“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 3, Issue 50

ALBION – This photograph, taken some time around the turn of the 20th century, shows the storefront of Landauer & Strouse Dry Goods on North Main Street in Albion.

Standing on the left is Simon Landauer and the young man standing on the right is his son, Jacob Landauer. A number of crates sit along the curb marked Landauer & Strouse Albion, NY, many of them coming by way of the New York Central Railroad; a young boy watches from the second-floor window as the photograph is taken.

Simon Landauer was born in Bavaria (present day Germany) in 1833, the son of a Jewish cattle farmer. He and his brother Moritz were trained in cotton weaving while living in Europe, leaving for America prior to forced conscription in the army. Although documentation of Moritz’s arrival has not been located, Simon arrived at New York City on August 21, 1852 aboard the Chancey Jerome. Along with his brother, the two young men traveled to Macon, Georgia where they opened their dry goods business, M. Landauer & Brother.

Records from 1857 show that the two men were involved in starting the United Hebrew Society of Macon, both listed on the act to incorporate filed that year. Several years later, Moritz appeared on a list to appear at the Bibb County Court House to select delegates for the purpose of seceding from the Union. The brothers also appeared in records indicating their support, albeit indirect, of the Southern cause as the Ladies’ Aid Society in Macon was purchasing flannel from Landauers to sew shirts for Confederate soldiers.

After the outbreak of the Civil War, Moritz paid $600 to send a substitute soldier in his place. By 1862, he was drafted into the Confederate Army and chose to flee north rather than render service. A November 1862 advertisement appeared in the Georgia Weekly Telegraph noting that the store of M. Landauer & Brother was available for rent, indicating that the two had left the region shortly before. Nativist ideology was gaining strength in the years leading up to the Civil War, but those ideas ultimately subsided as immigrants rendered service in the Union and Confederate armies. Jewish immigrants, many who earned their living through clothing and textile businesses, were met with the same pre-war anti-immigrant sentiment; many in the North and South felt as though Jewish immigrants were exploiting the war.

By 1863 the brothers had arrived at Albion and reestablished their partnership on North Main Street. It was in 1882, the same year that a devastating fire wiped through the northwestern corner of Albion’s business district, that the partnership dissolved with each man entering into business with his son (vol. 3, iss. 17). As a result, Moritz opened what was known locally as “Upper Landauers” in the Hart Block (now Shay’s Shamrock) while Simon opened “Lower Landauers” at the site pictured here. Eventually H. Morris Strouse, the son-in-law of Simon, entered the business which effectively transformed the operation into Landauer & Strouse.

Prior to this photograph, a competing dry goods business known as Bell & Phelps operated out of the northern half of this storefront (the right half of this building) until Landauers rented both sides starting in 1895. Jacob Landauer purchased this block from Diadette Brockway Day and Ferdinand Austin Day in 1910, effectively solidifying the business on Albion’s Main Street. Although Moritz closed Upper Landauers, likely sometime in the 1920s or 1930s, Lower Landauers remained in operation at this site through the middle of the 20th century.

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“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 3, Issue 49

ALBION – These two photographs show the baseball grounds in Albion located on Caroline Street on land now occupied by the ARC of Orleans. A popular pastime in Orleans County, baseball teams commonly played on fields located at the County Fairgrounds until this site was created in the early 1900s.

The top photograph shows the grandstand, situated in the northeast corner of the lot. A 1911 map shows the grandstand situated at an angle and a small structure to the immediate west of the grandstand. Based on the bottom photograph, we can presume that the small building on the map is the structure occupied by Robert Clark, who is selling popcorn and peanuts to those watching the game. Behind the grandstand, the peak of a house on the north side of Caroline Street is slightly visible. One would venture to guess that this is 137 Caroline Street.

In addition to the field itself, the photographs show the 1905 baseball club consisting of Howard Kilborn, 1st base; James Craffey, 2nd base and team captain; Frank VanStone, 3rd base; Ralph Vick, Shortstop; Herbert Reed, left field; Homer Brown, center field; Walter Radley, right field; Robert Clark, Jr., pitcher; Pete Galarneau, catcher; Arnold Donovan, mascot. Standing in the bottom photograph (left to right) are Howard Kilborn, ___ McGarnwell, Robert Clark, Jr., “Doc” Davis, Homer Brown, Frank VanStone, Walter Radley, Pete Galarneau, “Doc” Creighton, Ralph Vick, and Herbert Reed. The tall man in the back wearing a derby is Timothy Donovan, a local furniture store clerk and father of the team’s mascot; Arnold is approximately 8 years old in the photograph.

It was in 1905 that Robert Clark attempted to form a baseball league in Western New York consisting of teams from Niagara Falls, Tonawanda, Lockport, Middleport, Medina, Albion, Holley, Brockport, Spencerport, and Rochester. Clark was well known throughout the area as a proficient pitcher, having signed a contract with Rochester’s Eastern League team in 1896 as the league’s youngest player at age 17. The same year this photograph was taken, Frank VanStone was offered a tryout with Erie, Pennsylvania’s baseball club, although no further note of his time with the team is noted.

In 1895, notice appeared in the local papers regarding Silas Elmore’s time with Albion’s baseball club. As rambunctious and tough young boy, he was hit by a train and lost one of his legs. Although he was “reformed” through his work with the Salvation Army, the local community took up a collection to purchase Elmore a wooden leg to ease his mobility issues. It was with this prosthesis that he was able to play at least one season with the team. He died several years later at the age of 32 from Addison’s Disease, a rare condition impacting the adrenal glands.

Upon closer examination, a large crowd has gathered to watch the game. The group is seated behind a screen of chicken wire to prevent foul balls from hitting spectators. All of those in attendance are dressed in their best attire and although a number of women are visible, they are seated together for the most part.

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“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 3, Issue 48

This photograph, taken prior to 1915, shows the main office located within the administration building of the Western House of Refuge (now the Albion Correctional Facility). Miss Alice E. Curtin, the superintendent, stands in the center of the room shaking the hand of a young woman who is preparing to depart the facility on parole. Standing near the door is Miss Katherine Capitola Grinnell, the institution’s parole officer, who is prepared to escort the young woman to the railroad depot.

Miss Curtin ran a conservative operation at the House of Refuge as the institution was intended to rehabilitate young women who failed or refused to adhere to the strict gender norms of the time. The 1914 annual report for the Western House of Refuge shows that the inmate population totaled 238 women at the conclusion of the fiscal year with an annual average of 229 inmates; the facility’s capacity was rated at 215.

Young women were forced to sleep in corridors and public areas while healthy and sick women were forced to share sleeping quarters in the hospital. The Board of Managers previously requested $35,000 in funding to construct a new cottage along with $25,000 for a new cottage for the care of the institution’s infant population, but Governor Glynn vetoed the appropriations. A portion of the total appropriations were earmarked for the construction of an iron fence that was meant to prevent visitors from wandering onto the grounds.

The institution remained under the direction of Miss Curtin until her resignation in October of 1915; Mrs. Flora P. Daniels of Buffalo was appointed in her place at an annual salary of $1,500. Annual reports from the years leading up to 1919 provide valuable insight into the operations of the institution. Girls were taught to read and write, attending school just as children would.

In addition to basic school subjects, inmates were taught how to cook, care for the kitchen, plan and serve meals, sew, cane chairs, weave rugs, and launder clothes. The farm provided sustenance for the young women, growing crops, raising livestock, and preserving food. In 1919 the institution’s farm produced 18,247 quarts of milk, 1,453 dozen eggs, 1,389 pounds of fresh pork, and 8,703 pounds of carrots.

Of those women brought to the House of Refuge, 47 were committed for vagrancy, 20 for immorality, 14 for petit larceny, five for habitual intoxication, three for adultery, two for manslaughter, and one for bigamy. Upon their arrival they were examined by a physician, 73 of those women treated for cases of syphilis, 24 with menstrual disorders, 21 with gonorrhea, and 17 with tonsillitis. A dentist and oculist were also on call to examine the women, to which 215 teeth were filled during the year and an additional 280 teeth extracted. Nearly 50% of the women were between the ages of 16 and 18, 73 were Protestant, 29 were Catholic, and 1 was Jewish, while 92% of the inmates were native-born citizens.

The transition from Miss Curtin’s conservative ideologies to Mrs. Daniel’s more progressive mentality created a rift on the Board of Managers. After Miss Grinnell’s dismissal in 1919, Gov. Charles Whitman initiated an examination of the institution based on accusations of incompetency. Aurilla Desmond, a former matron, testified that Daniels was lax in her management and frequently traveled away from the institution. A farm worker, who resigned his position the year prior, claimed that his departure was in part due to the poor conditions of the facility.

It was later determined that Mrs. Daniels had expressed concerns about Miss Grinnell’s shortcomings to the Board of Managers, including an accusation that she played the phonograph on Sunday (which Grinnell did not deny). These shortcomings were used as grounds for dismissal. Upon further investigation, the NYS Senators charged with the investigation determined that the true issue at the House of Refuge was the considerable amount of friction between the Managers and the Superintendent, to which the former should be replaced in its entirety.

Miss Grinnell, a former school teacher in West Barre, later found employment at the Rome Institution for Feeble Minded Children. An Orleans County native, she was buried in Mt. Albion Cemetery after her death in 1928.

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“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 3, Issue 47

Following the passing of New York’s amendment that extended voting rights to women in 1917, the subsequent election involving the question of whether Albion would remain a “wet” or “dry” town was decided by the female vote.

Although the vote was later deemed invalid, the local temperance organizations mobilized a sufficient number of new voters to end the sale of alcohol in Orleans County, even if only for a brief moment.

This Thomas Nast cartoon appeared in Harper’s Weekly on March 21, 1874 and depicted the debaucheries commonly associated with the saloon. A man of the middle-class accepts a drink of rum from the bartender who is depicted as death. The man’s young daughter pleads for her father to come home while his son looks on with concern and a man lays to the right, passed out in the corner of the room.

In the distance is the man’s home and his wife, dressed in black, weeps behind her children. On the floor sits a hat, a broken bottle, a brick, and a revolver, all symbolic of the violence commonly associated with alcohol consumption. In the background a man watches through a doorway as men brawl with one another, one man ready to strike another in the head with a bottle.

Local temperance movements grew out of the reform activity of the early 19th century commonly associated with the Second Great Awakening that flooded through Western New York. Members of the upper and middle classes went to battle against the intemperate behavior of the lower, wage-earning and unskilled laborers who flooded the region to toil along the canal and in the quarries. In Orleans County, the early arrival of Irish and German immigrants and later the Polish and Italians bred contempt against groups of people who were perceived a prone to consuming alcohol.

In the early 1870s, Albion had three active temperance organizations, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, Albion Temperance League, and Drunkard’s Reform Association. The Albion Temperance League organized around 1874, holding meetings at the Free Methodist Church, where Edwin R. Reynolds was selected as the organization’s permanent president. Other prominent local residents joined the ranks as officers, including John G. Sawyer, Arad Thomas, Joseph Cornell, Ezra T. Coan, and Free Methodist minister Alanson K. Bacon. In the latter half of the 1870s, Medina boasted 6 active temperance societies with 840 members, nearly 1/5 of the village’s total population.

Drunkards posed concerns for local residents, unable to work, engaging in violence, and abandoning wives and children. On July 30, 1882, Isaac Harrington of Medina was riding a train to Albion when the conductor removed him from the car on account of his intoxication. Harrington passed out on the tracks and was run over by a passing locomotive shortly after. A month later, John Mack of Kendall travelled to Albion to catch a glimpse of Jumbo the elephant’s visit to the area. Instead of focusing on the visit, he fancied a nip of the bottle, fell off a dock, and drowned in the canal.

Excessive drinking had the potential to affect all members of the family, not just the individual. In 1879, Albion papers reported a nine-year-old boy who was wandering drunk through the village streets, though there was no further report of the young man’s parents. Medina reported a similar occurrence the previous year when a 13-year-old boy was found drunk with whiskey in his coat pocket. Three years later, Nicholas Gavin, a farmer from Albion, was enjoying a few drinks at a saloon downtown before venturing home for the evening. Drunk and befuddled, he drove his buggy over the Main Street bridge, turned onto the tow-path and travelled a short distance to the east before steering his horse into the canal. His body was discovered beneath the frozen water the following morning; he left a wife and five children to mourn his death.

Perhaps one of the most shocking stories of the late 19th century was the case of James O’Connell of Fletcher Chapel. The violence-prone farmer went on a week-long binge, much to the disappointment of his wife. On January 16, 1896 he told his wife he would visit the priest at Medina to “sign the pledge” and give up drinking. Instead, he visited a gun store in Medina and purchased a .22 revolver, returned home, and shot his wife in the head. Although she survived the incident, she lived the remainder of her life with the bullet in her skull and O’Connell spent eight years in Auburn Prison for the deed.

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Susan B. Anthony spoke in Orleans County, trying to rally support for women’s suffrage.

“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 3, Issue 46

On November 6, 1917, half way across the world, the October Uprising was in full swing as the Bolsheviks led a revolution against the Tsarist government of Russia. In the United States, New York voters decided that it was time to extend suffrage to women.

Orleans County was at the center of suffragist activity and notes pertaining to Susan B. Anthony’s visits to the area can be found within the local papers. As early as October of 1859, Anthony attended a local women’s rights convention along with Frances Dana Barker Gage and Hannah Tracy Cutler, noted abolitionists and movers in the women’s suffrage movement. In a later visit on January 22, 1894, Anthony spoke at the Court House, along with Mary Seymour Howell and Mary G. Hay, on the subject of extending suffrage to women by amending law at the constitutional convention. The event led with a symposium on the subject of equal suffrage and involved a number of notable suffragists.

Leading up to the vote in 1917, a number of local women formed committees in Albion, Medina, and Holley to operate Suffrage Schools. On March 5th and 6th, Holley hosted a school followed by Albion’s school at the Swan Library on the 7th and 8th. The following week, Medina hosted their school in the rooms of the Grand Army of the Republic. These Suffrage Schools held lectures on topics such as “Women in Relation to Community Problems,” “The Legal Status of Women,” “Parliamentary Law,” and public speaking. Prominent women from across Western New York attended and taught “classes” for local women in preparation for the anticipated victory in November.

It was believed that Medina’s school received additional interest as an announcement guaranteeing the suffrage bill as part of the November 6th election was made shortly before the event. Mrs. Carl Breed was appointed to chair a committee of fifty women tasked with planning the important program. The event attracted considerable attention as Mrs. Mary Grace White, wife of local attorney David White, opened the program by attacking Sen. Elon Brown for his claims that the birth control movement was an off-shoot of the suffrage movement.

Fervor surrounding the impending vote increased exponentially as November neared. Attorney John J. Ryan led efforts to enlist the support of men throughout the county in favor of the suffrage movement. On November 1, 1917, a lengthy article appeared in the Orleans American highlighting the importance of the approaching vote. “If you have a son or a brother who has been drafted for the war for democracy, don’t spoil your family record by voting against democracy in New York State.” The author went on to write, “Don’t be too sure, when you are making the woman suffrage amendment that men can represent women. The women may after all have ideas of their own.”

As the day passed, the papers reported that the “election in Orleans County passed off quietly. There was no excitement anywhere in the county.” The vote to extend suffrage to women in Orleans County was defeated by a vote of 2,134 for, to 3,024 against, but news quickly spread of downstate carrying the amendment through. It was quickly reported that Albion would be one of the first locations to provide the opportunity for women to vote as village elections were slated for February 26, 1918. When it came time to elect new members to the Albion Board of Education, Mrs. Lorinda Lasher was nominated as the first woman for public office in the village, unopposed to replace Alfred Wood. Mrs. Ruth Williams nominated Dr. Cora Billings Lattin to run against Thomas A. Kirby, but was defeated 230 to 110.

Perhaps one of the oft-overlooked tidbits of local suffragist history relates to Gilbert Turner Mason, the son of Albert J. Mason of Albion. Mason, the chief clerk at the Clum & Atkins Company in Rochester, married the young Miss Anna Elizabeth Dann in the home of Susan B. Anthony on Madison Street in 1902. Dann was the housekeeper and personal secretary to Anthony, assisting in the preparation of Anthony’s biography. In a 1906 letter to Anna Mason, Anthony’s niece Lucy wrote, “I think you know…that we all love you for your own sake…but we love you even more because dear Aunt Susan was so fond of you.” Susan was so fond of her that she stood by Anna’s side as she was married to Gilbert by the Rev. Anna Howard Shaw. The Masons are buried at Mt. Albion Cemetery.

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John Daniels also owned the first automobile in Albion

“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 3, Issue 44

ALBION – This stunning photograph shows the storefront of John DeValson Daniels, a local jeweler who operated his business out of the old Empire Block at the intersection of North Main and East Bank Streets. Daniels, standing to the left and wearing a hat, ran this successful commercial venture for nearly fifty years when he finally retired from the profession in 1935.

John Daniels was raised at Whitney Point, New York, where he attended the local schools until 1878 when he left to join his father in the jewelry business. Nearly ten years later, in 1887, he arrived at Albion and purchased this business from Hiram W. Preston the following year. His specialties, according to advertisements, included watches, clocks, jewelry, silverware, optical goods, musical instruments, and bric-a-brac (tchotchkes), which he sold out of “The Old Corner Store.”

It is clear that Daniels was fond of leisure activities, including cycling, as he assisted in the formation of the Albion Cycle Club in 1895 and was appointed as a sidepath commissioner charged with overseeing the construction of bicycle paths in areas west and northwest of the village. Advertisements regularly appeared in the local papers, announcing Daniels’ inventory of bikes available for purchase in his store. He also served as president of Albion’s Sportsman’s Club as he was an avid hunter.

In addition to his deep-rooted connection to the community through his successful business, John Daniels was a charter member of Albion’s Rotary Club, the Masons Damascus Temple, and the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church. He was often credited with owning the first automobile in Albion, a steam-powered machine called “The Rochester Steamer.” This automobile was likely a product of the Rochester Carriage Motor Company, operating for two years between 1901 and 1902, selling vehicles from $450 to $700.

Around the time this photograph was taken, circa 1904, the store suffered a small loss of inventory. In the spring of that year, Daniels noticed a missing diamond ring valued at $100 (approx. $2,700 today) that was no longer in the showcase. He recalled seeing a man in the store around that same time and suspected that he may have lifted the item. After contacting police, it was discovered that the man had traveled to Rochester and a detective was sent to follow the suspect. When the detective observed the man attempting to sell the ring to several store owners, he was placed under arrest and later charged with 2nd Degree Grand Larceny. Although theft was rarely a problem for Daniels, a similar situation occurred in 1928 when William Robinson was arrested for selling a ring that his wife had stolen from the jewelry store two years earlier.

On May 2, 1934, John and his wife Frances celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and just one year later, Daniels sold his business to Charles Tibbits, his employee of 28 years. The couple retired to St. Petersburg, Florida where John Daniels passed away on January 27, 1942.

The photograph reveals a number of beautiful silverware sets on display in the front window; through the front door, a wall clock is visible displaying the time, 10:35. As Daniels stands to the left, the three young men standing with him were probably employees, one of those men is likely Charles Tibbitts. Two pieces of advertisement are barely visible; the south wall facing East Bank Street included text about the store, the other piece included the large pocket watch mounted on the pole in front of the store which was an iconic signature of the business.

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Photo courtesy of Melissa Ierlan

ALBION – Melissa Ierlan of Clarendon reinstalled the historical marker this morning for the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School site in Albion, at the corner of Phipps Road and Route 31.

Ierlan has repainted many of the historical markers around the county in recent years that had flaked off paint. She typically would repaint them in blue with yellow letters. For the Santa School, she decided to give it a red border, with green letters that are prominent in a white background.

Howard ran the school in Albion from 1937 until his death in 1966. Howard also established Christmas Park at the site.

Ierlan also dropped off three other repainted historical markers this morning. The Canal Corp. will reinstall them. One is for the bridge collapse where 15 people died on Sept. 28, 1859 in Albion. Another marker is near Gaines Basin Road and notes a spot that is the northernmost point on the canal. Another sign by the canal in Albion talks about the Erie Canal’s impact on the area after the waterway opened in 1825.

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Provided photos

ALBION – Albion seventh-grade students on Monday dedicated two headstones at Mount Albion Cemetery for children who died in the bridge collapse on the Erie Canal on Sept. 28, 1859, one of the worst tragedies in the community’s history.

There were about 250 people gathered on the Main Street bridge over the canal to watch a wire walker cross the canal. The bridge collapsed, killing 15 people. There were 11 children among the dead, including Lydia Harris, age 11. Lydia did not have a headstone.

Albion students, Alexis Hess (left) and Nicholas Harling are pictured with Al Capurso, president of the Orleans County Historical Association, at the new headstone for Lydia Harris.

The Historical Association donated $500 towards two headstones. In addition to the one for Lydia, the cemetery has a new headstone for Mary Jane Lavery, age 16. Her headstone was badly damaged. The Albion service-learning class was able to get two new “era appropriate” stones as replacements.

Service Learning teacher Tim Archer said that the students have enjoyed learning about local history and look forward to the other projects that are planned this year that are part of 200^th anniversary observance of the start of the Erie Canal construction. Contractors started digging the canal in 1817 in Rome, NY. The full 363-mile-long canal was completed in 1825.

These students look at the original broken Lavery headstone. They include, from left: Mercy Sugar, Lisa Beam and Yoselyn Lauro.

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“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 3, Issue 43

ALBION – The trial of George Wilson, accused of murdering his wife Alice in 1887, remains one of the most infamous stories in Orleans County. His trial and execution is a tale filled with speculation and accusation, while the later story of District Attorney William P. L. Stafford is shrouded in spite and hatred following his upsetting defeat in the 1895 election for County Judge. Despite its popularity, much of the story exists as hyperbole and conjecture concerning Stafford’s motives following his embarrassing loss.

I was contacted by Gerard Morrisey following my article featuring John Newton Proctor and kindly reminded that the property, which was so scandalously sold to the Catholics by William Stafford, was in fact sold by his wife Clara. It is important to trace the lineage of the property itself to better understand the situation in which the Staffords were faced with in 1896. It is also important to note that in 1848, New York passed the Married Women’s Property Act that gave married women the right to own real and personal property that was not “subject to the disposal of her husband.”

John Newton Proctor entered the employ of William Gere upon his arrival in Albion and shortly after married Gere’s daughter, Orcelia. Gere and Proctor’s partnership was dissolved upon the death of Gere in 1865 and the subsequent death of Gere’s son Isaac in 1866. The Proctors lived on the Gere parcel at the intersection of West Park and Main Streets until Orcelia’s death on March 7, 1888. Upon her death, Mrs. Proctor bequeathed to her husband “the House [and] premises situate[d] in Albion aforesaid in which I now reside [and] being the same premises which my parents lived at the time of their death;” a clear indicator of who owned the property.

The parcel fell under the ownership of Mr. Proctor for a very short period of time, as his untimely death on February 11, 1889 transferred the property again. Proctor clearly expected his wife to predecease him as his will left everything to his wife with no mention of children. The result was a transfer of all property, real and personal, to his daughter Clara Stafford, which in addition to the beautiful and stately brick residence also included a commercial parcel in downtown Albion and other parcels throughout the area.

The traditional narrative revolving around the parish of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church says that ex-District Attorney Stafford, a “disgruntled Baptist,” sold his property to the congregation. In fact, it was Clara Stafford who sold the parcel to the Catholics, as it was not her husband’s property to sell. In 1895, William Perry Lucian Stafford made a daring charge at the position of County Judge, challenging Isaac S. Signor to a battle for the Republican nomination. When Stafford was nominated over Signor, the Republicans shifted their attention to attacking the credibility of Stafford as a candidate and allegedly encouraging many local voters to defect to the Democrats. Ben S. Dean of Jamestown sent a lengthy letter to the editor in early October of 1895 stating locals were spreading stories that “Mr. Stafford was buying beer for the Polanders” and slinging other outrageous accusations. In closing he wrote, “it is not good politics to have a Democratic County Judge in office in a Presidential year.”

Later stories suggested that Republican voters were “tricked” at the caucuses, which resulted in W. Crawford Ramsdale’s 279-vote victory over Stafford in the election. Stafford later told newspaper editors that Irving M. Thompson of Albion was behind his defeat, becoming defiant after his nomination, and encouraging other Republicans like Edwin Wage, R. Titus Coann, Isaac Signor, and others to follow suit, throwing “all the ice water he could on the Republican ticket.” It was clear that Stafford’s distaste for the Republicans was more of an issue than lack of support from the Baptists.

Local lore claims that Stafford sold his house to the Catholics, uprooted his family (including his deceased children), and relocated to California. The February 18, 1896 indenture notes that Clara Stafford was already living in Los Angeles at the time of the transfer. The parcel, sold at $9,000 (or approximately $262,000 today) included the “brick dwelling house, brick barn, and brick tenant house.” Mrs. Stafford reserved use of the dwelling house until May 1, 1896 and the use of the attic for “the storage of her personal effects” until April 1, 1897; the transfer was signed by her, not Mr. Stafford, and makes no mention of her husband.

The other piece of local lore involves the anecdote that Mr. Stafford required that the Catholics build their church as close to the street as possible, as to block the view of the Baptist edifice. This is likely exaggerated as no written claim to this exists, however, the local papers published a notation that highlighted the Baptist’s displeasure with the sale. The writer notes that the parcel of land was sold by Mrs. W. P. L. Stafford, but the agreement could be broken at the cost of $500. The Baptists were concerned that the “chanting, responsive reading, etc. of the Catholic service [would] cause great annoyance to their own services during the summer months when the windows…would be apt to be open.”

Although it was long believed that Stafford’s role in the prosecution and execution of George Wilson led, in part, to his defeat in 1895, his challenging of conventional party politics was viewed as the likely culprit. After his departure from Albion, he remained connected to the area through family and friends, visiting on occasion until his death on September 17, 1919. The story of Stafford’s spiteful sale of his house to the Catholics may not be entirely true, but it remains an intriguing part of Albion’s history. After all, legends are often rooted in truth.

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“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 3, Issue 42

HULBERTON – Did you know that Orleans County has the most lift bridges along the Erie Canal? Of the 16 vertical lift bridges that exist between Lockport and Fairport, seven are located within our county; Monroe County contains five, while Niagara County holds four. This Warren pony truss style vertical lift bridge that stands at Hulberton is 145 feet long by 18.6 feet wide, curb to curb.

Taken on November 23, 1922, this image shows the Hulberton Lift Bridge as it appeared approximately nine years after it was completed. On April 19, 1912, Skene & Richmond of Louisa, Kentucky were awarded Contract 104 by New York State to construct a number of bridges along the Erie Canal including spans at Spencerport, Adams Basin, Brockport, and Gasport in addition to the Hulberton structure. The contract, totaling $245,688 (approximately $6.2 million today), was completed the following year.

The photograph was taken approximately 100 feet south of the bridge by the NYS Engineering Department of the Western Division looking north across the Canal. Two buildings are visible, including the Hulberton Hotel to the left and the store formerly operated by John Moore & Sons. The bridge is raised approximately 18 inches and a sign hangs on the right post that reads “Warning. Lift Bridge. Stop when bell rings.” Notice that there are no barricades that drop down to block traffic, so it was the responsibility of pedestrians and drivers to pay attention to the bridge as they approached.

The earliest bridge tenders for this span included Dorr Peck and Delos Smith of Holley R.F.D, and Dominick Christofaro of Hulberton in 1914. Notices in the local paper from 1916 show that Aaron Anderson, Henry Prince, and Joseph Buschio of Hulberton were employed as bridge tenders, earning $2.00 per day for a period of 31 days ($62.00 total). In 1922, when this photograph was taken, N. Licursi, C. Mowers, and James Howker were all employed as tenders, the latter two earning $3.00 per day and Licursi making $4.50 per day.

The Hulberton span was the site of numerous unfortunate accidents over the years. In 1896, Joseph Brunetti brutally murdered Nicolo Chiochio along the towpath near Hulberton following an extended altercation surrounding Brunetti’s inability to speak English. In 1929, seven years after this image was captured, the body of respected local businessman Bert Alderson was found submerged near the bridge. Coroner Leon Ogden suspected that Alderson had slipped and fell into the Canal near the bridge. Two years later, a Rochester electrician named Patrick Maloy who was working on the bridge suffered a massive heart attack and died.

As noted above, the bridge did not have any indicators beyond the warning bell to notify pedestrians and drivers that the tender was raising or lowering the span. The result was a number of accidents involving motor vehicles, including the 1928 collision between an automobile belonging to James Clark of Hulberton and the bridge deck. While approaching the Canal, Clark failed to see the raised deck resulting in the crash. When he sued New York State in 1933 for damages, he relied on nearby residents to corroborate his story, which required the courts to seek assistance from interpreters. The high number of Italians who resided in the small community made it difficult to communicate. As a result, accidents like these pushed residents to seek the aid of a flagman to prevent future mishaps.

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“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 3, Issue 41

The annals of local history are filled with stories of men who worked their way up the social ladder, starting from humble beginnings before leaving a lasting mark on the community. John Newton Proctor was no different. The son of Gershom and Emily Holland Proctor, John’s family was not in a position to provide him with an exceptional education. As a young boy, he attended the district schools in Gaines before enrolling in the well-respected Gaines Academy.

As an astute businessman in his later life, Proctor started his career as a clerk with Erastus Woodruff of Gaines and after two years ventured into Albion to seek employment with William Gere. The young man quickly earned the respect of his employer as a trustworthy and hardworking individual and was brought in as a partner in the business. Following Gere’s untimely death in July of 1865, the partnership transitioned to his son Isaac and remained in operation until his new partner died from dysentery the following year.

The series of unfortunate circumstances forced Proctor to sell the business to Butcher & House in September of 1866; farming would become his primary occupation. His dedication to excellence and industry earned Proctor a stellar reputation in Albion. Originally a Whig, he later aligned himself with the Democrats, serving as a village trustee, village president, and member of the board of education. During his tenure on the village board, he was said to have worked to stamp out certain types of vices in Albion that “had long been flagrant.”

Proctor married Frances Orcelia Gere on October 12, 1856, the daughter of his business associate. The two lived in the home that now serves as the rectory of St. Joseph’s Church and many local residents will recall the local legend involving John Proctor’s daughter Clara and her husband William P. L. Stafford. After suffering defeat in the election for County District Attorney, Stafford sold the home to the Catholics under the stipulation that their new sanctuary be erected as close as possible to the street in order to block the view of the First Baptist Church. Stafford blamed Rev. Osborne of the Baptist Church for his downfall and subsequent failure in the election as a result of the prosecution and eventual execution of George Wilson in 1888.

Upon his death in 1889, Proctor left an estate valued between $50,000 and $100,000 ($1.3 million – $2.6 million today) to his wife, who had died several months prior; the entire estate was transferred to his daughter, Clara Stafford.

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