Medina Historical Society to start year with popular ‘Show and Tell’ program
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Erica Wanecski of Medina, a history buff and avid volunteer, holds a child’s shoe a local resident found in his barn. She plans to show it at the January meeting of the Medina Historical Society, which annually is “Show and Tell” night. The meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m. Monday at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.
MEDINA – The January meeting of the Medina Historical Society is one which always creates a lot of interest.
The first meeting of each new year is “Show and Tell.”
“People always bring the most interesting things,” said Georgia Thomas, a board member of the Historical Society. “You never know what you’re going to see.”
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. on Monday at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, and the public is invited to attend.
Erica Wanecski is also a member and is going to show an old child’s shoe which a Medina man found in his father’s barn. When a friend heard about the find, she was alarmed and said if he found it in the wall, it should be returned there immediately. She said it was a well-known superstition that people hid things in the walls for good luck, and if they were removed, it would bring bad luck.
Orleans County Historian Catherine Cooper said she had never heard of the superstition, but wasn’t surprised there was one.
She said people believed in all kinds of superstitions, such as it was bad luck to remove something from an Indian site or a burial site.
Hub contributor Ginny Kropf decided to do some research online and found, indeed, hiding shoes in a wall was a superstition dating back to the 1500s in the United Kingdom. She will share the story at Monday’s meeting.
Thomas said she is looking forward to the meeting to see what people bring. In the past, she recalls when Dave Schwert brought in a medical kit belonging to his father, who was a doctor. Another man who hunts with a muzzle loader has talked about his experiences on several occasions. Others have brought in memorabilia from when Fisher-Price was in town, and before that, H.J. Heinz Co.
“We’ve seen old kitchen utensils, button hooks, blacksmithing tools, postcards and old clothing,” Thomas said. “Craig Lacy once brought in an old map. It was all very interesting to think people used these things in yesteryear, and today nobody knows what they are.”
The Historical Society is closed during the winter months. They meet the last Monday of every month, except June, July and August. Special arrangements can be made to visit the museum by calling Thomas at (585) 798-3429.
Thomas suggested people log on to the Historical Society’s website to read their quarterly newsletter, The Bugle. Dave Miller is editor and anyone can contribute interesting facts about Medina. Thomas said there is a lot of interesting information about the canal, as it gets ready to celebrate its 200th anniversary next year.
Historical Society president Reinhard Rogowski invites anyone who is not a member to consider joining the museum. Dues are $15 for an individual or $20 for a family.
“It’s very reasonable and it helps us to keep the building open,” he said.