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Letters compiled into book reveal life in early 20th century Columbia County
By Karrie Allen
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
On June 1, 1916, Haldor Baarvig left Copenhagen, Denmark on his way to America with $50 in his pocket. In the just over two years he spent in America, most of it in Columbia County, he documented his time here in letters sent back home. Ninety-four years later, his daughter, Lis Clark, has compiled his translated letters into a book, “$50 in my Pocket: I’m Off to See America” and she’ll be in the area Aug. 1 to talk about and sign her book.
“I wanted this to be a true reflection of Haldor’s experiences, travels and his interaction with the people he met along the way,” said Clark.
And it truly is, from meeting local businessmen to high ranking dignitaries to his various travels.
When Baarvig ended up in Columbia County, he started off working for Alfred Ogden in Kinderhook, but then he went to work in Chatham for Louis F. Payn as his chauffeur. Soon after he turned 25, Baarvig met former President Theodore Roosevelt; Payn and Roosevelt were friends.
While working for Payn, his travels took him to New York City to pick up his boss’s car to Payn’s second home in Bermuda to driving to Florida, via the East Coast.
As an immigrant he had so much to take in and his letters detailed everything he experienced, including his work, his downtime and the people he encountered on a daily basis. He even mentions the Columbia County Fair.
“He wanted (his family) to be able to live his adventure through these letters,” said Clark. “He was well aware that they would not be able to come to America.”
She did say later that her father’s younger sister, Solveig (he had an older sister, too, Adda), did eventually come to America, settling in Vero Beach, Florida.
Baarvig’s letters take the reader from his departure in Denmark to landing at Ellis Island with only $50 in his pocket to his stay in Columbia County for just over two years.
“This book is dedicated to all the immigrants who passed through Ellis Island with the minimum required $50 in their pockets, ready to start a new life in this new land. … Let us hope that generations who have followed will realize that freedom takes hard work and vigilance,” said Clark.
As her father follows his dream and finds work in New York, she said he finds that he is amazed, apprehensive and homesick, but mostly both curious and excited as each day passes.
Clark herself was born in Copenhagen (since her father went back to Denmark), but came to America and was raised in Albany. In 1958, she found her way to the New Lebanon/Canaan area, where she farmed and raised three children for more than 25 years. She is one of the founding members and a past president of the Lebanon Valley Historical Society.
She got divorced, though, and moved to Florida in 1983 — the year her father passed away — and in 1990, she remarried. After Clark retired, she and her husband traveled America and Canada in their recreational vehicle.
While her father wanted to see the world, starting with America, Clark has not only seen America, but also the world. She has traveled to Japan, China, South Africa, Asia, several countries in Europe, most of Central America and the Caribbean Islands. She has also traveled to Denmark several times, but calls Florida home.
Clark commented that she and her daughter visited Denmark and her daughter ended up staying. Her daughter is now raising her family in her late grandfather’s home country.
Clark herself has four grandchildren and two and a half great-grandchildren (the half, she said, being the great-grandchild in Denmark).
After her father retired around the age of 65, Clark had him translate the letters verbatim, including incorrect grammar and even some language that may not be considered politically correct today. She wanted the book to be an honest and true recollection of his experience.
It took her father about five years to translate the letters; she did say she had to correct some grammar and some Danish phrases that wouldn’t have translated well into English.
Clark admitted that she had the letters for some time before starting the book, but in 1973, finally started typing them out on a typewriter, with the help of her daughter.
Baarvig’s father objected to him traveling to America, but thanks to his parents, Marie and Lauritz, who kept all of his letters — no matter what shape they were in — this book wouldn’t have been possible.
Another great facet to the book is that it looks back on what Columbia County was like in the early 20th century. Baarvig writes about the use of horse and buggy and the first vehicles on the road. He talks a lot about the price of things, since as an immigrant, the price of everything mattered. He also writes about the hard facts of life back then, such as segregation and World War I.
This historical memoir is not only a window into Clark’s father’s life in those few years here in Columbia County, but a window into life in general during that time. His letters bring historical Columbia County to life.
Clark has made a trip back to Columbia County to talk about and sign her book. Next Thursday, she’ll make an appearance in a few locations connected to her and her father. At 1:30 p.m., she’ll be at the Payn Residential Home and at 7 p.m., she’ll be at the New Lebanon Library.
She added that she is going to be in the area for about another month and that any group or book club that would like her to come speak about her book, can contact her at 50.dollarsinmypocket@earthlink.net. You can also learn more about Clark on her Facebook page.
“I wanted this to be a true reflection of Haldor’s experiences, travels and his interaction with the people he met along the way,” said Clark.
And it truly is, from meeting local businessmen to high ranking dignitaries to his various travels.
When Baarvig ended up in Columbia County, he started off working for Alfred Ogden in Kinderhook, but then he went to work in Chatham for Louis F. Payn as his chauffeur. Soon after he turned 25, Baarvig met former President Theodore Roosevelt; Payn and Roosevelt were friends.
While working for Payn, his travels took him to New York City to pick up his boss’s car to Payn’s second home in Bermuda to driving to Florida, via the East Coast.
As an immigrant he had so much to take in and his letters detailed everything he experienced, including his work, his downtime and the people he encountered on a daily basis. He even mentions the Columbia County Fair.
“He wanted (his family) to be able to live his adventure through these letters,” said Clark. “He was well aware that they would not be able to come to America.”
She did say later that her father’s younger sister, Solveig (he had an older sister, too, Adda), did eventually come to America, settling in Vero Beach, Florida.
Baarvig’s letters take the reader from his departure in Denmark to landing at Ellis Island with only $50 in his pocket to his stay in Columbia County for just over two years.
“This book is dedicated to all the immigrants who passed through Ellis Island with the minimum required $50 in their pockets, ready to start a new life in this new land. … Let us hope that generations who have followed will realize that freedom takes hard work and vigilance,” said Clark.
As her father follows his dream and finds work in New York, she said he finds that he is amazed, apprehensive and homesick, but mostly both curious and excited as each day passes.
Clark herself was born in Copenhagen (since her father went back to Denmark), but came to America and was raised in Albany. In 1958, she found her way to the New Lebanon/Canaan area, where she farmed and raised three children for more than 25 years. She is one of the founding members and a past president of the Lebanon Valley Historical Society.
She got divorced, though, and moved to Florida in 1983 — the year her father passed away — and in 1990, she remarried. After Clark retired, she and her husband traveled America and Canada in their recreational vehicle.
While her father wanted to see the world, starting with America, Clark has not only seen America, but also the world. She has traveled to Japan, China, South Africa, Asia, several countries in Europe, most of Central America and the Caribbean Islands. She has also traveled to Denmark several times, but calls Florida home.
Clark commented that she and her daughter visited Denmark and her daughter ended up staying. Her daughter is now raising her family in her late grandfather’s home country.
Clark herself has four grandchildren and two and a half great-grandchildren (the half, she said, being the great-grandchild in Denmark).
After her father retired around the age of 65, Clark had him translate the letters verbatim, including incorrect grammar and even some language that may not be considered politically correct today. She wanted the book to be an honest and true recollection of his experience.
It took her father about five years to translate the letters; she did say she had to correct some grammar and some Danish phrases that wouldn’t have translated well into English.
Clark admitted that she had the letters for some time before starting the book, but in 1973, finally started typing them out on a typewriter, with the help of her daughter.
Baarvig’s father objected to him traveling to America, but thanks to his parents, Marie and Lauritz, who kept all of his letters — no matter what shape they were in — this book wouldn’t have been possible.
Another great facet to the book is that it looks back on what Columbia County was like in the early 20th century. Baarvig writes about the use of horse and buggy and the first vehicles on the road. He talks a lot about the price of things, since as an immigrant, the price of everything mattered. He also writes about the hard facts of life back then, such as segregation and World War I.
This historical memoir is not only a window into Clark’s father’s life in those few years here in Columbia County, but a window into life in general during that time. His letters bring historical Columbia County to life.
Clark has made a trip back to Columbia County to talk about and sign her book. Next Thursday, she’ll make an appearance in a few locations connected to her and her father. At 1:30 p.m., she’ll be at the Payn Residential Home and at 7 p.m., she’ll be at the New Lebanon Library.
She added that she is going to be in the area for about another month and that any group or book club that would like her to come speak about her book, can contact her at 50.dollarsinmypocket@earthlink.net. You can also learn more about Clark on her Facebook page.
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