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from Carol G.--12 October 2000:
I have seen two puzzles in internet auction that I found while searching for items from my hometown --
Massapequa, NY. They say Massapequa series published by Allen T. Haight. I bought one from 1914
-- the other dated in that era. I cannot believe that there is another Massapequa anywhere and
Haight is the name of a family that lived here in that era. (And hardly anyone else except
the Jones family for which Jones Beach is named lived here then.) Can you shed some light on
this? To me this is a history mystery.
The first puzzle I saw was of a zoo or carnaval. It was not listed as a Pastime puzzle but
the other information (including the reference to TenEyck and Haight) was the same as for the
one I bought. The first one may not have had a box -- it came from the home of an elderly lady
in New England who had it as a child. This is the one I bought:
 "A Friendly Squirrel"
 The Box
 Another view
 Where some of the figural pieces are
 The inside label
 Figural pieces
Early Pastime puzzle (1914), apparently from a "Massapequa Series" Two names are
associated with the puzzle: Allen T. Haight and W. P. TenEyck (Copyright 1908). I'm not sure
which is the artist and which is the publisher. Puzzle measures approximately 10" x 8", and it
has 123 pieces.
I also bought a print:
 "GAR Veteran with Soldier"
This is a picture and not a puzzle -- but it has that same puzzle to me: Massapequa series
and Allen T. Haight -- and is in that same era -- copywritten in 1909. The fellow who had the
soldier picture has seen the "Massapequa series" before but figured it was an Indian name in
Massachusetts. It is Algonquin for great water land, roughly, but I doubt there is
another place with the same name other than my hometown. (Jerry Seinfeld, who is from here,
says it means something more like land near the great mall.)
Thanks again,
Carol G.
PS -- If you ever see a tray puzzle of Frank Buck that I heard exists, let me know that, too!
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from Jim McW--12 October 2000:
Dear Carol G.:
Thanks, and here's hoping that someone out there has at
least a little information about this. Hope this helps, Jim McW.
***************
from "MFL"--26 October 2003:
Could this be the
" St. Lawrence River ? " Algonquin - Abenaki - Wabannaki - New York State - on the border with
Canada - ??
GAR was very active in Northern New York on the St. Lawrence River - Ogdensburg,
NY
"MFL"
***************
from Jim McW--17 September 2004:
Anne Williams says, "Allen
T. Haight is the artist for a series of pictures that were made into puzzles, probably by more
than one puzzle maker around 1908-10. Haight did not actually make the puzzles as far as
I know."
Thanks,
Jim McW
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"GAR Veteran with Soldier"