Abby Tyler Sarles Hamblen was born February 4, 1867 in a farmhouse in the town of New Castle, New York about three miles south west of Mount Kisco (thirty five miles from New York City). The daughter of Elisha B. Sarles. Elisha was one of seventeen children of Robert Sarles. Names of other ancestors were Archer, Brundage, Dusenberry, Flewellin, Hunt, Tyler and Washburn. Most of these families were pioneers of Westchester County, New York during colonial days. About 1870 Abby's father bought a farm of forty-five acres where Abby lived most of her girlhood. She attended school in district No. 1, "Kisco Nook," the most easterly district of New Castle which was populated mostly by Tylers, Sarles, Barnes's, Tripps, and Hunters.

About 1886, after Abby's mother died, Abby went to Waverly, Tuckahoe and lived with the Fisher family. She met Collins Hamblen there; they were married June 22, 1887. They lived at the corner of Prospect Avenue and Waverly Place, Tuckahoe. I often stayed for long periods of time with my grandparents here when my mother was confined with a new baby. I recall many buggy trips into White Plains, New York on shopping expeditions. The buggy was a two-seater, and I sat on a bench at my grandmother's knees for the short journey of five miles or so.

I spent time with my grandparents at their other homes and enjoyed the peach farm they had in Tomahawk near the Town of Somers. By the time of their life on the farm they had a truck, and it was an occasion for me to go on errands with my grandfather. We would go in to town for white bread. My grandmother was a great cook, but I don't think she baked bread. However, nothing could have been more of a treat for me than the store bread, because at my own home we were not allowed white bread.

My Hamblen grandparents lived in New Rochelle and Springdale, Stamford, Connecticut and left for the farm about 1923. The farm life came between that time and 1926 when they moved to a century-old home on Crompton Road in Yorktown Heights. Grandmother had a showplace flower garden on this busy street, and when I stayed there I was aware of many cars stopping to admire the flowers. Here it was that I remember the first luxury car owned by any of my relatives. The car was beautifully upholstered and had flower vases at the windows. I don't think I had a ride in the car which belonged to my bachelor Uncle Harold. In fact, he was uncomfortable when children touched it with their sticky hands.

My grandfather kept very busy on the grounds of this Yorktown home that almost joined my Aunt's home which we walked to over paths on vacant lots. I was always afraid of snakes, and we may have met up with one or two. My grandfather had a cow and chickens and large vegetable gardens.

One morning when I was upstairs with my grandmother, she had the window open and was airing out the bedding, as many people did in those days. My grandfather was standing on the lawn below calling up to us at the window. "Abby," he shouted, "Did I put on my long underwear this morning?" This question gave us a good laugh.

Abby Sarles Hamblen's sketch will hopefully have some additions from other grandchildren. Her namesake, Abby McBride Travis may recall her since she grew up in Yorktown Heights, New York where the first Abby died in 1931 when Abby Travis was 8.