Archive: Around Town

The Myers Road bridge that spans Salmon Creek between Myers Park and Salt Point has been named the 'Nicholas George Bridge'.  To commemorate the long-time Myers neighborhood resident a stone has been erected on the south end of the bridge, along with landscaping and a tree.  He passed away in 1998.

"Nick always spent time on the bridge," says Nicholas's nephew Marion George. "That was a gathering place. Everybody said, 'That's Nick's bridge. We'll go down to see Nick on Nick's bridge.'  Years ago five, six, seven, eight guys would congregate over here and just meet on the bridge and chew the fat."

Marion George notes that five generations of his family lived in the second house south of the bridge, including his grandfather, who immigrated from Syria, as many Syrians did to work at the International Salt Company, which manufactured table salt on what is now called Salt Point.  They lived on and around the bluff known as Syrian Hill and worshiped at Saint George orthodox Church, which overlooks Salt Point and conducts Sunday services regularly.

"Our grandfather came over from Syria, my father lived there, I did, and my youngest son bought it and lived there, and his daughter," Marion says.


And, of course, his uncle Nicholas, his father's brother, lived there too, and was a big influence in Marion's life.  Marion's grandfather had a country store by the house, and Nicholas had to drop out of school when he was 15 or 16 years old to run it.  Later he did the work to earn a diploma.  Meanwhile Nicholas helped his parents raise Marion after Marion's mother died in childbirth.

"He raised me," Marion says. "When I was a kid I'd accompany Nick down here and he would saw ice.  We would drag it over to my grandfather's store for the ice house.  We'd store it in sawdust.  Of course I was like his shadow.  We used to fish together, hunt, and everything.  We'd always walk up and go to church on Sundays.  And Nick and a whole bunch of us used to spend a whole lot of time on this bridge."


Marion remembers how the bridge has changed over the years.

"The road was paved, but years ago the old bridge had creosote poles maybe every 12 to 14 feet on the upper and lower side of the bridge," he recalls.  "So when they had high water the trees would come down and the ice jams would back right up.  Then when it let loose all heck would break loose.  They used to have railroad ties that go out.  So we would hop over and sit on the railroad ties and fish under.  We used to skate on the creek up to Ludlowville and back"

Marion says the Town has been very gracious about naming the bridge for his uncle.  His family contributed the stone, and the Town provided the landscaping and planted a tree above the stone.  He says he is hoping to have a dedication ceremony at some time in the near future.

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