Courtesy of the Medina Historical Society – Invitation to a New Year’s Party at the Ridgeway Hotel, Friday, Dec. 31, 1886.
Posted 30 December 2022 at 7:53 pm
By Catherine Cooper, Orleans County Historian
Illuminating Orleans, Vol. 2, No. 42
RIDGEWAY – “Fall in, ye lovers of Mirth, and enjoy a Dance to be given at RIDGEWAY HOTEL”
On this weekend, some 136 years ago, “Lovers of Mirth” attended a New Year’s Party at the Ridgeway Hotel. The hotel was a well-known landmark on Ridge Road, having operated as a tavern and stagecoach stop since 1811.
J.P. Tenbrook acquired the hotel in 1883. The Medina Register of October 4, 1883 noted that “John is popular in Niagara County and doubtless will be in his new quarters.”
Tenbrook was no stranger to the hotel business. His father, William, owned several hotels in Lockport and Olcott. His brother A.H. owned the Shelby Center Hotel for several years.
In Ridgeway, Tenbrook energetically set about organizing a series of parties held throughout the year – George Washington’s Birthday, July 4th, Harvest Celebrations. There are several specific newspaper references to the colorful invitations which he used.
Reporting on the 1888 New Year’s Party, the Medina Register of January 3, 1889, called it “A Grand Success”. The event was attended by 152 couples, which surpassed previous records.
“There was not a soul here who did not thoroughly enjoy the fine music and the excellent repast. The fact that Mr. Tenbrook’s parties are so well attended speaks better than words for the manner in which they are conducted.”
Elsewhere, he is referred to as “a genial host.” As a measure of his popularity, the hotel is referenced on several occasions with his name – “Tenbrook Hall”, “Tenbrook’s Hotel”.
He sold the hotel to D. Donovan in 1896. At the time of his death in 1910, Tenbrook was proprietor of the Waverly Hotel in Niagara Falls.
Postcard view of the Ridgeway Hotel on Ridge Road/Route 104. Remarkably, the building which then housed the hotel still stands and its appearance has not greatly changed. Note the hitching posts on Angling Road.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 October 2022 at 4:43 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – The United Methodist Church of the Abundant Harvest welcomed the community for its annual Apple Festival on Saturday in Knowlesville.
Church volunteers served 200 beef and weck dinners and also many apple and pumpkin pies.
Paul Dresser, left, and Kathy Luescher, right, were among the church workers who were busy in the kitchen making the dinners that included potatoes and salads.
The fellowship hall was filled with vendors. There were about 20 vendors total including Judy Szulis, who was selling Tupperware. She has been selling Tupperware for 15 years and was happy to show off new colors and sustainable products.
“It’s not your grandmother’s Tupperware,” Szulis said.
Annette Mrzywka of Holley was among the vendors. She and her mother Sue Lear and daughter Natalie Mrzywka team in “Stitched After Hours.” They make reading pillows, dog bandanas, stockings, bibs and other embroidered items.
Their most popular item on Saturday was a Buffalo Bills-themed dog bandana.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 August 2022 at 7:36 am
Money will help make up for cancelled fundraisers during Covid pandemic
RIDGEWAY – The Ridgeway Town Board has approved $60,000 in the town’s allotment of American Rescue Plan Act funds to go to the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company.
Town Supervisor Brian Napoli said the federal money will help make up for the cancelled fundraisers during the Covid pandemic.
“This money will help support and equip the department,” Napoli said. “We are allowed to do this as they are a non-profit organization that has been affected by the Covid shutdown.”
The Town Board voted on Monday to approve $60,000 for the fire company.
Napoli said Ridgeway has been awarded $316,000 in ARPA funding. The board so far has approved $200,000 in ARPA towards Water District No. 15, and $25,000 towards internet/broadband expansion.
“Of the remaining $31,000, we are looking at other projects, but have not decided on them,” Napoli said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 July 2022 at 9:16 am
Culvert Road track hosts 2 more races in 65th season
File photos by Tom Rivers: Kevin Hazel, president of the Crusaders Motorcycle, watches young riders and shouts encouragement during a training camp on June 16, 2018. He encourages the young riders to keep their elbows up, look ahead and concentrate on the racetrack.
RIDGEWAY – The Crusaders Motorcycle Club has a busy weekend.
The club will have its annual free training session on Saturday for 50cc riders, ages 4 to 8. This class provides young riders with basic riding and racing skills. The participants will be taught what all the different colored flags represent, how to watch for the green race light and to practice their starting skills.
They will also learn how to maneuver around the corners. By the end of the day all the riders will be picking up their speed and increasing their riding skills.
These riders head off the track after taking a few laps during the training camp on June 16, 2018.
On Sunday the Crusaders will host its annual memorial race in honor of past friends and family. This year marks the Crusaders 65th year of Flat Track Racing on Culvert Road in Ridgeway. Gates open at 7:30 a.m. Practice starts at 11:30 a.m. and racing begins at 12:30 p.m. at 3312 Culvert Rd. Admission is $15 and kids 12 and under are free with an adult.
The final race of the season will be the Women’s Mad Dawg Race on July 31 with a rain date for Aug. 28 if needed. The Crusaders have updates on their Facebook page and on their website (click here).
Provided photo: These racers head down a turn at the track on Culvert Road. There are races this Sunday and on July 31.
Photo and information courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County
KNOWLESVILLE – In anticipation of the historic 75th Orleans County Fair, the Cornell Cooperative Extension sought and received a generous grant from the Rochester Area Community Foundation to repaint the historic pie tin and replace the signage.
The pie tin was beginning to show signs of disrepair, so the Extension took steps to safeguard this piece of local history.
The giant pie tin at the 4-H Fairgrounds symbolizes a story that began long ago. Going all the way back to 1928 and 1929, Orleans County had been home to the world’s largest pie, thanks to Charles Howard, of Santa School fame.
However, in 1932, that title was usurped by a 2,260-pound mince pie baked in the UK. After 44 years, in 1976, Orleans County decided that the time was ripe to reclaim the title.
However, 1977 was not to be the year of victory in Orleans County. Despite the best efforts of many volunteers, the attempted 17,985-pound pie was not to be. The pan failed and half-baked pie covered the parking lot.
Unfazed by the prior year’s mishap, the Pie Committee determined that this would be the year that their plans would come to fruition. After, 5 hours and 58 minutes of baking, a record-setting and delicious apple pie was finally completed.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 22 March 2022 at 9:15 am
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Ruth Higgins of Medina holds a picture of her granddaughter Olivia, 12, who recently died from an inoperable brain tumor. The Abundant Harvest Methodist Church is holding a benefit for the family on April 9 at the Fellowship Hall in Knowlesville.
KNOWLESVILLE – A fundraising benefit at Abundant Harvest Fellowship will take place as planned for the family of Olivia Black, 12, who passed away March 21 with an inoperable brain tumor.
Olivia is the daughter of Ken Black and Donna Higgins Black of Niagara Falls and the granddaughter of Ruth Higgins of Medina and Daryl Higgins. She had been undergoing chemo and radiation treatments when the church began planning a benefit. Now the church wants to hold the benefit to help the family with medical expenses.
The fundraiser scheduled April 9 will feature a chicken and biscuit dinner, a Chinese auction, 50/50 raffle and other raffles and auctions for big ticket items. These include a shotgun, a party for 16 at 810 Axe Works in Medina and a four-hour fishing charter.
The chicken dinner will be available from 3 to 7 p.m. and will include chicken and biscuits, mashed potatoes, green beans, applesauce, beverage and choice of three desserts – homemade pies, éclair cake or cookies donated by Case-Nic.
Raffle tickets may be purchased any time that day and the drawings will begin at 6 p.m. It is not necessary to be present to win. Dinner tickets are $10 and may be purchased ahead of time. The Fellowship Hall is open on Fridays for anyone wishing to donate a basket, cash or food. Information is available by calling the Fellowship Hall at (585) 798-3173 or (585) 745-0747 or (585) 590-7710. Information is also available on the church’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/abundantharvestny.
During the day of the benefit, Jackie Chinn from Lizzie and Lyric in Medina will be onsite with her Lyncoln Bears and Buddies and accessories to help children build their own bear.
Higgins stressed that every penny taken in during the day will go to Olivia’s family. She said everything has been 100% donated, including the chicken. The Abundant Harvest pie ministry is donating the pies and paying for other food, while the church is donating all the paper products.
Pastor Garry McCaffery said he was happy the church could do this.
“It’s a way for our congregation to show its support for the family,” he said.
Olivia was diagnosed with the tumor on her brain stem in January.
“She wasn’t walking right and was having a tough time chewing,” said her grandmother.
During an interview last week, Higgins said the tumor progressed rapidly and affected Olivia’s ability to move, talk and swallow. She required 24-hour care, including transportation to and from the hospital for daily radiation treatments. She was at home under her mother’s care.
Olivia was a 6th-grader at St. John’s Lutheran School in North Tonawanda.
The committee planning the dinner includes Sylvia Armer, Linda Baker, Miranda Bennett, Teresa Wilkins and Wendy Scharlau. Anyone who wishes to help prepare in advance may join the volunteers at the fellowship hall on April 2.
The committee planning a benefit for the family of Olivia Black includes: standing from left, Sylvia Armer, Miranda Bennett and Linda Baker. Seated are pastor Garry McCaffery and Olivia’s grandmother Ruth Higgins.
Press Release and photos from NYS Department of Transportation
RIDGEWAY – New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez today announced that the recently completed project to replace the State Route 104 Bridge over Oak Orchard Creek in Orleans County was honored as the American Public Works Association’s Project of the Year in the Genesee Valley Chapter’s “Structures less than $5 million” category.
The project was recognized for its critical community investment and safety enhancements for travelers.
“The safety of the traveling public and the vitality of our communities are always top priorities at the Department of Transportation and this award for the State Route 104 Bridge Replacement Project is a symbol of our commitment to those priorities,” said Commissioner Dominguez. “The project enhanced safety and helped ensure that a vitally important crossing in Orleans County will remain open for many years to come. I want to congratulate the NYSDOT staff, whose tireless work helped achieve this recognition and for their dedication to safety, service and excellence – values they demonstrate each and every day.”
In honoring the project, the APWA cited several factors, including:
Use of good construction management techniques by employing the Governor’s Drivers First Initiatives and prioritizing convenience for motorists.
Efforts to engage members of the community who utilize Oak Orchard Creek for recreational kayaking and canoeing.
Attention to the environment and wildlife immediately impacted by construction and the altered bridge footprint.
Commitment to sustainability and use of engineering components that help reduce deterioration and decrease the need for future maintenance.
The project installed a 125-foot, single-span bridge with minimal disruption to the traveling public. It was completed in September, on time and under budget. State Route 104 is a key vital connector used by the local agricultural and manufacturing industries to reach the Rochester area to the east and the Niagara community in the west.
Senator Robert G. Ortt said, “The State Route 104 Bridge project over Oak Orchard Creek in Orleans County should be applauded for its outstanding success and serve as a blueprint for future joint construction efforts between local and state governments. By working together, Orleans County and New York State were able to deliver a completed project that will benefit the residents of Orleans County and travelers passing through our Western New York region. I am proud that the American Public Works Association has decided to honor this incredible project and will give it the recognition it deserves.”
Assemblyman Stephen Hawley said, “Protecting the roadways traveled by families and commercial and emergency vehicles is one of our state government’s most important functions, so I was happy to see the work done to replace the Oak Orchard Creek bridge in Orleans County acknowledged by the American Public Works Association. It was a critical project that delivered an amazing end result for all who travel along Route 104 between Ridgeway and Gaines. My hat goes off to all involved both in planning the project and working on the ground to make it a reality.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 January 2022 at 8:23 am
RIDGEWAY – The replacement of the Route 104 bridge in Ridgeway has been named “project of the year” by the Genesee chapter of the American Public Works Association.
The bridge won in the “Structures less than $5 million” category.
The section of Route 104 over Oak Orchard Creek was closed in late April so the bridge from 1954 could be replaced. The new bridge opened to traffic on Aug. 28, ahead of schedule.
Union Concrete and Construction Corp. of West Seneca was general contractor on the new multi-girder bridge. The project featured upgraded bridge shoulders and an improved hydraulic opening.
“The Department of Transportation did an outstanding job in replacing the Route 104 bridge in the Town of Ridgeway,” said Brian Napoli, town supervisor. “The construction crew was so diligent. They worked weekends and brought the project in early.”
The new bridge is a single span multi-girder bridge featuring two 12-foot-wide travel lanes and two 6-foot-wide shoulders.
The project was recognized by the Public Works Association for its critical community investment and safety enhancements for travelers.
“The new bridge is beautiful,” Napoli said. “Residents adapted to the inconvenience for the construction period and afterwards we heard nothing but compliments. We as a town were so happy with the results we passed a Resolution of Appreciation to the Rochester DOT office.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 January 2022 at 3:18 pm
RIDGEWAY – A storage shed was destroyed by a fire today on Mill Road, but the blaze did not spread and cause much damage to a barn on the property.
Firefighters were dispatched to 10422 Mill Rd. at about 11:15 a.m. for reports of a barn fire. A shed was on fire likely due to two space heaters inside a small confined space, said fire investigator Steve Cooley.
The shed was pushed away from the barn, which helped keep the fire from spreading.
Responding fire departments included Ridgeway, Medina, Lyndonville and Shelby as well as the State Police and Orleans County Emergency Management.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 January 2022 at 8:01 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
RIDGEWAY – The drop well below freezing has resulted in a crop of icicles hanging inside the Canal Culvert in Ridgeway.
The tunnel, the only spot where you can drive under the Erie Canal, is located on Culvert Road, north of Route 31.
There is still some water left in the canal after being mostly drained. Some of that water slowly leaks through the culvert and turns into large stalactites of ice.
The culvert has a sidewalk inside for those who want to get up close and explore.
Traffic passes through the tunnel and many of the drivers beep their horns to let cars on the other side know they are coming – or maybe just to enjoy a popular superstition.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 January 2022 at 7:43 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
RIDGEWAY – Hannah Hill takes the oath of office as Ridgeway town clerk this afternoon. Her husband Jeremy is standing next to her and Orleans County Clerk Nadine Hanlon administers the oath. Town Councilwoman Mary Woodruff is in back.
Hill was elected to the position in November. Karen Kaiser didn’t seek re-election.
Hill about six years ago was the second deputy town clerk under Barbara Klatt, and the water and code enforcement clerks. She then stayed at home to be with her young children.
John Olinger takes the oath as the Ridgeway highway superintendent. Town Supervisor Brian Napoli, left, and Councilman Jeff Toussaint observe in back.
Olinger was elected to a full four-year term in November. He was appointed highway superintendent on March 23, 2019, following the retirement of Mark Goheen. Olinger was first elected to a two-year term in November 2019. He has worked in the Highway Department since 2012, starting as a motor equipment operator.
Cliff Barber, left, and Jeff Toussaint take the oath as members of the Town Board. Barber is starting his first term on the board while Toussaint has been a town councilman for 25 years.
The Town Board also approved the following appointments during today’s organizational meeting:
Official depositories: Bank of Castile, Key Bank
Official newspaper: Daily News in Batavia
Budget officer and fair housing officer: Town Supervisor Brian Napoli
Law officer: Kathy Bogan for general legal work and for water districts 5 through 15; Webster, Schubel & Meier for water districts 3 & 4
Fire and building code officer: Jason Raduns
Dog control officer, registrar of vital statistics, planning/zoning board clerk: Town Clerk Hannah Hill
Zoning enforcement clerk, planning/zoning board clerk, and water billing clerk: Joelle Brown
Zoning Board of Appeals chairman: Larry Meyer; vice chairman: Raymond Wendling
Planning Board chairman: Thomas Fenton; vice chairman: Tim Elliot
Planning Board member: Thomas Kline
Assessor assistant: Julie Cecchini
Deputy of vital statistics, fixed asset officer: Laurie Kilburn
Historian: Catherine Cooper
Janitor/cleaner: White Glove Cleaning Services
Water superintendent and sewer superintendent: John Olinger
County Planning Board member: Thomas Fentor; alternate: Tim Elliot
Constables: Claude Grimes and James Wells
Glenwood Lake Commission: Gary Blackburn, James Watson and Barry Jones
Other appointments include:
Deputy Town Supervisor: Jeff Toussaint
Town Supervisor’s Bookkeeper: Millenium Roads
Deputy Town Clerk: Laurie Kilburn; Deputy Town Clerk (second): Joelle Brown
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 December 2021 at 8:39 am
RIDGEWAY – The Town of Ridgeway will continue to hold in-person town meetings with masks required, and will also offer the option to call in via telecommunications.
Until further notice the public may call 585-798-0730 and dial 401 (PIN number 1234#) to connect to the meeting at the Town Hall. There will be no video, but anyone may listen and comment when appropriate.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 November 2021 at 4:08 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers
KNOWLESVILLE – Traffic moves along Route 31 today near the bridge over the railroad tracks in Knowlesville near the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds. This photo was taken at about 2:45 p.m.
The bridge reopened today after being closed May 11 for what was expected to be a six-week project for bridge deck repairs, joint replacement and slab reconstruction.
But unexpected delays led to the bridge being closed for about six months. Once construction started, the bridge needed additional materials to ensure the project’s success, officials from the state Department of Transportation said back in July. Those materials needed to be manufactured.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 November 2021 at 8:44 am
KNOWLESVILLE – The Route 31 bridge in Knowlesville near the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds is scheduled to reopen at 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12.
The bridge has been closed since May 11 for what was expected to be a six-week project for bridge deck repairs, joint replacement and slab reconstruction.
But unexpected delays led to the bridge being closed for about six months. Once construction started, the bridge needed additional materials to ensure the project’s success, officials from the state Department of Transportation said back in July. Those materials needed to be manufactured.
Paul Attoma, Engineer-In-Charge for the state Department of Transportation, on Friday notified local officials of the bridge’s reopening. The bridge is over the Fall Road Railroad.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 5 October 2021 at 7:47 am
Bushels of apples turned into tasty treat in labor of love
Photos by Ginny Kropf: From left, Tracie Wilson, Amber Castrechino and Raychelle Clayton stir the apple butter during their three-hour shift at the Knowlesville Fellowship Hall.
KNOWLESVILLE – Making apple butter for the United Methodist Church of the Abundant Harvest, formerly known as the Knowlesville United Methodist Church, has been a tradition for more than 44 years and one which several dedicated church members are not about to let die.
Last weekend, a crew of volunteers, for whom the task is a labor of love, began the tedious job of making apple butter.
The first step is peeling the apples – eight bushels of them for this year’s one 35-gallon kettle of apple butter. Sylvia Armer was one of the eight volunteers who said they began peeling at 8 a.m. and didn’t finish until 4 p.m.
Tracie Wilson dumps apples into the kettle while Amber Castrechino stirs the mixture, which became apple butter after nearly two days of cooking. Making apple butter is a 44-year tradition for the former Knowlesville United Methodist Church, now Abundant Harvest. It will be sold Oct. 16 during the Apple Festival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Then a fire is built and the kettle filled with 30 gallons of cider to start the process. It is brought to a boil, after adding some margarine to keep it from boiling over. Then it’s time to start adding apples by a pre-measured bag at a time.
Every year since they’ve been making apple butter, Haylett Farms has donated every apple, even when they cooked five kettles full and needed 40 bushel of apples. They use three varieties – MacIntosh, Cortland and 20 Ounce.
Making apple butter is a science and one which can’t be learned from a recipe book. The idea to first make apple butter came from members Roy and Sarah Walter, whose family lived in Pennsylvania, along with relatives of Dawn Seitzer-Parker.
Sarah said one year, “Let’s make some apple butter, and I’ll bring my family from Pennsylvania to help.”
Dawn, a daughter of the late Butch and Charlene Seitzer, began helping when she was a little girl, and now her son Joshua is the next generation to help, along with his dad Chuck Parker.
Dawn said her grandparents in Williamsport, Pa. went to a church that made 20 kettles a year.
The Knowlesville church used to make five, using two kettles owned by church members and others they borrowed. When they made the apple butter at their church, most of it was sold out of Bessie Pritchard’s garage. She was a hairdresser who lived just down the street from the church.
When the church bought the former Ridgeway Firemen’s Recreation Hall in 1998, they decided to have an Apple Festival, which evolved into a pie sale and craft vendors.
Dawn’s grandma had become the official taste tester for the apple butter, and as years went by, she began teaching Dawn how to judge when the apple butter was ready.
It takes nearly two days to cook the apples down, during which time it has to be stirred continuously so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. Volunteers, three at a time, take three-hour turns stirring the kettle. Dawn said her grandma told her early on not to depend upon a recipe.
“A recipe can’t teach you the correct way to make apple butter,” she said. “Some year the apples may be tarter and other years they might be sweeter. The weather also determines how much water is in the apples. If it is wet and damp, it takes longer to cook the apples down.”
“Some days we have been done at 1:30 on the second day and other years it might be 5:30,” Dawn said.
After the apples have cooked for nearly two days, a spoonful would be put on a plate and taken in to Dawn’s grandma, who would draw a spoon through it. If juice ran into the middle, it was not done. Her grandma called it “crying,” Dawn said.
Dawn Seitzer-Parker takes a break during preparations for the 45th year of making apple butter at the Knowlesville Fellowship Hall.
Then Dawn became the designated taster, and it is now her job to draw the spoon through the apple butter to see if it “cries.”
Dawn’s husband Chuck shared the importance of keeping the fire just right. Someone has to keep throwing logs on the fire, to make sure the apple mixture keeps boiling.
“It should be steaming all the time,” Chuck said. “That means the water is cooking out. But you have to be careful the fire doesn’t get too hot and burn the apples.”
Among the volunteers who stepped up to stir the pot in three-hour shifts were Tracie Wilson, Matthew and Raychelle Clayton, Amber Castrechino, the Seitzer-Parkers and sisters Pat and Rocky Andrews.
The apple butter this year was made in memory of Wilson’s daughter, who was killed in an accident last year.
This year’s Apple Festival is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Knowlesville Fellowship Hall on Knowlesville Road. In addition to apple butter, there will be Kutter’s cheese, homemade pies from the Fellowship kitchen and 21 vendors.
Food available for purchase will be beef on weck, salt potatoes, macaroni salad, Waldorf salad and pie. Free coffee, tea and hot chocolate will be available.
In addition to the festival, the apple butter will be sold in the Downtown Browsery and in the Autumn Harvest Pie Shop, which is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Friday and Saturday.
KNOWLESVILLE – In anticipation of the historic 75th Orleans County Fair, the Cornell Cooperative Extension sought and received a generous grant from the Rochester Area Community Foundation to repaint the historic pie tin and replace the signage.
