By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian

MEDINA – In this 1908 picture we see construction of the Buffalo, Lockport and Rochester trolley tracks in Medina. Here they make the sharp bend around the corner from East Center Street to Main Street.

The building on the corner was destroyed by a fire a number of years ago. This site now serves as a small park. Note the early electric street light suspended on a cable over this intersection. The B.L. & R. trolley system ran from 1908 to 1931 through Orleans County.

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

ALBION – The Sheret Post No. 35 was granted a charter through the American Legion in July 1919. The group’s first post home was located on North Main Street in Albion in the house pictured here.

In 1924, the property was sold to Will Robson who razed the house and built the Rialto Theater on the site. The American Legion then used the second floor rooms in the theater building until the Legion moved to East Park Street.

In 1980 the Legion moved to its present location on South Main Street.

Editor’s note: Community Action is buying the Legion building to be used for the agency’s Main Street Store. The Legion will have use of the bar area for another 18 months.

By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian

ALBION – In this photo circa 1900 we see John H. Howard’s coal yard, which was located on North Clinton Street and the Erie Canal in Albion.

Pictured at left is a hack which would have taken people from the R.R. Depot to various places in town. This taxi service was a sideline business for John Howard.

Another team of horses is hitched to a coal wagon just coming out of the scale house. Coal was delivered to this site from boats plying the canal.

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

ALBION – Women of the Albion school faculty must have had a party when this photo was taken in the early 1930s.

First row, from left: Gladys Pedler (teacher in charge), Carrie Pratt, Hazel Bergerson (wife of superintendent, with dog), Hazel Ganiard (later married to Charles D’Amico), unidentified, Mrs. Charles D’Amico (his first wife).

Second row: first two are unidentified, Adams (history), Irva Wright-Smith (English), Jesse Valnia (Latin), Ida Larwood, Irene Harrigan (American history and French).

Third row: Stevens, Julia McGuire (business office), unidentified, Christine Filkins (math), unidentified, Mary Ellen Trumble (music), Doris Spierdowis (wife of coach), Sadie Britton (math), Doreen Sundell (art).

Back row: Lillian Achilles (librarian), next three are unidentified, Helena Hogan (English).

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

(Editor’s note: Before there was an Orleans County Legislature, the county government was run by the Board of Supervisors. That changed in 1980, when the seven-member Legislature started. With the Board of Supervisors, the town supervisor from each of the 10 towns also served on the county board.)

The Orleans County Board of Supervisors posed for this picture in 1897. Seated, from left: Charles Bridgeman of Kendall; Cassius Hard of Carlton; William Luttenton of Barre; Harvey Jones of Shelby; Dennis Evarts of Clarendon; and Ray Cole, messenger, sitting in front.

Standing left to right: Adelbert Chapman of Gaines; Mahlon Reed of Ridgeway; Fred M. Thompson, clerk; George Rolfe of Yates, William Phipps of Albion and N.L. Cole of Murray.

William Phipps of Albion was elected to the State Assembly and served in 1901-1902.

By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian

MEDINA – In this post card by W.C. Eaton we see the Clark Allis & Son Cold Storage east of Medina. This card is post marked March 24, 1913.

This storage was located at the railroad crossing on the Allis Road, which is a dead-end road off Route 31. In our photo looking northeast, we see a box car on a siding.

By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian

ALBION – In this picture from the late 1940s we see a steam locomotive at the West Academy Street Railroad crossing in Albion.

After this period of time diesel engines replaced steam. To the left we notice an open box car on a siding next to the Woods & Sprague Mill. In the distance is the Albion Cold Storage. (The cold storage building was most recently used by the Orleans Pallet Company and burned in an Oct. 17, 2013 fire.)

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

RIDGEWAY – In this scene from around 1910 we see the Ridge Road where it crosses over Oak Orchard Creek at Oak Orchard on the Ridge.

At lower left is the Culvert Road. Just beyond the steel frame bridge with a plank floor is the old Cobblestone Lee Distillery. That’s the building with a high smoke stack.

Looking westward up the hill is a man driving a horse and buggy towards the bridge. At the top of the hill is the old Cobblestone Inn at the corner of the Oak Orchard River Road. This photo was taken by W.C. Eaton of Jeddo.

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

There are no two ways about it. This is a cute picture taken with that intent. The quality and character of the photo would suggest it was done around 1890.

Arthur Harris, the photographer, lived in Albion around that time. Someone with pen and ink wrote on the back of the picture, “Master Wm. Dawson ‘Two Willies.’” By that we know it is William Dawson in the little sleigh and that the goat was called “Willie” just like “Willie” Dawson.

Note on this cold winter day the little chap is covered up with a fur robe as he holds the reins to the harnessed goat. Notice the outhouse behind the goat in our scene.

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

This four-generation portrait was taken around 1870. From left to right: Robert Anderson, 1787-1873; Nahum Anderson, 1809-1893; George Anderson, 1839-1912; and Robert Anderson, 1864-1955.

Robert, at far left, was the second supervisor of the Town of Gaines and the first Chairman of the Orleans County Board of Supervisors in 1825.

According to family legend, Nahum Anderson was a conductor on the Underground Railroad. They lived in the large cobblestone house on Ridge Road about a quarter mile west of Gaines Basin Road. In 1859, Nahum added the cobblestone wing to the west end of the original house for himself.

The younger Robert moved away and died in Tacoma, Wash. The first Robert fought in the American Revolution and is buried in the graveyard behind the Gaines Congregational Church. He is the great-great-great-grandfather to County Historian Lattin. George Anderson’s sister Phoebe married B.M. Lattin in 1860.

By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian

In this rare photo, taken Sept. 11, 1897, we see a section gang on the “Hojack” railroad. The picture was perhaps taken in Kendall or Carlton, with Charles M. Vincent of Holley front and center.

The woman down the road has probably just brought these men their lunches as we see lunch pails on the handcar. A section gang was a crew of workers that kept the rails and ties in perfect condition at all times. When a train approached, these men had to lift the handcar off the track for the train to pass by.

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

Shown here is Lorenzo M. Burrows (1884-1944) while he was a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.

He graduated from RPI in 1907. This wonderful interior photo shows us what student housing was like at the time. Although the contents are dated, the clutter is much the same today. Banners and advertising are still popular along with an interest in music as we note the mandolin.

Mr. Burrows grew up in Albion and returned to his native home after receiving his degree in civil engineering.

By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian

The Albion Lodge No. 1006, B.P.O. Elks, was organized on Jan. 29, 1906. The organization’s club rooms and lodge were located on the third floor of what is now the Five Star Bank building on Main Street in downtown Albion.

This series of five interior pictures shows the Elks Lodge in 1910. The top photo shows the lodge room.

The Elks Club now meets at 428  West State St., the former recreation hall for the fire department.

The room with the billiards tables

The card room

The mission parlor

The reception room

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

ALBION – All of these men worked at the Albion Vinegar Works when this picture was taken around 1920.

This plant was located off Fruit Street next to the railroad. Note the bins of apples behind the men.

Pictured, front row, from left: J. Crane, unidentified, L. Daniels, L. Noreck, G. Luczak and J. Rice.

Second row: first three are unidentified, then Cuddy, unidentified, J. Rice, Gomanski, and unidentified.

Third row: S. Telga, J. Ciesielski, F. Bloom, P. Bruski and unidentified.

Top row: Marks, Rice, J. Sadowski, unidentified, “Brave” Holliday, unidentified, and man with dog.

By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian

CARLTON – In this winter scene we see the old covered bridge at Two Bridges in Carlton. Our photo was taken in 1885 looking west over Oak Orchard River.

This bridge was replaced around 1910 with one made of structural steel. Currently there is no bridge crossing the river here on Marsh Creek Road. The bridge was removed last year.