By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, Number 3

This is a sketch of the first courthouse building in Albion as it appeared in 1840. (Landmarks of Orleans County)

Dewitt Clinton was Governor of New York State, serving the first year of his second term of office, when the 48th Legislative Session passed the Act which formed Orleans as a “separate and distinct county of the state of New York”, on April 15, 1825.

Law and order were primary concerns of this Act. It specified that two terms of the “court of common pleas and general sessions of the peace” were to be held in Gaines. Commissioners appointed by the act were instructed to locate a site for a courthouse and jail before the second Monday in June 1825. An election for sheriff, clerk and coroners was to be held on the second Tuesday of May 1825.

The first case was held in Gaines on October 13, 1825, at the Mansion House, a hotel owned by Selah Bronson. Samuel Miner was charged with assault and battery and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

The first courthouse in the county was built in Albion in 1827 on land donated by Nehemiah Ingersoll. Ingersoll is credited with naming the county and with strategizing the selection of Albion as the county seat in 1826. Located on the site of the current County Jail, the courthouse was a brick building with a white cupola and pillars. The County Clerk’s office was on the first floor, while the jail was in the basement.

At that time, the Free and Accepted Masons were an influential fraternal organization. Many of the early settlers were members and they established lodges shortly after they took up residence, in Ridgeway and Gaines.

In 1826, William Morgan, a disenchanted mason originally from Canada, threatened to publish a book exposing details of the Freemasons closely guarded secret rites. This caused a great furor and added to dissension which had already been brewing among members.

After several incidents, Morgan was arrested and jailed in Canandaigua. His release was organized by Masonic members, on condition that he return to Canada. Following his release, he was immediately escorted to a waiting carriage which then transported him north to Rochester and west along Route 104 to Niagara Falls and freedom in Canada. In all, this hurried journey required three carriage changes, five drivers, seven teams of horses and many assistants.

After some time, it became apparent that William Morgan was missing. He was never seen again after that carriage ride, nor was his body ever found. Speculation was rampant, an investigation was ordered. A total of twenty Grand Jury investigations and fifteen trials ensued.

Two of the trials took place in Albion. The first case against Avery Downer, a teacher from Gaines, was dismissed. The second case, against Elihu Mather, lasted ten days, and was held in November 1829. Hon. Addison Gardiner, Circuit Judge of the 8th Circuit presided.

Mather was charged with conspiracy to kidnap and abduct William Morgan. Detailed accounts of the trial were reported by the Orleans Telegraph and published in newspapers throughout the state, in Canada and in Vermont. (Click here to see historic newspapers in New York State. )

The counsel for the defendant, William H. Adams, addressed the jury for four hours. He did not deny that Mather drove the carriage but argued that he did so innocently, without knowing that any illegal act was contemplated. He argued that there was no proof that Morgan was in the carriage and if he was, there was no proof that he was held by force. The jury returned a verdict of “Not Guilty”.

Several of the others accused were found guilty of kidnapping Morgan, but nobody was charged with his murder, all of which further fueled anti-Masonic sentiment and led to the formation of the Anti-Masonic Party in 1831.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, Number 2

This genial looking gentleman, Nehemiah Ingersoll, 1788-1868 is credited with the naming of Orleans County.

ALBION – Imagine that you are a new settler in this area. What would you name the town you live in, or this county?

We take the place names where we live for granted, but two hundred years ago these names were purposefully selected and had resonance for the people who lived here.

We can see why the early settlers were so conscious of their role in history – not only did they purchase the land, stake their claims here with hard labor and make the land productive, but they also had the opportunity to name the land.

On September 14, 1824, a petition was presented to “the Honorable, the Representative of Genesee County” requesting the creation of this county from the north part of Genesee County. The petition refers to the new county as “Adams,” referring to John Quincy Adams, a leading Presidential candidate at the time.

Naturally, the supporters of his opponent, Andrew Jackson, protested and wanted the county to be named “Jackson.” We can well relate to this dilemma.

Nehemiah Ingersoll is credited with championing the name “Orleans” as a compromise, though one source credits Oran Follett, a Genesee County legislator, with this honor. “Orleans” could be construed as an honor to the Duc D’Orleans – or, more likely, a compliment to General Jackson on his victory against the British in New Orleans in 1815.

Incidentally, John Quincy Adams was elected President in 1825, Andrew Jackson won the following Presidential election in 1829.

By the time the name of the county came to be selected, several naming rights decisions had already been made. Eight of the ten towns had been formed and named:

1803 – Town of Murray: named for John Murray, a large landowner in the area.

1812 – Town of Ridgeway: named for Ridge Road

1816 – Town of Gaines: named for General Edmund Gaines who defended the area in the War of 1812

1818  – Town of Barre: named by Judge John Lee (Lee Rd.) for his birthplace, Barre, Massachusetts.

1818 – Town of Shelby: named for Gov. Isaac Shelby, a Revolutionary war soldier.

1821 – Town of Clarendon: originally named Farwell’s Mills for Eldredge Farwell, an early settler, named for Clarendon Vt., hometown of Farwell’s wife.

1822 – Town of Carlton: at first named Oak Orchard, it was changed to Carlton in 1825, for Governor Guy Carlton of Quebec.

1822 – Town of Yates: originally called Northton, the name was changed in 1823 to honor Hon. Joseph C. Yates, Governor of New York State.

The towns formed following the formation of the county were:

1837 – Town of Kendall: named for Amos Kendall, Postmaster General of the United States.

1875 – Town of Albion: set off from the town of Barre and named for Albion, the county seat.

Basically, the names selected were chosen to honor a hometown, a prominent businessman or an elected politician.

Just as a matter of speculation, which name would you prefer: Adams County, Jackson County or Orleans County? Would the selection of either Adams or Jackson have changed the course of history here?

Pioneer residents contended with heavy forest, sickness, war and brutal winter cold

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 5, Number 1

The remarkable photograph above, taken on June 19th, 1869, shows the hardy pioneers who settled Orleans County.

The records of the Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Pioneer Association held at the Orleans County Courthouse in Albion on that date noted that Mr. George P. Hopkins, photograph artist of Albion, invited the members to have a group photo taken. The invitation was accepted, the meeting adjourned until 1:30 in the afternoon to afford time to take the picture and then get dinner.

On April 15, 2025, Orleans County will mark 200 years since its political formation.

As we have seen in previous columns, this area has been inhabited from time immemorial. Following a convoluted series of land transactions, by 1800 what we now refer to as Orleans County was owned by the Holland Land Company (the land west of Transit Road) and by the Pulteney Estate (the land east of Transit Road).

Attracted by the generous terms promised by the Holland Land Company for the purchase of fertile land, young men set forth with high hopes. According to the Pioneer History of Orleans County, the first settlement of white men in Orleans County was made in 1803 in the Town of Carlton by William and James Walsworth who came from Canada. James settled by the mouth of the Oak Orchard Creek, while William settled by the mouth of Johnson’s Creek.

Conditions were vastly different in Orleans County two hundred years ago:

“A dense and heavy forest of hard, huge trees covered the land…Pestilential fevers racked the nerves and prostrated the vigor…War was declared in 1812…then came the memorable cold season of 1816.”

In the aforementioned Pioneer History of Orleans County (PHOC), we are fortunate to have an excellent record – mostly first-hand – of the experiences of the first settlers of this area. Conscious of their achievements and their place in history, these early pioneer settlers formed the Pioneer Association of Orleans County which had its first meeting at the courthouse in Albion on September 10, 1859.

Article VII of their Constitution specified that “It shall be the duty of each member of the association to furnish in a form suitable for preservation, such facts and incidents in his early pioneer life, and in relation to the first settlements of this country, as he may deem of sufficient interest to be preserved.” They wanted to have their stories recognized and indeed their stories are heartfelt, poignant and captivating.

These accounts formed the basis for the book Pioneer History of Orleans County by Arad Thomas, which was published in Albion in 1871, required reading for any person interested in local history, always available from your local library.

These photos show original Pioneer History record books and a title page from one volume.

The records of the Pioneer Association were meticulously maintained in three volumes. One volume contains the meeting Minutes from 1859-1905, the others contain transcriptions of the firsthand accounts submitted by the settlers. These unique volumes were in the possession of the University of Rochester for many years but were acquired by local history collector Tom Taber at a sale. The Orleans County Legislature approved the acquisition of the volumes by the Orleans County Dept. of History in 2021 with funding from the Orleans County Bicentennial Fund.

Much has changed in 200 years, yet 200 years is but a blink in time. Anniversaries cause us to pause and reflect on changes and accomplishments, and hopefully to draw on the experiences of the past to inform the future.

Now there’s a dog with an attitude! “Sloat’s Dog” presents a regal and commanding pose.  (Scott B. Dunlap Collection)

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 40

SHELBY – It is the holiday season! We have been dealing with serious photographs all year long, stern looking men and somber women, buildings and street scenes galore. Time for some lighter fare!

Our submissions today are from the Scott B. Dunlap collection which we have previously used for postmortem and Powerline project photographs.

Born in 1898, Scott B. Dunlap of Dunlap Road in Shelby was a fourth-generation member of the family for whom the road is named. Armed with his new Kodak camera, Scott, who graduated from Medina High School in 1905, took unposed, relaxed photographs of family, friends and animals.

Most likely without intending to, he compiled a precious chronicle of life in rural America in the early 1900s, in those years just before automobiles replaced the horse and buggy. In 2008, Scott B. Dunlap, Jr. donated this collection of over two hundred of his father’s glass plate negatives to the Medina Historical Society.

“Sloat’s Dog” with his snout in the air, cannot but make one smile. It appears that Sloat had another dog, an equally well-fed and imperious canine.

“Sloat’s Dog” #2 (Scott B. Dunlap collection)

According to the 1900 Census, Francis Sloat, a farmer, and his wife, Mary (Dutton), lived in Shelby. Sloat later moved to Corfu, died in 1921 and is buried in Millville Cemetery.

“Dunk’s children” (Scott B. Dunlap collection)

What a visual treasure! The horse is old and calm, the girls are dressed up for the occasion, in matching dresses and hats. The younger girl, on the left, is clutching part of the horse’s mane in her hand.

“Dunk” was Frank Dunkelberger, a farmer in Shelby. The 1900 Census lists his age as 30, his daughters Ruth and Rhea were 6 and 4 at the time of the Census.

“Remson’s children” (Scott B. Dunlap collection)

Upon investigation, these children with the white cat and a sheep may be Seth Ransom’s grandchildren, rather than Remson’s children, as labeled: Theron, Anita and J. Lawrence Caleb who lived on Southwoods Road in Shelby.

“Boy with two dogs” (Scott B. Dunlap collection)

Our last selection (it was difficult to choose) is of this young man, armed with a hunting rifle and two dogs. We were taken by the unsettling expression of the seated dog.

In addition to providing some levity, these photographs contain a treasure trove of attendant details which we can now zoom over and enlarge. Naturally, we relish the challenge of finding additional information on the subjects. Armed with the most basic descriptors “Sloat’s Dog” or “Remson’s Children” we were able to locate information in the Orleans County Genweb site and the New Century Atlas of Niagara and Orleans Counties, 1913.

https://orleans.nygenweb.net

https://www.historicmapworks.com/Atlas/US/7112/Orleans+County+1913/

Loungewear, Landauer’s of Albion Christmas catalog, 1967

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 39

ALBION – We associate the colors red and green with Christmas: Santa’s red suit, green Christmas trees, red berries on holly.

At first glance, the color scheme of this Landauer’s Christmas catalog appears jarring. But realizing that the catalog is from 1967 explains the teal, magenta and mustard colors. At the time, Landauer’s was the main department store in Albion.

This catalog lists items of clothing sold and worn just 63 years ago, still remembered (and owned?) by some, no doubt. But in terms of fashions, fabrics, colors and descriptions, this clothing might as well be from the crinoline era.

The clothing items shown above were listed as suitable “For Partying or Lounging” and, it is interesting to note that the colors are more seasonal than those shown on the cover.

The first item on the left, 2B, is a Lounger culotte of 80% Arnel® triacetate, 20% nylon. Three quarter sleeves. Styled by Lazy U. Washable. Colors: orange or lime $23.

Landauer’s Christmas catalog, 1967

Item 2C: Floral patterned quilt duster of Honan acetate crepe. Kodel® polyester fiberfill. Blue or gold. $16

Item 2D:  A long robe version of Item 2C

Item 2E:  Luxuriant “Radiant Fleece” duster of 80% Arnel Triacetate and 20% nylon with the look of velour. Front panel with embroidered grosgrain ribbon, concealed gripper closing. Colors: Tangerine, Kelly green, desert rose. $16

The colors are vibrant, the styles are non-restrictive, and the fabric is easy-care synthetic. Production of natural fabrics had declined during World War II due to the focus on the war effort. Synthetic fibers were developed in the 1950s to meet an increased demand for fabric. Tired of rationing and shortages, consumers were eager to buy new clothes. The new fabrics were popular as they were easy to wash, wrinkle-free, durable and affordable.

Of the fabrics listed in the above descriptions, Arnel® was a trademarked synthetic triacetate fabric developed in 1954 by the Celanese Corporation of America. It ceased production in 1984, due to increased toxicity standards for production and competition from newer polyesters.

Kodel® polyester was developed in 1958 by Eastman Chemical, a subsidiary of the Eastman Kodak Company. It felt like cotton but was more durable and less expensive to produce.

Ladies fashion also included Orlon® acrylic knits, “Fairfield She Shells”, cardigans and sweaters in vibrant colors – canary, lemonette, coquette pink, fresh grass and sprite green.

Men’s clothing, Launder’s of Albion catalog, 1967

With the heading “Handsome New Ideas for His World”, several pages feature coats and jackets for men and boys.

Item 22B: The fabulous Koratron® zip-out three season coat, lined with 100% Acrilon® acrylic tone tipped pile. Colors: black, navy, olive or British tan. $30.00

Koratron® was developed in 1956 by Joseph Koret who was working on creating a permanent crease product for men’s trousers. When coated with resin and baked at 325 degrees, the fabric permanently adopted creases as designed, while the remainder of the fabric remained wrinkle resistant.

The men’s dress shirts were made of Dacron® polyester and were “Sanforized®”, a pre-shrinking process developed by Sanford Cluett in 1930 that reduced shrinking after washing. Sport shirts were made from Ban-Lon® texturized nylon “that simply never needs ironing.”

Consumers in the 1960s embraced the convenience and versatility of clothing made from synthetic materials. The wash-and-wear, no-iron properties revolutionized laundry day. Sixty-three years later, we are more aware of the downside of the synthetic revolution  and it’s detrimental effects on the environment.

Large bone pit among artifacts of Neutral Indians in Shelby

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 38

Diagram of the Shelby site drawn by Frank Cushing in 1879. (From: Illustrated Historical Album of Orleans County, 1879) The site, which is indicated by a historic marker, is located on Salt Works Road, half a mile south of Blair Road, on the left when traveling south.

SHELBY – “In the town of Shelby, Orleans County, New York, about three miles south of the village of Medina are the remains of one of the most interesting ancient earthworks in the state.”

Thus begins a description of the archaeological site at Shelby presented to the Smithsonian Institute in 1874. It was written by Frank H. Cushing, then aged 17, who had just joined the staff of the Smithsonian. He went on to have a distinguished career as an ethnologist of the Zuni Indians in New Mexico.

As a young boy, Cushing was captivated by the then abundant evidence of American Indian life in this area and particularly at the Shelby site. He camped out there on his own for days at a time and wrote the definitive description of the site. The features of the site have been obliterated over time.

Here are excerpts from Cushing’s description which was included in the Historical Album of Orleans County published in 1879:

“It consists of two mural embankments, which are now about two feet in height, parallel, and two feet distant from each other. They describe almost an exact circle, having a diameter of four hundred and thirty feet and an area of three and one third acres.

“Two fences upon original section lines, running one north and south, the other east and west, divide this enclosure into four nearly equal parts or quadrants.

“Traces of a moat, which once encircled this work, are still discernable at intervals. The moat is broad in proportion to its present depth…it was probably made by the removal of the earth for the construction of the walls.

“Ten rods south of this work lies a peat swamp….this was probably a shallow lake at the time when the works were constructed. The supply of fish in this lake was abundant.

West from the work, at a distance of half a mile, on the eastern slope of a sand hill, is a large bone pit, where the bones of many hundreds have been deposited.

Diagram of the fort prepared by Frank R. Berger. In September 1990, at the urging of Mr. Berger, the historic marker which had originally placed “three fields in” in 1932, was relocated to a more visible location on Salt Works Road.

“On making excavations in those portions still uncultivated, many specimens of great interest are found. They usually lie from 6 to 18 inches beneath the surface, often embedded in charcoal and ashes. They consist of hammers, sinkers, stone ornaments, pipes, pottery; also implements and ornaments of bone, such as bone splinters, awls and needles, daggers or dirks, cylindrical ear ornaments, implements for the ornamentation of pottery, perforated metatarsals and perforated teeth.”

Referred to as the Neutral or Neuter Indians because they did not take sides in the wars against the Hurons, the inhabitants of the Shelby site were part of the Iroquois confederacy. Recent scholarship suggests that they may more specifically be identified as Wenro people.

They were hunters and engaged in a fur trade with the Huron Indians. It appears that they fell victim to the enmity of the Iroquois against the Hurons, during a bellicose era in the mid-1600s referred to as the Beaver Wars. The Hurons were the main rivals of the Iroquois in the fur trade. The Iroquois destroyed both the Hurons and the Neutrals.

It is intriguing to consider the lives of the people who lived in this palisade some 300 years ago, before the area was surveyed and sold, and before the political jurisdictions that we are familiar with, were determined.

This collection of Indian points ranges in age from 400 to 5,000 years, and was found near Waterport. Illustration from the book: Orleans County History: Past to Present, Bicentennial Year, 1976.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 37

WATERPORT – As Orleans County prepares to celebrate its 200th year in 2025, we are moved to reflect on time, history and prehistory and our place in the continuum.

Geologists date the formation of the North American continent to 2.5 to 1.3 billion years ago. The glaciers that formed during the most recent Ice Age, some 120,000 years ago, formed the topography of New York State as they retreated north. The melting glaciers carved out the Niagara Escarpment and created Niagara Falls. Ridge Road was once the shoreline of Lake Ontario, formerly Lake Iroquois.

We are aware of these facts of our geological history but somehow the span of time covered in that short synopsis is unfathomable to us. We can more easily relate to more recent archeological history. Ample evidence of earlier human habitation has been documented throughout the county.

No mention of archaeology in Orleans County can fail to reference Stanley Vanderlaan of Albion, who literally stumbled upon what became his life’s passion when he found his first artifacts – flint chips and arrow points – while woodchuck hunting near Otter Creek in Barre in 1956. He was recognized as a Research Fellow of the Rochester Museum and the NYS Archeological Association for his contributions to the field.

In an essay on the Archaeological History of Orleans County which he wrote for inclusion in the book “Orleans County History: Past to Present, Bicentennial Year, 1976”, Vanderlaan wrote that Orleans County was primarily a hunting, fishing and food gathering area for the Indians. Over 10,000 years ago, Paleo-Indians hunted mastodons in this area. They used a spear with a sharp flint point known as a Clovis point. One was discovered in the mucklands, about one mile west of Barre Center and is believed to be 8,000 to 9,000 years old.

Following the extinction of the large animals, humans apparently left the area for some 3,000 years and returned some 5,000 years ago. Known as the Archaic Hunters, they used a distinctive javelin point for hunting, referred to as a Lamoka point. Many have been found along Oak Orchard Creek.

Illustration from the book: Orleans County History: Past to Present, Bicentennial Year, 1976 Artifacts from the Bamber Mound, near Waterport.

The Waterport area in general has yielded many treasures. A site referred to as the Bamber Mound on the Oak Orchard Creek “a mile downstream from the Waterport Dam” yielded stone and flint artifacts from the Hopewell or Adena Indians who lived there: net-sinkers, gorgets (ornaments hung around the neck), celts (stone ax blades), 4-sided projectile points, cache blades, human and animal bones. A site nearby yielded the earliest pottery found in the county, some highly decorated, with an estimated age of  2,000 to 2,500 years.

Two later sites, about 800 to 1200 years old, home to the Owasco Indians, were also located near Waterport. Fire-making flints, triangular points and pottery decorated with a herringbone design were found there. The Owasco Indians gave way to the Early Iroquois Indians who had significant habitations in the Oakfield area.

This whirlwind summary of human habitation in Orleans County begs the question: what will remain of our culture 5,000 years hence and how will it be interpreted?

(The Shelby Neuter Fort,  which dates to 1500 A.D. was the only known large permanent village in the  county. It will be discussed in a forthcoming column.)

‘It was a terrible sight to see the fellows I had been with the last two years blown to pieces’

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 35

Pvt. Harold P. Wirth Co, F., 108th Regiment

LYNDONVILLE – The following letter was published in the Lyndonville Enterprise on November 7, 1918:

Co. F., 108th Infantry,

France, Oct. 6, 1918

Dear Friends,

Have a chance to again do some writing. I am down in a dugout, beside a little fire.

I have gone through a ten-day period that I never want to witness again, for it has been awful. Our division has gone over the top and this battalion was the first to cross the famous Hindenburg line – a line of trenches that the English claimed could never be broken. Cos. E and F were the first ones over the line and suffered heavily for it. We have a number killed, wounded and gassed, and the rest are very lucky to be alive.

Some of the boys who came back found wine, eggs, bread and other eats in Jerry’s big dugouts. Some of their dugouts are three stories deep and all built of concrete.

Captain Thompson is thought more of than ever now, and this Battalion will swear by him, and we hear that General Pershing thinks the “Skipper” is O. K. He is burned all over the face with mustard gas, but never once flinched and even attempted to re-organize the stragglers who got back and go after the Huns again.

It was a terrible sight to see the fellows I had been with the last two years blown to pieces, others wounded and still they wore big grins on their faces and told of how they did it. One sergeant in our company had four bullets in his body and they sent four Jerries out to carry him in, and as they picked him up, he said to them: “I will kill every darned one of you if you touch me” He wanted his own pals to carry him. He was shot twice and kept on going, then got two more and had to lie down.

Medina will get an awful blow when the list comes in, and it will likely be there before you get this.

It will seem good when we get back out of here and live as civilians again.

Love to all.

Harold P. Wirth

P.S. Will be home for Christmas dinner.

Harold P. Wirth did not make it home for Christmas dinner that year, but he was one of the lucky ones who made it through “to live as a civilian again.” He had enlisted as a company cook with Co. F, 108th Inf. New York National Guard on April 9, 1917, served overseas from May 18, 1918, and was discharged May 6, 1919.

The son of John G. and Grace Faulkner Wirth, he was born in Plain View, Nebraska on August 1, 1883. The family had close connections with Lyndonville. Following his discharge, Harold returned to this area and worked for five years at Lyndonville Canning. He then accepted a position with the Thomas Daggitt Canning Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan and later as superintendent of the Red Creek Canning factory in Wayne, New York.

Harold was one of the many WWI veterans afflicted with tuberculosis and was a patient at the Veterans T.B. hospital in Tupper Lake, New York. He died at the Veterans Hospital in Batavia, NY on Sept. 21, 1957, and was buried at Huron Evergreen Cemetery in Wayne County. Harold had been active in the Wolcott Post 881, American Legion. Both the Post and the cemetery are located just off Route 104 in Wayne County.

As Harold indicated in his letter, Colonel Thompson’s list was grim: between Sept. 27 and Nov. 1, 1918, 25 members of the company had been killed, 85 wounded, 18 were still in hospital and 11 had been cited for awards.

On Veterans Day, we remember, recognize and honor those who have served and are serving in the military.

“Pickett’s Child” is a postmortem photo from the Scott B. Dunlap collection in the Medina Historical Society.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 34

MEDINA – The child in this photograph appears to be sleeping peacefully. However, this is a postmortem photo, the child is dead, and the pose was referred to as the “Last Sleep.”

It may seem morbid to us, but at a time when infant mortality rates were high, and attitudes toward mourning were different, this photograph would have been viewed as a way of commemorating the dead and solace to the family.

This is most likely the only photograph ever taken of the deceased child. The photographer was a young neighbor, Scott B. Dunlap, of Dunlap Road in Shelby, who had a new Kodak camera and an interest in photography.

Born in 1898, he was a fourth-generation member of the family for whom the road is named. Armed with his new camera, Scott, who graduated from Medina High School in 1905, took unposed, relaxed photographs of his family and friends. Without intending to, he chronicled daily life in rural America in the early 1900s, in those years just before automobiles replaced the horse and buggy.

In 2008, Scott B. Dunlap, Jr. donated a collection of over 200 of his father’s glass plate negatives to the Medina Historical Society. The collection includes five postmortem views of the child, each taken from a different angle. The long exposure time required at the time made deceased subjects easier to photograph.

Another version of “Pickett’s Baby” from the Scott B. Dunlap collection.

The photos were labeled as “Pickett’s Child” or “Pickett’s Baby,” the first name was not mentioned. A brief search elicited the infant’s name as Harold H. Pickett, (also referenced as Herman Harold) born Nov. 7, 1905, died Sept. 12, 1906. He was the son of Henry R. (Ray) and Lena Gurrslin Pickett.

In April of the following year, 1907, the family lost another son, Wilford R., one month old. An older son, Lavern E., survived. Lena died in 1909, at the age of 27. She and the two infant children were buried in Millville Cemetery. Following Lena’s death, Henry re-married, moved to Buffalo, worked as a motorman with a railroad company and had four more children.

With regard to the child’s clothing, it was customary at the time to dress boys and girls in short white dresses until they started walking and then in short, loose-fitting dresses until they were two or three years old.

As healthcare improved and mortality rates declined, the practice of photographing the dead declined and came to be viewed as macabre. We still use photographs of the deceased for obituaries, funeral cards and services, but those are living images. At the present time, when smartphones have made it possible for anyone to take photographs of any subject, the lines between what is acceptable and what is not are shifting once more.

A selection of the Dunlap photos may be viewed at www.historicmedina.org.

Young men left for boot camp, and then overseas in World War II

Advertisement from the Brockport-Republic newspaper, Oct. 24, 1935.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 33

(Adrienne Daniels, Town of Barre Historian, supplied the information for this week’s column.)

BARRE – We walked into a place that was built like a small barn. Rustic and smelling of new wood, one end had a platform for the small band that played there Saturdays and Sundays from 8-12:30. The other end had a snack bar and a cloakroom and in the center was a shining dance floor, smooth as glass.

We fox-trotted to the haunting strains of Sugar Blues and Blueberry Hill, we waltzed to Deep Purple and Night and Day, boogied to Boogie Wugle Bugle Boy and did the polka to the Beer Barrel Polka. We jitterbugged to Stompin’ at the Savoy and stood around the band and sang Three Little Fishies.

The dancing started with the song Blue Moon and ended with Goodnight, Sweetheart and then, Blue Moon.

The young couple who ran the place were strict – no alcohol, no couples parking in cars on the premises.

Every week, there were new boys who came to the Blue Moon. On the way home, all we talked about was boys! We could hardly wait for the week to go by, we were having such a wonderful time.

And then it happened. Pearl Harbor.

As the months rolled along, one by one, the young men we danced with were called into the service. The dance hall began to look empty and somber.

Now there were letters written posted on the Blue Moon bulletin board, first from boot camps located in different states, then later, letters from overseas – England and Italy and much later, V mail from Germany, France and places we had never heard of, such as Iwo Jima and Okinawa. All saying how much they missed home and asking us to write.

Oftentimes, when I hear the song Blue Moon on the radio or T.V., I see myself as young again, dancing with someone on a crowded floor with other couples. I wonder if others who went to the Blue Moon are thinking of the good times, too, when they hear that song”

This lovely recollection of memories of the Blue Moon Danceland, located “two miles east of Barre Center” was written by Elizabeth Hurysz and published in the Democrat and Chronicle in 1991.

The dancehall closed in the 1940s but the building had another reincarnation. In 1947, Barre residents Norm Anderson and Harold Morton, two young men recently returned from the service, bought the dancehall building, cut it in half and had the halves moved to sites on the East Barre Road where they formed the basis of two fine homes. If those walls could talk!

The George L. Burrows Nurses’ Home was built in Albion in 1926. (Photograph by Louis M. Monacelli)

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 32

ALBION – Located at 239 South Main Street in Albion, this fine building, familiar to many as the Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance (COVA) headquarters, was in fact, built specifically in 1924 as a Nurses’ Home, a place where the nurses and medical staff of the adjacent Arnold Gregory Memorial Hospital “should be able to spend their hours of rest and diversion somewhere apart and separate from the scene and atmosphere of their labors”…..having contended with “Long hours of service, the patient ministry at the bedside in a critical hour, the welcoming of a new-born life.”

Funding for the facility was provided by the family of the late George L. Burrows who had died in 1921. In a letter dated March 19, 1923, his six children offered to finance the building of a Nurses’ Home as a memorial to their father. Their offer was graciously accepted by the Hospital directors.

George L. Burrows

Born in Albion in 1836, George L. Burrows was the son of Louisa (Lord) and the Hon. Lorenzo Burrows, a prominent Albion banker and New York State politician who served as State Comptroller from 1855-1857.

An engineer by profession, George L. worked with the Engineering Corps on enlarging the Erie Canal and later at the Bank of Albion. He moved to Saginaw, Michigan in 1862 and successfully pursued interests in lumbering, banking and engineering there though he maintained his connections with Albion. He died in 1921 and is buried in Mt. Albion Cemetery along with his wife, Julia, and two children who predeceased them.

The Arnold Gregory Memorial Hospital which had opened in 1916 was also funded by local philanthropists.

A retired farmer, Arnold Gregory provided $8,000 to purchase the Ezra T. Coann home and $30,000 to adapt it for use as a hospital and for use as an endowment. Mrs. Emma Reed Nelson financed the construction of the three-story addition in memory of her parents. Miss Julia E. Barker assumed the finishing costs of the addition in memory of her brother. Donations from Albion residents and former residents funded the purchase of furnishings and equipment for the rooms. The operating rooms were funded by George M. Waterman, the X-Ray laboratory by the Albion Chapter of the American Red Cross.

In his address at the Corner Stone Laying ceremony for the George L. Burrows Nurses’ Home on May 28, 1924, Lafayette H. Beach, editor of the Orleans Republican newspaper, included some interesting details on the construction of the now 100-year-old building.

Frederick C. Backus of Buffalo was engaged as the architect. The construction contract was awarded to Earl J. Sullivan of Albion. The three-story building which was “to present a pleasing and dignified appearance” was constructed of tile with a facing of yellow pressed brick. It had a slate roof, wood floors, was wired for electricity, piped for gas, and was heated by steam.

The main entrance opened onto a spacious hall with a winding staircase. A superintendent’s suite of three rooms which included a large living room with a roomy fireplace and mantel, a kitchenette and a sunporch on the south occupied the first floor. There were six bedrooms and two bathrooms on the second floor, two bedrooms and a bathroom for maids on the third floor.

When completed, six rooms at the hospital formerly occupied by nurses were then available for use by patients, thus increasing the hospital capacity from 22 beds to 28.

Lafayette Beach eloquently characterized this memorial gift as “more beautiful and more eloquent than marble of bronze because it is dedicated to service.” This gift to Albion has not been forgotten by the family – a fourth-generation descendant of George L. Burrows recently contacted the Historian’s Office enquiring about the Nurses’ Home.

Staff and Board members of the Arnold Gregory Memorial Hospital in Albion examine a new bed in 1960. Left to right: Dr. John Ellis; Sidney Eddy, Board member; Helen Yerger, hospital administrator; Edward Archbald, Board president; Robert Babbitt, Board member; Mrs. Douglas Hayes, nurse. (Photograph by Wm. A. Monacelli)

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 31

ALBION – Our photograph this week captures the dedication and local support which sustained Albion’s Arnold Gregory Memorial Hospital.

The centerpiece of the photo is a new model adjustable bed, part of an order of upgraded furnishings for the “new” hospital facility.  Built in 1952 at a cost of $650,000 of community funding, this 51-bed unit replaced the original 27-bed hospital opened in 1916.

The new hospital was obviously needed. During its first decade, 15,435 patients were admitted, 3,026 babies were born and 50,304 people were treated in the emergency departent.

In the photograph, healthcare professionals Dr. John Ellis and Nurse Hayes are on either end of the group. The three gentlemen in the group – Sidney Eddy, Edward Archbald and Robert Babbitt – were hospital Board members. They were also members of the Albion Rotary Club which actively raised funds for the hospital for many years.

Hospital administrator Helen Yerger is the lady appropriately positioned in the center of the group. Hired in 1949, she was actively involved in the planning, construction and furnishing of the new building. She continually sought to update equipment and improve services.

By 1965, plans were underway to add a new wing to the hospital. Having had some health issues, Miss Yerger announced her plan to retire on October 1, 1965, but she died unexpectedly on August 6. 1965. She had been a dedicated employee and tireless champion for the Arnold Gregory Memorial Hospital for 16 years.

Fred Holt captured this image of a boater at the Oak Orchard Harbor on Lake Ontario.

By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian

“Illuminating Orleans” – Volume 4, Number 29

Lake Ontario is a stunning spectacle at any time. We are invariably drawn to try to capture its more dramatic moments, mid-summer sunsets in particular.

Twilight was photographer Fred Holt’s favorite time to study the lake. He took many photographs of this particular scene, from the angle in the above photo and the one below. The photos are serene and have a timeless quality.

Frederick Holt was born in Gaines on May 13, 1900, the son of Benjamin and Frances (Bennett) Holt, who had immigrated from Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Benjamin was a quarryman, the family lived on South Clinton Street in Albion.

These two row a boat towards Lake Ontario.

While still a high school student, Fred enlisted with the Reserve Officer Training Corps and was appointed First Lieut, Company L, 12th Regiment, New York State Cadet Corps. He graduated from Albion High School in 1919 and was later employed as Treasurer at the Marine Midland Bank.

In 1942 , he re-entered the armed forces and was appointed Second Lieut. Company L, 65th Regiment of the New York Guard. On his return to civilian life, he was appointed as the Albion office manager of the Birds-Eye Snider Division of General Foods Corporation and in 1958 was appointed manager of Hunt Foods, Inc.

Fred Holt captured Orleans County scenes for more than 60 years.

Photography was his passion. He chronicled scenes and events in Albion for over 60 years – Albion street scenes, farming scenes, parades, majorettes, school plays, a rich chronicle of the times. In 1927, he photographed scenes of the Barge Canal water break at Eagle Harbor and also the seizure on West Avenue in Albion of one of the biggest illicit distilleries in New York State. He won prizes for several of his artistic compositions.

Following his death, his wife, Anne, donated his work to the Orleans County Department of History. There are hundreds of photographs, slides and negatives, as well as the ledgers where he meticulously recorded his work.

Holt’s photographs have a luminous quality that is distinctive and compelling.

We will share other examples in future columns.