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| "a very vibrant, energetic, and engaged town. (Uniondale is) very active in a positive way." - Delores Sedacca, County of Nassau |
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History of the Pony Farm |
| Lorraine Brotchner Anderson here. I can still recite the names of the
21 horses and ponies, 1goat and 1 mule that lived there. The numerous
cats were usually dropped off by people that no longer wanted kittens
that grew up. The Pony Farm was owned by Irene and William Mott. Everyone called him Papa. They only employed girls to work there. No boys allowed to work or hang around. That was number one rule. I believe the property was from Mrs. Mott's side of the family but I can't swear to that. When my family moved to Uniondale in 1951 we lived on Uniondale Avenue where it meets Nassau Rd. You know where the traffic light is. Well, they were constructing the overpass for exit 21. There were two farmhouses where that little shopping center is. As a matter of fact where that last house is there were high hedges growing there and the front of the farmhouse faced the hedges. Two sisters lived in that farmhouse and I think their last name was Raynor. They were Mrs. Mott's aunts. I believe the whole area was a potato farm. Now and then Mrs. Mott would speak of how she would ride all over the area when she was a little girl. When the two sisters passed, Mrs. Mott took me into the house to see it. It was the first time I had ever been in there although most of the kids in neighborhood enjoyed the crabapples from their trees that grew there and would collect the eggs that the chickens left in the hedges. It was like stepping into another era. The other farmhouse was owned I believe by Charlie Meyers who had a cesspool cleaning business and I think he was also a handyman or "jack of all trades". A very nice man, nice to all the children. Both houses were removed to make way for that shopping center. What a comedown. I guess I am digressing. That is what stirred up memories will do. Back to the Pony Farm. Mr. and Mrs. Mott never had any children. They kept the Pony Farm in a very clean condition. There was a family who lived next door who periodically would try to have "us" removed with petitions and court cases but fortunately they never won. The Pony Farm existed long before any houses were built so their case was always thrown out. I guess they just didn't like the air quality in the summer. Children loved coming for pony rides and wagon rides. We also did birthday parties and hayrides and pony rides at bazaars. I think every town should have a Pony Farm. Lorraine Brotchner Anderson Rainie43@aol.com |
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This page was last updated on 02/25/08 Send comments or content to webmaster: Mike Dragonetti |