Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site

These photos are from the collection of Graydon Stoddard - his grandparents are Hobert and Pearl (Hess) Couse.

Top Photo: Boiling Maple Sap - Edgar Couse shows off the big kettle and apparatus used to boil down the maple sap to make maple syrup. It takes 40 gallons of maple sap collected from the maple trees in early spring to produce one gallon of maple syrup. The large kettle is held over a wood fire and needs to be carefully monitored at all times.

Bottom Photo: Washing The Sap Buckets - the sap buckets must be cleaned before and after using to collect the sap from the maple trees. Working together are Joe Hess, Pearl (Hess) Couse, Hobert Couse (in front), Marian (Hess) Burnside, Edgar Couse (in back), and Will Pope (washing the sap buckets).

Pearl and Marian Hess are the daughters of Joseph Axtell and Jeannette (Groat) Hess. Joe Hess is the uncle to Pearl and Hess. Hobert and Edgar Couse are the sons of Peter and Emma (Whitman) Couse.