By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 27 June 2015 at 12:00 am
HOLLEY – This image shows the horse barn owned by Dr. George C. Kesler of Holley. The photographer directed his camera to the southeast while standing on the north side of East Albion Street.
The house in the background belonged to Dr. Kesler and was situated along the bend of White Street. The barn itself was located on the corner of East Albion and White Streets.
George Kesler, a native of Kendall, graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College on March 25, 1892. After his return to Orleans County, he started his practice in Holley on Main Street at a location west of the hotel. He married Agnes O’Neil and the couple made their home at this site in 1893. Kesler outlived his three wives, Agnes, Ana Wilson, and Ada before his own death in 1937.
Advertising as a Veterinary Surgeon and Dentist, his ads regularly featured the line, “All diseases of animals scientifically treated – open day and night.” The gentleman kneeling in front of the fence seems to have coaxed the horses to pop their heads through the windows for this photo. Both the barn and house of Dr. Kesler were razed and no longer exist at this site.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 June 2015 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – The Orleans County Historical Association wants to preserve this one-room schoolhouse on Gaines Basin Road in Gaines, just north of the Erie Canal. The building (pictured in March) was built in 1832 and is one of the oldest cobblestone structures in the county. The Historical Association would like to have a historical marker noting the building’s history as a schoolhouse.
ALBION – Orleans County’s pride in its history is obvious from the many markers that celebrate prominent former residents, architectural marvels and other important sites in the county, County Historian Matt Ballard said.
For many years, the county set aside funds in the historian’s budget to help pay for the blue and gold markers that are sprinkled around the county, Ballard told county legislators on Wednesday.
Ballard wants to have those funds reinstated some more markers can go up in a partnership with the Orleans County Historical Association.
That group wants a marker on Gaines Basin Road for a former one-room cobblestone schoolhouse that was built in 1832. That site “is likely the oldest cobblestone building we have in Orleans County,” said Al Capurso, who is leading the effort to preserve the former schoolhouse, which has largely been abandoned since 1944.
The Historical Association is in process of acquiring the former school house from Jim Panek, who is donating the building, Capurso said. Volunteers have been cleaning out the school house and planning for its future.
The marker would note the Gaines Basin Schoolhouse was built from field cobblestones in 1832, replacing a log cabin where Caroline Phipps taught. She would later start a seminary for women in Albion at a site where the County Clerks’ Building now stands.
Here is a rendering on how the historical marker could look.
The historical marker would cost $1,289. Capurso and Ballard asked legislators to set aside $500 in county funds for the marker. The Historical Association would pay the remaining $789.
Legislature Chairman David Callard said the county wants to first see a public campaign to cover the $500. If the funds can’t be raised, Callard said the Legislature would consider the request.
Callard also said he would like to see the group work on refurbishing some of the existing signs that have flaking paint and are difficult to read.
Capurso said the effort to preserve the schoolhouse has enjoyed support in the community, from Jim Panek, the volunteers on the cleaning crew, and the Town of Gaines, which said it would have highway workers set the marker in concrete.
Capurso said the marker and effort to save the site will honor the cobblestone masons from nearly two centuries ago, and the many students and teachers who worked out of the building.
Putting up the marker and safeguarding the building are small tasks compared to efforts of the early settlers, teachers and students.
“Our efforts pale in contrast to what they’ve done,” Capurso said.
He also praised the contributions of the late Emilio Dilodovico, a farmer who kept the schoolhouse from collapse.
“He kept it going,” Capurso said. “It’s still structurally sound.”
For more information on the project, call Capurso at 590-0763.
Bruce Schmidt, a Gaines town justice and member of the Historical Association, also encouraged the county to develop heritage tourism trails. He cited a smiliar effort in Niagara County. The trails could have locations about the Underground Railroad, Civil War and other historical sites, Schmidt said.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 20 June 2015 at 12:00 am
The annals of local history are filled with the names of influential citizens who were either born here or lived here before moving beyond the political boundaries of our area to establish themselves on a much larger scale. One such man was Charles Anderson Dana, a name that few would recognize today.
This daguerreotype from the 1850s taken by Matthew Brady shows the staff of the New York Tribune. Seated left to right are George M. Snow, Bayard Taylor, Horace Greeley (once owner of the Ward House in Childs), and George Ripley. Standing left to right are William Henry Fry, Charles Anderson Dana, and Henry J. Raymond.
The son of Anderson Dana and Anna Denison, Charles A. Dana was born on Aug. 8, 1819 at Hinsdale, New Hampshire. At a young age, Charles was brought to Orleans County with his siblings where his father accepted a position as the overseer of a canal warehouse at Gaines Basin.
After several years of operating the site, Dana sought to establish himself locally on a small farm. With our knowledge of the area, it is very likely that Charles Dana received his earliest education at the Gaines Basin log schoolhouse where a young Caroline Phipps would have taught classes at the age of 14.
Unfortunately, the untimely death of Anna Dana on Sept. 7, 1828 left Anderson with four young children to care for. Anna was laid to rest at the burial ground in Gaines and the children were sent to Vermont where they were divided up amongst the living relatives. After spending time on the farm of his uncle, David Denison, Charles was sent to Buffalo where he worked at the store of another uncle, William Denison, until the business collapsed during the Panic of 1837.
With $200 in his pocket, Charles enrolled at Harvard University where he studied for two years. Upon the completion of his second year, he was forced to leave school due to poor eyesight and a lack of funds. Not soon after, an acquaintance offered Dana a position as City Editor of the New York Tribune. That acquaintance was none other than Horace Greeley, who would find his own connection to Gaines during the mid-1800s.
In 1849 Dana became a proprietor of the Tribune and was made managing editor, a position he would hold for over 10 years. After the outbreak of the Civil War, he was responsible for running the headline, “Forward to Richmond! Forward to Richmond!” which is credited with spurring Union troops forward into the Battle of Bull Run.
Following the Union defeat, Greeley suffered a nervous breakdown and Dana was forced to resign from his position in 1862.
After the war, Dana was able to raise the necessary funds from prominent Republicans in the New York City area to establish The Sun, which published its first paper on Jan. 27, 1868. Over the next several decades, The Sun became a polarizing publication focusing heavily on maladministration and the unscrupulous behavior of the nation’s biggest politicians. Dana remained in control of The Sun until his death on Oct. 17, 1897.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 15 June 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Irish Catholic immigrants flocked to Orleans County as early as the 1820s and 1830s, well in advance of the Great Famine of 1845-1852.
The Irish in Albion and Medina quickly found work within the newly established sandstone quarries located throughout the region, yet no house of worship existed to meet their weekly sacramental requirements.
Around 1840 Rev. Patrick Costello of Lockport visited Albion to celebrate Mass in the home of John Walsh, an early Irish settler in the village. The earliest Irish population was small, consisting of the families of Samuel McCaffrey, Denis Sullivan, Patrick McMahon, Bernard Flaherty, Thomas Crean, and Felix McCann, the latter a veteran of the Battle of Waterloo.
The community rented space in the Burrows Block on Main Street and priests held monthly services from Lockport or Rochester. These priests were also called upon to administer the sacraments of baptism and matrimony.
In June of 1849 Bishop John Timon visited Albion with Rev. Harmon of Medina in order to secure the site on North Main Street. Work began soon after and the edifice was completed in 1852 under the direction of Rev. O’Conner; the first Mass was celebrated on Palm Sunday of that year.
Over the next 10 years, the congregation saw numerous priests come and go until Rev. John M. Castaldi arrived in 1862. His tenure with the parish would be one of the longest in the history of the congregation.
Castaldi ensured the continued growth of the parish with the erection of a parochial school located behind the church, opening in 1869 under the direction of the Sisters of Mercy. He also secured 26 acres of land located on Brown Street for use as a Catholic cemetery, then called “Holy Sepulchre.” Two years later, the parish purchased the property of Mrs. English for use as a convent for the Sisters.
This growth and the size of the congregation elevated the parish to the rank of “Irremovable Rectorship,” meaning the priest left only by retirement or death. It was the death of Rev. Castaldi in 1895 that led to the erection of the new sandstone church on Park Street; another story for another time.
This image shows the original site of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, located between Erie Street and Caroline Street. Unlike the current edifice, this church was constructed of wood and was likely meant to serve as a temporary house of worship.
Those familiar with St. Mary’s Assumption Parish in Albion will notice some similarities between this structure and the Polish parish building. Both the interior and exterior of the Polish church resemble the original St. Joseph edifice.
The Department of History is now seeking submissions for the inaugural edition of “The Pioneer Record.” Check out www.orleanscountyhistorian.org for more information.
Photos by Tom Rivers – The refurbished Salisbury Fountain in downtown Holley is pictured during last Saturday’s parade in Holley.
Members of the Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps march through the Public Square in Holley during last Saturday’s parade. The Public Square area has been nominated by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation for the state and national registers of historic places.
The Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies perform on Route 31 in downtown Holley during last Saturday’s parade that passed through the historic district.
HOLLEY – Downtown Holley is among 26 sites throughout the state that have been nominated for the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
The nominations reflect the breadth of New York’s history, ranging from one of the last amusement park rides left at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair in Queens, to the site of a 1943 school segregation fight in Rockland County, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today.
“New York has a rich heritage, and important events in the history of this state and this nation have occurred in virtually every corner of it,” Cuomo said. “By placing these sites on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, we can ensure that they will be preserved and enjoyed by New Yorkers and visitors for years to come.”
Holley’s downtown was backed for the State and National Register by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation. Here is what it said about the Holley district:
Holley Village Historic District – The district’s 37 properties make up the commercial and institutional core of the village as it developed from 1822 to 1931; it was built along a distinctive street plan that was oriented to the Erie Canal’s irregular alignment as it spanned Sandy Creek.
Commissioner of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Rose Harvey said, “These sites are the physical reminders of the incredible scope of architectural vision, craftsmanship, innovation and history across New York State. Listing these landmarks will give them the recognition and support they deserve.”
State and National Register listing can assist property owners in revitalizing buildings, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.
Spurred by the state and federal historic rehabilitation commercial tax credits administered by the State Historic Preservation Office, developers invested $500 million statewide in 2014 to revitalize properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Homeowners using the state historic homeowner rehabilitation tax credit invested more than $9.8 million statewide on home improvements to help revitalize historic neighborhoods.
The state and federal government have both added several sites in Holley and Clarendon to the registers in recent years, including Hillside Cemetery, the Old Stone Store, and at least two cobblestone houses in the community.
The State and National Registers are the official lists of buildings, structures, districts, landscapes, objects and sites significant in the history, architecture, archeology and culture of New York State and the nation. There are more than 120,000 historic buildings, structures and sites throughout the state listed on the National Register of Historic Places, individually or as components of historic districts. Property owners, municipalities and organizations from communities throughout the state sponsored the nominations.
Once the recommendations are approved by the state historic preservation officer, the properties are listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and then nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, where they are reviewed and, once approved, entered on the National Register.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 7 June 2015 at 12:00 am
SHELBY – This photograph taken in June of 1907 shows the interior of Nelson N. King’s Blacksmith Shop located at Shelby Center. A native of Newfane, King started his blacksmithing career in Orleans County working with Maxim “Peter” Pilon at Carlton Station.
In July of 1900, Pilon sold his shop and all of the associated tools to King who assumed control of the business shortly after. On June 27, 1903 King married Lillian Ryan at Shelby and started to rent the Bailey Blacksmith Shop at Shelby Center in late October of 1904.
Nelson King is bent over with the horse’s hind leg positioned between his own legs preparing the hoof for shoeing. On the left, Pierson “Syke” Neal is shown working a horseshoe on the anvil while Adra Wormuth, a local farmer, observes.
Blacksmiths wore aprons to cover their clothing, protecting them from sparks created by the pounding of heated metal. The only man in the photograph not wearing an apron is Wormuth, which suggests that he brought the horse to the shop for shoeing.
This shop is particularly unusual given the amount of light inside of the room. Blacksmith shops were often dark, allowing the smith to observe the changing colors of the metal. Different colors represented different temperatures and depending on the intended final product, a combination of specific temperatures and tools were required.
Scattered across the floor are a number of this tools including tongs and sledgehammers. Hanging on the wall next to the door is a rake used for working the fire in the forge, which was likely off to the left of Neal’s anvil.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 30 May 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Operated by Mathew Ciszek, an Austrian-Polish immigrant, the old “Club 469” served as a saloon and bottling works for the community of East State Street during the first quarter of the 20th century.
A 1910 Orleans County Business Directory entry indicates that the business had expanded considerably and the Ciszeks were dealing in coal and wood in addition to the saloon and bottling business. After Mathew’s untimely death in 1910, his son Frank took control of the business.
This image, taken sometime between 1910 and 1915, depicts the interior of the bar room of Ciszek’s Saloon located at 113 East State Street. The original bar rested along the west wall, was moved to the east wall later on, and finally returned to the west wall with the opening of the Crooked Door Tavern.
Along the foot of the bar rests several spittoons as well as a luggage bag balancing on the foot rail. Near the ceiling are two large boxes that appear to contain taxidermy mounts. Two pints of beer on the bar indicate that several men ducked out of the way for this photograph. The man in the image is believed to be Frank S. Ciszek.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – John Butts and his family treasure the dog tag and diary from John E. Butts, the only Medal of Honor recipient in Medina’s history.
However, the Butts family didn’t want to just store the diary and dog tag in a drawer or in a display at one of the relative’s. The family decided to give the identification and diary to the Medina community.
The top photo shows the dog tag with the name Anna Butts, the mother of the soldier. The dog tag was covered in blood, and that blood corroded the metal, causing it to split in half, Butts family members said today.
John Butts, nephew to Medina’s famed soldier from World War II, presented the dog tag and diary to Steve Johnson, commander of the American Legion, during a Memorial Day service today at State Street Park.
Steve Johnson, right, accepts the dog tag and diary from John Butts, nephew of the Medal of Honor recipient from Medina.
Johnson then presented the dog tag and diary to Catherine Cooper, director of Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, which already has a display about Butts with his medals, Medal of Honor citation and photographs.
“They are better served here than being locked in a closet or drawer,” said John Butts, who travelled to Medina from Portland, Maine. “It is more proper here. Medina is the origin.”
Butts and 10 other family members have been in Medina the past few days, learning more about John E. Butts.
The village named a park for Butts and the American Legion post also bears his name. He died in World War II in Normandy. Butts had already been wounded when he led a charge to distract the enemy. He was fatally wounded, but his battalion was able to advance.
Butts had five brothers serve in the war. The family is now spread around the country. They met for a reunion in Medina the past few days with Butts family members traveling from Portland, Maine; San Diego, Calif; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Rock Hill, South Carolina; and Virginia.
The Butts family is pictured with Catherine Cooper, back right, following the Memorial Day service today at State Street Park.
The family came together to give the treasured items from John E. Butts to Medina.
“I’m very appreciative and proud of Medina,” John Butts told a crowd gathered at State Street Park. “I’m very proud of the town of Medina and the kindness and generosity of the people.”
Butts said the big crowds of people that turned out for Memorial Day is unusual in America today. He said his uncle was like many from the community who heeded the call to serve the country.
The family started talking more in the past year when Tim Butts was contacted by a documentary filmmaker about John E. Butts. The family worked to assemble information. They discussed the diary and the dog tag and where those artifacts should go. They decided they wanted back in the community where Butts grew up.
This diary, held by Catherine Cooper, details the boot camp experiences by John E. Butts.
Catherine Cooper, the library director and also Ridgeway town historian, thanked the family for their generosity. She said the diary, with the family’s blessing, would be reproduced for the public.
Doug Butts, a family member from Grand Rapids, Mich., thanked the community for keeping up the park, Legion Post and grave for John E. Butts. Doug Butts said the family is impressed by the small-town charm in Medina.
“It’s a beautiful town with a Rockwellian Main Street,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 May 2015 at 12:00 am
John E. Butts’ family will present his dog tags to community
John E. Butts
MEDINA – John E. Butts remains a source of pride in the Medina community more than 70 years after his death. Butts is the lone Medal of Honor recipient from Medina.
He sacrificed himself in Normandy in World War II, advancing on the enemy to distract them so his battalion could advance. Butts had already been wounded, but pressed on, leading a platoon.
“Once more he was struck, but by grim determination and sheer courage continued to crawl ahead,” his Medal of Honor citation reads. “When within 10 yards of his objective, he was killed by direct fire. By his superb courage, unflinching valor and inspiring actions, 2LT BUTTS enabled his platoon to take a formidable strong point and contributed greatly to the success of his battalion’s mission.”
Butts was one of five brothers to serve in World War II. He died in Normandy on June 23, 1944. His body came home in 1948 and he is buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Medina.
The American Legion Post and a village park bear his name. There is a display of his medals at the local library. On Monday, following the Memorial Day parade, some of Butts’ family members will present his dog tags to the community during a service at State Street Park.
Several of Butts’ nieces and nephews are getting together for a reunion in Medina this weekend before they present his dog tags on Monday. The relatives are from South Carolina, Ohio, Michigan and California.
They are coming together for the first time since they were kids. The reunion came about after a Dutch television journalist/historian sought more information on Butts for a TV documentary following the 9th Infantry’s campaign from D-Day to WWII’s conclusion. Butts was featured in a segment in the series.
The parade in Medina starts at 11 a.m. at the Olde Pickle Factory on Park Avenue and ends at State Street Park with the ceremony at the park starting at about noon.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 23 May 2015 at 12:00 am
A day to remember those soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice over the last 239 years, Memorial Day serves as an occasion for each and every citizen to reflect on the freedoms that we enjoy.
“Decoration Day,” as it was called, has its roots in the Civil War when loved ones decorated the graves of their dearly departed soldiers. Today, we continue that tradition by adorning the graves of our veterans with flowers and flags.
Over the next four years we will commemorate the passing of the centennial of the First World War. A horrific and deadly conflict that was said to be “the war to end all wars,” took the lives of several dozen Orleans County citizens over the course of 19 months. Our families sent over 1,000 young men to face the horrors of war and upon their return, the physical and emotional scars would remain for the rest of their lives.
This photograph depicts Company F of the 108th Infantry. Originally believed to be a 1917 image showing men preparing for their departure from the Medina railroad station.
Instead, the image appears to show the men of Company F upon their return to Orleans County at the conclusion of the war. With medals pinned to their chests, the soldiers paraded along the streets of Medina amidst a crowd of teary-eyed onlookers lining the roads adorned with flags and patriotic bunting.
The Battle of St. Quentin Canal was still fresh in their minds – the day Medina’s own Company F broke the Hindenburg Line. Orleans County lost 12 men that day, September 29, 1918, including James Clark, William Collins, Frank Bloom, Walter Gaylord, Cecil Green, Albert Coon, Walter Lindke, Fred Hellert, Leon Clark, Alex Wilson, Egbert Sheret, and James Sheret.
Capt. John S. Thompson recalled the bravery each man from Company F exhibited as they went over the top at 5:50 a.m. that Sunday morning. They sang cheerful melodies as they advanced to the front line and continued to carry their tune as they advanced on the German line. Such heroism should forever be remembered.
The Orleans County Department of History continues to accept contributions of photographs, both originals and duplicates, as well as documents, records, and other items relating to the history of the area.
If you have materials you would like to share, please contact Matthew Ballard at Matt.Ballard@orleanscountyny.gov or 585-589-4174. In conjunction with “The Lost Generation” exhibition set to open at the Cobblestone Museum in early July, the Department of History is working towards assembling a detailed record of Orleans County’s 20th century military history and needs help from the community.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – The Clarendon Historical Society threw another birthday for the community’s most famous son, Carl Akeley, on Wednesday. The top photo shows a comic book image of Akeley fighting with leopard in Africa.
Akeley survived and managed to kill the leopard in Africa. Akeley was a world renowned taxidermist and inventor. He was instrumental in creating the first national park in Africa.
Provided photo – Carl Akeley is pictured with a leopard in Africa that he killed with his bare hands after it attacked him.
Last year the Historical Society celebrated Akeley’s 150th birthday with 150 people turning out for the party, which featured a presentation by the author of a book about Akeley’s life.
Jay Kirk wrote “Kingdom Under Glass,” a book that traced Akeley’s upbringing on Hinds Road in Clarendon, when he started “stuffing” birds and small animals, to his ground-breaking advances in taxidermy and his adventures in Africa.
The 151st party featured another prominent Akeley enthusiast, Stephen Quinn. He worked in the Akeley Hall of African Mammals, where many of Akeley’s elephants, lions, rhinos and gorillas are displayed in New York City at the American Museum of Natural History.
Steven Quinn addresses about 100 people on Wednesday at Holley Junior-Senior High School, sharing photos and insights from a trip to Africa, retracing Carl Akeley’s trips to the continent from 1921 to 1926.
Quinn said the mountain gorillas are threatened, losing habitat and suffering attacks from predators and illnesses. The gorilla pictured has a nose fungus, Quinn said.
“The natural world is to be cherished,” Quinn said. “We’re accountable to the natural world.”
Quinn is recently retired from the American Museum of Natural History. He said the Akeley Hall “is truly a magnificent place.”
Quinn wanted to retrace Akeley’s route in the eastern Congo, where Akeley and his team visited from 1921 to 1926, bringing back paintings, photographs, and specimens collected in the field nearly a century ago.
Akeley became a passionate advocate for the mountain gorillas and other wildlife, and pushed for a national park in the area.
Quinn in his presentation also highlighted the work of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Program, which provides care to sick gorillas, cleaning and suturing cuts and providing medicine.
“The work they do is truly wonderful,” Quinn said. “They work they do wouldn’t be possible without Carl Akeley, who gave his life and is responsible for the first national park in Africa.”
Akeley was on his fifth trip to the Congo in 1926 when he died of fever. He is buried in Africa, just miles from where he encountered his first gorilla.
The taxidermist community is working to raise money for monument for Akeley at Hillside Cemetery in Holley.
Contributed Photo – A gathering of Newell Shirt Factory employees at the Drake House in 1922.
By Cheryl Wertman
BARKER – A recent “I Love My Park Day” project at Golden Hill State Park involved cleaning up an area at the old “Drake House Ruins” site, on the west side of County Line Road.
Although the house itself was demolished in the early 1960s when New York State acquired the land as part of the development of the Golden Hill State Park, some remnants of the estate’s grounds remain, primarily the elaborately decorated perimeter (likely garden) walls.
Photo by Cheryl Wertman – A section of the wall is shown here, a picture taken during the “I Love My Park Day” cleanup project on May 3.
Following an initial article and photos on the Orleans Hub of those remaining walls, photos have been received of the house itself. Two photos of the house in this article were taken in the 1920s when the estate was owned by Medina’s Newell Shirt Factory owner Robert Newell. In fact, the closeup photo of the group on the porch has the date of 1922 on it.
The first photo, shown at the start of this article, is of the house at the annual Newell outing in 1922 with the employees from the shirt factory gathered in front of the porch area.
This photo was contributed by Alana Koneski whose great-grandmother and grandmother worked at the shirt factory and the great grandmother is in the picture. The photo shows that the house itself was very near the shoreline as the lake is clearly visible in the background on both sides of the building.
This photo is an overview shot of the area with the red X marking where the ruins are (via bing maps). The estate’s location is at the far east end of the Golden Hill State Park property adjacent to County Line Road.
The second photo of the house shows employees in front of the house’s porch at the outing in 1922. The photo was contributed by Andrew Meier who currently owns the Newell Shirt Factory building.
Information contained in a booklet about the estate written by Town of Somerset Historian Lorraine Wayner indicates that the house was constructed in the 1850s by Aaron Drake. Several other owners followed over the years including Newell.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 17 May 2015 at 12:00 am
This image shows the storefront of F. H. Lattin & Company in Chicago, Ill. Although this is not an image of a building in Orleans County, Frank Haak Lattin of Gaines operated this store as one of several specializing in the sale of natural specimens, instruments and supplies.
Graduating from the Albion High School in 1882, Lattin would spend several years teaching in Gaines. Lattin recognized the rich geological nature of the Orleans County region and collected a number of specimens from neighboring sandstone and limestone quarries.
In his earliest years as a collector he focused his attention strictly on birds’ eggs and started a publication called the “Oologist” in 1884. That collection of eggs became so extensive that it occupied two warehouses and at one time pieces of the collection were placed on exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago.
By the time of his retirement in 1896, he was regarded as one of the most well known dealers of his kind in the United States. He would later attend the University of Buffalo, graduating from the medical department in 1899.
Lattin also became a well-respected fruit grower throughout New York State with over 200 acres of land dedicated to the growing of pears, cherries, peaches, plums and apples in both Orleans and Oswego counties.
At the time of this photograph, Lattin was heavily engaged in the wholesale and retail business, selling specimens, instruments, supplies and publications for the naturalist. The careful eye can catch a glimpse of the variety of specimens within the storefront.
In the window to the left is the nose extension of a sawfish. In the window to the right you can see an alligator lying across the length of the window and the mounted head of a red fox. Frank Lattin is standing on the left.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 May 2015 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Walter Jakubowski of Albion is pictured with some of the photographs he has featured in an exhibit about the Pratt Opera House and the restorative efforts from 2013 to 2015.
ALBION – One photo from 10 years ago shows former Congressman John LaFalce and former Albion Mayor Ed Salvatore in the Pratt Opera House. The floor is covered in pigeon droppings and pigeon carcasses.
More recent photos show the same stage in the Pratt Opera House cleaned, sanded and refinished.
Walter Jakubowski, an Albion photographer, has been taking photos in the Pratt since 2013. He documented some of the restorative efforts by Michael Bonafede and his wife Judith Koehler.
About 20 of those photos will be on display in an exhibit opening Saturday at Salih Studio at 24 East Bank St. There will be an opening reception from 2 to 5 p.m. The exhibit runs until June 20, and will be open from 2 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays.
One of Jakubowski’s photos shows a ticket from a performance at the Pratt Theatre.
The exhibit also includes old seating charts and some historic photos of the Pratt, where construction on the third floor building started in 1890.
The opera house seated 400 and hosted numerous plays, theater events and other live performances. By World War II, the opera house was largely dormant and its chairs removed so the steel could be salvaged during the scrap metal drives.
The opera house would spend about 70 years pretty much out of the public eye. The site was falling in disrepair when Bonafede and Koehler purchased it in 2005.
The couple was on the tour with LaFalce and Salvatore. The former mayor asked the Bonafede family to take on the project, seeing a restored opera house as a major draw for Albion.
The family has done extensive work on the opera house and the entire building. The opera house has more work to be done. It doesn’t yet have a certificate of occupancy.
Jakubowski has many photos of the interior of the Pratt following an extensive cleanup effort and restorative work.
The first and second floors on the building on North Main Street are home to 11 tenants, up from two when the Bonafede family acquired the property.
“We feel like we’ve salvaged the building,” Michael Bonafede said today. “We didn’t achieve our dreams but we’re ready for someone to take it to the next level.”
Bonafede and Koehler said they would consider an offer for the property from “someone with the right vision.”
Jakubowski wanted to document the efforts by Bonafede and Koehler, and also highlight an important building in Albion’s history.
“People used to have rocking times up there,” he said. “It’s part of the cultural history of the area.”
Jakubowski said generations of people have been driving by the building without seeing or appreciating the opera house. He wanted them to get a glimpse of the grandeur.
“I think a lot of people aren’t aware of what’s up there,” he said today while hanging his photos at Salih Studio. “It’s tucked up on the third floor and people don’t see it or think about it.”
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 9 May 2015 at 12:00 am
GAINES – On June 1, 1980 the Cobblestone Society formally dedicated the newly relocated Farmer’s Hall situated on Route 98 just south of Route 104.
The occasion was marked by a farmers’ parade from Gaines to Childs, which ended at Tillman’s Village Inn. Following the dedication ceremony in front of the Hall, attendees enjoyed a little fun and fellowship at the museum.
This picture shows Charlie and Jean Shervin “cuttin’ the rug” at the festivities following the dedication. The photo was taken in front of Radzinski’s H&A located where Crosby’s gas station currently sits.
The brick building in the background was part of the brick house that now serves as the Cobblestone Museum’s resource center. This portion of the building and the old liquor store attached to the front of the house were both removed after the museum purchased the building in 1998.
In its 55th year, the Cobblestone Museum will open this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., a fantastic opportunity to tour seven historic buildings, including the Farmer’s Hall, which celebrates its 160th birthday this year!
File photo by Tom Rivers – The Farmer’s Hall (the yellow building) is pictured with other historic buildings – the harness and print shops – this past February.
