ALBION – This picture taken in the 1890s shows Shourds Brothers Icehouse at the end of East Park Street in Albion.
Here we see a crew harvesting natural ice off the old mill pond which was just south of East State Street.
The man in front is standing behind an ice plow used in marking out the pond in cakes which were then sawed with ice cutting saws as seen to his right.
Once cut, it was packed with sawdust in the icehouse and sold to homeowners in warm weather for their ice boxes.
ALBION – Christmas shoppers are seen here on Main Street in Albion in the 1920s. The Citizens Bank is decorated with garland, which shows in the upper right corner.
Note the winter fashions of the two women in our picture.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 December 2013 at 12:00 am
ALBION – For nearly 30 years Charles W. Howard ran a Santa Claus school in Albion, teaching the art of playing Santa and establishing standards for dress and conduct.
Howard was also a popular Santa, playing the role in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade from 1948 to 1965. Howard played the part at many local functions as well, including his Christmas Park that was part of the school. Every year he had his friend Bill Coville of Waterport take a picture of him in the red suit.
The photo above is believed to be among the last known photos of Howard dressed as Santa Claus. It was taken during the holiday season in 1965. Howard died in May 1966 at age 69.
The photo was obtained by Frank Zicari of Albion, a Charles Howard enthusiast.
“Growing up, everybody knew that Santa Claus lived in Albion just outside of town,” Zicari said.
Howard’s school was near the corner of Phipps Road and Route 31. It was a big attraction in Albion, drawing lots of out-of-towners. The school has since moved to Midland, Mich. It still bears Howard’s name.
Zicari has collected many artifacts from the school’s days in Albion. Many of them are displayed in the Erie Canal Schoolhouse Bed and Breakfast in Albion, the former St. Mary’s Catholic School on Brown Street.
Zicari also shared this photo of Howard in a signature pose as Santa.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 December 2013 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – Hoag Library in Albion in April honored three local historians for leading programs at the library for many years. The group includes, from left, Gaines historian Dee Robinson, Albion historian Neil Johnson and Bill Lattin, the Orleans County historian.
ALBION – Just when it looked like Hoag Library would have to shelve its local history lecture series due to budget constraints, donors have stepped forward in the past day to keep two local historians as regularly scheduled speakers at the library.
An anonymous donor has committed to paying Dee Robinson, the Gaines town historian, to prepare 10 lectures as part of a “Tea with Dee” series the first Tuesdays each month at noon.
Robinson, a reference librarian at Hoag, is a past president of a state association of historians. She often speaks about trail-blazing women in the community from more than a century ago. That includes Jennie Curtis of Albion, the first woman spy for the Union during the Civil War.
Robinson has researched women who worked as lawyers, doctors and nurses in the community in the 1800s. She has compiled many of those stories in a book, “Historical Amnesia,” about women’s role in local history.
The donor will cover the $650 expense for 10 presentations. Robinson and Neil Johnson, who also gives 10 lectures about local history each year, take the summers off when the library is busy with a summer reading program.
Johnson, the Albion village historian since 1982, will stay on the library schedule thanks to Debbie and Scott Dragon who are sponsors of Johnson’s “Take a Bite Out Of History” talks for 2014.
Johnson gives his talks on the third Wednesday of each month from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m., except in July and August.
Both Johnson and Robinson have developed a loyal following in recent years with the history discussions. The two historians, along with County Historian Bill Lattin, were honored by the library in April for leading many programs over the years.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 December 2013 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – Village Historian Neil Johnson gives a talk on Nov. 20 about the iron fireman that once was on top of the Hose Fire Company in Albion for three years before a Rochester Fire Company took it in 1890. Several fire companies stole the Iron Fireman from each other before it found a permanent home in Honeoye Falls.
ALBION – Village Historian Neil Johnson will continue to give local history talks at the Hoag Library after a donor stepped up to fund the program.
The library planned to cut Johnson from the programming budget after 2013 due to budget constraints. Debbie and Scott Dragon agreed to sponsor Johnson’s “Take a Bite Out Of History” talks for 2014.
Johnson gives 10 of the talks a year on the third Wednesday of each month from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. He takes July and August off.
Johnson has given the talks for the past seven years and he draws a loyal following.
Johnson, an archaeologist with a doctoral degree, has been the village historian for about 30 years. He is paid $65 for each presentation at the library.
ALBION – This picture was taken around 1890 and shows the F.W. Butler jewelry store on Main Street in Albion.
This was located in the third store up from the four corners in the Royce Block at the southeast corner.
Arthur D. Bliss and Fred W. Butler are standing in the doorway. Note the advertising including the wooden pedestal sign made to look like a watch. The hands were painted at 8:20 to commemorate the time when Lincoln was shot.
Spectacles are also seen here to advertise eyeglasses. Watches, clocks and plated silverware fill the display window.
MEDINA – The BL & R trolley system was under construction when this picture was taken in 1908.
Looking south on Main Street in Medina tracks are being laid around the corner to Main Street from East Center Street. People on West Center Street did not want the trolley going by their homes. Hence the line turned at this corner and ran on to Commercial Street out to Salt Works Road, rather than a straight line through Medina.
The Buffalo, Lockport and Rochester trolley system ceased operation in April 1931.
MORTON – The “Chicago Limited” crashed into a string of freight cars on a siding at Morton on Sept. 12, 1912. A switch had been left open on the main track, which caused the derailment.
The fireman was pinned under the engine and scalded to death. None of the passengers were seriously injured although some suffered minor cuts.
Our photo shows the coal car off its carriage and one of the derailed passenger cars. The train was going 50 miles an hour, traveling west when the accident occurred.
The wreckage hit the Murphy Cold Storage, shown here, causing some damage to the building.
It was estimated the accident cost the railroad more than $100,000. This line through Orleans County was known as the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad or “Hojack.”
ALBION – Staff and board members of the Arnold Gregory Memorial Hospital in Albion look over a new bed around 1960.
Pictured, from left: Dr. John Ellis, board member Sidney Eddy, hospital administrator Helen Yerger, board president Edward Archbald, board member Robert Babbitt and nurse Mrs. Douglas Hayes.
CARLTON – Our photo posted here, which has recently come to light, was taken in 1888 from the top of the lighthouse at the Oak Orchard Harbor.
The building to the left was known as The Orleans House. The white building behind the trees is now the Black North Inn. Next to it is a mobile photographer’s wagon which advertises on its side, “Photography Car.”
This was a studio on wheels that would have been pulled around by a team of horses. The other buildings near it were part of the Selheimer & Beckwith lumber and coal business.
To the right we see the west pier where the lighthouse was located. A raised walkway for people leads to the lighthouse. It is perhaps John Kelley, the lighthouse keeper who is standing on the pier.
Note the number of iron cleats for boats to tie up. To the very far right in the distance is the lighthouse keeper’s house. This later became the Archbald residence.
The U.S. government gave up maintaining the lighthouse in 1904. The lighthouse was toppled in a wind storm in 1916.
