Volume 1, Issue 36

MEDINA – On July 4, 1817, New York State embarked on a crusade to complete the greatest feat in the history of modern engineering; a 363-mile ditch from Albany to Buffalo aimed at connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Great Lakes.

Eight years later this expansive project was completed and welcomed a vast number of packet boats and mule teams to its tow path. Improvements focused on repairing leaks and widening the canal began almost immediately in order to accommodate the flood of shipping traffic.

It was in 1903 that New York State authorized the redevelopment and massive expansion project that would turn the Erie Canal into the “Barge Canal.” Starting in 1905, this massive undertaking required 13 years to complete and cost New York taxpayers nearly $100 million.

The 82 locks located along the miles of canal prism covering 565 feet worth of elevation shifts represented an outstanding accomplishment for State engineers, but the expansive projects undertaken as part of Contract Number 65 in the western section of Orleans County was one that could easily rival any prior achievements.

This image, taken on April 26, 1915 from the Laurel Hill Bridge, shows the Medina Canal Terminal looking west towards downtown. In the foreground, the newly completed aqueduct and retaining walls stand as a testament to the hard work of both man and machinery. One of the more noticeable landmarks, the White Hotel, stands in the background to the right.

This portion of the 1905-1918 expansion was completed in 1914-1915 and represented 76 percent of the total project covered in Contract No. 65. A 1.5 cubic yard Hains mixer with a 300 cubic yard gravel bin mixed the concrete, which was then transported by one of three steam locomotives to sites as far west as Glenwood Avenue.

Nine guy derricks were used to pour the concrete into wooden frames and set in layers to prevent the weight of the mixture from collapsing the framework. This system was responsible for pouring the nearly 57,000 cubic yards of second grade concrete and more than 1,600 cubic yards of reinforced concrete used to build the retaining walls, waste weir, and aqueduct.

More impressive is the fact that all of this concrete was set during the off-season to prevent any disruptions to traffic. This meant that special precautions were put in place to ensure the mixture did not freeze while setting. Paired with the inability to block or divert the Oak Orchard Creek during the construction of the aqueduct, this span of the Canal would have proven quite difficult to complete. New York State spent a total of $776,670 to complete the work that year, mostly between the Prospect Street and Laurel Hill Bridges (now Bank Street).

The Orleans County Department of History has nearly 500 photographs of the Erie Canal in Orleans County taken between 1913 and 1930 showing various aspects of the contracts. Approximately 100 of these can be seen at www.orleanscountyhistorian.org/erie-canal and more will become available in the coming weeks.

MEDINA – Taken in early 1912, this image shows the construction of the new Monitor Clock Works factory in Medina. At that time the business was located on Rock Avenue, which was later renamed to Glenwood Avenue. The company began advertising their plans to construct this new 30,000-square-foot facility in early December of 1911.

The history of the Monitor Clock Works dates back to Daniel Azro Ashley Buck, a native of Vermont who spent time as a jeweler and watchmaker in Massachusetts, then in Connecticut. It was in this area that he patented the long spring Waterbury Watch in the 1880s. Buck became well known for manufacturing small, mechanical items and received numerous patents during the 1880s and 1890s.

Buck received patents for watch parts, portable clocks, musical toys, kaleidoscopes, coin operating vending machines, and even an 1887 camera. It was the completion of the world’s smallest steam engine that earned him greater notoriety; a 150 piece engine that was built atop a gold coin. After his arrival in Medina, he became the president of the Medina Manufacturing Company, a position he held until his death on April 6, 1904.

In that year, the company became The Monitor Company and began the production of clocks and engaged in the made-to-order woodworking business. It was in 1907 that the company transitioned into the Monitor Clock Works. It is cited that the failure of the National Bank in Medina indirectly led to the eventual sale of the company to B. A. Chubbuck.

It was in October of 1913 that the Daily Journal published an article stating, “the goblins have secured one of our factories, for the Monitor Clock Works has decided to move its entire plant to Brockport” Chubbuck, along with Brockport native Frank LeVan, decided to move the company to Brockport with plans to expand their operations.

It was during this time that the company continued to engage in the manufacture of mantel and tall clocks in the Mission style for sale in Chicago and New York City, as well as through mail-order catalogs.

So it was only a short period of time after constructing this new building, located in the vicinity of the A. L. Swett Iron Works that the company removed to Brockport, effectively becoming the Brockport Clock Works. On December 18, 1913, the Brockport Republic so proudly boasted, “we consider the recent removal of the Monitor Clock Works to this place as one of our most fortunate acquisitions”

Unfortunately for the company, talk of bankruptcy began to surface as early as 1916 as Syracuse companies began to call in unpaid loans. The company involuntarily filed for bankruptcy in 1918.

This building, still in construction, was later used as a storehouse by the Swett Iron Works. In 1914 it was deemed a dangerous fire hazard and relocated 100 feet south of this location.

MEDINA – Clarendon can stake her claim to Joseph Glidden, a one-time resident of the town who is credited with perfecting barbed wire – made quite a bit of money from it, too! Medina can stake her claim to Orrin J. Wyman, a man who set out to build a better farm gate.

Pictured on the far right is Orrin Wyman standing alongside his patented “O.K. Farm Gate.” Filing the patent on July 17, 1911, the patent was provided nearly five months later on Dec. 12, 1911. This patent states that Wyman’s “novel” farm gate was newly designed and was “bracedto prevent sagging of the outer or free end of the gate.”

This was not Wyman’s first patent, nor his first attempt to redesign the all-important device essential for farms throughout Orleans County and the United States. Orrin received his first patent on Feb. 20, 1906, when he and several other men perfected a “Barrel-heading Press;” yet another important implement for our region.

This device was used to evenly press the head of a barrel down, holding it in place while the head was secured. A rather simple gadget but one designed to make shipping fruits easier and more convenient.

After this, Wyman spent the next five years perfecting his farm gate design, receiving patents in 1907 and 1908 before creating a system that prevented lateral farm gates from catching on “snow, garbage, or other obstructions” located along the ground. This patent was granted on April 6, 1909 and paved the way for the O.K. Farm Gate seen in this image.

Orrin Wyman died on October 14, 1913 in Shelby having little time to amass any potential wealth from his invention. I would suspect that such an invention would have proved useful to Orrin’s brother-in-law, Dr. Robert Flowers, who established himself as a veterinarian in Denison, Texas.

By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian

ALBION – This image shows Mrs. Jennie McGuire Leonard standing in front of her millinery located on North Main Street in Albion. The beautiful building constructed of brick was designed in the Federal style, often referred to as the Classical Revival style.

This type of architecture pre-dates the Greek Revival style that is often seen throughout Orleans County and structures of this type would have appeared as late as 1840.

Prior to serving as a place of business for Mrs. Leonard, the building acted as the law office of the Hon. Gideon Hard. Born April 29, 1797 to Philo Hard and Currence Hawley, Gideon was one of 15 children who descended from prominent lineage in Arlington, VT. Although his maternal great uncle, Seth Warner, was a respected captain with the Green Mountain Boys during the American Revolution, his father’s family were hardened Loyalists.

Attending Union College in Schenectady, Hard graduated in 1822 and immediately began the study of law. After his admittance to the bar in 1825 he traveled to Orleans County where he would establish himself as an attorney prior to moving his wife to the area the following year.

Although lost within our local history books, Gideon Hard should be regarded as one of our more notable founders. Hard became Orleans County Treasurer in 1827 and was said to have motioned to change the name of the village from Newport to Albion.

It was in 1833 that Hard was elected to the United States House of Representative for the 23rd Congress running on the Anti-Masonic ticket and serving as the 1st representative from the newly established 33rd District. He was again elected to the 24th Congress, this time running on the Anti-Jackson ticket.

Hard’s days as a politician were far from over and within five years of ending his career as a U.S. Representative, he was elected to the New York Senate, the last from the 1st District Class 3. After his term concluded in 1847 he was appointed to the position of Canal Appraiser in 1849 and later served as First Judge and Surrogate for Orleans County.

The late 1850s proved difficult for the Hard family. Gideon suffered from personal illness, making his engagement in political and community fairs extremely difficult.

Around 1861, Gideon’s wife Adeline became gravely ill and suffered for nearly three years before she passed. Her illness and subsequent death caused great grief within the family and Gideon was destined to live out the remainder of his life with his children and later his sister before his own passing on April 27, 1885 at Albion.