Adamsville, Batestown, Brownville, the Burgh, Albia, East Side, Sycaway, South Troy Against the World. These are reflect distinct neighborhoods of Troy from two hundred years ago to the present. Chances are if you grew up in any of these enclaves you knew pretty much all your neighbor, corners, alleys, hideaways, businesses, and things to avoid.

I can relate to this! When I was growing up in downtown along 4th Street between Congress and Ferry, I would occasionally (ok, often) hear one of neighborhood's moms tell me they were going to tell my mother on me if I didn't stop what I was doing! I'm sure it was a minor infraction, but the bottom line is that everyone looked out for everyone. We were all known entities and the social fabric was interwoven.

A few columns back I discussed a project about creating a set of environmental and Historic maps of Troy that would promote the environmental and historic resources in Troy. One of our readers, Warren H. Dobert, has his own idea - a map of his childhood neighborhood.

Warren grew up in North Central and wanted to show his kids, now grown, and friends what his neighborhood was like when he was a kid. So, what better way to illustrate your neighborhood than with a map. He drew from memory a detailed map, 11 by 17 inches in size, of his stomping grounds that include River Street from Hoosick to Dow and all the way up to 15th Street. What is remarkable about the map is how it compares now with this section of Troy, especially Hoosick Street, that has really been impacted over the last 30 years. Warren's map is a great blueprint of what was there before the area was destroyed by the new bridge and commercial development.

From looking at his map you can see there was a train tunnel under 8th Street. I remember the large iron and steel bridge that went over Rensselear Street from 8th. How many of you went to the Palace Theater on the southwest corner of River and Hoosick, or the Palace Diner right across the street? Remember the A&P? Yup, there was one at the corner of 8th and Hoosick across from Benny's Barber Shop. Warren and friends called him "Benny the Butcher" since hand clippers would sometimes pull his hair. The haircut cost a quarter.

The area between 6th Avenue and the railroad tracks was the Boston & Main Railroad yards located behind Collins Lumber and Troy Boiler Works. There were several trakcs there and cars were seen often unloading coal, lumber or sheep. I remember seeing the coal cars on the way there as they passed under the Congress Street bridge. We often tried to toss things into the coal cars. The only artifact remaining is the roundhouse that turned the engines around and now used by the Boiler Works, I believe.

Did you know there was a fresh water "Springs" at the end of 9th near House Avenue in a hollow called "The Echo." Warren and friends would fill up bottles of clear spring water and bring it home rather than drink the chlorine flavored city water of the time.

During the summer he would watch baseball games at Frear Park where a Mr. Kacharian had a peanut and popcorn cart, similar to Jim the Peanut Man at Barker Park. During the winter they took their sleds and slid down across the playing field to the corner of 15th and Park Blvd, down the Blvd, crossing Oakwood, down Middleburgh - all without stopping! Now that's a ride! Some kids continued down and across the Boston and Maine Railroad tracks where the watchmen would confiscate the sleds for crossing the tracks.

Anyone remember Keller's Bakery and their fresh homemade bread?
Warren includes grocery stores, his school, locations where he and his family were born, and other locations that were important to him like Mt. Olympus, and even where he purchased his first car, a 2-door Pontiac Silver Streak!

Not only is a local neighborhood map like Warren's important for family reasons, it is also important for historians. It can help locate important research areas and is a great tool for future planners, sociologists, and others interested in demographics. It is also simply plain fun to walk down memory lane.

So, to modify my March column, why not ask your mom, or dad, or grandparent to help create a neighborhood map of your part of Troy? If you do, please send it to me. And a note to Warren Nobert - Thanks for the Memories!