorable day.

Our Associate Editor, Marjorie G. Hough, granddaughter of the North Country’s faithful historian of yesterday, Franklin B. Hough, remembers that her family talked about the Red Morning. They attributed it to forest fires. Later the family heard from Grandfather Hough, who was then in Italy making a study of European silviculture for our government. He took time in his letter to tell them about the same strange occurrence--the red light that filled the sky there at the same time.

The Lowville Journal and Republican tells of people fainting that day, of one man clothing himself in his ascension robes, and of fierce fires raging.

A choice bit comes from Peter J. Ulrich of Lowville, who was a very small boy on his grandfather’s farm. Yes, he remembers being told about the fearful and wondrous color, but all he can actually remember seeing is the color of the chickens in his grandfather’s barnyard. They, too, were all red!

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