John A. Christopher (1917-1943) and Joseph F. Christopher (1919-1943) are two of the 10 Fancher area soldiers who died in World War II. The two gold stars on the flag indicate that two service members in the family died in action.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian 

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 6, No. 30

FANCHER – While preparing his late aunt’s home for sale, John W. Long of Albion discovered a V-mail letter under a blotter on her desk.

Dated April 22, 1943, it was a friendly and encouraging letter to a former student and family friend then serving abroad, filled with local news and details of life on the home front. Undelivered, it was returned to her after he was listed as missing in action. Mr. Long recently shared the letter with the Orleans County Department of History.

Dear Joe:

Have been thinking about you, so decided to send a note. Here it is Easter time. We have had a very cold wet spring. Very little spring work has been started. Orleans County has got to be a very wild old place. The hunters have killed three to four wolves and several foxes.

Bob H.* brought a large wolf (48 lbs.) up to school so the children might see it. They were thrilled. Everything is okay here at home and also at your home. I see the boys often**. There doesn’t seem to be many fellows around. I guess those that aren’t in the service are doing defense work.

Everyone seems so busy. We have been having a big bond drive, also a defense stamp drive. A jeep called at school*** and explained and showed the children. They thought it was great. Maybe you will get to see some local boys over there, for many are there. If possible, take pictures and make notes so you can tell us when you get back.

I saw the picture of yourself which you sent home. You look fine. (Fat -Ha). When we were studying geography about that section, you had no idea you would ever see it, did you? Neither did I. Take care of yourself.

Sincerely,

John and Mary Long

Their nephew, John W. Long, recently provided the following explanations for the starred items:

* Bob H. was Bob Harling, a neighbor on Transit Road. The wolf story was big news, and was even mentioned in local newspapers.

** “Seeing the boys often” referred to Joe’s brothers.

*** An Army representative visited country schools to demonstrate a jeep to students.

This letter unleashed a flood of memories for Mr. Long. Now in his 90s, he remembers the flag which hung in the living room window of the Christopher home in Fancher during World War II. Then just eight years old, he remembers that at first it featured one blue star, then two, and then three. Then, two of the blue stars were replaced with gold stars. John still remembers the hushed adult conversations, the worry and the sadness which overcame the family.

Nicholas and Mary Christopher farmed on Transit Road in Fancher. They had ten children. John’s aunt, Mrs. Mary (Gavigan) Long was a teacher at the district school, known as the Yellow Schoolhouse, which was directly across from the Christopher home. She taught nine of the ten Christopher children and was a close family friend.

Three of the Christopher boys – Michael, Joseph and John enlisted at the beginning of the war. Michael, who had trained as a barber, was assigned to a military base in Arizona, where he worked as a military barber for the duration of the War.

Joseph F. Christopher served with the Army Air Forces as a Technical Sergeant with the 512th Bomb Squadron, 376th Bomb Group. He and the entire crew of the plane they were traveling in were killed when the plane exploded outside Naples, Italy April 28, 1943. He was listed as Missing in Action over the Mediterranean Sea.

John A. Christopher served as a Private First-Class with the Army Air Forces, 853rd Aviation Engineer Battalion. The transport ship carrying his unit was struck by a German glider bomb off the coast of Algeria on November 26, 1943. His family received a telegram from the War Dept. on Dec. 30, 1943, informing them that he was missing. The Christophers were the first Orleans County family to have two sons reported missing at the same time. John’s death was not confirmed until April 4, 1944. He was survived by his wife, Dorothy, and a 20-month-old son, Robert John. Pfc Christopher was awarded a Purple Heart.

John Christopher was 24 at the time of his death, Joseph was 22. They are both memorialized at the North Africa American Cemetery in Carthage, Tunisia. Nicholas and Mary Christopher, the Gold Star parents who lost two sons in 1943, are buried at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Albion.

A total of ten young men from the small hamlet of Fancher were killed in WWII, among them another set of brothers, Leonard and Martin Licursi. A memorial stone in their honor was dedicated in Fancher in 1949.

A new historical marker was unveiled at the site in May 2023. For additional information and photos see: https://townofmurrayny.gov/world-war-ii-monument/

File photo by Tom Rivers: The memorial at the “Fancher Curve” on Route 31 was rededicated on Aug. 14, 2021. The monument was originally dedicated on Aug. 14, 1949 as a tribute to 10 young men from the Fancher community who were killed in World War II.

Those men include John Christopher, Joseph Christopher, Cosmo Coccitti, John Kettle, Jr., Leonard Licursi, Martin Licursi, Richard Merritt, Camille Nenni, Floyd Valentine and Richard Vendetta.

The photo shows Richard Christopher of Albion placing a commemorative wreath by the monument. Richard is the son John Christopher, who was killed on November 26, 1943 when the transport ship carrying his unit was struck by a German glider bomb and sunk off the coast of Algeria. He was laid to rest at the North Africa American Cemetery in Tunis, Tunisia.

Enterprises included road sprinkler to quell dust, coal yard along canal, bean-sorting operation

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 6, No. 29

ALBION – This column features a sampling of evocative photographs of times gone by in Albion.

The top photograph dates to 1910 when the canal area adjacent to the swing bridge in Albion was being enlarged.

Ralph Vick, Maurice Schwartz and Don Campbell are seen here standing on the old canal bank which was dredged that summer. A fleet of boats ferrying a cargo of lumber waits its turn. The bridge swung from the center of the canal so that boats could pass on either side.

This 1905 photo shows coal being unloaded from a canal boat at John Howard’s Coal Yard at the foot of Clinton St., Albion. Hard, dusty work. Several men on the canal boat shoveled coal into the large bucket which was hoisted by pulley to the top of the large chute and then emptied into the coal barn.

Later, the coal was loaded onto wagons and delivered to area businesses and homes. Coal was the primary source of fuel for power and heat. John Howard’s was one of five coal yards located by the canal in the early 1900s.

This eye-catching photo shows a group of about 50 female workers who worked during the winter months at the M. W. Tilden warehouse located at the north end of West Academy Street. in Albion. The workers hand sorted beans on a conveyor belt and removed imperfect beans, stones and debris. Rejected beans, known as “poor beans” were sold to farmers who cooked them to feed swine.

The photograph was taken in 1911, around the time the warehouse was purchased by the state for the canal widening project. As it transpired, that area was not used in the widening project.

Unpaved municipal streets became very dusty during the summer. Sprinkling water on road surfaces helped quell the dust. The Village of Albion contracted with Shourds Bros., then located on the north end of Platt St., to provide this service which was included in property taxes.

If a property owner was delinquent in payment of taxes, the street area in front of that property was not sprinkled. Shourds Bros. also sprinkled the racetrack at the Orleans County Fairgrounds before and after every race and as otherwise needed.

A water tank can be seen in the center of the photograph. A large wooden tank is being filled. The tank sits on a wagon which was pulled by a team of horses.

This is a selection of burial permits from 1880 to 1910 for East Carlton/Kent Cemetery.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 6, No. 28

EAST CARLTON – From “Acute melancholia” to “Whooping cough”, the burial permits for the East Carlton/Kent Cemetery contained in the leather pouch referenced in V6 No.27 provide an insight into causes of death in East Carlton from the 1880s to 1910.

The following is a list of the conditions cited on 120 permits. Each entry represents one case, unless otherwise noted:

• Acute melancholia
• Alcoholia (sic)
• Anasarca
• Apoplexy (6 cases)
• Asphyxia (1 yr. old)
• Blood poisoning
• Brain abscess
• Bright’s disease (4 cases)
• Cancer, breast
• Cancer, cervical
• Cancer, stomach
• Cancer, uterine
• Cardiac dropsy
• Cerebral hyperemia
• Cholera, infantile (3 cases)
• Chronic fibroid phthisis
• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Consumption (7 cases)
• Convulsions
• Cystitis
• Degeneration of spinal cord
• Diphtheria (3 cases, aged 2,3 and 8)
• Dropsy
• Drowning, while bathing in Marsh Creek
• Dysentery
• Dysentery, bloody
• Dysentery, systemic
• Fibrosis
• Fracture of back and neck – (9-year-old boy, struck by a railroad train)
• Gangrene, senile
• General debility
• Heart disease (5 cases)
• Heart failure (5 cases)
• Hemorrhage (infant. 2 days old)
• Hemorrhage & peritonitis
• Hemorrhage in childbirth – (mother aged 16)
• Inflammation of bowels
• Influenza (2 cases)
• Intestinal obstruction (2 cases)
• Liver abscess
• Locomotor ataxia
• Lupus
• Murder (Emma Hunt, V6, No.27)
• Natural causes (2 cases)
• Nephritis (2 cases)
• Non-closure of foramen ovale – (infant)
• Old age, (6 cases)
• Overdose
• Paralysis (7 cases)
• Peritonitis (2 cases)
• Phthisis
• Phthisis pneumonialis (sic) (2 cases)
• Pneumonia (3 cases)
• Pneumonia, broncho
• Pneumonia, double
• Pneumonia exhaustion
• Pulmonary consumption (3 cases)
• Pulmonary edema
• Pulmonary tuberculosis (2 cases)
• Rheumatic e….itis (sic)
• Rheumatism (2 cases)
• Senile disability
• Tic doloreaux
• Tuberculosis (3 cases)
• Typhoid fever (4 cases)
• Valvular (mitral) disease of the heart (2 cases)
• Whooping cough and pneumonia – (infant, 1.5 months)

Some of the terms used may be unfamiliar. Apoplexy is now referred to as a stroke. Phthisis is a wasting disease. Tuberculosis is listed under a variety of terms: consumption, tuberculosis, pulmonary consumption, and pulmonary tuberculosis.

According to the Center for Disease Control/ Census Bureau Mortality Statistics, the leading causes of death for 1880 – 1910 were infectious and communicable diseases: tuberculosis, pneumonia, influenza, and intestinal infections. The Carlton statistics reflect this:

CDC Leading causes of death from 1880-1910  (Carlton Statistics)

1. Pneumonia & influenza (12 cases)
2. Tuberculosis (14 cases)
3. Enteritis & dysentery (7 cases)
4. Diphtheria (3 cases)
5. Typhoid fever (4 cases)
6. Heart disease (10 cases)

Deaths caused by communicable diseases have since declined. Heart disease and cancer are now the two leading causes of death.

Most of the burial permits also list the undertakers. At that time, furniture stores also operated as undertakers since they had the ability to supply coffins on demand.

Albion firms were: B.C. Mathes, 79 Main St.; Onderdonk & Reed, 66-68 Main St.; Reynolds & Flintham, 113 Main St.; Nelson A. Stevens operated in Kendall; and Keys & Millard and Harry E. Turner were located in Holley, on the Public Square.

Photos from Orleans County Department of History collection: This leather pouch contains burial permits.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 6, No. 27

CARLTON – Thanks to the Orleans County Department of Public Works crew, the Department of History collection has been moved to its new location at 162 South Main St., Albion.

The process of packing and unpacking invariably reveals some overlooked items, such as the soft leather pouch pictured above that is filled with papers. Upon examination, it appears that these are Burial Permits, that final document in the paper trail of life.

The handwriting on the first permit is somewhat difficult to decipher, but the stark word which follows the phrase “the cause of death” fairly leaps from the page: Murder. This document is none other than the Burial Permit for Emma Louise Hunt, whose murder was described in the Buffalo News on October 20, 1894 as “the most horrible thing that has ever happened in Orleans County.”

This burial permit was issued for Emma Louise Hunt, October 20, 1894.

Twenty-one year old Emma Louise Hunt was employed as a domestic by Joseph Van Camp, a Carlton farmer who lived on the east side of Sawyer Road in the town of Carlton. William Lake, aged 24, was a hired man also employed by Van Camp. William was enamored of Emma but she did not return his feelings.

After supper on Thursday evening, October 18, 1894, the Van Camp family went out to collect a relative and left Emma and William at the house. William asked Emma to accompany him to an I.O.O.F. oyster supper, she declined. She told him he was “a loafer and a drunkard.”  Enraged, he went to the barn for a hammer and proceeded to kill her in a brutal and frenzied manner. We will spare you the gory details of the crime and of the subsequent autopsy which were reported in full in the newspapers of the day.

Lake was apprehended within a few days. A letter of confession which he had written before he murdered Emma was found in his bedroom. He was arraigned before Judge W.C. Ramsdale. Attorney Thomas C. Kirby was appointed to represent him.

Supreme Court Judge Henry A. Childs presided at the trial which was held at  the Orleans County Courthouse from Feb. 13-15, 1895. Attorney Kirby claimed that his client was insane, but the letter of confession written prior to the crime was damming. Lake was convicted of murder in the first degree and was given the death sentence. He was removed to Auburn State Prison where he was electrocuted on April 4, 1895.

The Burial Permit was signed by Isaac N. Stebbins, Justice of the Peace. The undertakers were Mathes & Onderdonk who operated a furniture store at 48 N. Main St, in Albion. A large crowd attended the funeral on Saturday, October 21, 1894, when the mangled remains of Emma Louise Hunt were buried in the East Carlton (Kent) cemetery, less than 48 hours after her murder.

Photographs courtesy of the Holley Depot Museum – Scene of the Holley train crash, Sept. 24, 1926.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 6, No. 26

HOLLEY – On a Friday afternoon, September 24, 1926, a fast moving east-bound freight train crashed head-on into a switch-engine on the Falls branch of the New York Central Railroad a short distance east of Holley.

The train was coming from a stone quarry, some two miles east. The local switch engine traveled daily from Rochester to deliver freight to the local office.

The engineers of both trains took evasive action to avoid the crash, but it was too late.

F.J. Maloney, of Suspension Bridge, a fireman on the freight train was scalded to death in the impact. The engineers of both trains jumped to safety.

As the engine crashed, the train buckled and several cars derailed. One car crashed into the baggage room of the station and tore a corner off the building. Another car struck the freight house with such force that the entire building was moved from its foundation. Freight agents had a narrow escape.

Spectators quickly flocked to the scene of the Holley train crash.

Following an inquest immediately following the accident, Coroner Ogden of Holley concluded that “misinterpreted signals” caused the accident. Both the train and the switch engine were traveling on main westbound track. The engineer of the fast freight train testified that the automatic signal had shown a green light and that he did not see any flagman from the switch engine, while others testified that they had seen the flagman unfurl his flag.

The October 14, 1926 issue of the Holley-Standard followed up with a report stating that the evidence indicated that the switch engine must have entered the block after the fast train had passed the automatic signal and that there was no criminal neglect on behalf of the railroad employees

A later inquest conducted by the Interstate Commerce Commission concluded that the brakeman on the express train failed to protect his train properly.

The most severe railroad accident in Orleans County occurred on July 27, 1883. Seventeen people were killed in the Carlyon/Ashwood accident when a passenger train collided with a loose freight car that had drifted onto the track.

(Left) This notebook was used in 1893 to record a trip to the World’s Fair, held in Chicago. (Right) The first page of the notebook.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” –  Volume 6, No. 25

A small, modest notebook with a brown cover. It is easy to overlook. Its condition belies its age though, it is a surprise to open it, read the date and the first page:

Sept. 4, 1893

“Left home for the World’s Fair. Took the 6:44 train for Buffalo, arrived there 9 p.m., left at 10 pm. Paid for two tickets to Buffalo $2.04

Paid for ticket to Chicago $20. On the way we passed through the following places: Dunkirk, Erie, Ashtabula, Cleveland, Landusky, Toledo. Passed through Elkhart 9’o clock a.m. Thursday. Stopped 20 min. for refreshment. Paid for coffee .10 cents.”

This notebook is unique. It is a hand-written record of a visit to the World’s Columbian Exposition, generally referred to as the World’s Fair, which was held in Chicago from May 1 – October 30, 1893. The entries are short and terse. We are assuming that this traveler is a gentleman traveling with his wife. His record of this three-week trip covers only 26 of these short pages. He includes a list of expenses on the last five pages. The remainder of the notebook is blank.

[P.2] “Passed through South Bend, 9:50 am. Passed through Seaport 10:50 am, 5 miles from Chicago.

Weds. Sept 5 paid for 1 room at Calumet Hotel .75c and 4 meals $1.40. Went to Fairgrounds at 8:00 at 64th St. entrance, gate fee .50c.”

Naturally, we were intrigued by the prices. Yes, .75c for a room! We checked.

Our anonymous traveler chose to travel by train. He would have traveled on the Nickel Plate Road, which advertised three fast express trains daily between Buffalo and Chicago, “with superb dining carriages.”

One could also have traveled by steamer. The Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Co. advertised the “Great All-Water Route” on magnificent side-wheel steel steamers from Buffalo, with the option of visiting Cleveland, Detroit and Mackinac Island.

The theme of the 1893 World’s Fair was a celebration of human achievement and progress. Our diarist was suitably impressed with all that he saw. Visiting the New York State building, he wrote: “Elegant chandeliers hang from the ceiling. The shades and ceiling are carved too beautiful for description.”

Over the course of the next few days, he saw:

[P.4] “The old pistol that shot Tecumseh… A punch bowl used by General Washington which was on display in the Pennsylvania Building and also a plaster cast of his face after death ….The old charter from Charles II to William Penn 1682 also a seal attached to the charter for the territory now known as Pennsylvania.”

At the Art Gallery, he saw a statue of Charles Dickens; the Emperor of Germany;  William Shakespeare; Abraham Lincoln; Emperor William 2 of Germany;  a painting of the Death of Archimedes and a painting of deer by Rosa Bonheur, owned by Consul General of Spain. In Governor’s Building, a flag used on the tent of General Washington was on display.

[P.8] “Paid .50c for coffee, tea & doughnuts at Wellington Café in the Fishery Building.  Paid for lunch, .35c Thursday evening.”

This World’s Fair visitor certainly made the most of his trip. Over the next three days, he visited the Leather & Shoe exhibit, listened to Flecker’s Elgin Band, and toured the Machinery and Agricultural Buildings. He went into Marshall Field’s store and saw the Pullman building on Michigan Avenue.

Twenty-seven million people visited the 1893 World’s Fair. Many people from Orleans County made the trip as this “news” was reported in the newspaper social columns: Mr. & Mrs. Walter Tuttle, Mrs. E.J. Vosler, Mrs. Hawley and Mrs. George Lum were part of a group from Lyndonville that went in June, Martin Sutter and John Griffin from Medina went in August.

Some World’s Fair attendees took advantage of their trip to Chicago to expand their trips. George W. Kohler of South Dakota attended the Fair in June and then came east to visit family in West Shelby, after an absence of 14 years.

Our diarist also visited relatives during the last week of his trip – Dean Jaquith, Ben Jaquith, Aunt Flora, Cousin Lydia and visited Willie Tanner’s grave in Cleveland.

The final entry on September 27:

“Took cars in Cleveland for home, got into Buffalo 3 PM, found friends waiting for us, reached Albion 6:30 pm. Fred came for us, found Mr. Tanner not well, having been poorly during the three weeks of our absence.”

This little notebook gives us a glance into everyday life in the 1890s. Travel and communication were efficient. Public transportation worked. Travelers could expect to be met at the train station, as arranged. The city of Chicago handled the influx of Fair visitors. People assumed that these systems would work and felt confident about traveling. The speed of travel may have increased over the past 130 years, but as to efficiency and public confidence, well, that’s debatable.

Provided photos: The following are historic properties which have been selected by the Cobblestone Society to be recognized in the annual Cobblestone Museum Architectural Tour, scheduled Oct. 3 from noon to 5 p.m. Selected structures, all in Niagara County, are the Babcock House Museum in Appleton, Appleton Hall (Marjim Manor) in Appleton, Van Horn Mansion in Burt, First Baptist Church in Newfane, Alton & Arlene Schwarzmuller’s home in Wilson and the Wilson House Inn and Restaurant in Wilson.

The annual Tour of Homes sponsored by the Cobblestone Museum will have a new look this year when it takes place Oct. 3. Aptly named as the Cobblestone Architectural Tour, the event from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 3 will feature six structures in Niagara County,

Tickets are $20 for Cobblestone Society members and $25 for non-members. Tickets are available online at CobblestoneMuseum.org or by calling (585) 589-9013.

The first Tour of Homes took place in 1961, according to Doug Farley, director of the Cobblestone Museum. The 20 featured buildings that year were all cobblestone and were located on or near Ridge Road between Childs and Oak Orchard on the Ridge. Seven of the homes allowed indoor tours, while 13 were exterior only or drive-by. It was organized by Carl Schmidt and other early Cobblestone Society board members.

“These days, I work with a planning committee each year,” Farley said. “We pick a geographic area on which to focus to minimize the drive time between stops. We also have limited the tours to no more than six indoor tours to keep the timeframe manageable.”

The tours have also grown to include other types of construction, which explains the name change from Cobblestone Tour of Homes to Cobblestone Museum Architectural Tour this year. In 65 years, only a few annual tours have been missed.

The cobblestone Babcock House Museum at 7449 Lake Rd., Appleton, is owned by the town of Somerset Historical Society. The Greek Revival Babcock House was built in 1848 by Jeptha Bacock near the shores of Lake Ontario. He was a farmer, first postmaster in the town, supervisor of the town of Somerset and a New York State assemblyman.

A succession of owners eventually led to New York State Electric and Gas acquiring the property in 1982 as part of its 625 megawatt electric generating plant. An agreement was signed in 1987, allowing the town of Somerset Historical Society to operate the Babcock House Museum and Visitors’ Center.

The cobblestone masonry, using water washed stone from Lake Ontario, is typical to this area of Ne4w York, with most of these homes being erected prior to the Civil War. When one steps over the threshold, they enter a world gone by. A brick beehive oven and fireplace are focal points. The home is completely furnished with vintage antiques, china, light fixtures and pump organ. It is if the original owner is just outside in the impressive barn tending to his animals.

One of the largest barns in Niagara County, visitors can tour the old machinery inside and view the barn’s soaring architecture. The Somerset Historical Society holds square dances, storytelling and old fashioned pot luck meals inside the barn several times a year.

Appleton Hall (Marjim Manor) is located at 7171 Lake Rd., Appleton, where it is home to the Winery at Marjim Manor, woman-owned by Margo Sue Bittner.

The Marjim name comes from a blending of her first name with that of her husband Jim. It is a name they created 35 years ago when they began dairy farming.

The winery is truly a family affair. Margo Sue is president, and daughter Janet Walker assists with sales and marketing. The fruit comes from Bittner-Singer Orchards, where Margo’s husband is president. Their sons work full time there also.

The 9,500 square foot mansion has a unique appearance and history. Formerly called Appleton Hall, it is built of bricks imported from Italy by its original owner Shubal Merritt, who bought the property from the Holland Land company. The house was originally and Italianate villa style brick house. In the 20th century, a wrap-around enclosed porch was added.

Originally built in the 1800s as a farmhouse, it later became a summer retreat for the Sisters of St. Joseph Convent. It even has resident ghosts. Visitors to the Tasting Room hear the whole story. No recent sightings have been reported.

The Van Horn Mansion at 2159 Lockport-Olcott Rd., Burt, has a history that is both fascinating and a classic American story. A pioneer family earned riches from dreams and hard work, yet lived through plenty of hardships and heartaches. This can also describe their homestead, which was built by the first Van Horn to settle in Niagara County.

James Augustus Van Horn was born in New Jersey in 1770. He became a blacksmith and settled with his wife Elizabeth Hall and their three surviving children, moving to Seneca County around the turn of the century. In 1801, at age 31, James purchased 637 acres south of Lake Ontario from the Holland Land Company. As was the rule at the time, one could not take possession of property until it was paid in full, and James, like most new landowners of the day, would take many years to pay off the property and move.

In 1807, Elizabeth passed away and James, almost immediately, married his second wife Abigail Carpenter. Together they had six surviving children and two who died in infancy. James visited his new property for the first time in 1809, along with business partner Levi Ellis. Both arrived from Seneca County with plans to build a new water-powered grist mill along Eighteen Mile Creek and sell flour.

Construction began in 1810, around the same time James’ son Launey was born. Unfortunately, all the workers would become very ill with swamp fever. The project was abandoned before winter, leaving the men to return to their lives in Seneca County. James would not give up, however, and returned alone the next year to complete construction and put the mill into operation.

James decided that until the businesses were strong, his family would remain in Seneca County. One main reason may have been the wide-spread illnesses in Niagara County due to the large amount of swamp land at the time. The land was properly drained in 1832 by the state, eradicating the health problems.

When the War of 1812 erupted, many settlers left the area, but James Van Horn remained and began sending flour to support the American garrison at Fort Niagara. In December of 1813 the British headed to Eighteen Mile Creek, with orders to destroy all before them west of the creek. They burned homes, mills and factories, leaving the settlers to the mercy of the woods and harsh temperatures.

The British attacks spared most families and property east of the creek, but had orders to burn the Van Horn’s mills, which were considered “military targets,” since they were supplying Fort Niagara with flour. The mill was burned to the ground, yet the British spared James’ home, because (some believed) he was diplomatic to the invaders and supplied them with food and brandy.

In 1817, with the war over, James started over with a new partner and millwright, Ira Tompkins. They rebuilt the gristmill and the next decade added a brickyard, small general store and sawmill. He rebuilt the gristmill again after a fire in the 1830s. James also began plans to build a large home for his family, and by 1819, they were officially settled at their log cabin home in Newfane. That same year he began construction on what would become the first brick building in the area, known today as the Van Horn Mansion. The new brick home was an immense structure in Federal Greek style. It had two stories, plus basement with four fireplaces on each floor, a basement kitchen and an outdoor summer kitchen.

James, then in his 50s, owned 637 acres of property. The family business was known as Van Horn and Company, a business which grew with the addition of a wheat farm, distillery, wooden mill with a clothing shop and several other mills.

The First Baptist Church at 6047 East Ave., Newfane is built of cobblestone and was organized in 1829, five years after the town of Newfane was incorporated. The church, with its landmark cobblestone building, has been the spiritual home to generations from Newfane and surrounding communities for so long that no one today can remember when this house of worship did not exist.

Historical events in the church’s history include its founding May 27, 1829 as the First Baptist Church and Society of Newfane; It’s new house of cobblestone in 1843 – one of only a handful of cobblestone churches in the nation; extensive renovation completed in 1907, including building the bell tower and installed stained glass windows; constructing Memorial Hall to honor Newfane men who served in World War I; purchase of a used pipe organ, whose pipes today are a backdrop for a lighted hanging cross in the sanctuary; in 2004, the church’s acceptance for listing on the New York and National Registers of Historic Places; and celebration in 2015 of the church’s 186th anniversary.

The cobblestone home of Alton and Arlene Schwarzmuller at 2533 Wilson-Cambria Rd., Wilson was built for Captain Morgan Johnson about 1844-45. It was considered one of the most elaborate of Niagara County’s cobblestone homes. Morgan was captain of the ship “Milly Cook,” which caught fire and burned in Wilson Harbor.

The house is constructed with small water-washed stones with a very interesting herringbone design. It also features unique belly windows with grill facings ad two stone columns at the front door. It is also known as the “Anchor House” because of the500-pound anchor on the front lawn. The anchor was lost from the schooner Franklin Pierce during a story in 1840 and found near the Wilson pier around 1897.

The current owners purchased the home in 2001. The house had fallen into disrepair for several years and was even foreclosed on at one point. The Schwarzmullers saw the house for its potential and looked past the numerous blue tarps used to protect some damaged areas in hope of stopping further degradation.

Wilson House Inn & Restaurant is located at 310 Lake St., Wilson. Owner Kerry Atlas will offer a special menu for guests at the remodeled Luther Wilson family cobblestone home, originally built in 1844 on the site of the village’s first schoolhouse, which was erected in 1820.

In 1890, the home was the scene for the double funeral of Captain Luther Willson, 92, and his son Reuben F., 68. Later, it became the Wilsonian Club, a private club for area businessmen, with a bowling alley in the basement and a dance hall on the second floor. A large porch was added where musicians played and revelers danced in the street.

It eventually became a bar/restaurant in 1947 and has continued to be one, under several different managements.

Old Home Week Committee member Senator Irving L’Hommedieu’s residence at 219 West Center St.  was gaily bedecked for the occasion.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 6, No. 24

MEDINA – It all started as a prank….

This year marks the 120th anniversary of Medina’s gala Old Home Week in 1906. We are familiar with the postcard views of the Main Street buildings bedecked with bunting, the parade scenes, the crowds, but we know little of the details of the week.

During a slow news period early in 1906, J. Barry Murphy, a Medina correspondent who supplied articles to regional newspapers, wrote a fully fleshed, totally fabricated, tongue-in-cheek article describing detailed plans for an Old Home Week celebration planned for Medina in August of that year.

The “Old Home Week” concept is ascribed to New Hampshire Gov. Frank Rollin who in the 1890s encouraged towns to invite former residents back to visit their hometowns and celebrate their connections and heritage. This idea proved popular and Old Home Week events were soon being organized in adjoining states and in New York.

Murphy named the members of the organizing committee, all prominent Medinians, and outlined the plans for the event. People thought it was a great idea and assumed that it was indeed a definite plan. The article was taken seriously and Murphy’s attempt at humor backfired. He had to approach the named committee members and ask them to co-operate. They agreed.

Judge Childs was named Honorary Chairman of the General Old Home Week Committee (apparently, he was not amused by Murphy’s humor). George A. Bowen was appointed Vice-chairman. Senator Irving L’Hommedieu, Mayor S.A. Cook, former Mayor W.B. Robbins, and Capt. S.A. Ross and Robert Mahar were the other committee members. Sadly, Judge Childs passed away on May 16, 1906. His daughter, Julia, was appointed as Secretary.

Despite this background, the Old Home Week committee did a stellar job in organizing the event. It established headquarters in the Downs-Kearney building, 108-110 West Center St.

A register of Medinians who had moved away was established at the Wright and Ross store and people were encouraged to supply names and addresses. The Buffalo Courier Express of July 24, 1906, reported that the committee had sent 750 invitations, many of which included whole families.

Soon, replies were pouring in from all parts of the country and the acceptance rate exceeded expectations. Even the reply letters reflect the excitement this event generated. People were so honored to be remembered, to be personally invited. The replies, some handwritten, some typed on company letterhead, are a study unto themselves, reflecting the circumstances of the correspondents and the economy of the times.

A sample of the letters received in response to Old Home Week invitations.

Old Home Week Events

Sunday, August 19 – Old Home Week began with appropriate services in all of the churches. In the evening, the S.A. Cook band gave a sacred concert at the High School park which was attended by over two thousand people

Monday, August 20 – Arrival Day. Showers and overcast sky. A registration office was set up by the train depot, visitors were encouraged to sign in and were given a badge, a pass and a program.

Pass provided to registrants of Old Home Week

Tuesday, August 21 – Registration Day. Clear skies. At 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning, Medina residents were awoken by a cacophony of sound – every whistle in Medina was blown and bells were rung, a cannon boomed, boys beat tin cans and yelled.  A salute of 81 guns representing the 81 years of the town’s history was fired. This noisy concert lasted for ten minutes and signaled the commencement of Old Home Week.

Members of the Automobile Club took visitors on tours of the village in the afternoon.

A sense of excitement was palpable as the town was thronged with visitors out renewing acquaintances and admiring the decorations.

In the evening, a formal reception was held at the Armory which was splendidly decorated in yellow and white. Mayor Seelye A. Cook presided. Senator Irving L’Hommedieu delivered the Address of Welcome to which former Medinian, Hon. John Ford of New York City, responded.

Homecomers representing prominent families of former days spoke: Frank Ellicott of Chicago spoke of the Ellicotts, perhaps the most influential families in WNY at one time, Harry Davis of Denver spoke of the Davis family and Harry A. Chase of Rochester delineated the connections of the Chase family. Representatives of the Brown, Hedley, Newell, Hill, Whalen, and Ives families also spoke. Professor Shea’s orchestra furnished the music.

Wednesday, August 22 – Church and School Day featured a dazzling parade of children dressed in white with colorful accessories. Each denomination vied with the other in putting forth its best efforts. St. John’s Episcopal Sunday school children, divided into classes, were first in line. The girls were dressed in white and wore orange sunbonnets, carried orange parasols and long garlands of sweet peas. Thirty boys dressed in white and wearing white caps, pulled a float representing the ship of peace.

The parade formed at the Baptist Church on West Ave. and marched from West Ave. to Park Ave. to Main St., then to Pearl St. Prospect to Center and back to West Ave. where it disbanded.

Methodist and Baptist children were also dressed in white, with purple and yellow accents respectively,

The marching children were followed by parade officers in carriages, a pony-cart Maypole and a float of children in swings.

In the evening, a crowd of several thousand attended a grand concert. A massed chorus of 200 voices led by Dr. Emily F. Swett performed, with orchestral accompaniment provided by Prof. Shea’s orchestra.

Thursday’s parade of floats

Thursday, August 23 – Clear skies. A Buffalo Times headline on 8/24 stated that “thirty-thousand visitors were in Medina yesterday”. It was a day crammed with activity. In the morning, two hundred and fifty supervisors and former supervisors held their annual reunion at the Armory. The 17th New York Battery held their annual reunion at the Grand Army Hall. Concerts and sporting events were held.

The parade approaches on the left, view from West Avenue, looking east.

The parade which began at 2:00 p.m. was the highlight of the week. The two-mile long procession, which formed on West Ave. was led by the Medina police and the 29th Separate Company of Medina. Mayor S.A. Cook and the village trustees followed in carriages.

The fire companies, the fire wagon and the steam fire engine followed. Then came the Knights of Columbus, the I.O.O.F. and employees of the Central Foundry. A host of local businesses were represented by colorful floats followed: O’Donnell Lumber, Wright & Ross, the Bignall Company, and A.J. Richards to name but a few.

Concerts were held at various locations. At 9:00, clubs and organizations held smokers and receptions in their rooms. The brilliant illumination provided by the Swett Electric Co. added to the atmosphere and people socialized well into the night.

The ambitious lighting display provided by the A. L. Swett Electric Co. contributed to the magic of Old Home Week.

Friday, August 24 – At 10:00 a.m., the 29th Separate Company gave a concert at the corner of Main and West Center Streets. Sporting events featured on Friday, with a lacrosse game in the morning and a football game in the afternoon. Later that evening “the finest display of fireworks ever seen in Medina” was followed by a masked carnival on Main Street and the jollity continued until morning

Saturday was set aside as a day for quiet visits, family reunions, picnics and excursions.

Though the event formally concluded on Friday, director George A. Bowen decided to carry through until Sunday, since there were so many people still in town. He also wished to end with a calmer note than the hilarity of Friday night’s carnival.

On Sunday evening, the S.A, Cook Band performed a sacred concert at the Four Corners. A select chorus under the direction of Dr. Emily F. Swett sang “Onward Christian Soldiers”, “Nearer my God to Thee” and concluded appropriately with “Home Sweet Home”.

(Material courtesy of Medina Historical Society.)

Provided photo: Don Dwyer will perform in a concert at 7 p.m. today at the Gaines Basin Cobblestone Schoolhouse.

GAINES – The Orleans County Historical Association will welcome Don Dwyer for a concert this evening at Gaines Basin Cobblestone Schoolhouse, 3286 Gaines Basin Rd. Albion.

Dwyer  will perform his program “Songs and Stories of the Erie Canal” and share the meaning behind the songs he sings as well as their impact on society at that time. The concert starts at 7 p.m.

Dwyer is a musician, singer and songwriter from the Buffalo area. He has performed in New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Ohio. The event is free to the public.

OCHA has two additional history talks after today’s concert.

On Sept. 30, retired teacher Doug Miller is back with a program about the Burned Over District.

On Oct. 28, retired Gaines historian Dee Robinson will share unique items from the Hoag Library, where she is the local history reference librarian.

OCHA also concludes its Sunday cemetery tours this Sunday at 6 p.m. at Mount Albion. People are urged to park at the main entrance near the chapel. The slate roof is complete and people can look at it as well as view the chapel’s interior and see the work that still needs to be completed.

The Mount Albion tour will focus on the oldest section of the cemetery. Participants should wear footwear with good tread as some spots of the tour will be on hilly, uneven, unpaved surfaces.

The tour includes four American Revolutionary War soldier graves as well as several pioneers of Orleans County.

This headline was gladly welcomed in the Albion Advertiser on August 16, 1945.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 6, No. 23

ALBION – President Truman officially announced Japan’s unconditional surrender to the Allied Forces at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 13, 1945.

The announcement of the ending of this war which had begun on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, was a welcome one. In Albion, factory whistles and bells sounded out the celebration.

Events on the world stage invariably have a local impact.

In that same issue of the Albion Advertiser, an article titled “Medina Man Gives Life in Pacific War” told of the death of Sgt. Stanley W. Dunn, killed in action over the Ryukyus Islands in the Pacific on July 18, 1945. He had served as a top turret gunner on a B-25 with the 405th Bomber Squadron, Fifth Air Force.

The son of Mr. & Mrs. William Dunn of Fletcher Chapel Road in Shelby, Sgt. Dunn was awarded the Purple Heart Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. His monument is in the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines, the largest of the American overseas military cemeteries, it honors over 17,000 American servicemen

An unusual event, which occurred at the First Methodist Church in Medina on Sunday, August 12, just days before the announcement of the end of the war, was also reported in that issue of the Albion Advertiser. During a service which was being led by Rev. Webb Ayres, the congregation was startled by the sudden appearance of a white dove flying through the church. It perched on an organ pipe at the front of the church and later flew to another part of the church where it remained for the duration of the service. A white dove is generally recognized as the symbol of peace.