The Cobblestone Museum and Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum are joining forces in a first-time event involving the community.

On Sept. 19, the two museums are sponsoring a Museum Odyssey Scavenger Hunt from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The idea for this collaboration was one of Chris Manaseri’s. He is president of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum board.

“He approached Doug (Farley) and me to propose we try to co-host an event to coincide with International Museum Day on May 18 or Smithsonian Day on Sept. 17,” said Sue Bonafini, assistant director of the Cobblestone Museum Society and Museum. “Neither date fell on a Saturday, the best day of the week for both of our museums to attract visitors of all ages. “

They chose Sept. 19 for their joint venture, and keeping with the practice of other events, there will be no admission fee at either museum that day. However, donations of any amount will be gladly received.

Manaseri suggested the event include the name “Odyssey,” because of all the hype associated with the movie released this summer, and because of the definition of the word itself, Bonafini said.

Participants in the Scavenger Hunt tours will need to travel to the two museums to pick up their paperwork of scavenger hunt questions.  They may begin at either location, and participation is by donation only.

After picking up their paperwork, participants will embark on a journey to learn the answers to questions, which must be correct to be eligible for a prize drawing at the end of the event. Four winners will receive prizes – two winners drawn from each museum. All participants will receive a free gift at the Cobblestone Museum, simply by choosing to take part in the special Scavenger Hunt Tour event.

Winners will be contacted by phone if they are not present when the drawings take place, Bonafini said.

All visitors who tour the Cobblestone Museum will receive a free coloring book with illustrations suitable for children or adults. Standard campus tours will be offered at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. as usual. Special tours of the National Historic Landmark cobblestone building will be offered each hour throughout the day.

A docent will be on duty at the Lighthouse Museum for tours throughout the event.

Anyone wishing more information may call (585) 589-9013 or visit the Cobblestone’s event page at CobblestoneMuseum.org.

Cobblestone mason, infant child, social butterfly and prominent residents featured

Photos by Tom Rivers

GAINES – Gaines Town Historian Adrienne Kirby leads a tour on Sunday evening of the Otter Creek Cemetery. Her husband Justin holds an umbrella during a rainy evening.

The tour was part of a Sunday evening cemetery tour during the month of August. The Orleans County Historical Association plans the tours. The final one will be this Sunday at Mount Albion Cemetery led by retired County Historian Bill Lattin (Adrienne Kirby’s father) and Village of Albion Historian Susan Starkweather Miller.

Adrienne Kirby is shown by the rave of Alma Lovewelll, the first woman to serve as president of the Otter Creek Cemetery Association in 1909. She helped grow the cemetery’s resources for upkeep and maintenance.

The cemetery is also known as the Anderson Cemetery. It was managed by the Anderson family until it was sold to the newly formed Otter Creek Cemetery Association in 1888. The cemetery is 3.17 acres and has about 850 graves. The Town of Gaines now is the caretaker of the cemetery, which is just east of Allens Bridge Road on the south side of Route 104.

The Anderson site is on top of a mausoleum, which was dug into the side of a ravine. There are 12 slots.

John Anderson is a Revolutionary soldier buried in the Gaines cemetery behind the Congregational Church. He has 12 children, and 11 moved to Gaines in the 1810s and 1820s. Matthew and his brother Alva sold lots for the cemetery.

These clasped hands are on a monument for Henry and Elizabeth Callard, who raised three sons who were laborers.

Bill Lattin holds casket handles that were taken from a casket by “grave robbers” – wood chunks. Former Gaines Highway Superintendent Ron Mannella found these handles about 25 years ago while doing maintenance at the cemetery.

Adrienne Kirby, next to her son Graham Kirby, highlights Mary Bennett who was an active person featured in the social columns of the Lyndonville Enterprise.

Mary Bennett died at age 28 in November 1918. Her cause of death is unknown, but Kirby said it may have been from the influenza pandemic of 1918, where there were over 2,000 documented cases in Orleans County between October and December 1918.

The tour also highlighted the following:

• Cyrus Witheral, a local stone mason, who built cobblestone houses in a herring bone pattern, including several in the 1840s and 1850s along Ridge Road in Gaines.
• Joseph and Nellie Vagg, who lived in Vagg House at corner of routes 98 and 104. Mr. Vagg was the last working blacksmith on Ridge Road. His shop was donated to the Cobblestone Museum. His wife was very active in the Women’s Temperance Union, the Grange, Red Cross and the Congregational Church.
• Issac Saunders, who was born in Rhode Island and came to Gaines in 1838 at age 43. He had a striking cobblestone home built just west of Otter Creek Cemetery in the 1840s.
• Peleg Saunders, Isaac’s father, was a Revolutionary War solider in the Rhode Island militia. He had a farm in the town of Sweden and was taking provisions to American soldiers in the War of 1812 when he died in Fort Erie, Canada, on Oct. 28, 1814.
• S. Seymour Phelps, whose grave includes a logo for Woodman of the World, a life insurance society that is still in business. The group picked a symbol that was inspired by pioneer woodsmen clearing away the forest to provide for their families. This life insurance society wanted to clear away problems of financial security for its members, Kirby said.
• Dr. Isaac Cochran who lived in Knowlesville and was a doctor, surgeon and farmer.
• Colonel Ball, who served with the Canadian forces in 1914, moved to Gaines with his wife Sylvia in 1937. Mrs. Ball was a columnist for many years for the Albion Advertiser and a member of the International Press Association.
• Johnnie Hill, an infant who died at 7 months, and his mother Laura, who died a few days after giving birth. Their lives are noted on a zinc monument.
• Charles E. House, who served as a soldier in the Civil War in Company L of the 2^nd Regiment of Mounted Rifles. They were part of the Overlord Campaign in the spring of 1864 under General Ulysses S. Grant, tasked with disrupting Confederate supply lines that summer in Virginia. House would die in late November 1864 when the regiment headed north towards the Weldon Railroad before the Hickford Raid.

Keynote address will discuss Liberty Poles and origin of the one at museum

Photo by Tom Rivers: Doug Farley, director of the Cobblestone Museum, speaks on July 6, 2025 during the annual patriotic service held near the Fourth of July in the Cobblestone Church.

CHILDS – A special America 250 celebration is scheduled at 11 a.m. Sunday at the National Historic Landmark Cobblestone Church on Route 104.

A festive program of patriotic songs, readings, and much more, themed to highlight the nation’s semi-quincentennial, has been planned, according to Cobblestone Museum Director Doug Farley.

Bill Lattin, former Cobblestone Museum director and county historian, will provide a keynote address explaining the historic significance of Liberty Poles, and how the Museum’s Liberty Pole was dedicated on the museum campus.

Assistant director Sue Bonafini and summer intern Casey Starkweather will provide information about the four signers of the Declaration of Independence from New York state. They will answer questions, such as “How and why did they decide to sign the document? What led them to that decision? What were the ramifications of their actions?”

For answers to these questions, and more, Farley urges everyone to join them on Sunday.

In addition, summer intern Collin Capurso will be offering selected readings from Thomas Payne and other patriots. Of course, guests will be asked to join in singing several historic melodies that will add to the occasion.

Following the patriotic program, a picnic lunch is planned on the side lawn. Guests are encouraged to bring a potluck dish to pass. Hotdogs and beverages will be provided.

This is a free, public program, however, donations are gladly accepted.

File photo: Ed Shorey of Albion has been a frequent vendor at the Cobblestone Museum’s annual flea market. He sells fishing lures, which have been popular with the crowd. This year’s event takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 20.

CHILDS – The Cobblestone Museum’s annual flea market is scheduled this year from 9 .m. to 3 p.m. June 20 at the Cobblestone Church. Ample parking is available on the grounds of the Thompson-Kast Visitors Center across the street from the 1834 cobblestone church.

Vendors will be set up on the lawn around the church and nearby Ward House, according to Sue Bonafini, assistant museum director.

Small businesses, groups, organizations and individuals are still welcome to request a vendor’s application.

“We’re expecting sellers with household and holiday goods, collectibles, antiques, jewelry, a variety of merchandise hand-crafted from deer antlers, garden art, diamond art, wood and yarn crafts, baby items, workshop items, glassware, clothing and loads of books,” Bonafini said.

The Cobblestone’s Used Book Building has received two significant donations of books from an estate sale and an adult literacy organization. These items will be placed on display during the flea market for bibliophiles, bookworms or casual readers to purchase. There are titles from a wide array of genres, fiction and nonfiction, Bonafini said.

Many books are available for young readers, and Christmas books can be found in the Holiday Shoppe, which Bonafini said it bursting with Christmas-themed merchandise at highly affordable prices.

Collectors of Santas, angels or snowman and Dept. 56 Snowbabies are encouraged to stop and check out the selection. They will also find replacement lights, wrapping paper, holiday cards, ornaments and holiday décor of all kinds. Tabletop trees, Christmas mugs, holiday pillows, stockings and stocking stuffers are in good supply, Bonafini said. Merchandise is either brand new or gently used and all donated by members and friends of the Museum.

Also, assorted merchandise will be sold at White Elephant tables to benefit the Cobblestone Museum.

A food tent will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or sold out, featuring Red Osier beef-on-weck with choice of roll, potato salad, baked beans and a pickle. A meal is $12 pre-sale or $14 that day.

Special docent-led tours will be available by donation during the Flea Market at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

The Museum’s Holiday Shoppe and Gift Shop are open during regular Museum hours throughout the open season, which is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Holiday-themed donations are accepted throughout the year from local citizens.

To reserve a beef-on-weck meal, request a vendor’s application or donate goods to the Holiday Shoppe or White Elephant sale, call (585) 589-9013.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Chris Capurso, left, and Mollie Radzinski show the audience a quilt being auctioned off during the live auction at Wednesday’s Membership Fundraising Dinner to benefit the Cobblestone Society. (Right) Doris Antinore of Albion, a regular supporter of the Cobblestone Museum, sits with some of the items she bought and won at the annual membership dinner Wednesday at Carlton Recreation Hall.

CARLTON – The eighth annual Membership Fundraising Dinner to benefit the Cobblestone Society and Museum was a resounding success, according to director Doug Farley.

“As people understand our goal, this gets better every year,” Farley said. “We had close to 100 people who donated items for our auctions and raffle. This fundraiser helps keep our operation going.”

Approximately 100 people attended the event Wednesday night at the Carlton Recreation Hall.

Larry Albanese filled in as auctioneer in the absence of Randy Bower, who was unable to attend. This was Albanese’s  first attempt at auctioneering, he said.

The evening featured an early bird raffle for prizes for those who purchased their tickets on or before March 31, a money tree raffle, split club, basket raffle, live auction and silent auction. Early bird winners were Kathleen Smith, Larry Albanese, Marcia Graczyk, Ann Czajkowski and Gene Graczyk.

Donated prizes included everything from handcrafted jewelry, a quilt made by Brenda Radzinski and lunch for 10 at the Vagg House, to a new grill, smart TV and 30-gallon ceramic crock.

Gail Johnson has been chair of the fundraising dinner for all eight years.

“Even though the Membership Dinner is a fundraiser, I like to think that our members get together primarily to socialize and have a good time,” Johnson said. “This year our event netted $30,821. This is due to a large part to our sustaining members – Bronze ($250), Silver ($500), Gold ($1,000) and Diamond ($2,500).”

(Left) Doug Farley, director of the Cobblestone Society and Museum, welcomes the crowd to the annual Membership Fundraising Dinner Wednesday at Carlton Recreation Hall. At rear, Larry Albanese, who filled in as auctioneer, chats with guest Delbert Young of Medina. (Right) Chris Capurso sits in an antique rocking chair, which was donated for the Cobblestone Society’s annual fundraising dinner Wednesday at Carlton Recreation Hall. She is demonstrating how ladies could sit and knit or crochet without any arms in the way.

Photo courtesy of Cobblestone Museum: The Cobblestone Museum will present a virtual Zoom event about Depression Era glass April 9. Here, a table is set with Depression Era glass for a luncheon at the Vagg House. The blue pieces are Moderntone Cobalt Depression glass. The Zoom program will begin at 7 p.m.

GAINES – The latest Zoom event by the Cobblestone Museum will be on Depression Era glass, presented by members of the Depression Glass Club of Greater Rochester.

At 7 p.m. April 9, Kathy McCarney and Mary Czech, with assistance from Patti Drumright, will provide information on the history of glass made during the Depression Era, including popular patterns, the variety of items found in a typical Depression Era kitchen, how to spot reproductions and the relevance of this this collectible glass today.

McCarney and Czech have each been a member of the Depression Glass Club of Rochester for more than 30 years. McCarney holds the position of vice president and Czech is recording secretary.

“Kathy is nationally known for her knowledge of glass and as being one of the founding members and administrators of the Elegant and Everyday Glass Gallery,” said Sue Bonafini, assistant director of the Cobblestone Museum. “Mary belongs to multiple glass company organizations and loves the hunt for glass.”

The location of the Vagg house at the corner of routes 98 and 104 dates back to 1818. Joseph and his wife Nellie moved there in 1909. Joseph was a blacksmith who later repaired farm machinery. His shop closed in 1956.

After Joseph’s death in 1956, Nellie bequeathed the blacksmith shop and his tools to the Cobblestone Society to preserve as a museum in his memory.  Years later, the Vagg house and its contents were acquired by the Cobblestone Society and Museum, who purchased the property after the death of owner Rene’ Schasel in 2019.

In the kitchen cupboards was a collection of Depression glass in pink and cobalt blue Moderntone. American Pattern Glass and pink Depression glass were available in the early 1930s.

For information and reservations for the April 9 Zoom event, go to www.CobblestoneMuseum.org to book online or call (585) 589-9013. A Zoom link will be sent to all participants.

Admission is a sliding scale donation starting at $5.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Sara Flansburg, owner of Blissett’s Bridal in Medina, is shown with wedding dresses last March during the debut Bridal Show at Fairhaven Inn. Fairhaven will host another bridal show on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Blissett’s will be offering a live runway show on Saturday.

GAINES – It was just over a year ago when Fairhaven Inn opened at the former Village Inn on Route 104 in Gaines. The venue debuted with a bridal show.

Fairhaven on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. will again be offering a bridal show with many local vendors at 14369 Ridge Rd W.

Provided photo: Jenna Bauer of BlueViola Creations paints on canvas and captures moments from the wedding. She will be among the vendors at the bridal show on Saturday.

“The Fairhaven Bridal Show is designed to give couples a true feel for what their wedding day could look like here while also connecting them with trusted local vendors who are offering exclusive, event-only promotions,” said Katie Stiegler, marketing director for Fairhaven and a wedding photographer. “It’s a really unique opportunity to plan, get inspired, and make meaningful progress all in one place.”

Couples will be able to make vendor connections, receive exclusive discounts, and realize a clearer vision for their wedding day along with the chance to secure their venue and key services early in the planning process, Stiegler said. Many of the vendors attending are offering a day of discounts. Admission is free. Click here for a link to RSVP.

“We wanted this to feel more like an experience than a traditional bridal show from the live runway to the giveaways and vendor interactions,” she said. “It’s about helping couples feel confident and excited about their next steps.”

Some of the vendors at the bridal show include:

• Lumenopia Photography by Katie Stiegler
• Blissett’s Bridal with Sara Flansburg
• Jenna Bauer of BlueViola Creations (live painting)
• Wild Flour Bakery (cakes and desserts)
• Capture That Photo Camper – DJ & Trevor Pettigrew
• Chase Entertainment (DJ services)
• Underhill Graphic Design with Stephanie Underhill (designed wedding paper goods)
• The Wed Shed with Julie Hess
• Tavern on the Ridge with Chad and Julia Pike
• Creekside Floral
• Nin Bogue Art
• Side Stage Events
• Blazing Beauty Aesthetics (Permanent Bracelets)
• The Creative Studio
• KREWE Bridal by HLW

Photos by Tom Rivers: The water from Proctor Brook is brown and moving fast this morning by the Cobblestone Museum along Route 98 in Gaines.

A flood watch continues today until 8 p.m. for Orleans and many Western New York counties. That flood watch started on Tuesday morning.

Heavy rainfall throughout Tuesday resulted in many flooded basements in Orleans County, and water pushing past the banks of creeks and streams.

“Heavy rain yesterday produced widespread 1 to 2 inch rainfall amounts, with localized amounts of over 3 inches where thunderstorms repeated over the same areas, said the National Weather Service in Buffalo. “The heavy rain has ended, but water will remain high in low-lying areas, creeks, and rivers today.”

In Western New York, the flood watch continues in Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Erie, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

“Most smaller creeks and low-lying areas will see improving conditions today as high water drains,” the Weather Service said. “Larger rivers and creeks will continue to run high today.”

These photos were taken at 7:35 a.m. today at the Cobblestone Museum.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Doug Farley, director of the Cobblestone Museum, speaks on July 6, 2025 during the annual patriotic service held near the Fourth of July in the Cobblestone Church.

BUFFALO – The Cobblestone Museum and Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council have both been approved for $13,500 grants from the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo.

The money comes through the 2025 Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Arts & Culture Initiative awards, which total over $421,000 to support 46 small to mid-sized arts organizations.

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Arts & Culture Initiative was established at the Community Foundation to support arts and culture in the eight counties of Western New York, plus Monroe County, in recognition of the key role arts and culture organizations play in a thriving economy.

The grants are in two categories:

Category 1 – Combined Capacity-Building and General Operating Funds for organizations with at least one full-time staff member to help organizations build the solid foundation necessary to pursue an ambitious mission and vision.

Grantees include:

• Alfred Box of Books Library – $13,500
• Beau Fleuve Music & Arts – $14,500
• Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology – $13,500
• Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art – $13,500
• Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, Inc. – $13,500
• Center for Exploratory and Perceptual Arts, Inc. – $13,500
• The Cobblestone Society – $13,500
• Community Canvases – $13,500
• Cordelia A. Greene Library – $13,500
• Danceability, Inc. – $13,500
• El Museo Francisco Oller Y Diego Rivera – $13,500
• Fenton Historical Society of Jamestown, New York – $13,500
• The Fountain Arts Center, Inc. – $13,500
• Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council – $13,500
• Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater, Ltd. – $13,500
• Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center – $13,500
• IndicatorArt Corporation – $13,500
• KORP Foundation Inc. – $14,500
• Lewiston Council on the Arts Inc – $13,500
• Locust Street Neighborhood Art Classes, Inc. – $13,500
• North Park Theatre of Buffalo, Inc. – $13,500
• Pappy Martin Legacy Jazz Collective – $13,500
• Shake on the Lake – $13,500
• Sukanya Burman Dance Inc. – $13,500
• The Theatre of Youth Company, Inc. – $18,515
• West Falls Center for the Arts – $13,500
• Western New York Minority Media Professionals Inc – $13,500

Category 2: General Operating Micro Grants up to $2,500 for organizations with less than one full-time staff member to execute immediate programming.

Grantees include:

• Arts Services Inc. – $5,000 (for two separate projects)
• Aurora Players – $2,500
• Batavia Players – $2,500
• Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus – $2,500
• Buffalo Heritage Carousel – $2,500
• Chautauqua Youth Symphony – $2,500
• Community Canvases – $2,500
• El Museo Francisco Oller Y Diego Rivera – $2,500
• Genesee Symphony Orchestra – $2,500
• Harmonia Chamber Singers, Inc. – $2,500
• LMCimpact Inc. – $2,500
• Minerva Free Library – $2,500
• Polish Arts Club of Buffalo – $2,500
• Sotto Voce Inc. – $2,500
• Starring Buffalo – $2,500
• Tonawandas’ Council on the Arts/Carnegie Art Center – $2,500
• Ukrainian Congress Committee of America – Buffalo, NY Branch – $2,500
• Vocalis Chamber Choir – $2,500
• WAHI Studio, Inc. – $2,500

Provided photo: Baltimore Album Quilts, such as this example here, will be the topic of a virtual lecture at 7 p.m. Wednesday to benefit the Cobblestone Society and Museum.

CHILDS – The Cobblestone Society and Museum will host its first fundraising event of 2026 on Wednesday. A virtual lecture will be presented at 7 p.m. on the topic of Baltimore Album Quilts, by quilt historian and collector Deborah “Debby” Cooney of Maryland, one of today’s leading experts on these historical quilts.

She and Ronda McAllen published “Baltimore Album Quilts: New Research,” in the journal of the American Quilt Study Group in 2017, in addition to other articles and essays, according to Sue Bonafini, assistant director of the Cobblestone Museum.

Cooney’s talk is titled “Baltimore Album Quilts: Their History and Major Styles.” Cooney shares that Baltimore Album Quilts, produced largely between 1842 and 1862, are among the most elaborate and accomplished examples of American quilt making.

Her presentation will explain the context of their development and the various design styles, largely in floral applique, that emerged from Baltimore’s talented needlewomen and its religious groups. Many images of the genre’s lavish creations will be discussed.

Registrations for the virtual lecture will be accepted at the Museum’s event’s page at Cobblestonemuseum.org or click here for more information.

Donations are accepted in exchange for the Zoom link to attend the program. Donors may choose their level of support on a sliding scale basis, beginning at just $5. Donations of $25 or greater allow individuals or businesses to claim the title of sponsor or support of the program. Town & Country Quilt Shop in Albion and Country Treasures Quilt Shop in Brockport are current sponsors of this event, as well as a few anonymous donors who offered additional financial support.

The Cobblestone Society owns a small collection of antique quilts and 19th century coverlets in their textiles collection. An exhibit of more than 20 coverlets is currently displayed at the Museum’s Thompson-Kast Visitors Center.

A full color catalog details each coverlet, used as a reference guide or for purchase by donation. Interested individuals can call (585) 589-9013 for an appointment to view this exhibit or for more information regarding Wednesday’s virtual lecture.