Photos by Tom Rivers

GAINES – Charles Prentice Jr. takes the oath of office this morning in the Gaines Town Hall. He is joined by his wife, Laural, who is holding the Bible.

Orleans County Clerk Nadine Hanlon administered the oath.

Prentice, 57, is a retired state corrections officer and also has worked as a paramedic for 40 years, currently working part-time with the Le Roy Ambulance Service.

Chuck Prentice signs the oath of office in the main meeting room of the Gaines Town Hall. He won a Republican primary last June and then the general election in November. He replaces Bruce Schmidt, who retired from the position.

Prentice completed a 40-hour training last month through the New York State Magistrates Association.

He will preside over town court three times a month, including for the first time on Jan. 12. He also will do arraignments at all hours of the day.

Other town officials starting new terms on Jan. 1 include Tyler Allport as town supervisor, Susan Heard as town clerk, and James Kirby and Kenneth Rush on the Town Board.

By Doug Farley & Bill Lattin – Vol. 2 No. 47

Pictured here is Mr. George Morton Pettit of Maple Ridge Road, Medina, standing next to an ancient mortar.

GAINES – It’s not known for certain, but one can make an educated assumption that the Cobblestone Museum’s oldest artifact might be its “mortar.”

This “mortar” is not the typical lime mortar we discuss when we look at the “glue” that holds cobblestone buildings together.  This 800-year-old “other” mortar is a Native American tool that the museum acquired in 1993.

The story of this Indian relic was first reported by former director Bill Lattin in an article that he penned in 1993 while serving as Orleans County Historian entitled, “Mort’s Mortar.”

Webster’s Dictionary describes a mortar as “a strong vessel in which material is pounded or rubbed with a pestle.

In 1993, Mr. George Morton Pettit gave this artifact to the Cobblestone Museum at Childs, N.Y. He also related this known history about how it had been passed down in his family.

The Pettits, that is, Henry who was George’s great-grandfather, bought their farm in the Town of Shelby in 1850. George M. Pettit was the fourth generation to grow upon this farm, preceded by his father Clark Pettit and his grandfather also named Clark Pettit.

It seems that Henry Pettit discovered the mortar near a spring in the woods on his farm over a century ago. Being intrigued with this unusual hollowed-out stone, he placed it near the well pump and watering trough in the dooryard.

Mr. Pettit remembers vividly his dog “Shep” of many years ago using this millennial artifact as a water dish! He also recalls when wheat harvest came and they shocked up the bundles they would sometimes find arrowheads on the ground in the general vicinity of where the mortar had been discovered years before. It seems likely that some Native Americans had an encampment in this area several centuries ago.

In due time, Mr. Stanley Vanderlaan (shown above), local archaeologist and an authority on local Indian artifacts and lore, examined the mortar. He indicated that he had never seen one quite like this and indeed, if it was a mortar, thought it rather crude.

However, he felt it possible that it could be as much as 800 years old and probably represents an agrarian culture. Mortars and pestles were used by Indians to grind corn and other grains that they raised.

This mortar, shown above in current setting, appears to be made of limestone and obviously displays some tooling marks around the upper portion. It also sits flat upon the ground and would appear, because of its heavy weight, something which was intended to be more stationary, rather than moveable.

Another interesting connection between this 800-plus year old Indian mortar and the Cobblestone Museum is Mr. Vanderlaan’s assumption that the original pestle for this mortar would most likely have been, none other than, a “cobblestone,” which even then, were abundant in the fields occupied by the Native Peoples.

It goes without saying, that the stone pestle which was originally used is long gone, but the mortar remains as silent testimony to the ancient inhabitants of this area.

‘We will miss you and never forget you.’ – Tillman family

Photo by Tom Rivers: Mark Tillman, front right, will close Tillman’s Village Inn after today. He is pictured with some of his employees today including Kim Achzet (front left), an employee for 33 years. In back from left: Marty Wolfe, manager of Fair Haven Inn, employee for 13 years; David Sharp, employee for 7 years; Victoria Mortensen, general manager and employee for 21 years; Tracey Frasier, employee for 15 years; and Sammy Davis, employee for six years.

GAINES – Today is the last day of business for Tillman’s Village Inn after 70 years of operation by four generations of Tillmans.

Mark Tillman, 66, is retiring. He has been working at the restaurant since he was a young boy, first sorting beer bottles for his father, Bill.

Mark lived upstairs at the Village Inn the first three years of his life, and his parents used the liquor room as his nursery when he was a baby.

Tillman has been full-time at the Village Inn since 1977 after serving three years with the Marine Corps. His daughter Samantha has joined him in recent years at the VI.

Mark said the business is still successful and isn’t a “Covid casualty” like many other restaurants around the state and country, which had to close the inside to customers for months due to Covid restrictions.

Tillman wants to retire while “I still have some spring in my step.” The building is for sale.

Mark said closing the business has been difficult and emotional due to the close relationships with so many customers and his employees.

“We’re nothing without the community,” Tillman said today.

He has followed his father’s example of taking on any job that needed to be done at the restaurant. He strove to offer quality food without making people feel they needed to dress up fancy.

Mark motivated his staff by offering respect, rather than fear.

“It’s how you treat people,” he said.

File photos: Tillman’s Village Inn is the only remaining stagecoach stop on Ridge Road still serving the public with food and lodging. It’s been in near continuous operation since 1824. The Tillmans served about 4 million pounds of prime rib over the years.

Mark wanted to retire about two years ago but wanted to see his employees through the early days of the Covid pandemic, when the community and state faced high unemployment. He believes the employees are in demand now and better able to transition to other jobs. But it’s still hard for him to say good bye to the staff. Two of the current waitresses have been at the VI for more than three decades. June Avino has worked there nearly 38 years and Kim Achzet has been with the Village Inn for 33 years.

Victoria Mortensen, the general manager the past five years, started as a server 21 years ago.

She praised the Tillman family for their trust and confidence in her.

“Knowing the Tillmans has been one of my greatest blessings,” Mortensen said. “To start as a server and work up to general manager, for that I will always be grateful.”

The Village Inn has enduring popularity, she said, by offering quality food at affordable prices.

“It’s a beautiful venue and it’s a great place to work,” Mortensen said. “Everyone gets along. It’s like a family.”

Mark is the third generation to run the business. For many years he worked next to his brother Tom with Mark managing the dining room, the staff and the books while Tom ran the bar and kitchen.

The two have taken out an ad in this weekend’s Pennysaver thanking the community and their employees for all the support over the seven decades.

“There is never a good time to say goodbye to a successful business where many of you, your parents, grandparents and beyond celebrated ‘LIFE,’” the two brothers write in their message. “However, this IS the time, to both say goodbye and thank you. You made the Tillman family and the Village Inn family shine for over 70 years. We will miss you and never forget you.”

The Tillmans bought the Village Inn in 1951 when it was a dilapidated structure at the intersection of routes 98 and 104.

This large dining room showcases the original timber frame construction of the carriage barn with antiques and historic photos. The original inn has been enlarged by incorporating two historic barn structures that previously serviced the horses and carriages of early visitors. The hand-hewn beams were shaped by axes and machetes nearly 200 years ago. Tillman displays many artifacts from the bygone era – saddles, harnesses, food barrels and many historical photos. The restaurant’s liquor license is framed from the early 1900s. In 1905, the license cost $150, a fee payable to the state.

Tom and Mark’s grandfather Sam and their father Bill took on the challenge of running the restaurant 70 years ago. They were from Rochester and recruited their buddies from Kodak to help upgrade the building.

The Tillmans built a thriving business often serving 600 to 700 people a night, a destination restaurant known for prime rib. Many wedding receptions, banquet parties, first dates and funeral receptions have been held at the Village Inn.

Mark Tillman said he feels honored the site was a venue for such important gatherings in so many peoples’ lives.

He also praised Norbert Hausner, a Rochester architect, who helped design renovations and expansions at the Village Inn, bringing the family’s vision to reality. The family never wanted a sterile party house atmosphere. It wanted the building to honor its historical roots as a stage coach stop on the Ridge.

“In 1951, our parents and grandparents traveled from their homes in Rochester, to a small farming hamlet in the center of Orleans County to chase a dream,” Mark and Tom write in their thank you message to the community. “You – our customers and staff – made that dream a reality in helping establish a WNY institution in hospitality.”

Provided photo: Cobblestone Society Membership Secretary Gail Johnson receives the 2021 Volunteer of the Year Award from Sue Bonafini, assistant director of the Cobblestone Museum.

GAINES – The Cobblestone Museum has recognized two dedicated supporters for their service to the museum, which is a National Historic Landmark in Gaines.

Toni Plummer, a member of the Board of trustees, was presented with the Proctor Award, which is given annually to someone who goes above and beyond to assist the museum in an extraordinary manner.

Plummer was praised for embracing the museum’s role “to educate as well as entertain.” She arranged for visits by boards members to see other museums and how they’ve navigated issues that are relevant to the Cobblestone Museum’s future goals and growth.

Her idea of hosting future Ladies Luncheons at the Vagg House led to a successful trial run this past fall, with help from some fellow trustees, said Sue Bonafini, the museum’s assistant director.

Plummer also was a key organizer in the Christmas Tour of Homes, a pre-Covid holiday favorite, Bonafini said.

Plummer also led the Marketing Committee and updated the museum’s gift shop to include products from many regional vendors. She also served on the Nominating, Personnel and Strategic Planning Committees in the past year, as well as the Executive Committee.

Gail Johnson was named “Volunteer of the Year.” She serves as membership secretary and on the executive board.

“She works tirelessly behind-the-scenes as head of the Membership Dinner Committee to complete necessary work for the event’s success,” Bonafini said. “She interacts with businesses and private donors to secure auction items. Each component of the evening, including registration tickets, bid slips and more, meets her vision for this important fundraiser and most often touches her hands before it reaches yours.”

Johnson in recent years has spent hours preparing envelopes for all bulk mailing projects. She has become the “go-to volunteer” when an individual is needed to sell or collect tickets at events, Bonafini said.

She also serves on the Strategic Planning and Welcome Center Committees, and has been critical in securing support for the Welcome Center. That project has $575,000 committed to the $750,000 fundraising goal.

Albion Advertiser, August 1959. Photo Courtesy Orleans County Historian

By Doug Farley, Cobblestone Museum Director – Vol 2. No. 46

GAINES – In 1959, the Hamlet of Childs joined forces with a handful of other hamlets in the Town of Gaines to celebrate the town’s Sesquicentennial, the 150th anniversary of its first settler in 1809. Leading up to the festivities, a Sesquicentennial Committee had been hard at work preparing a written history, as well as organizing several community events and celebrations to take place throughout the year.

The Sesquicentennial Committee was comprised of Supervisor Lester Canham, Honorary Chairman; J. Howard Pratt and Cary Lattin, Co-Chairmen; Mrs. Gerald (Janice) Thaine, Executive Secretary; Dean Sprague, Treasurer; Curtis Lyman, Program; Rev. John Minott, Donald Miles and Edwin Weeks, Program; Mrs. Harry Wilder, Hon. Bernard Ryan, and Thomas Heard, Jr., Advisors; and Miss Katharine Hutchinson, Promotion and Publicity. Sixty other town residents worked on various tasks including Antique Cars, Historical Booklet, Gaines Landmarks, Dance Committee, Auction, Parade and Floats, Midway Entertainment, and much more.

Gaines Sesquicentennial Publication, cover sketch by Mrs. Walter E. Mack

The Historical Booklet Committee presented the following dedication to their 32 page Sesquicentennial Publication:

“We wish to dedicate this booklet to your pioneer fathers and mothers who came into the Town of Gaines when it was a trackless wilderness and carved from that wilderness, our roads, our schools, our churches, our farms, our civilization – a righteous heritage of which we should be justly proud.”

Harriet Fitts Ryan, wife of Bernard Ryan, Chief Judge of the NYS Court of Claims, was called upon to write the sesquicentennial book’s Foreword.  (The Ryan family is shown above in the 1930s with Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt who made occasional trips to Gaines to visit the Ryan family.) Mrs. Ryan, originally from Mobile, Alabama, served the Sesquicentennial Committee as Hospitality Chair. Her Foreword to the publication follows:

“On a hot Fourth of July in 1921, I first set foot in the town of Gaines. I had thought my new home was in Albion, New York. But I was told in no uncertain terms, ‘You live in the Town of Gaines.” It was some time before I began to understand that the Town of Gaines was a township and to realize the miles encompassed therein. Gaines Village, Childs or Fairhaven, East Gaines, West Gaines, Gaines Basin, Five Corners, Eagle Harbor – it was some time before I realized that all of these constituted the Town of Gaines. However, in short time I realized the beauty of the homes and roads and by-ways of Gaines and the fine character of her citizens; and I felt proud to be an adopted daughter.

The beauty of the homes and the roads of Gaines is a direct inheritance from those who made the long trek over hill and stream from Massachusetts and Connecticut and settled these parts. They were the ones who planted the trees that were to grow into stately beauty and make travel on the Ridge the delight it is. God made the Ridge – mere man could have never given us the Ridge – but it was the early settlers who had the vision to set out the trees that would give shade and comfort to their descendants.  They were the ones, also, who gathered stones from fields and lake and, with their own hands, erected the cobblestone houses of Gaines.

These cobblestone buildings, the fame of which has spread from coast to coast, are the pride of every resident of this vicinity, the envy of every passing traveler.  Men and women of strength and determination were those pioneers – strong enough to journey by oxcart into a far country, determined enough to settle that country and make it a fair land. Men and women of vision and courage – vision enough to look to the future, courage enough to face the present. I, who can claim no descent from those sturdy men and women, am proud of what they did in those far-away days, am proud of the Town of Gaines. I am proud that my husband has lived all of his life in Gaines and that my sons are her native-born.

This sesqui-centennial is a tribute to the men and women who dared all and braved all, who left to us a goodly heritage. Now, let us who have come after them be worthy. Let us strive to leave behind us a community fair to behold, rich in tradition, in which our descendants will rejoice and be exceeding glad, a community that will inspire right living and the development of fine character. We have an obligation to the past and to the future. Noblesse oblige! There is more to it than two words. Let us fulfill that obligation.”

Courtesy Orleans County Historian

In those days, no historical celebration was complete without a beard growing contest. Over forty men participated in this face-lifting project and were photographed together for the August 13th issue of the Albion Advertiser.

Taking part included: (Front row) William Woolston, Theodore Schoonover, Thomas Manning, Glen Woolston, Ralph Appleton, Maynard Bannon, Gerald Thaine, David Sanford, and Everett Hobbs.  (Middle row)  Richard Appleton, Herbert Morrison, Paul Chappius, Richard Peruzzini, Harold Peruzzini, Peter Ricci, Wesley Bennett, James Kerridge, Colonel Ball, Dominic Martillotta, Sortman Jordan, Clure Appleton and Howard Pratt.  (Back row) Jesse Downey, Carl Huthsteiner, Donald Bennett, Andrew Butz, Albert Neal, Jr., William Schuler, Terry Neal, Kenneth Drew, David Youngs, Wilbur Scroger, Royce Freeman, Wayne Rath, Gordon Miller, Arthur Gould, Richard Hill, David Vagg, Rev. John Minott, Whitney Howes and Clifford Allen.

Even registering for the beard growing contest involved some tongue-in-check humor. (Photo Courtesy Orleans County Historian)

On the day of the celebration, a gala parade took place from Childs to Gaines with floats, bands, horses, carriages and old cars.  There was a historical exhibit, a horse show, church smorgasbord, Grange Square Dance and Carolyn Reed was chosen as Sesquicentennial Queen.

By Doug Farley, Cobblestone Museum Director – Vol. 2. No. 45

GAINES –  The Hamlet of Childs is the current home for an outstanding artifact of the mid-19th century. The name settled upon for this object is “The Akeley Fox,” in homage to the taxidermy artist, Carl Akeley, who created the diorama in 1879.

Pictured at top in 1979 is Mr. John Seager, along with the fox his great grandfather Francis Harling shot over 140 years ago. In 1979, Mr. Seager gave his family heirloom to the Cobblestone Museum for its permanent collection in memory of his parents Agnes Harling Seager and John Seager.

Young Carl Akeley – Photo courtesy the Field Museum

The story goes that sometime in 1879m Francis Harling lay near a fox run in a Barre Swamp almost a full day before this specimen came along.  At the time, a young Carl Akeley of Clarendon (shown above) was in his late teens or early twenties and was learning the techniques of taxidermy under the tutelage of David Bruce from Brockport. Knowing Akeley, Francis Harling purposely procured the fox for him to mount. The fox is depicted in a large gold-framed shadow box just as she had killed a partridge.

The Akeley Fox is one of his early works. It is signed on the reverse side of the glass, “C .E. Akeley, Clarendon”

In the late 19th Century Akeley went on to become the great world renowned African explorer and established the African Hall in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. He was noted as being one of the first taxidermists to place specimens in their natural surroundings and traveled with Theodore Roosevelt and George Eastman on several safaris. One of his staunchest supporters was none other than J. Pierpont Morgan. The image above depicts Akeley surviving a leopard attack on one of his many safaris in Africa.  He captured the leopard using only his bare hands.

Unfortunately, Akeley died in his early sixties before he had a chance to complete his life’s work. The Akeley Fox however is testimony to a great man’s artistic genius. For many years it hung in the parlor of the Harling residence on East County House Road near Albion. It was then inherited by Walker Harling, son of Francis and passed on to his daughter Agnes Harling Seager who kept it in the attic for over forty years. Once arriving in the Hamlet of Childs, the fox was displayed along with the Hon. E. K. Hart Bird Collection at the Cobblestone Museum. Ironically, the Hart Bird Collection was prepared by Akeley’s teacher, David Bruce.

Considering the legacy left by Carl Akeley and the significance of his contributions to the field of history, the little red fox is held in the highest regard and treated as one of the crowning artifacts within the collection of the Museum. Accepting the unique artifact into the collection as a rare representation of the earliest works of a world renowned taxidermist, the Museum retained a distinct piece of history that museums today would fight over.

With thanks to the efforts of the Clarendon Historical Society, a spectacular tribute to the life and legacy of Carl Akeley was arranged to celebrate the passing of Akeley’s 150th birthday. Museum co-coordinators Matthew Ballard and Sarah Karas both attended a celebration in Akeley’s honor where they met John Janelli, chairman of the National Taxidermy Association’s Conservation Committee. After showing him photographs of the fox, the true significance of the piece was finally understood.

(L-R) Sarah Karas, Cobblestone Museum co-coordinator, John Janelli, and Matt Ballard, co-coordinator

Members of the Committee visited the Museum to see the fox firsthand on May 23, 2014 (shown above) when it was decided that the restoration of this artifact was not simply a possibility but a necessity. Heat from being stored in an attic for decades, along with freezing in the winter, had led to severe deterioration. One eye had fallen out, the tail had “melted,” the paws were void of hair and bugs had found their way inside. Melissa Ierlan, Town of Clarendon Historian, said, “It was in bad shape. We thought we would have to replace it, but we didn’t.”

The fox is depicted eating a bird it had caught. The paper mache work on the bird included newspaper from the Holley Standard, dated December 4, 1879. As an important symbol of modern taxidermy’s founding father, the fox needed to be restored and preserved.

On June 5, 2014, the Museum coordinators, Ballard and Karas, presented the proposal to the board of trustees. With a unanimous yes, the board offered their support in the effort to preserve Akeley’s little red fox. Fundraising begin immediately to procure funding for the evaluation and proper restoration of this important piece of history.

The fundraising to enable the restoration was a major project in itself. Ierlan said the restoration resulted from an “amazing grass-roots effort to secure funding” for the project. Private donors, a grant from the Elizabeth Dye Curtis Foundation and donations from the Orleans County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Orleans County Historical Association (OCHA) and the Clarendon Historical Society made the project possible.

With funding in place, Melissa Ierlan personally bubble wrapped and transported the fox in her car to the restoration offices of George Dante in New Jersey.

Photo courtesy of Melissa Ierlan: John Janelli, left, is past president of the National Taxidermy Association. He is pictured with George Dante of Wildlife Preservations, LLC, and the refurbished fox at Dante’s studio. Dante has provided taxidermy exhibition services to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, and Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Bill Lattin, retired Orleans County Historian and former Cobblestone Museum Director, has a family connection to the fox. He explained that his great-grandfather, Francis Harling of Albion, procured the fox for Akeley. Lattin explained that the fox, enclosed in a framed diorama, is a precious artifact. “In the world of taxidermy, it’s like owning a Rafael,” Lattin said.  “It’s very, very special.”

Akeley (1864-1926), is known as the Father of Modern Taxidermy.  He devised a method for fitting an animal’s skin over a meticulously prepared and sculpted form of the animal’s body.  The process included the animal’s musculature and details such as wrinkles and veins and produced a very realistic result.

Lattin said his great-grandfather wanted the fox diorama to display in the family’s home on East County House Road in Albion. Harling was a middle-class dirt farmer and blacksmith, Lattin explained, but noted it is interesting that, “common ordinary people (of that time) had a sensitivity for aesthetics.” Harling had gone out of his way to procure the fox, Lattin said, so that something beautiful could be made to decorate the family’s home, “that’s remarkable,” he observed.

Akeley’s African Elephant Exhibit, courtesy of the Field Museum, Chicago

Akeley made many trips to Africa to collect specimens and created the African Hall at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.  Akeley also liked to place the mounted animals in settings that reflected their native habitat. Lattin also explained that during the Akeley Fox restoration, it was discovered that what was thought to be a “tod” (male fox) was found to be a “vixen” (female fox).

In 2017, Melissa Ierlan made a return trek to New Jersey to pick up the fully restored vixen fox. A “welcome home” celebration was held in September 2017 at the Museum’s Cobblestone Church.  At the celebration, shown above, Matthew Ballard (Orleans County Historian), Bill Lattin and Melissa Ierlan pose with Carl Akeley’s restored fox diorama.

Jay Kirk, the author of the book, “Kingdom Under Glass” (shown above), a book about Carl Akeley and his work, attended the celebration as did Akeley expert, John Janelli. County Historian Matt Ballard said, “We wanted to bring (the fox) to the attention of people who would appreciate Akeley’s work.” The fox is part of a transitional phase for Akeley. Ballard noted the legwork done by Ierlan, the Clarendon historian, to have the fox restored as well as the importance of the local fundraising effort. “It’s surreal to see it come to fruition,” Ballard said of the restoration project.  “It’s a piece of national significance.”

At the celebration, Ierlan discussed Carl Akeley’s life and work from his humble beginnings on Hinds Road in Clarendon to the jungles of Africa. “He was the original Indiana Jones,” Ierlan said.  She noted his early work preserving the pet canary of his aunt, his training in taxidermy by David Bruce in Brockport and his apprenticeship at Ward’s Natural Science Establishment in Rochester. She explained that the taxidermy work done before Carl Akeley arrived on the scene, often made animals look like stuffed toys. Akeley wanted “to make them look as real as possible,” Ierlan said.

Melissa Ierlan brought copies of photographs of Akeley’s work including diorama’s from the American Museum of Natural History and the entourage that accompanied Akeley on his African trips to collect specimens (far left), as well as the condition of the fox diorama prior to restoration.

The Cobblestone Museum has prepared a short video to provide additional information for those who missed out attending the Akeley celebration.  It can be viewed by clicking here along with a collection of other videos on local history.

In addition to his taxidermy work, Akeley was an accomplished sculptor, biologist, conservationist and inventor with over 29 patents.  Akeley improved the motion picture camera for filming animal movement. Ierlan said, “He had a remarkable life. He was one of America’s greatest men.”

The cover at left is for the book, Pioneer History of Orleans County. The image at right is the only known photograph of John Proctor.

By Doug Farley, Cobblestone Museum Director – Vol. 2 No. 44

GAINES – One of the most widely read written histories of Orleans County is entitled, “Pioneer History of Orleans County, NY,” by Arad Thomas, written in 1871 and published in Albion.  In this 463-page compendium we are fortunate to find an autobiographical sketch of John Proctor, the patriarch of what many called Proctor’s Corners.

Proctor has been the subject of a few recent articles written for the “Historic Childs” series, but the addition of an article detailing the earliest days of Fair Haven (known as Childs today) written by John Proctor himself, is a valuable addition to this information.  Proctor wrote the following narrative in June 1863, a little short of five years before his death in January 1868.

I was born in the town of Dunstable, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, January 22, 1787. In March, 1810, I arrived in Batavia, since changed to Gaines, on the Holland Purchase, and purchased a lot of land near the Transit Line. I chopped over five acres of land and built a log cabin in what was then called the ‘Nine Mile Woods.’ My cabin was situated seven miles from any cabin going east, and two miles west. There were no inhabitants going south nearer than Batavia village. Here I kept bachelor’s hall, sleeping in the open air on hemlock boughs until I had completed the roof of my cabin, which I covered with bark. I had to travel seven miles to get bread baked.

I went to Massachusetts in the summer and returned to my cabin in January. In the spring of 1811, I cleared off and planted three acres to corn, and in the fall sowed five acres to wheat. In December I went back to Massachusetts on foot. February 11th, 1812, I was married to Miss Polly Cummings, of Dunstable, and started on the 12th with my wife for my home in the woods, in a sleigh drawn by two horses.

Fair Haven, 1852 map

When we arrived at our new home, at what has since been called Fair Haven, in the town of Gaines, there were but three families in Gaines, viz.: Elijah Downer, Amy Gilbert, and —Elliott. The nearest grist mill was at Black Creek, twenty miles distant, and on account of bad roads it was as easy for us to go to Rochester to mill, a distance of thirty miles. Indians came over from Canada and massacred several of the inhabitants on the frontier, and many of  the settlers fled out of the country for safety. The people throughout this region were in great consternation.

The news of the approach of the savages spread rapidly. William Burlingame, who resided about four miles west of my place on the Ridge, called me out of bed and requested me to go immediately and arouse the people east. I immediately mounted my horse, the only horse then owned in the vicinity, and before next daylight visited all the inhabitants as far east as Clarkson.

The effect of the notice was almost electric, for quite a regiment of men in number were on the move early the next morning, to check the advance of the enemy. We marched west to a place called Hardscrabble, near Lewiston, and there performed a sort of garrison duty for two weeks, when I with some others returned, for, having been elected collector of taxes, it became necessary for me to attend to the duties of my office.

Again in September, while the war was in progress at and near Fort Erie, in Canada, news came to us that the British were about to attack the Fort and our troops there must be reinforced. In company with several others I volunteered to go to their relief. On arriving at the Fort, via Buffalo, we made several attacks on the enemy near the Fort, and in the woods opposite Black Rock.

A sortie was made from the Fort September 17th, in which we routed the enemy. In these actions several bullets passed through my clothes, and one grazed my finger. A man of our company named Howard was killed, another named Sheldon was wounded in the shoulder, and Moses Bacon was taken prisoner and carried to Halifax.

In that sortie General Davis, of Le Roy, was killed, and Gen. Peter B. Porter was taken prisoner, and rescued again the same day. We came home after an absence of twenty-four days.

The Proctor monument (left) is located on Route 104 in Gaines. The Proctor family obelisk is located at Mount Albion Cemetery. The other sides of the monument memorialize Proctor’s wives and children, several of whom died in a typhoid breakout in 1828.

About February 1st, 1815, I was notified to attend the sitting of the court in Batavia as constable. Owing to the situation of my family I could not be long absent from home; and in order to get released from court, it was necessary for me to appear before the judge; so taking a rather early start I reached Batavia before the court had opened in the morning. After the court had organized for business I presented my excuse and was discharged.

After that I collected over one hundred dollars taxes, made my returns as town collector, on half a sheet of paper, took a deed of one hundred acres of land of the Holland Company, and an article for another hundred acres and started for home, where I arrived in the evening of the same day, having traveled a distance of not less than forty-four miles.

In December, 1818, I made arrangements to visit my friends in Massachusetts, on horseback. Several of my neighbors were in to see me off. As I was about to mount my horse a deer came down the creek from the south. I ran into the house and got my gun and some cartridges I brought from the war, loaded my gun as I ran out, and as the deer was passing leveled my gun and snapped it, but it missed fire. I took up a stone and struck the flint, and snapped the gun again before the deer got out of range. This time it discharged killing the deer instantly. I remained now and helped dress the deer and divided it with our neighbors, and then went on my journey.

I rode to Vermont, there exchanged my horse and saddle for a cutter and another horse, and drove to my destination, near Boston. After an absence of about sixty days I returned home in time to dine off a piece of the venison I killed just before starting, which had been kept by my wife.

Our associations in our wilderness home undergoing fatigue and hardships together, sharing alike in gratitude for every success, and in sympathy for every adversity, bound the early settlers together as a band of brothers.

For many years our religious worship was held in common together, with no denominational distinctions.

JOHN PROCTOR.

Gaines, June 1863.

Devastating canal breach in 1927 flooded community

Photo courtesy NYS Barge Canal Western Division

By Doug Farley, Cobblestone Museum Director – Vol. 2 No. 43

Eagle Harbor, once a thriving Erie Canal community, was the scene of a devastating canal breach in August, 1927, that caused damages estimated at over $3 Million in today’s economy. The sleepy canal town instantly became the scene of an enormous work force numbering several hundred people that worked 24 hours a day to restore canal commerce.

The underpinning of the disaster can be attributed to the design of the canal in what became known as the south wall of the “Trough at Eagle Harbor.” During the Barge Canal expansion in 1912, a massive embankment or trough with a height of about 50’ feet raising above the level of Otter Creek was created to contain the canal and pass over the creek. The embankment was constructed from earth, concrete and stone.

A portion of the embankment passing over Otter Creek today, known as state canal culvert #86

A short excursion along the towpath at Eagle Harbor quickly identifies the immense scale of the construction project, also seen in the picture above.  The creek itself was channeled through a culvert that was buried 6’ beneath the canal, creating a trough of water 12’ deep above.

On August 3, 1927, bridge tender, Leon Walters, received word from two boys that they had seen a small leak open up in the canal near the embankment. The small leak foretold of the disaster that was about to follow.  A local man, L.E. Bennett, reported seeing a 3’ square hole open up later that day.

This opening began spilling thousands of gallons of water from the canal into the surrounding countryside in short period of time.  The breach occurred about 100’ west of the Otter Creek culvert. Quickly, a massive hole opened up and the south wall of the canal broke apart creating a hole 50’ across and 7’ deep.

Photo courtesy Orleans County Historian

Newspapers stated that canal officials estimated 1 billion gallons of water spilled out of the canal into the surrounding fields, creating an artificial lake about 2 miles long by one-half mile wide with a depth of 20’-60’ throughout.  Numerous houses were flooded with some victims stranded in their second stories until the next day.

The reconstruction efforts began immediately and were supervised by Canal Commissioner Thomas Farrell. Early estimates stated that the canal west of Rochester would need to be closed for ten days, but when the full scope of the disaster was realized, the project dragged on for six weeks.  Some sources reported that during that time, upward to two million bushels of grain were stopped at Buffalo due to the canal break, along with untold amount of other agricultural products from other locales around the Great Lakes.  Local farmers pleaded with Farrell to keep the canal open to the Lattin Bridge Guard Gate so that commerce into and out of Albion (eastbound) could be maintained to help minimize the impact in Orleans County.

Over 200 men were put to work, round the clock to make the repairs. Heavy equipment operators were employed to operate about 20 trucks, 6 steam shovels, concrete mixers, pile drivers and other pieces of earth moving equipment were utilized to complete the project.

Photo courtesy Orleans County Historian

The break became an overnight sensation, drawing motorists thought to number in the thousands to the region. In addition to the cost to repair the canal, many local farmers suffered devastating losses, the ill effects of which lasted a few years in some cases. Local farmer John Potter reported his field of potatoes was submerged under 10’ of water for weeks. Other farmers reported losses of cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers and grain products.

Repaired canal structures passing over Otter Creek at Eagle Harbor today. Note use of concrete retaining walls on both sides of the canal.

When final reports were published, state officials postulated that the underlying culprit in the disaster was a colony of errant muskrats, close cousins to the otters of Otter Creek fame, that had burrowed into the wall of the embankment, thus setting up the cataclysmic series of events that led to this historic disaster.

The 1927 Eagle Harbor canal breach is probably the most well known, but not the only historic canal breach in Orleans County. A 19th century breach occurred in the 1850s, a few miles east of Eagle Harbor, near the Joseph Lattin farm in the Town of Albion. At that time, it was reported that a canal boat was actually washed out of the canal and deposited into the adjoining farm land.

Following the canal repairs, Bartlett Lattin helped return the boat to its rightful location back in the canal. More specifically, Lattin’s mother and sister came to the rescue, too, by supplying homemade soap that Bartlett used to grease the skids used to move the boat off dry land. The equipment utilized was actually provided by George Pullman who used an ox-powered machine that his father developed to lift and move houses that were in the way during the canal expansion which was ongoing at that time.

Pullman, a furniture manufacturer in Albion, was working a contract that the state had given to Charles Danolds to facilitate the canal enlargement in this region. Pullman, of course, went on in subsequent years to become a railroad tycoon with the improvements he made to railroad sleeping cars that became known as Pullman cars.

Another 19th century canal break in the region occurred around 1870 in the Town of Gaines, very near the northernmost point on the canal. Water from that breach flowed out in great force, making its way to Beardsley Creek on the north side of the canal. It is said that a local farmer, David Bullard and his daughter, were working in a chicken coop at the time of the deluge of water in the creek, which expanded to include the chicken coop in its wake.

The chicken coop, and all of its occupants at the time, were raised form its moorings and carried downstream at a heart-stopping pace. Eyewitnesses reported that Bullard’s daughter jumped out of the chicken coop as it was passing over Gaines Basin Road but Mr. Bullard rode it out until the coop eventually crash landed at a tree where Beardsley Creek crosses Gaines Basin Rd again at the Sanford Farm.

Workers at the site of 2012 canal breach, photo courtesy Times-Union, David Duprey/AP

A much more recent canal breach took place in 2012, once again in the proximity of Gaines Basin. On the evening of July 30, passersby on Albion-Eagle Harbor Road near the Lattin Bridge, noticed that a slight depression in the highway had formed in a very short amount of time. Retired County Historian Bill Lattin reported, “I was the last car that made it through.  I felt a huge ‘kerplunk’ as my car kind of bottomed out.”

The next car to approach the scene came upon a gaping 60’ wide by 16’ deep sinkhole that had opened up in that same spot.  Luckily, a state worker had arrived on the scene to flag that motorist down.

It was discovered that extensive damage had occurred to a large culvert pipe under the Albion Eagle Harbor Road at that spot. The discovery was followed by the closing of a 25-mile stretch of the canal from Middleport in Niagara County to Holley in Orleans County.  Contractors, meanwhile, hauled in 200 tons of crushed stone to fill the sinkhole in the weakened rock-and-clay embankment.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Construction crews led by C.P. Ward were mobilized late into the night of July 30, 2012 to fill a sinkhole on Albion Eagle Harbor Road and a path along the Erie Canal. Crews worked late into the night to fill the hole and stabilize the site so the canal wouldn’t flood two neighboring state prisons.

The sinkhole nearly collapsed the embankment that held back the Erie Canal. Had the wall been washed out, officials feared the two state prisons next to the road would have been flooded.

Dump trucks hauled stone from Keeler Construction in Barre to fill in the road and canal path.

Repairing the road and path cost the state $1.3 million to fix. The sinkhole forced the state Canal Corp. to close a section of the canal in Albion for about 2 ½ weeks.