Photo courtesy of Susan Starkweather Miller: The tower at Mount Albion Cemetery is a memorial to 463 Orleans County residents killed during the Civil War.

ALBION – The Orleans County Historical Association will host a series of cemetery tours during the month of August, all focusing on the county’s bicentennial, according to Sue Starkweather Miller, village of Albion historian.

• The first tour on Aug. 3 will be at Mount Albion Cemetery on Route 31 with Miller serving as a guide along with Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County historian.

“To commemorate our county’s bicentennial, we will focus on several prominent pioneers around the tower area, including Nehemiah Ingersoll, and hear the story of how Albion became the county seat,” Miller said.

Guests may enter through the main gate, park at the chapel and walk to the tower, or drive to the area and park in the woods behind the tower. It is short walk up a slight incline to the tower.

• The tour on Aug. 10 will be at Robinson Cemetery, Route 237 and Glidden Road, Clarendon, with guide Melissa Ierlan, town of Clarendon historian.

• On Aug. 17, town of Shelby historian Alice Zacher and Orleans County historian Catherine Cooper will lead the tour of Millville Cemetery, 4394 East Shelby Rd., Medina.

Highlights will be a visit to the wooden chapel/memorial vault and a tour of some of the impressive monuments, including the gravestone of Asa Hill, a Civil War soldier who suffered amputation of a leg, yet returned to run the family farm a few short miles west of the cemetery.

• The tour on Aug. 24 Greenwood Cemetery, 16670 Roosevelt Hgy./Route 18, Kendall, will focus on the first Norwegian settlement in the United States in 1825 in Kendall. Orleans County historian Catherine Cooper will lead this tour.

• Aug. 31 at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, 581 East Ave., Albion, will conclude the series of tours. Catherine Cooper and Sue Starkweather Miller will lead the tour, which will include a visit to the chapel to view the beautiful interior stained glass windows, and stops at several prominent gravesites.

All tours begin at 6 p.m. and are free, although donations are gratefully accepted.

By Craig Lacy, member of Medina Historical Society

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, No. 27

Carl Fischer starred as a left-handed pitcher in a professional career for two decades.

“Fischer Fans the Great Bambino.” So read the headlines of The Daily Journal on May 30th, 1931. The day before, 26-year-old Medina native Charlie “Carl” Fischer, relief pitching for the Washington Senators in the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, retired three New York Yankees in order, including striking out Babe Ruth and forcing a pop up by Lou Gehrig to save the 3-2 win for the Senators.  A 10-minute standing ovation followed by the Washington fans.

Back when baseball was still more of the national pastime and young boys followed their favorite teams and players while dreaming of making it in the Big League, one Medina boy succeeded.

Charlie began his baseball career playing for Medina High School and left school the spring of his senior year in 1925, forgoing his diploma for a chance to play major league baseball.  He signed with the Rochester Red Wings and was sent to Scranton, Pa. to play in the New York-Penn League helping his team to win the pennant in 1926. It was there that his manager Jack Eagon gave Charlie his nickname of  “Carl” for reason now lost to time but for whatever reason it stuck with him for the rest of his life. He would go on to play organized baseball for over 20 years.

Carl’s major league career spanned seven years from 1930-1937 where he racked up a record of 46 wins, 50 losses with 376 strikeouts in 822 innings while playing in 191 games for the Washington Senators, 1930-’32 and part of the 1937 season; St. Louis, 1932; Detroit Tigers, 1933-’35; Chicago White Sox, 1935-’36; and the Cleveland Indians, part of the 1937 season.

Getting to the big leagues is often a slow, grinding process of making your way through the farm clubs and for Carl it was no different. From Scranton, Carl spent the next three years with the Newark Bears, part of the Eastern Shore League entering spring training in Pensacola, Florida in 1927, as a 5’ 11’, 160 lb. strapping 21-year-old “Southpaw.”

He had speed, curves, hooks and wildness, plenty of wildness. In 1930, after spending time also in the PONY and International Leagues, he was called up to the Washington Senators, thus beginning his career in the majors.

It was in 1931, while with Washington, that Carl gained fame retiring both Ruth and Gehrig in the bottom of ninth with bases loaded to save the 3-2 win with Manager Walter Johnson telling the young pitcher as he took the mound, “Show ’em your real stuff, Charley.” The 1932 season saw Carl pitching for the St. Louis Americans and then on to Detroit in ’33.  While with Detroit in ’34 he pitched in the game that won them the pennant for the first time in 25 years and earned his share of World Series money.

His next brush with fame came on July 20, 1935, while pitching for the Chicago White Sox.  Carl held the Washington Senators hitless for 8 innings when the lead batter in the ninth belting a short hit over second base for a single. He then retired the next three batters in order.

He started the 1936 season with Kansas City but in June was sent down to play with the Buffalo Bisons. It was during his time in Buffalo that he was honored as the International League Pitcher of the Year

Like his major league career, Carl’s minor league time was spent with many farm teams across the country.  In his first full year in the International League playing with Baltimore and Toronto, Carl led the league with 196 strikeouts, winning 18 games. 1939-‘41, found Carl pitching for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He would go on to spend 5 years after the war with the Pacific Coast League pitching for Portland and Seattle while also spending time in Kansas City, St. Louis and Buffalo. While with Portland, Carl set a league record with four playoff victories.

This plaque in honor of Carl Fischer at Medina’s Veterans Memorial Park.

At an Elk’s benefit held in Medina honoring Carl in 1936, WGR radio announcer Roger Baker, during his speech recounting the 1936 Bison’s season stated, “I have broadcast many exciting games during my six years of experience as a radio announcer, but never, even in World’s Series games have I seen so many thrills rolled into one season of pitching as those furnished by Carl Fischer.”

While pitching for the Bisons in 1937, Buffalo Times sportswriter Francis Dunn wrote that “(He) has a fast ball that mows down batters and wears out catchers.”

1937 would be Carl’s last year in the major leagues splitting the season for both Washington and Cleveland.

Carl married the former Grace Reynolds from Middleport in 1929 and they made their home at 137 State Street in Medina. Upon retiring from baseball, Carl operated Fischer’s Newsroom in Albion until his death in 1963. While in Albion, baseball was never too far from his mind with displays of memorabilia decorating his business and always a willingness to offer advice and guidance to young ball players while being the founder and president of the Central Orleans Little League for over a decade where he supplied the Carl Fischer trophy to the pennant winner each season.

In September 1964, a year after Carl’s death of a heart attack, a bronze plaque was erected behind home plate at Medina’s Veterans Memorial Park to honor the legacy of Charles “Carl” Fischer.  On the plaque are memorialized Carl’s two big league achievements, his retiring of both Ruth and Gehrig and his one-hitter. Funds for the memorial were donated by baseball fans from Medina, Lyndonville and Albion. A fitting tribute to a local boy who made good.

Note from Orleans County Historian Catherine Cooper: We welcome Craig Lacy as a guest columnist this week. An active member of the Medina Historical Society, Craig was inspired to write this article by the display of Fischer items at the Museum. The Museum is open to the public on the first Saturday of the summer months or by appointment, contact https://historicmedina.org/contact-us/.  This article is published courtesy of the Medina Historical  Society.

This familiar rustic sign by the 4-H Fairgrounds is a familiar sight on Route 31.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, No. 25

KNOWLESVILLE –  As these signs indicate, the Orleans County Fair has been held at a variety of dates over the years.

Whatever the date, “The Fair” is a defining event in the calendar year, equal in stature to “The Holidays.”

This older sign promises “Gigantic Night Entertainment, Many New Features Racing Daily, Big Midway Attractions.” This was when the fair was held in Albion.

Its carnival spirit heightens experiences, tastes, memories. The sights, smells, sounds, even the heat or rain, everything is intensified at the Fair.

This Fair advertising pin is from 1972.

Yes, we will see you at The Fair!

Be sure to visit us at the Orleans County Bicentennial booth this year. Carol Culhane will be on hand with her keepsake Orleans County Bicentennial posters. Of course, Orly, our charismatic mascot, will also be around to join us.

Photographed at Shadigee: (from left) John J. Ryan, Rev. F.T. Latham, Mrs. Latham, Alberta D. Ryan, Mrs. LeRoy Skinner. Children seated: Lee Skinner, Howard Phillips, Gertrude Skinner and Clare Ryan.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, No. 24

YATES – When temperatures soar, we wonder how previous generations coped with the heat. Summer temperatures in the Buffalo region reached over 90-degrees then also: 95 degrees in 1911 and 1914; 93 degrees in 1913; 91 degrees in 1912.

Shadigee, in the Town of Yates, was a popular summer destination for those who lived in the western end of Orleans County. It first developed as a business port. According to the historic marker at the site, the Yates Pier was built in 1850 to facilitate the shipping of lumber and grain. The Shadigee Hotel, a popular resort, was built in 1860. It was located on the site now occupied by the water treatment plant.

Jeddo photographer, William Eaton, captured this crisp postcard photo of a group enjoying the outdoors. John J. Ryan was a lawyer in Medina. He and Leroy Skinner had an office on the second floor of the Cook Block, Medina. The practice was subsequently continued by Bernard Hart and Thomas C. Mack.

The Ryans resided at 411 West Center St. in Medina, the Skinners lived at 238 West Center. Rev. A.J. Latham was a minister at the Baptist Church.

The presence of the children in the photograph helps pinpoint the date. According to the 1915 Census, Lee Skinner was 10, his sister Gertrude and Clara Ryan were both aged 7. Those ages seem to match, so we can assume that the photo was taken from 1914-1916.

The basket of apples on the ground indicates that the photo was taken later in the season, early September, perhaps. Clutching their dolls, the girls pose happily, while the boys assiduously ignore the camera. Some things never change!

This is the cover of Trifles trivia game, left, and the playing board from the game, right.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, Number 23

HOLLEY – Where is Garrand’s Quarry?

Name the postmaster of Holley in 1985?

What was the reason for the formation of the Holley School Boosters?

These Holley area questions are from a trivia game recently brought to our attention by Melissa Ierlan, Town of Clarendon Historian. Marketed under the name  “Trifles: a Unique Educational Trivia Game Customized for Your Community,” this board game was marketed in the mid-1980s as a fundraiser for the Holley Sports Boosters and the Holley Music Boosters.

Designed to be played by two or more players, the box contains a sturdy board, a rules sheet, tokens, dice, discs, a box of question and answer cards, and a set of category questions and answers.

The names of contributing local businesses appear on square tiles on the perimeter of the board. Players who answer General Knowledge trivia questions correctly can place colored discs on the tiles.

A player who has three or more discs on each of the four sides of the board or six discs on any one side of the board qualifies to enter the circle. The Master Position is at the end where the player must answer correctly a question from the Etc. category to be the winner.

The General Knowledge questions are wide-ranging and varied, while the “Etc.” questions are locally oriented.

Trifles was manufactured by Henco in Selmer, TN and was the creation of Tom Hendrix, a versatile entrepreneur who had honed his salesmanship skills as a door-to door Bible salesman. He and his wife, Sherry, started Henco with a $3,500 loan, in a small building in Selmer. The company went national, with nearly 1,000 employees on the payroll in its heyday of helping schools raise money through selling items that Henco manufactured.

Regardless of how much money was raised by sales at the time, this game is a gem forty years later. Kudos to whoever prepared the questions and answers for the “Etc.” category back then. They are now a rich resource of Holley/Murray/Clarendon area facts, and would be perfect for family get-togethers and campfire conversations.

The list of the local businesses, farmers,  and professionals who subscribed captures the essence of Holley at that point in time. How many of them do you remember?

A quick eBay search indicates that the resale value of the game is only about $25, but its local significance will only increase the passage of time.

Holley area sponsors of the Trifles trivia game from 1984-85 incude:

• Assembly of God Church
• Bowen Trucking, Inc.
• Brockport Ford Tractor
• Burgio Tire World
• Country Garden Florist
• Danny’s Small Engine Repair
• Dave’s Antenna Satellite Communications
• Danco Home Improvements
• Deerfield Country Club
• DeNe’s Cake Shop
• Disciples United Methodist Church
• Domenico’s Italian Imports & Deli
• Drennan Service
• Ed Blissett Nursery
• Edward Fuirerer & Sons, Builders
• Fingland Electric
• First Baptist Church
• First Presbyterian Church
• Fissler Collision
• 5 Point Collision
• Gordis Hardware
• Grenadier Kennels
• Hendel Farms
• Herring Development Corp.
• Holley Cold Storage
• Holley Lime Company
• Holley Mower Service
• Holley Pharmacy
• Holley Ridge Stables
• Holley Super Duper
• Hurd’s Orchard Apple Shed
• Jerry L. Wagner, Contractor
• Jim Albright, Remodeling
• J.P’s Farm Market
• Lake Country Pennysaver
• Lester, Rubenstein & Pellegrino, Attorneys
• Liftec Systems
• Lisa’s Dance Boutique
• Lutes Model Dome
• Marine Midland Holley Staff
• Maxon Farms
• Merrill- Grinnell Funeral Service
• Muesey’s Grocery of Clarendon
• Murray Superette Busy Mart
• Personality Plus Hairstyles
• P.J.’s Dolls
• Rayburn’s Jewelers
• Rockafellow & Son Farms
• Ron’s Satellite Sales
• Ryan’s Ceramic Studio
• Salyers Archery & Range
• 7 Brothers Catering Service
• Seward Candies
• Shepherd’s Mill Lumber
• St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church
• St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
• Squicks – Public Square
• Stockham Lumber Co.
• Sugar’s Bikeology Shop
• Territory Wholesale Supply
• Transit Sportsman’s Supplies
• Thomas Young, Attorney-at-Law

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, No. 22

GAINES – The Orleans County Historical Association has scheduled an ambitious monthly series of History Talks in celebration of the county’s bicentennial.

The programs are on Wednesdays and begin at 7 p.m. They are presented in a unique setting: the restored one-room cobblestone schoolhouse at 3286 Gaines Basin Rd., Albion. That school was built in 1832 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The schedule is as follows:

Dennis Upton portrays Joseph Ellicott, a major influencer in the development of Western New York.

• June 25: Dennis Upton will present a first person portrayal of  Joseph Ellicott (1760-1826). The name Ellicott is familiar to us – Ellicott Creek, Ellicottville etc. but we never question how these placenames originated. As the person who surveyed the area and sold the land, Joseph Ellicott had a profound and lasting impact on the early development of Western New York. Ellicott was also instrumental in the development and routing of the Erie Canal.

• July 30: “The Haudenosaunee Confederacy” – Kae Woodruff Wilbert will discuss the history of the six Indigenous nations whose traditional lands encompass New York State.

• Aug. 27: Amy Machamer, owner of Hurd Orchards in Holley, will discuss “Orleans County Fruit Culture as Living History.”

• Sept. 24: Doug Miller, retired history teacher, will discuss how multiple religious ideas and beliefs developed and spread along the Erie Canal in the early 19th century in a talk titled “The Erie Canal & The Burned Over District; History is not Accidental.”

• Oct. 29: The county’s historic markers capture the stories of people, place and events of significance. Catherine Cooper, Orleans County historian, will present the newly reissued edition of the book, Historic Markers of Orleans County, which includes the markers added in the last 24 years.

There is no admission charge for these programs. Donations are gratefully accepted.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, Number 21

Cover of sheet music for this Chapman/Melville composition

ALBION – We continue our survey of musicians in Orleans County with an introduction to Archie Chapman who composed stirring lyrics of encouragement in 1942 for members of the US Army Air Forces serving in World War II with his composition, “Keep on Flying.”

Archibald Samuel Chapman was born in 1893 in the village of St. Faith’s, Norfolk County, in England. He served as a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery, Territorial Forces, in World War 1 and was awarded a British War Medal and a Victory Medal.

He was one of the many immigrants from Norfolk who settled in Orleans County. His sister Emma and her husband Ernest Mayes had been living in Gaines since 1912. Archie came to the US in January 1920. Eliza Ann Spark joined him in August of that year and they were married in Albion on August 31, 1920.

They operated a farm on Allen Road for twenty years. Archie later worked at the Grower’s Cold Storage in Waterport, at Hunt’s Foods Inc. and retired in 1957.

“KEEP ON FLYING”

(We’ll build the ships for you)

Dawn, a new day is breaking, war is now fought in the sky

Caissons now will go a-rolling, guarded by the ships that fly.

We have the men to build them, we have the money too,

So, keep ‘em flying soldier, we’ll roll ‘em out to you.

Chorus

Keep on flying, Keep on flying, up there in the sky

Keep on flying, keep on flying, soldiers keep ‘em high

You do the flying, we’ll do the rest

We’ll build the planes and give you the best.

War, that was forced upon us by an unworthy foe,

Band us all as one together, onward to fight we go.

Danger and death before us, peace and victory too

Just keep ‘em flying soldier, we’ll roll them out to you.

A naturalized citizen, Archie was very invested in his community. He was an Albion village trustee, a member of the Albion Masonic Lodge, the Chamber of Commerce, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Orleans County Democratic Committee and was involved in scouting. He was a past president of the Active Hose Company of the Albion Fire Dept. and of the Orleans County Fair Assn.

He also played in the Albion Sheret Post American Legion Band. Band director, W.J. Melville

composed the music for “Keep on Flying.” The two collaborated on several other compositions: “There’s an Angel Watching Buddy” and “The Sheret Post March.”

In addition to composing verse and lyrics, Archie painted watercolors.

Following their active lives in Albion, Archie and Eliza chose to return to the village of St. Faith’s in Norfolk. According to a Democrat & Chronicle article, they sold their home, furniture and car and set sail to England from Hoboken on July 13, 1962, having visited their daughter and son-in-law in New Jersey. Archie died in Norfolk in 1977 at the age of 83.

The sheet music for “Keep on Flying” is the only Chapman composition in the Orleans County Dept. of History collection. We would welcome any of the others, especially “The Sheret Post March.”

Front row, from left: Charles D’Amico, Mike Donatelli, Isodore DiLodovico, Casper Pilato, Pete Johnson, missing name, Sam DeLuca and Allen Briggs. Back row: Fortunato Sidari, Frank N. Monacelli, Joe Donatelli, Tony Acri, Horace Monacelli, Ralph DiGiiulio and Victor Penasack.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, No. 20

Two bands, both of Italian descent, provided musical entertainment locally through the 1940s.

Brothers Mike and Joe Donatelli of Albion organized the Donatelli Band (or Donatelli’s Band) in 1912. Mike directed the band for over 25 years. The brothers operated a barber shop over what was then Landauer’s Store. The band played at weddings, local events and concerts, at the annual County Fair in Albion and on July 4th at Lakeside Park.

In the 1920s and 1930s, they entertained many music lovers who attended concerts hosted by the Sheret Post and the American Legion Post in Albion. Baritone, Fortunato Sidari was especially popular with audiences.

In Medina, the popular Coppa Family Band and Orchestra was formed in the late 1920s.

Joseph Coppa, the father, operated a shoe repair business on Main Street in Medina, but music was his true passion. He sold musical instruments at the store and also taught music.

He also provided musical instruction to his children and was an exacting taskmaster, as his son, Andy, recalled in an Oral History interview. Each of the Coppa children played in the family band: Andy, drums; Christine, piano; Mary, saxophone; Margaret, violin. Victoria, who played the trumpet, sadly died of tuberculosis at the age of 23 in 1943.

The Coppa Family Band played at carnivals and social events, old-time dances and square dances for which they were paid $5 to $7 per night. Andy recalled playing at Leo Foss’ Chicken Coop and Robinson’s Barn, where the dance was held in the hay loft, above the cow house. But the rustic venues did not seem to detract from the enjoyment, Andy recalled:

“Oh! Everybody had a grand time there. People brought box lunches and mixed them up, Whoever you danced with, you sat with and mingled and everybody had a grand time.”

File photo by Tom Rivers:  The Kendall community observed Memorial Day on May 30, 2018 at Greenwood Cemetery. The Orleans County Historical Association included Greenwood Cemetery in this summer’s cemetery tours. The cemetery is on Route 18, across from the Dollar General store.

The Orleans County Historical Association has announced the schedule of cemetery tours this summer.

The tours are conducted every Sunday at 6 p.m. during the month of August. The cemeteries on this year’s tours are:

• August 3 – Mount Albion Cemetery (Route 31, Albion) with Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County Historian and Sue Starkweather Miller, Village of Albion Historian.
• August 10 – Robinson Cemetery (Rt. 237 & Glidden Rd, Clarendon) with Melissa Ierlan, Clarendon Historian.
• August 17 – Millville Cemetery (East Shelby Road, Medina) with Alice Zacher and Mary Zelazny.
• August 24 – Greenwood Cemetery (Rt. 237 & Rt. 18, Kendall) with Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian.
• August 31 – St. Joseph’s Cemetery (E. Avenue, Albion) with Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian and Sue Starkweather Miller, Village of Albion Historian.

Go to orleanshistory.org for information on the tours as well as historical talks.

Charles W. Wogatzke was first casualty from Kendall; Edward H. Barron of Holley was wounded and had arm amputated

Marines at the Battle of Belleau Wood, France, 1918, in this artwork created by Georges Scott. This illustration “American Marines in Belleau Wood (1918)” was originally published in the French Magazine “Illustrations.”

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, No. 19

On Memorial Day, we pause to mourn those who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. So many young men, their stories forgotten.

Here are the World War I stories of two young Orleans County men: Edward H. Barron of Holley and Charles Wogatzke of Kendall.

Their letters provide a glimpse into their characters as they adjust to the cruel reality of war with humor and courage.

HOLLEY MAN RETURNS HOME

Edward H. Barron Loses Arm in France and Will Be Discharged

HOLLEY, July 26 – Mrs. Eugene Weirs of this place is in receipt of two letters regarding her son Edward H. Barron, who was reported seriously injured in the casualty list in the early part of June

One of the letters is from the Hospital and Home Service, Paris, in which it is stated that his arm was so badly injured, it had to be amputated. The other letter is written for Private Barron by the mother of one of the nurses in the hospital in Paris:

Dear Mother: Just a few lines to let you know that I am improving nicely and hope to be out of bed soon. I took a walk this morning in a rolling chair. My legs are all right, but about my wounds, I am sorry to tell you that they were obliged to take off my right arm which means discharge from service. So, you see that I shall be home soon. Everything has a good side. If I had had an ordinary wound, I should have had to remain whereas without my arm I shall only be good to come back to you.

I tried to write to you with my left hand but am afraid that you would not have been able to read it. The lady who is writing this letter is the mother of one of my nurses; both Parisian ladies who lived in New York a long time.

Edward H. Barron enlisted on May 4, 1917. He served in the Marine Corps and was wounded in France at the Battle of Belleau Wood in June, 1918. He was discharged on May 8, 1919.

Later employed as a clerk at the Veterans Hospital in Buffalo, he was a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, Dr. Martin F. Nolan Chapter 50 of North Tonawanda. He died in 1954 at the age of 55.

KENDALL BOY WRITES OF EXPERIENCES IN THE TRENCHES

Excerpts from a letter written by Charles Wogatzke of Kendall:

Dear Friends:

Saturday, July 20, 1918

Pvt. Charles W. Wogatzke of Kendall

…. We are back from the trenches for ten days rest and to get cleaned up again. We needed it very bad for the cooties were so thick. This seems to be a great country for rats and mice: the trenches are full of them……It is mostly barbed wire entanglements through here and it looks pretty rough. The ground is full of shell holes.

…. Well, how did you spend the Fourth out there? We spent ours in the trenches. Fritz sent over all kinds of fireworks for us, some lively night, believe me, but we played fair with him and sent over just as many to him. We have two friends, that is our rifle and gas mask, which we have to carry with us all the time. I remember one night; we had just laid down and fell to sleep when the guard hollers “Gas” and you had ought to see us get those masks on! For it doesn’t take but a very little to put a man out of business.

I am a rifleman and bayonet fighter; that’s my business now. How would you like that job?

My watch runs fine and I am very glad that you got that kind instead of a wrist watch. The boys have most all got wrist watches and most of them have broken them, and another thing, they make a very good target for a sniper for you can see them for a good ways at night.

Well, I guess I have told you all the news, and as it is getting late will have to stop writing at this time…..

From your Friend,

Charles Wogatzke   

This scrapbook was donated to the Orleans County Department of History.

Charles Wogatzke was the Town of Kendall’s first casualty of World War I. Born in Dec. 1890, he was the son of Albert H. and Martha A. Wogatzke who had immigrated from Germany in 1887.

According to enlistment records, Charles was of medium build with brown hair and blue eyes. He was employed as a laborer with the New York Central Railroad. Drafted in Albion on February 25, 1918, he was assigned to the 306th Infantry Regiment, 77th Division and was sent overseas on April 16, 1918. He was killed in action on August 12, 1918, and is buried in the Oisne-Aisne American Cemetery in Picardie, France.

These letters were published in the Holley Standard newspaper and collected in a scrapbook, later donated to the Orleans County Dept. of History collection.

Series starts May 28 featuring first Norwegian settlement in U.S. at Kendall

Press Release, Orleans County Historical Association

Provided photo: A historical marker at the intersection of Norway Road and Bald Eagle Drive  in Kendall highlights the Norway Colony.

GAINES – The Orleans County Historical Association once again welcomes the community to their monthly history talks.

The talks are held from May through October on the last Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Gaines Basin Cobblestone Schoolhouse on 3286 Gaines Basin Rd. The talks are free and donations are gladly accepted.

This year’s presentations will spotlight the 200th anniversary of Orleans County and the Erie Canal.  The schedule includes:

• May 28: “The First Norwegian Settlement in the U.S. – Kendall, NY (1825)” – Dee Robinson, retired Gaines town historian, will share the fascinating history of how the Norwegians came to the United States and made their way to Kendall, settling on Norway Road.
• June 25: “The Life of Joseph Ellicott, Surveyor of the Wilderness” – You won’t want to miss Dennis Upton, a storyteller and re-enactor as he brings to life the story of Joseph Ellicott who was an agent of the Holland Land Company and helped to survey and sell land in Western New York as well as advocate for the Erie Canal.
• July 30: “The Haudenosaunee Confederacy” – The Confederacy consists of six Indigenous nations whose traditional lands encompass New York State. Guest speaker Kae Woodruff Wilbert will share their history in New York State and Orleans County.
• August 27: “Orleans County Fruit Culture as Living History” – Guest speaker Amy Machamer, Owner of Hurd Orchards, will share her experiences and insights about the rich and unique fruit culture of Orleans County.
• September 24: “The Erie Canal & The Burned Over District; History is not Accidental” – Retired history teacher Doug Miller will share how multiple religious ideas and beliefs, of which some were uniquely formed, developed and spread along the Erie Canal in the early 19th century.
• October 29: “New York State Historical Markers” – Orleans County Historian Catherine Cooper has updated the 2001 Orleans County historical markers book and will share information on some of the new markers that have been installed in the County during the last 24 years.

Members of the Ontario Shores Sweet Adelines photographed in November 1976. Front row, from left: Edna Walck, Bonnie Powley, Marcia Housel (musical director), Betty Cole and Penny Powley. Second row: Pat Balcerzak, Joan Arnold, Pat Few, Phyllis McCarthy, Mary Lee Knights, Sylvia Allen and Theda Powley. Third row: Kathy Stahl, Audrey Lamb, Carol Lenhardt, Linda Rau, Janet Walck, Jean Gates and Helen James. Members absent from the photo: Claire Simons, Jan White, Elaine Jamele, Mary Lou Zimmerman, Kathy Hartway, Sue Wingfield and Janine Holbrook.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, No. 18

MIDDLEPORT – Ladies who liked to sing, harmonize and socialize formed a local chapter of the Sweet Adelines in 1972.

Named for a barbershop song popular in the early 1900s, the Sweet Adelines started in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1945 with a small group of women who liked to sing. It grew into an international, educational and social organization which promotes the folk-art style of singing four-part harmony, barbershop style.

The local chapter, named the Ontario Shores Sweet Adelines Chorus of Middleport received its international charter in February 1976. It included Niagara and Orleans counties and was part of Region 16 which covered New York State to Kingston, Ontario. Ontario Shores members at that time hailed from Holley, Lyndonville, Medina, Barker, Middleport and Newfane.

Marcia Housel of Lyndonville, a founding charter member, was the group’s music director for 16 years. An ardent proponent of the power of group singing, she believed that it provided “a real lift.” In a November 1974 interview, she explained that the Sweet Adelines repertoire focused on familiar tunes “music you can hum along to,” show tunes, patriotic songs and the “old classics” such as “Down by the Riverside.”

The newly formed Sweet Adelines presented their first annual show on November 6, 1976, at the Roy-Hart School auditorium in Middleport. The theme was “From Bonnets to Bellbottoms” and featured early and contemporary music.

Thus began a busy schedule of shows, competitions and performances at civic events and of course weekly rehearsals. A professional choreographer instructed the group in facial expression, mime acting, characterization and dance.

In 1984, Ann Gemerek of Holley was the director of the Christmas entertainment presented at the Carl I. Bergerson auditorium in Albion.

In 1985, a double quartet from Ontario Shores performed for the 700 members attending the Region 16 annual Music School event held at the Ramada Inn in Niagara Falls. They included: Jan Pritchard and Jean Gates of Medina; Janet Walck, Lyndonville; Joyce Compson and Mary Brocksopp of Holley; Laurie Costello, Brockport, Pat Few and Marie Krockenberger of Lockport.

The group’s activities were chronicled in the Medina Journal Register newspaper through the late 1980s. Carol Oschmann of Kendall was awarded the “Sweet Adeline of the Year” in 1987. Rosanne Mauragis became a new member in 1987 and Bonnie Orgar joined in 1988.

Cindy Parada’s mother, Elaine Jamele, was a member of the Sweet Adelines for many years. Cindy recalls: “Mom loved being a member of the Sweet Adelines! They just had so much fun. She joined with her best friend, Linda Rau. There was a great sense of camaraderie among the members. They sang music that they liked and wore fun costumes. It was theatrical, they enjoyed the thrill of performing but as a group which made it easier. Good times.”

It appears that the chapter discontinued in the early 1990s. We are sure that those ladies who loved to sing, harmonize and socialize kept photos, scrapbooks and other memorabilia of their Sweet Adeline adventures. The Orleans County Dept. of History would like to chronicle this aspect of our musical history, please contact Catherine.Cooper@orleanscountyny.gov. if you have material to donate.

Can any readers help us identify these happy harmonizers?

With this succinct slogan, Albionite Ward G. Foster launched the first travel agency in Florida in 1888.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, No. 17

ALBION – “WARD G. FOSTER, 80, TRAVEL AGENT, DIES; His Slogan, ‘Ask Mr. Foster,’ Known to Tourists in All Parts of the World THE FIRM HAS 75 OFFICES A Woman in Charge of Each, After Long Training at Headquarters Here” – New York Times headline, March 18, 1940

This New York Times obituary headline from March 18, 1940, summarizes the career of Ward Grenelle Foster who died on March 17, 1940. Born in Albion on May 6, 1860, he was the son of Carlton T. Foster and Charlotte Corday Foster.

According to the 1879 Orleans County Directory, Ward’s father was a “hatter & furrier” with a store at the corner of North Main and West Bank streets. The family home was listed as 36 West State St.

Ward G. Foster established the first travel agency.

Ward attended the Albion Academy. He married Harriet Brainerd in 1884, and the couple moved to St. Augustine, Florida, which was then just beginning to realize its potential for tourism. Foster was employed as a timekeeper on the construction of Henry Flagler’s luxury resort in St. Augustine, the Ponce de Leon Hotel.

In 1888, the Fosters opened a gift, book and stationery shop across the street from the hotel. Foster had earned a reputation for being knowledgeable about the area’s activities and amenities as well as about transportation lines and timetables. Guests at the hotel were directed to his store with the instructions “Ask Mr. Foster” who graciously answered their queries.

Recognizing the potential of this market, Foster took over the advertising of a popular local publication “The Standard Guide to St. Augustine.” He added the statement: “Ask Mr. Foster for Further Advice” on every page and soon he was busy dispensing travel information and had unwittingly started the first travel agency.

Tourism in Florida expanded rapidly. Ward opened “Ask Mr. Foster” travel offices in Jacksonville and Palm Beach. In 1902, he opened an office in Washington D.C. By 1937 the “Ask Mr. Foster” travel service operated 70 Information Offices in 52 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

As the New York Times headline indicated, a unique feature of the Ask Mr. Foster offices was that they were managed by women. Foster recognized that gracious service, empathy and a sincere spirit of helpfulness in dealing with customers were key components for the success of his enterprise and he believed that women were more likely to possess those characteristics. The goodwill generated by such a service, he felt, would guarantee return visits and word-of-mouth promotion.

Naturally, this business model was successful. In 1936 over 400,000 customers received information, planned trips and tours, purchased tickets, and made hotel and transportation reservations, all free of charge.

The “Ask Mr. Foster” Travel Service Office is shown at the R.C.A. Building, Rockefeller Center, New York.

Foster sold the business in 1938 to a group which incorporated as the “Ask Mr. Foster Travel Service.” Though the business struggled during the war years, it rallied and in 1957, two of the stockholders bought the company for $157,000.

In 1972, Peter Ueberroth purchased the business for $1 million.

A complex series of corporate purchases ensued. Carlson Companies, Inc., acquired the business in 1979. In 1990, the name “Ask Mr. Foster” was retired and integrated into the Carlson Travel Network. This eventually became part of the Travel Leader’s Group corporation which evolved into the Internova Travel Group in 2020.

Internova, now one of the travel industry’s largest travel service companies, focuses exclusively on leisure, luxury and corporate clients. To this day, the company proudly traces its roots and ethos of service back to Ask Mr. Foster Travel.