CAMDEN

THE KILTS FAMILY HELD REUNION - 1914

Eighty-Five Members attended Happy Event at Sylvan Beach

News Item

Camden, Sept 9 ----The third annual reunion of the organization of the Kilts family was held at the home of Mrs. Helen Kilts-Clifford at Syvan Beach, Monday, and notwithstanding the unpleasant weather, 85 of the descendants of Peter N. Kilts, of the fourth, fifth and sixth generations were present. Members of th family came from Newark, NJ, Providence, RI, Florida, Albany, Syracuse, Troy, Rome, Verona, McConnellsville and Viena.

All present were descended in direct line from Peter N. Kilts, who was born in Holland in 1752 and died in 1850. He came to this country and settled in Palentine, Mohawk Valley. He was the father of 11 children. One of his sons was Peter P. Kilts, who served in the War of 1812, and to him were born two sons and six daughters. Of the 34 children of the next generation, descendants of the six daughters, only two, are still living, Mrs. Melinda Olmstead of Newark, NJ, and Mrs. Nancy Eldridge of Syracuse. These are grandaughters of the Peter P. Kilts. His two sons, Lysander and Alonzo, came to Vienna more than 60 years ago, and with their descendants have been and still are prominent residents of that locality. Many of them have won honorable places for themselves in other localities.

At the gathering Monday, a sumptuous dinner was served. It was planned to have the tables laid in a beautiful grove near the house, but on account of the weather it was necessary to arrange the dinner indoors. After dinner a business session was held. Peter E. Kilts was chosen president; secretary, Mrs. James L. Peacock; historian, Mrs. Elizabeth Peacock; committee, Mrs. Peter E. Kilts, Mrs. Alvin Kilts, Mrs. Olin Mott, and Mrs. Van Alstine. The next meeting is to be held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Peter E. Kilts at Vienna, on Labor Day of 1915.

The amusements for the closing of the season, Labor Day, at Sylvan Beach, were a horse show and a baby show, and it was a singular coincidence that the pizes were taken by members of the Kilts family. George Kilts of Oneida brought his family to the reunion in a fine turnout, with a splendid pair of horses. As he saw others driving up and down the road for exhibition, he thought he would drive up too, and was greatly surprised to be awarded ten dollars in gold. At the baby show, too, the family was favored, for the ten dollar gold piece was awarded to the little daughter of Mrs. George Kilts Babcock. It was surely Kilts day at Sylvan Beach.

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NOTE: This "yellowed" newspaper account was found in an envelope marked, "Given to me (Florence Z. S. Witthoft) after Mrs. John C. Kilts died", and paper-clipped with other news items and her note, "Not Kilts". Present day investigation, 1999, by Neil and Ruth Peacock has disclosed that the Mrs. James L. Peacock mentioned is Neil's grandmother. He is trying to identify some of the other people.

So, apparently Kilts reunions had been held annually in Camden starting in 1911 as this was their third reunion. This fact was unknown to the Sharon and Stone Arabia Kilts families as they believed that theirs was the first which was held in 1931 at Ullman's Grove, Town of Sharon, Schoharie Co., NY.

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