By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 24 October 2015 at 12:00 am
CARLTON – This image shows the old “Two Bridges Hotel” located in Carlton near the Oak Orchard River and Marsh Creek. Residents of the area may recognize this building as it stands today as “Narby’s Superette and Tackle.”
The hotel area of the structure was located on the west end. Two doors are located on the front end of the building, one marked “Bar Room” and the other marked “Hotel Entrance.” A sign outside of the main doorway shows that oysters were being offered in the dining room.
Along the west side of the building, “Two Bridges Hotel” is painted between the windows on the second floor and the name of the hotel is again depicted at the peak of the building on the front side. The two bridges that gave the area its name are shown; the covered bridge spanning the Oak Orchard River and the bridge crossing Marsh Creek.
Located on the east end was the general store and postmaster’s office. Prior to the advent of rural delivery, Carlton’s post office was located at this site. Further to the east was a stable for horses. These two pieces were later removed.
The earliest hotel on this site was a brick structure built prior to 1870. When that building burned, this structure replaced it. The hotel had a long list of proprietors starting with R. R. Tenant in its earliest years and later falling under the ownership of Whaley & Palmer, Wyland & King, George Gunther, George Root, Ashley Blake, Philip Podgers, Charles Conley, and Benjamin Bamber.
The store also had a lengthy list of owners who often doubled as postmaster during their tenure. Benjamin Fowler, who was likely the owner of the store when this photo was taken, and James Waldron were two of the earlier proprietors of the business before Ben Bamber took control.
The hotel was the center of community events during its heyday. Proprietors frequently held parties for New Year’s Eve, Washington’s Birthday, Independence Day, and other patriotic celebrations. The store was one of the few local spots where residents could purchase dry goods and other necessities such as medicines.
In 1937, the area ceased to exist as “Two Bridges” when the name was inadvertently changed to “The Bridges” with the addition of the Rt. 18 span over the Oak Orchard River. I suppose with the removal of the Oak Orchard River Road Bridge, we can once again call the area “Two Bridges.”
Richard “Dick” Heard is pictured in his pilot’s uniform when he enlisted during World War II.
Editor’s Note: Michelle Restivo of Albion is joining her grandfather, Richard “Dick” Heard, on the Honor Flight this weekend from Rochester to Washington, D.C. They leave Saturday morning. Heard, 91, is a life-long Albion resident who lives in his childhood home. Restivo is a kindergarten teacher in Batavia. She will share some of her experiences with the Honor Flight on the Orleans Hub.)
By Michelle Restivo
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
The first time I heard JFK’s quote from his inaugural address I was in a middle school social studies class, too busy making eyes at some cute boy across the room to really understand its significance. Admittedly, I’ve never really thought about the quote since. Until today.
This morning, as I scurried around my house making preparations for what is sure to be one of the most impactful weekends of my life, I happened to glance out the dining room window and see this:
A few years ago my husband (who is much cuter than that boy in social studies class, by the way) installed this light/flagpole in our yard. I’m not an overly outward patriotic person, but I’ve enjoyed the aesthetic touch it has added to our home.
Today, when I saw this familiar view, I decided to stop and give it more than just my usual fleeting look. Seeing the flag today, really looking at it, I immediately thought of, “what you can do for your country”. Specifically, what my grandpa, Richard (Dick) Heard, had done for my country. Because tomorrow, I’m accompanying him on Misson 45 of the Rochester Honor Flight for Veterans.
If you’ve never heard of the Honor Flight Organization, here is a brief overview. There are hubs of HFO in many cities throughout the country, and their goal is to fly every US veteran to Washington DC, to tour “their” memorials. After a simple application process, vets are assigned a fly date and a guardian for the trip.
Guardians are volunteers within the organization, or family members of the traveling Veteran. There is paperwork to fill out and a couple of phone interviews for medical and service history. Flight and tour arrangements are made by the organization, and an action packed itinerary is provided.
All of this is free of charge to the vet. Guardians pay a nominal fee to attend. Most, if not all, members of the HFO are volunteers and many are US veterans themselves. The trip appears to run like a well-oiled machine, right down to a welcome home party when arriving back at the originating airport.
I learned about HFO one day a couple of years ago, when I was gleefully shopping at Greece Ridge Mall. There was a table set up with veterans passing out hats to their military brothers and sisters. I wandered over to see if I could make a donation in my grandpa’s honor, and take a hat to him. Being that he is a connoisseur of hats and a US veteran, I knew he would just love this one.
The men behind the table wouldn’t accept my donation, and said they were there that day to spread awareness of the Honor Flight Organization. So, in addition to the snazzy hat, I also left with a brochure about HFO, but didn’t really think much of it. My grandpa has always downplayed his time in the service, so I didn’t really think he would be interested in the program. Downplayed his service?! I know, it’s ludicrous.
But whenever I or my kids have asked him about it, he has poo-pooed it, saying he never left the States. He further says that he didn’t endure what so many other guys did overseas, and that they are the real heroes.
Richard Heard, 91, heads to Washington, D.C. this weekend on the Honor Flight.
Grandpa Dick enlisted in the service in December of 1942, during WWII. He entered pilot training and completed flight school. However, by the time he finished, there were no open spots left for pilots. He was moved to radar mechanic and attended radio school. In February of 1943, he was called to active service from reserve status. He was stationed in no less than six states throughout his time serving, sometimes returning to a state more than once.
Grandpa tells stories of freezing in Oklahoma, and of “blowing off time” after night shifts in Boca Raton, Florida. When troops were sent over to Europe to replace those who had been fighting for some time, Grandpa had acquired too much time enlisted and therefore was not allowed to be deployed. Instead, they sent him back to Texas to be a B29 mechanic. Grandpa returned home from his service in February, 1946.
We’ve just recently convinced my grandpa that his time in the service, albeit stateside, was honorable. He’s started using the VA for his medical needs, among other things.
Last February, I decided maybe I could bring up the idea to him about applying for a spot on an Honor Flight. I still had that brochure from the mall and I looked up additional information online. I was so thrilled when Grandpa expressed interest and even agreed to apply. And now, tomorrow, his time has come!
I asked Grandpa if he’d ever been to Washington, DC before, and he says he was there once, just passing through. I am so excited to be able to travel with him and see his reaction to the many military memorials in our nation’s capital. I’m especially stoked to visit the World War II memorial with him – the memorial that was erected in his honor. I’m sure it will incite feelings and create memories like no other I’ve ever experienced.
I’ve recently discovered that I have a similar sense of awe and wonder for the elderly, as I do for young children. Perhaps in another life, I would have been a social worker for seniors, instead of the kindergarten teacher I am today. I’m looking forward to spending the weekend with so many people from an older generation.
Joining us on the Honor Flight are 53 other US veterans, including 13 other WWII veterans, and one amazing vet who served in WWII, the Korean War and Vietnam. I can’t wait to hear my grandpa share stories of the “old days” with these men and women.
I know I might hear some war stories mixed in as well, and that scares me a little. I can’t imagine life during wartime. I’m afraid I might hear of people who didn’t return home from the war. Of people who went missing, were imprisoned, were injured or lost their lives. I’m afraid I’ll be forced to face the fact that I have taken for granted that flag that flies in my yard, by seeing these people who served to protect that flag and our country; all that it was and would be.
My grandpa spent almost 4 years away from his family, putting his life on hold, during a tumultuous time in history. He didn’t ask what his country could do for him; he asked what he could do for his country.
What can I do for my country? What can my kids do? Tomorrow, I can pay tribute to and honor those who fought for my freedom. I can actually thank some of them, in person. My kids can take time and learn about the history of our great country, really learn about it, not just sit through a social studies class or two, barely conscious.
They can seek out older generations to talk to about their experiences during different times in their lives, and gain an understanding of what it means to have the freedom that they do today, as American citizens.
I now know what I can do for my country, and it may not seem like much. But it’s something, and a start. The view outside of my dining room window is the same every day, but after tomorrow, it will mean something completely different. For that and so much more, I’m thankful.
For more information about HFO, click here. The public is invited to attend the Welcome Home Celebration for Honor Flight Mission 45 on Sunday, Oct. 25 at the Greater Rochester International Airport.
Southwest Flight #2840 arrives at approximately 11:20 a.m. The celebration emcee is Adam Chodak, WROC-TV 8 news anchor, and the keynote speaker is Brian Mitchell, Commander, Monroe County American Legion. Color guard is the ROTC Cadets, and music will be provided by Prime Time Brass. The Patriot Guard Riders will also be in attendance.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Two people were out walking today at Mount Albion Cemetery. Many of the leaves have changed colors and come down, but there is still a lot of green on the trees.
The leaves on the trees by the Civil War section have turned yellow, orange and red. It is a moving sight, with the flags on the graves of the Civil War soldiers.
Here is another look at the Civil War section, backed up a little bit to show the flag pole.
Mount Albion is on the National Register of Historic Places. It has many ornamental graves and statues.
This is looking at the same statue, this time with the focus on the leaves in front.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 18 October 2015 at 12:00 am
ALBION – This image likely taken in the 1890s shows the horse-drawn bus that was responsible for transporting patrons of the Orleans House around Albion. Most commonly the bus was used to carry passengers from the railroad station at Clinton Street to the hotel on East Bank Street.
After the turn of the century, the proprietor of the Orleans House experimented with the method of transportation by offering rides to Point Breeze during the day. The image was probably taken in the vicinity of Platt and East Bank Streets and depicts a time in Albion’s history when dirt streets were the norm.
The Orleans House was a popular meeting space for many prominent groups in Orleans County including the Orleans County Bar Association, which adopted their bylaws and constitution at the site on September 13, 1877. The 151st New York Infantry and the 17th New York Light Independent Artillery frequently held reunions at the hotel.
The drivers of this bus seem to have experienced a number of misfortunes, as a quick scan of the local papers reveals a team of horses that were frequently skittish.
On one such occasion on March 15, 1895 while passing over the canal, the horses were frightened by a steam shovel causing the team to “take off,” damaging the carriage. On a similar occasion, a frightened team pulled the bus into the canal.
A closer look at the bus reveals a decorative paint job and two oil lanterns centered at the front of the carriage for driving at night. An animal-skin blanket is draped over the seat, likely to make the hard, bumpy ride a little more comfortable.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
GAINES – Al Capurso is pictured with a new historical marker that was unveiled today by the former one-room schoolhouse on Gaines Basin Road, just north of the Erie Canal. The schoolhouse was built in 1832 and is one of the oldest cobblestone buildings in the area.
It has been largely abandoned since decentralization in 1944. The marker also notes that Caroline Phipps taught at the school. She went on to be a distinguished educator and ran the Phipps Union Seminary in Albion from 1837 to 1875. That spot later became the County Clerks Building.
A swing is pictured next to the former schoolhouse.
The restoration project has been backed by the Orleans County Historical Association and includes a new roof on the building and new windows, as well as the historical marker.
Here is how the building looked last winter.
Here is how the historical site looks today.
Gary Kent led the efforts to trim some of the branches that were hanging across the building. Those branches needed to be removed for the roof work, which was completed by Young Enterprises. Mike Tower fixed the rafters.
Bill Lattin worked on the window sashes, Bob Albanese helped clean up the grounds, and many volunteers pitched in to remove junk from inside the building.
Bob Barrett of Clarendon restored the teacher’s desk and chair that remained inside the school. He even reconstructed the drawers in the desk.
Capurso, who is now the Gaines town historian, would like the site to become a meeting house and museum.
He said that Gaines once had 12 one-room schoolhouses. They were roughly located 1.5 miles apart to make access easier by the students in attendance.
The windows used to be boarded up, but now plenty of light can get inside the old schoolhouse.
Next year, Capurso said he would like to see work on the ceiling, walls and floor. He is pleased with the progress so far, and thanked the community for its support.
Today’s program included remarks from Capurso; Bill Lattin, who is retired as county historian; Matt Ballard, the current county historian; Dee Robinson, former Gaines town historian for more than 30 years; Town Supervisor Carol Culhane; and Ted Swiercznski, who attended the school and has been active in local politics for several decades. Another former student of the school, Angelina Daniels, also attended today’s celebration.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – A small sign on a tree in a ditch in Holley notes that this was part of the original Erie Canal loop that meandered to the Public Square area of Holley.
The state veered the canal from a relatively straight line in 1823 due to the high banks and engineering challenge in dealing with Sandy Creek.
This map in the Holley Post Office shows how the Erie Canal used to loop about 2,000 feet towards the Public Square.
There was an unusually deep ravine formed by the east branch of Sandy Creek, which presented a difficult engineering problem for builders of the original Erie Canal in the early 1820s, according to display on the north side of the canal by the Holley lift bridge. The State Canal Corp. put up that display about “The Holley Loop.”
This historical marker is next to the railroad depot used by the Murray-Holley Historical Society near Save-A-Lot. The original canal went near the depot and Public Square and some stone and remnants are still visible in the community.
Rather than try to build the canal on the ravine, engineers opted to take a sharp turn near the current lift bridge and cross over a relatively narrow section of the creek.
“The sharp curve required boaters to slow down, which made a promising location for canal-oriented businesses,” according to the state display. “The Village of Holley grew at this bend in the canal.”
The village created a canal park about 15 years ago and the path follows close to where the canal loop passed through nearly 200 years ago.
The canal was widened throughout the 363-mile-long system from 1905 to 1918 and much of the original canal was replaced by the wider and deeper canal.
But in Holley, some of the original remained because it wasn’t touched as part of the Barge Canal widening in the early 1900s.
Another map, this one displayed in the office of Dr. Dan Schiavone, shows the Holley Loop. It linked back to the canal just west of Bennetts Corners Road.
The state in 1854-61, decided the original loop needed to be straightened out in Holley to create a shorter, more navigable waterway. A new section of the canal was built over a very high and long embankment.
“Because state law did not allow canal sections to be abandoned in villages or cities, the old loop was still used for several decades to serve local businesses,” according to the state display about the Holley Loop. “Canal traffic no longer stopped in the village, however, and eventually the loop was drained and eliminated. Traces of the original canal can still be seen east of the Public Square.”
This culvert from the old canal can be seen from Route 31, a few houses east of Glenside Automotive.
I wrote about trying to find the original canal in Holley last week while on a nature walk on the Holley trail system off the canal.
I couldn’t find any signs pointing to the old canal, and wasn’t sure if I was seeing any remnants from the original canal.
Three people offered to show it to me on Tuesday. I was joined by Holley dentist Dan Schiavone, Erin Anheier from the Clarendon Historical Society, and Mark Scarborough, who lives on Bennetts Corners Road where the former trolley passed by his home until the trolly closed in the 1930s.
This trail runs from off Route 31, west of Bennetts Corners Road to the canal. The canal once ran along side this path. However, Mark Scarborough said this was a companion to the original canal, which is more to the left with lots of stone and other remnants from the original.
Scarborough says invasive plants, including Wild Rose, have proliferated in the old canal bed.
Holley’s trail system doesn’t have any wayfinding signs that would point to the original canal. The only sign is the small one nailed to a tree.
So, I wonder if the old canal bed is a big deal, or maybe a really big deal? Should it be cleared out and perhaps made into a walking trail that could be explored? Would people come check out the only original canal bed west of Rochester on the canal system?
I would encourage the village and canal to at least have signs pointing to the canal bed, and interpretive panels that talk about the “Holley Loop” and this bit of Holley and canal history. There could be interpretive panels on the trail near the canal and also in the Public Square. That wouldn’t cost too much. (The state information display is on the north side of the canal away from the gazebo and the canal park. I doubt many people look at it.)
The village created this trail system in 2000 and used sandstone to line one side. The stone isn’t from the original canal project, but the path follows close to the Holley Loop.
Holley named the canal trail in honor of Andrew Cuomo, who was the HUD secretary at the time and directed some federal funds to the village for the project.
The historical marker is close to the start of the trail.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
Here is how the sign looked about two years ago.
GAINES – A historical marker on Ridge Road, next to the Gaines Carlton Community Church, honors pioneer settler Elizabeth Gilbert.
The marker had flaked off paint and was getting hard to read to motorists on Route 104.
Late last month the sign, with a fresh coat of paint, was reinstalled. Melissa Ierlan, president of the Clarendon Historical Society, has been repainting many historical markers in the county. She had help from Matt Ballard, the county historian, with the Gilbert marker.
There is a creek near this sign that last year was officially named “Gilbert Creek” in honor of Gilbert.
Early settlers liked to build log cabins close to a source of water. Mrs. Elizabeth Gilbert and her family chose the north side of Ridge Road, building their home where there was a rise in the land.
The cabin is long gone, but a historical marker notes the pioneering efforts from Mrs. Gilbert, one of the first settlers on the Ridge between Monroe and Niagara counties. Her husband died in 1808, leaving her to raise the children, and tame the nearby wilderness.
Local resident Al Capurso worked on the effort to name “Gilbert Creek” for more than a year, researching the issue and lining up the needed government support.
The creek begins from feeder sources south of Route 104 near Brown Road. It then marries Proctor Brook in Carlton, and then flows into the Oak Orchard River.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – This gravesite marker for a Civil War veteran at Mount Albion recently had the rust scraped off and was given a fresh protective coat of black paint as part of a service-learning project by Albion seventh-graders.
Here is how the same marker looked late last month, before the restoration efforts. Students are also cataloging locations for the markers from the Grand Army of the Republic.
Students have other Civil War initiatives planned for the school year. They are going to research the names of every Orleans County resident who died in the Civil War and compare that with the 463 names carved in marble slabs inside the tower at Mount Albion Cemetery.
Provided photos
Albion Middle School seventh-grade service learning student Bailey Blanchard points to another “Blanchard” inside the tower at Mt. Albion Cemetery. The students are cataloging the names of soldiers who died during the war. To date there is no master list.
The tower includes marble slabs with the names of 463 residents who were killed during the Civil War. However, the memorial may not have included every local resident who perished in the war, said Tim Archer, teacher of the service learning class.
Bryne Dysard, an Albion seventh-grader, kneels next to the Herbert Charles Taylor grave at Hillside Cemetery in Clarendon. Taylor is the only known Orleans County soldier to fight and die at the battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. Dysard and her service learning classmates have been studying Orleans County Civil War soldiers and are trying to secure a historical marker for him.
SUNY Brockport archivist Charles Cowling spent a morning at Drake Library at the college teaching Albion Middle School service-learning students about the importance of primary source documentation.
The students are in the middle of a large project researching Orleans County Civil War veterans. Their research has already uncovered many interesting facts about our local heroes and includes work at several area cemeteries. The documentation is important as the students write applications for a historical marker grant and a headstone for an unmarked grave from the Veterans Administration.
By Matthew Ballard, Orleans County Historian Posted 10 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Dr. Henry Dwight Bliss was later stricken by tuberculosis
HOLLEY – Born June 27, 1854 and a Kendall native, Henry Dwight Bliss was the son of Edwin and Mary Seymour Bliss. Receiving his earliest education from the one-room schoolhouses of Kendall, Henry moved to Holley as a young man where his father was to take over as manager of Luther Gordon’s newly constructed lumber and coal yard.
Bliss grew up around the construction and lumber business so it was only natural that he would attend the Rochester Business School after assisting his father with accounting and bookkeeping duties at the yard. Henry decided quickly that the merchant business wasn’t for him and he left the business school in Rochester after one year.
Bliss redirected his focus towards bigger and better things, starting in 1876 when he enrolled at Cornell University. Three years later, he transferred to the University of Rochester where he graduated in 1880.
Shortly after, Bliss enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania’s Medical Department earning his M.D. in 1883. Immediately after his graduation from Pennsylvania, he removed to Brooklyn where he served as resident physician at St. John’s Hospital in that vicinity. After a year of service at that institution, Dr. Bliss opened his own private practice at 1568 Fulton Street, Brooklyn.
From the eulogies delivered by fellow physicians following his death, they all spoke of Dr. Bliss’s dedication to research as an informed physician, his gentlemanly character, and the lucrative practice he built up while living in Brooklyn.
The life of Dr. Bliss was plagued by ill health for a large portion of his time spent outside of Orleans County. In 1891 he was forced to take a leave of absence from his practice in the hopes of restoring his failing health. Attempting to travel to Europe aboard the S.S. Dubbeldam, stormy seas wrecked the ship, requiring the crew to dock at Plymouth. Severe seasickness landed Dr. Bliss in the hospital, forcing him to recuperate in the U.S.
As the story was told, he had contracted tuberculosis from a patient and was never able to fully regain his health. After attempting numerous times to regain his strength and physical wellbeing, he was forced to sell his practice in 1898 and returned to the home of his parents in Holley.
After a short stay in an area sanitarium with little to show for his efforts, Dr. Bliss returned to Holley to live out the last days of his life surrounded by family. He died on April 12, 1900 at the age of 46, leaving a widow and three young children.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2015 at 12:00 am
Urger proves popular with fourth-graders
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – The historic Urger, a tugboat from 1901, was in Holley on Tuesday as part of its state-wide educational mission. The tugboat was a working vessel on the canal, hauling machinery, dredges and scows on the canal system for 60 years until the boat was retired from services in the 1980s.
The boat was built in 1901 in Ferrysburg, Michigan, and was a commercial shipping vessel in Michigan before joining the canal fleet in the 1920s.
In 1991, the Urger got new life as a “Teaching Tug.” It visits canal communities from early May until late October, educating children and adults about the canal system, which opened in 1825.
Fourth-graders from School No. 2 in Rochester visit the boat on Tuesday morning. Holley students stopped by in the afternoon before Urger headed to Brockport.
The Rochester students used to tour the Mary Jemison boat until it retired two years ago.
When the lift bridge went up in Holley, the cameras and Smart Phones came out to capture the sights and sounds of the century-old bridge.
A modern boat passes by Urger and the lift bridge, heading east towards Brockport on Tuesday.
Students were welcome to tour the boat and see a small kitchen, a bathroom and the sleeping quarters for the crew.
A crew of four lives on the boat from early May until late October, sharing New York State history with a focus on the how the canal, completed in 1825, turned NY into an economic powerhouse for business, and breathing life into many small towns along the canal.
“They learn how important the canal was to New York State, and how important it could be,” said Mike Byrnes, a deckhand on the Urger.
He lives in Waterford near Albany and has spent 13 seasons on Urger.
“The fourth-graders are a lot of fun,” he said.
The Urger captain sounded the horn on top of the boat. It has a light sound, like a whistle, and a deeper signal. The fourth-graders enjoyed the loud, low noise the most.
There isn’t much in the way of fancy technology at the helm of the boat. The captain uses a wheel and bell that rings in the engine room.
The Urger is 75 feet long and weighs 83.7 tons. The engine weighs 19.5 tons. It is a 1944 Atlas Imperial engine that was surplus from World War II. It replaced a steam engine.
The Urger is shown in this photo looking under the lift bridge in Holley.
Mike Pelletier, the engineer on the boat, is in his second season with Urger. The Newark resident said it has been eye-opening serving on the vessel and seeing the canal communities.
He gave Holley high marks for developing a nice park with amenities by the canal for boaters, and also for lots of signage pointing them to businesses and other services nearby.
“This has been a very educational adventure,” Pelletier said. “There is so much to the canal and not just for boaters. It’s beautiful now for walkers, runners and cyclists (who use the towpath).”
Pelletier said more canal towns should work on signage for boaters, directing them to restaurants, local businesses, libraries and other services. He’d also like to see more displays by the canal about local communities’ histories, giving visitors a historical snapshot about the town or village.
“The towns and villages need to incorporate it more,” he said. “Before I had this job I was as guilty as anyone of taking the canal for granted.
The Urger will be in Brockport the next few days before heading to Spencerport on Oct. 13. Click here to see the schedule and a contact number for local schools to get on the Urger agenda for 2016. The Urger crew urged local schools to arrange tours for next year.
