By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian
ALBION – In this post card from around 1905 we see the Orleans County Jail and Sheriff’s residence.
Taken from Platt Street, the County Courthouse appears in the righthand background.
Built in 1903, it was a fine example of Medina sandstone construction.
In 1971 it was demolished to make way for the present county jail.
Photo courtesy of Cobblestone Museum – Homer C. Brown used this bat-wing Football Nose Guard, pat. 1891. Brown played football for Albion and his nose guard was donated to the Cobblestone Museum.
By Matt Ballard
Co-director of Cobblestone Museum
CHILDS – Well before “League of Denial” was released, before the NFL acknowledged the severity of concussions and beyond the widespread use of plastic helmets and facemasks, football players relied on leather helmets and homemade equipment for protection.
American football has changed a great deal over the last century and this “Victor Special” bat-wing style nose guard manufactured under Arthur Cumnock’s patent for the “Morrill Nose Mask” (1891) depicts the frightening history of football protection.
Arthur Cumnock cited in his patent that although blows to the face were not permitted in the game, players were allowed to push off of their opponents with considerable force.
Injuries to the nose and mouth were unavoidable during game, which could render a player unusable for a considerable amount of time.
The rubber nose mask was fitted with a strap that went around the head to keep the top portion of the piece in place. A rubber ledge was fitted on the backside for the player to place in his mouth.
The “bat-wing” style mask added extra coverage for the player’s cheeks and chin to prevent any severe injuries to those portions of the face. Holes were drilled into the front to allow for breathing.
The 1898 Albion Football Team pictured with their mascot “Rover.” Several players are depicted with nose masks hanging around their necks, including Billy Rose (center with football) who is wearing a nose mask similar to Cumnock’s 1891 bat-wing model. Pictured, from left, front row: Murray Hardenbook, “Rover” and Guyler Leslie. Second row: Fred Hillspaugh, Pete Galarneau, Billy Rose, Bert Squire, George Sullivan and Bob Clark. Third row: John Wilson, Frank Mason, Eugene Barnum, Clayton Blood and George Wall.
Spaulding featured this protective equipment in their catalogs for a period of time at the cost of 70 cents.
It would take another 60 years for head and face protection to become a serious concern for officials in the NFL.
This piece was not required for football players at any age and the bulky nature of the device caused it to fall to the wayside.
Today, these nose masks are highly sought-after artifacts that open the window into a bygone era.
Created to prevent serious injuries to athletes, it represents the first step towards player safety in a highly physical sport.
The nose mask pictured above was used by Homer Culver Brown while he was a student athlete on the Albion Football Team.
It will be displayed beginning this weekend at the Cobblestone Museum.
For more on the museum, click here.
By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian
ALBION – Sam Watt stands by an open door to his downtown Albion harness shop around 1905.
Windows in the second and third floor are filled with advertising.
In 1923, The Citizens National Bank building was enlarged, thus taking over the space.
Watt’s building was demolished for this expansion.
A corner of the bank shows along the left side of our photo.
Sam Watt later conducted his harness repair work out of a barn behind his home on East Park Street.
Naturally, the automobile put harness makers pretty much out of business.
Yet at the time this picture was taken they were still in great demand.
By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian
SHELBY – In this photo from around 1890, we see the railroad crossing at Salt Works Road in the Town of Shelby.
A horse headed south is about to cross the tracks. The board fence in the background encloses a race track. On the 1875 map this area adjacent to New York Central is denoted as: “Medina Driving Park.” It was a place where horse owners living in the village could take their horses for exercise.
The small building behind the fence appears to be a grandstand for people to watch races. Poles along the tracks support telegraph wires. Some of the men in the picture appear to be inspecting the tracks.
By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian
ALBION – In this picture from the mid-1930s, we see Coffey Brothers Garage and Gas Station on West Bank Street in Albion.
This business was operated by Francis and Edward Coffey for many years. Both appear in the photo, one behind the tank truck and the other behind the gas pumps in the shadows.
This building is currently used by Arnold’s Auto Parts.
By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian
This photo taken in 1982 shows the band, “Something Different.” This group played for parties and weddings, but disbanded in 1988.
Front row, from left: Gary Withey, keyboard and vocal; and Paul Churchfield, bass and vocal.
Back row: Larry Waters, light man; Dave Viterna, guitar and vocal; Tamie Mooney, guitar and vocal; John Wragg, sound man; and Tim Korff, drums.
Note the egg cartons in the background, which were on the walls of John’s studio located on South Main Street in Medina.
By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian
WATERPORT – In June 1958, Mrs. Phoebe Beales sat with her second grade students at the Waterport School for this class picture.
Front row, from left: Jason Jeffords, Sandra Peruzzini, John Jurs, Kathleen Woolston, Susan Peruzzini, Janet Brown, Kenneth Kuhns, and Linda Garrod.
Middle row: Robert Canham, Ronald Gurrslin, Frank Gould, Karen Van Wycke, Michele Nesbitt, Ronald Marek and Graig Milliman.
Back row: Michael Budynski, Lynn Miller, Thomas Taber, Rosemary Pinson, Michael Kuhn, David Thomas, Curtis Beam, Bertha Walker, Sue Batt, John Mack and Lynn Gursslin.
By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian
ALBION – These three daring high school students posed for this picture on the ledge of the Albion High School in 1915.
Up at the second floor level, the person who took the photo had to be standing on the school’s marquee.
This gray sandstone building, facing East Academy Street, was built in 1906 and later became the Albion Grammar School. The students in the picture are Cary Lattin, Millie House and Alan Burritt.
Leave it to high school kids!
By Bill Lattin, Orleans County Historian
In 1940, my parents took a road trip to Texas to visit my mother’s aunt and uncle. On the way there they took this picture where gas was selling for 9 cents a gallon.
I believe there was a “gas war” under way in that vicinity as we can see another service station in the distance.
At any rate they thought it was very cheap at the time, hence the picture was taken as proof.
Photo from the Cobblestone Society Collection – Dr. George Jesse Lund in a photo taken at Medina
Photo courtesy of the Cobblestone Society Collection – Mrs. Lina Davis LeValley Lund, wife of Dr. George Jesse Lund
By Matthew Ballard
Co-director of Cobblestone Society Museum
George Jesse Lund was born July 8, 1859 in Genesee County’s township of Alabama. The son of Franklyn Lund and Martha Webster, George boasted a rich lineage dating back to Colonial Connecticut Governor, John Webster.
Lund attended Medina’s High School and received additional education at the prestigious Cary Seminary in Oakfield. Receiving his MD from Rush Medical College in Chicago, Ill. on Feb. 21, 1882, Dr. Lund returned to Genesee County where he began practicing medicine. Shortly after returning to Western New York, Dr. Lund removed to Medina where he purchased the “Alcorn House,” the first house west of the Hart House Hotel.
Although his stay in Medina was short, Dr. Lund became a well-respected man whom many Medina citizens relied on for medical assistance. A particular story the Medina Daily Register and Journal recalled one of the many unusual cases that Dr. Lund responded to on a regular basis.
In 1894, Henry Palmer of Ridgeway visited a local restaurant where he engaged in eating raw oysters. On this particular occasion, Palmer swallowed part of a broken oyster shell that became lodged in his throat. Restaurant patrons assisted Palmer in attempting to dislodge the piece from his esophagus but were unsuccessful. He was quickly transported to the office of Dr. Lund, who after several hours of labor, was successful in forcibly coaxing the shell fragment from Mr. Palmer.
In another peculiar instance, Dr. Lund was traveling along Main Street in Medina when the wheel of his two-wheeled gig fell of, discharging him from the carriage. He managed to not only land on his feet but catch and stop the horse as well.
Photo courtesy of Matthew Ballard – Dr. George Jesse Lund in a photo taken at Mt. Wilson, Calif.
In 1895 Dr. Lund moved his family to California where he purchased a lot and built his home at 1227 Maryland Street in Los Angeles. Receiving his certificate from the California Board of Medical Examiners on March 3, 1896, Dr. Lund made quick work of establishing his presence in Southern California.
We find George Lund’s name amongst the list of faculty at The College of Physicians and Surgeons of the University of Southern California (now known as The Keck School of Medicine). One of the earlier members of the faculty, Dr. Lund was the Associate Professor of Otology, Laryngology, and Rhinology (Ear, Throat, and Nose). His office was located in 414-417 of the Auditorium Building on campus.
Dr. Lund and his family were members of the Orleans County Association of Los Angeles, a society of displaced Orleans County residents who had relocated to Los Angeles. He was also a member of the Orleans County Medical Association and served as Genesee County Coroner before traveling to California.
Following in his steps, Dr. Lund’s only son, LeValley Lund, became a physician after graduating from the University of South California in 1916. After graduation, “LeVal” enlisted with the Naval Medical Corps as a Junior Grade Lieutenant/Assistant Surgeon on Nov. 17, 1917. Reenlisting on Dec. 1, 1919 he was given the rank of Lieutenant in the Medical Corps. Dr. LeVal Lund focused his studies in the same area as his father and it is likely that he received his education at the University of South California while taking classes under his father.
The Lund family is still prominently associated with the Los Angeles area. LeValley’s son, LeValley Lund, Jr. became a civil engineer focusing his studies on earthquake related construction methods.
Editor’s Note: The Cobblestone Museum will kick off a lecture series today at 4 p.m., featuring Dr. Ronald Batt, MD, PhD, of the University at Buffalo’s Medical School. He will discuss the development of medicine in WNY from 1800-1850. The lecture will be at the Cobblestone Universalist Church. For more on the Cobblestone Museum, click here.
