By Mary V. Tucker

When Steve Swanson came to Andes as Pastor of the Presbyterian Church he found that many of his congregation lived in a clove or a hollow and asked “What, exactly, is a clove and what is a hollow?” The American Heritage Dictionary definition of clove is “a small section of a separate bulb used as a spice, whole or ground” like garlic. Also as the past tense of cleave (split, separate or adhere, cling, and stick fast.) Hollow has several definitions; the one referred to in this article is “a valley or depression often used in place names,” such as Sleepy Hollow.

Checking the Andes exchange numbers, 676, in the Margaretville Phone Book, I found fourteen Hollows and just one Clove: Fall Clove. How did these roads get their names? Some are named after families: Davis Hollow, Gladstone Hollow, Shaver Hollow and Weaver Hollow. Others are named after wild life: Wolf Hollow, Turkey Hollow, Fish Hollow and Skunk Hollow. Why Wolf Hollow? Had there been wolves there? Did turkeys nest on Turkey Hollow? Did skunks inhabit Skunk Hollow? Take Fish Hollow:  there is a stream with a fishing hole a short way from where the road branches off Fall Clove.

And why Fall Clove? Could it be because garlic is planted as a clove in the Fall?

It’s interesting to imagine how our roads got named.

If you have cloves or hollows named for your relatives, please let us know by sending email to:

  andesgazette@catskill.net,

 or write me at 5960 Fall Clove Road, DeLancey, NY 13752.