Search Results for: hitching post

In 1904, Swan Library was missing prominent neighbors

Posted 17 September 2014 at 12:00 am

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

ALBION – In this picture from 1904 we see a great view of Main Street in Albion looking north from State Street.

The Swan Library, which opened in 1900, prominently shows here. Odd Fellows had not yet built their temple next to the library. The temple was erected in 1907.

Likewise, the BL & R Trolley Depot behind the library had not yet been built. That occurred in 1908.

Main Street was still unpaved, yet we see improved cross walks. A number of hitching posts appear down the street, most of which are cast iron.

The first house down the street from the library was torn down in 1924 when Will Robson built the Rialto Theatre. Albion got electric street lights in 1890 and we see one of these hanging off cables in the upper left corner of our picture.

Resurrected carriage step was a labor of love

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 September 2014 at 12:00 am

Step bears name of Danolds, who were friends with George Pullman and influential Universalists

Photos by Tom Rivers – David Heminway is pictured with his grandson Nathaniel Metzler, 8, on a carriage step that Heminway dug up and reset last year. He also repositioned the hitching posts and sandstone sidewalk panels.

A close-up view of the Danolds carriage step

EAGLE HARBOR – Most of the carriage step had disappeared into the soil. David Heminway saw the tops of letters on the step but wasn’t sure what it said because the majority of the stone was buried.

Last year Heminway set about unearthing the step. It was in his front yard in Eagle Harbor. Heminway and his wife Joanne bought a house in 2006 at 3209 Eagle Harbor-Waterport Rd. It took about two years of work before they could move in. The house wasn’t original at the site. The first house burned down more than a century ago. That original house was owned by the Danolds family.

When Heminway dug down to see what was on the carriage step, he recognized the Danolds name. Heminway, a machinist for the state Canal Corp., also has been an active volunteer the past 20 years for the Cobblestone Society and Museum. In the Cobblestone Church there is a Danolds Room, dedicated to Charles and Mary Jane Danolds.

Mrs. Danolds suggested the Cobblestone Universalist Church name its building “The Church of the Good Shepherd.”

Her husband was friends with George Pullman. In the 1850s, when the canal was enlarged, Danolds had a contract to expand the canal and he hired Pullman to move some of the houses that were in the way of the expansion.

Pullman was also a local furniture maker. He would move to Chicago and become a titan of industry with railroad sleeping cars.

Danolds kept up a friendship with Pullman and while the two were vacationing in the Thousand Islands in 1890, Danolds made a pitch for Pullman to help build a new Universalist Church in Albion. Pullman agreed as long as the locals would commit some of their own funds to the project.

The new church opened in 1895 as a memorial to Pullman’s parents, James Lewis Pullman and Emily Caroline Pullman.

Pullman was one of the great industrialists of the 19th Century, but Danolds was no slouch. He ran a mill in Eagle Harbor, where he ground wheat into flour, said Bill Lattin, Orleans County historian.

These portraits of Mary Jane and Charles Danolds hang in the Cobblestone Church in Childs.

Danolds also owned the Cobblestone Inn, sold horses to the Union during the Civil War, worked to enlarge the canal and was a key leader of the local Universalist Church.

“He was a real entrepreneur in his own time,” Lattin said.

The Danolds carriage step, once prominent in front of the Danolds homestead, gradually sank to the point only the top was visible.

Heminway decided to reset a sandstone sidewalk and two hitching posts last year. He also brought up the carriage step and hired Mike Jessmer to fix the sandstone steps by the house.

Heminway worked on the project for about six months. It was a lot of work. The carriage step weighs about 1,500 pounds. The sidewalk panels are also very heavy. He used a tractor with a fork lift to move them. He set the carriage step on about 2 feet of crusher run stone. That should prevent the step from sinking in the future.

David Heminway and his grandson Nathaniel Metzler pose the carriage step in front of Heminway’s house on Eagle Harbor-Waterport Road.

He considered move the hitching posts, carriage step and sidewalk panels closer to the house. He didn’t want to have to mow around a bunch of obstacles, but decided they wouldn’t look right back by the house.

“I think they belong out front where they are,” he said.

Heminway made the sure the hitching posts and carriage step were set far back enough out of the right of way by the the road. He didn’t want to be told he would have to move them again someday.

He is happy to have the step fully visible, and is pleased to have an artifact from a prominent community member from generations ago.

The step shows the talent of the stone carvers from that era with the inscription of “DANOLDS” and detailing on the front. The stone also has two steps where many of the carriage blocks were one-step stones.

Heminway is pleased to have the artifacts from the horse-and-buggy era in his front lawn.

“They’re not making any more carriage steps,” he said.

Lattin praised the Heminways for bringing a historical asset back to the local landscape.

“I thought it was great that they resurrected it,” Lattin said.

Family uses carriage step as grave marker

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 August 2014 at 12:00 am

Our Sandstone Heritage:

Photos by Tom Rivers – Ron Ayrault, left, and his cousin Jerry LeFrois are pictured by the grave of Charles J. LeFrois and Doris LeFrois in Boxwood Cemetery. Jerry LeFrois used his grandfather’s carriage step as the grave marker for his parents.

MEDINA – When his parents died in 2005, Jerry LeFrois contemplated how to honor his parents – Charles J. and Doris LeFrois – with their grave stone.

Jerry picked an unusual marker: a carriage step that had been in the family for three generations. The step bears the name of his grandfather, Philip LeFrois. He was a French immigrant who lived in Eagle Harbor. He was a fruit farmer who was in the apple-drying business.

He also was friends with a quarryman who made the carriage step, which includes a step carved into the stone, as well as the name “P. LeFrois.”

A quarryman carved a step into the stone.

When the LeFrois homestead burned in the 1930s, the family moved to Albion. One of Philip’s son, Harry LeFrois, would move the carriage step to Murray and place it by Ridge Road.

After Harry died, his brother Charles J. LeFrois moved it to his home along Portage Road in Medina. He died on July 7, 2005. His wife died later that December.

Their son Jerry, an Albion graduate who now lives in Tacoma, Wash., had Bridgen Memorial move the stone to Boxwood Cemetery, but not before both names of his parents were inscribed in the stone.

Jerry LeFrois looks over the carriage step that has been in his family for about a century.

LeFrois is working to reclaim another artifact for his family. The hitching post that used to stand next to the carriage step remains in Eagle Harbor. LeFrois has reached out to the owner of the property, Kevin and Joanie Kent. They have agreed to let the family have the hitching post back. It will be moved to Murray, where LeFrois’s cousin Steve Babcock will give it prominent placement in his yard on Phillips Road.

“We’re keeping it in the family,” LeFrois said. “I think my dad is up there smiling.”

Editor’s Note: LeFrois reached out to me to tell the story of the carriage step because he knows I like hitching posts and these old steps. They are personal connections to people who helped build our towns and villages from a century ago.

I’ve noticed many of the carriage steps have sunk into the earth over the years. The names on the steps are obscured. I’m working on a plan to have the sunken steps reset. I’d also like to see some of the steps that have been moved behind houses brought back out in front. We first need an inventory of the steps that need to be raised and relocated. Anyone with information or interest in the project is welcome to send me a note at tom@orleanshub.com.

Old and new technologies at Amish-owned business

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 August 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers
YATES – J.C. Miller Co., a general store on Millers Road in the town of Yates, has an array of solar panels on the roof of the business in the northwest corner of the town.

The property also has a hitching post made of Medina sandstone as well as a hitching rack.

Jonas Miller runs the store with his wife. He put up the historic hitching post last year. He acquired it from a customer as part of the payment towards new gutters in another business venture headed by Mr. Miller.

He said some of his customers with horse and buggies at the general store will use the hitching post that was originally made more than a century ago.

He put up the solar panels in December 2012, the first member of the local Amish community to embrace the technology. Solar energy is popular in many other Amish settlements.

Heritage Heroes set example in preserving past, community identity

Posted 25 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Sue Cook – The following were recognized as Heritage Heroes on Friday at GCC during the Civil War Encampment, from left: Bill Lattin, Matthew Ballard, Chris Busch, Robert Waters (also accepting for Craig Lacey), and Clarendon Town Historian Melissa Ierlan (accepting on behalf of Erin Anheier).

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

MEDINA – Five Orleans County residents were honored in the inaugural class of Heritage Heroes on Friday night. The ‘Heroes’ included a lifetime achievement award for Bill Lattin, the county historian who has been active in many preservation projects at the Cobblestone Society Museum, Mount Albion Cemetery and many other local efforts.

“Not only are they deserving, they are worth of emulation,” said Derek Maxfield, a GCC history professor who served on the Heritage Heroes Committee. “The concentration of people here that are worried about history and heritage is remarkable.”

Maxfield pushed to recognize local residents who have saved buildings, cared for cemeteries, and fought to change a culture that often prefers demolition over restoration.

The Heritage Heroes were presented framed certificates, and citations from State Assemblyman Steve Hawley and Sen. George Maziarz. County Legislator Bill Eick presented the award winners with citations from the County Legislature.

Robert Waters received an award for being active in the Medina community with the repurposing of the Medina Armory and the founding of the Medina Sandstone Society. He has committed to many efforts to bring history into the present.

“They say you can’t live in the past,” Waters said. “That’s a lot of baloney.”

Waters wants the community to look to the past for inspiration about boldness and courage. This should be a push for people to reflect and want to make the present even better.

Waters also accepted an award on Craig Lacy’s behalf, as Lacy was unable to attend. Lacy has been an active participant in Medina as well, including his term as former president and current vice president of the Medina Historical Society. He also compiled a book of articles written by former Medina Village Historian Russell J. Waldo entitled “Medina’s Hitching Post Days.”

“I don’t think anybody can appreciate the hundreds and maybe thousands of hours it took him to produce the thick volumes of columns Mr. Waldo did many years ago. Craig pulled this out of nowhere and brought it to life,” Waters said.

Matthew Ballard of Albion accepted his award for his genealogical support of the Polish community. A noteworthy achievement is his creation of a Polish genealogy website – Albionpolonia.com. Ballard wanted to highlight the contributions of the Polish community.

Ballard said he never expected to be recognized for his work. “For me it’s always been a labor of love.”

Erin Anheier was also unable to attend the evening’s event. In her place, Clarendon Town Historian Melissa Ierlan accepted the award. She explained that Anheier found her love of history through her family, especially her mother.

Anheier has helped Clarendon to see the importance of its history through its buildings and was able to get a few listed on the National Register, including her cobblestone home, the Old Stone Store and Hillside Cemetery.

Chris Busch is also an advocate of historic preservation. He has been a part of the Bent Opera House restoration, as well as St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church. He has worked to keep Medina’s historical character.

He serves as chairman of Medina’s Planning Board, which has set policy for preserving the character of the historic downtown business district.

Chris Busch, left, is recognized by GCC Dean Jim Simon.

Busch recalled that he was fascinated in school learning about World War II and when his father found out, he told Busch “I was there.” That real connection to history was driven home to Busch/ He said he appreciated what he learned even more and knows that it is a part of his own personal history.

“This is truly humbling to be honored for something that is simply me,” he said.

Lastly, Orleans County Historian Bill Lattin was surprised with an award for his services. Orleans Hub editor Tom Rivers explained Lattin’s ability to find the extraordinary ordinary in front of all of us.

Lattin commits to spreading history wherever he goes and encourages the community, including students, to get involved in the preservation, whether it is buildings, photographs or stories.

“Those who forget the past have no future,” Lattin said, quoting his father, a former county historian.

The Heritage Heroes have given the community something to strive for in their own lives. Whether it is simply cleaning up a neighborhood or preserving old photographs, Orleans County has role models for improving our lives through the remembrance of our past.

Some conversation on the way to the grocery store

Posted 4 April 2014 at 12:00 am

By Bill Lattin
Orleans County Historian

ALBION – Two men have a conversation under the awning of H.J. Bailey’s grocery store on Main Street. One of the men took a dog along for the trip.

This snap shot was taken in the late 1890s. There are some iron hitching posts at the curb.

The Waterman Building, which burned about 30 years ago, is seen in the upper right hand corner. The Burrows Block is the long building in center background.

2013 Year in Review

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 January 2014 at 12:00 am

A photographer’s favorite snapshots from 2013

One of the participants, Austin Cox of Medina, slides into the mud pit during the inaugural Orleans County YMCA Mud Run which started and finished at the Sacred Heart Club in Medina.

By Cheryl Wertman, Photographer

As today is the start of a new year, I would like to take one last look at some of the photos that are my favorites since I started contributing to the Orleans Hub in September. It is amazing that I have posted over 500 photos since Mike started writing for the Hub in September and it is very difficult to choose just a few as they are all my favorites.

It is said that “A picture is worth a thousand words” and I hope that in combination with the stories that Mike has posted you, the readers, have enjoyed viewing and reading about all the local athletes and their accomplishments these last four months.

Below you will see a representation of photos from each sport we have covered that I consider some of my very favorite photos so far. Here is hoping that in 2014 we can provide you with many more that are not only my favorites but yours as well.

Scott Barber tries to score for Medina/Lyndonville past Akron goalie Austin McDole and several defenders during the Mustangs loss to the Tigers in the Section VI Class B state qualifier.

Barker’s Melissa Grosshans puts a shot on East Rochester goalie Johannah Price during the Lady Raiders Far West Regional victory at Vets Park.

Albion’s Olivia Neidert dives for the ball during the Purple Eagles undefeated (12-0) Niagara-Orleans League championship season.

Medina’s Holly Heil, in route to a top three finish, runs along the Lake Ontario shoreline at the N-O All-League meet at Lakeside Beach State Park.

Against the scenic backdrop of the Lake Ontario shoreline a trio of runners competes in the N-O All-League cross-country meet at Lakeside Beach State Park.

An autumn sunset during an Albion girls soccer game.

Brooks Boyle runs back an interception for the division champion and playoff finalist Lyndonville Tigers semi pro team.

Iverson Poole picks up yardage for the regular season champion Medina Colts in LOYAL football action.

Medina’s Kyle Barna tries to stop Albion running back Ed Wolfe during the “Doc’s Rock” trophy rivalry game won by the Mustangs.

Roy-Hart’s Calee Coleman competes in the 500 freestyle.

Medina’s Emily Kams fights for a rebound against the Lyndonville duo of Morgan Hungerford and Alyssa Mahnke.

Holley’s Lucas Silvis competes in the Hawks Tournament against Soloman Renfro of Canisius.

Kendall’s Garrett Love is surrounded by a trio of rival Holley players including Josh Porter (2), Ian Penders (30) and Corey Winter (25).

Medina’s Austin Brown competes in the 100 butterfly.

Kendall’s Nicole Browe tries to shoot past Lyndonville goalie Jenna Castricone.

2013 had many special moments

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Medina/Lyndonville literally weathered a storm, a monsoon rain storm, in nipping Newfane 2-1 in double overtime to win a memorable Section VI Class B-1 championship. Here Steven Anderson advances the ball for the Mustangs as Anthony Pane moves in to help.

This morning, as the dawn breaks on the new year, here’s a brief look back at some of the special and eventful moments on the area sports scene in 2013.

Weather provided one of the most lasting memories. A monsoon like rainstorm made for a wild setting as Medina/Lyndonville captured its second boys soccer sectional championship in the last three years by outlasting Niagara-Orleans League rival Newfane 2-1 in double overtime in the Section VI Class B-1 title contest.

The most unusual setting for a sporting event came in June at Lyndonville’s White Birch golf course which hosted a sanctioned pole vault competition on one of its fairways featuring Olympic gold medalist Jenn Suhr and Janice Keppler of Medina who is ranked in the top 10 nationally. It was truly a most unusual sight watching Suhr sprint down the portable runway set up on the fairway for a 16 foot vault with the rest of the golf course as a very scenic backdrop.

The spring could easily have been called the Season of the Tiger as both the Lyndonville baseball and softball teams captured Section V championships with underclassmen dominated squads.

The baseball team earned its second Class D championship in the last three years but just missed out on a trip to the state semis losing by a narrow 3-1 margin to Pine Valley in the Far West Regional. The softball team claimed its first ever sectional championship by nipping Romulus in a 6-5 thriller for the Class D-1 title. However, the Lady Tigers bid for a spot in the state playoffs was ended by a 7-3 loss to Andover in the D state qualifier.

The fall then could just as easily have been called the Season of the Eagle as Kendall High teams captured the Genesee Region League boys soccer, girls soccer and Division II volleyball championships. The soccer teams both earned No. 1 seeds for the sectionals and the girls squad advanced to the Class CC finals losing a narrow 1-0 decision to Caledonia-Mumford.

Always a special event, the Medina vs. Albion football game lived up to its reputation in a free scoring affair at Spierdowis Field in Albion. Medina retained the “Doc’s Rock” trophy and earned its first berth in the sectional playoffs in several years by outlasting rival Albion 38-31.The Mustangs built up a big early lead but then had to turn back a determined Purple Eagles rally in the second half.

A very fitting honor was earned by former long-time Albion football Coach Dick Diminuco who was inducted into the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in October. Diminuco guided Albion to 14 division and four Section VI championships during his 30 seasons at the helm from 1979-2008.

Barker’s field hockey and boys cross-country teams both continued very successful winning traditions qualifying to state level competition.

The field hockey team won its eighth straight Niagara-Orleans League championship and sixth straight Section VI title to gain a berth in the state playoffs. The Lady Raiders won the Far West Regional 1-0 over East Rochester but then dropped a narrow 1-0 double overtime decision to Cazenovia in the state semifinals at Cicero-North Syracuse.

The Raiders boys cross-country team claimed the N-O and Section VI Class D titles and went on to place third at the state Class D championship race held at Queensbury High.

Albion’s baseball squad continued its strong run in N-O competition capturing the league title for the second year in a row and the fifth time in the last six years. The Purple Eagles volleyball squad also had a big season claiming the N-O crown for the second time in four years with a perfect 12-0 record.

Roy-Hart’s boys swim team made it seven straight N-O championships and in December the Channel Cats surpassed the 100 straight victory mark.

Holley’s wresting squad likewise continued a long league title run as the Hawks captured the Genesee Region crown for the fourth straight year the 14th in the last 17 years. The Hawks had two wrestlers advance to the state championships as Mike Silvis placed third and Andrew Flanagan fifth.

Roy-Hart senior Drew Hull capped off an outstanding varsity wrestling career by capturing the state 145 lb. championship to complete a perfect 44-0 season.

And not to be forgotten were N-O titles won by the Medina tennis and Barker golf and boys track teams.

2013’s Outstanding Citizens in Orleans County

They performed many good deeds, often when not asked and at no gain to themselves. Orleans Hub would like to recognize some outstanding citizens from 2013.

Good Samaritan helps police catch bank robber

Before he robbed the Bank of America in Albion, Jeremy Rothmund of Rochester twice got away with similar crimes in the town of Greece. His girlfriend had a getaway car near the banks and Rothmund escaped.

But Rothmund didn’t get away on July 2 when he robbed a bank in Albion. An Albion businessman pulled up to the drive-through at about 4 p.m. that day, ready to deposit a check at the Bank of America.

He looked inside the bank window and saw a man wearing sunglasses with a hat on, and an ace bandage wrapped around his chin and neck. The teller indicated to the drive-through customer that the bank was being robbed.

The local merchant then hopped out of his car, leaving it running in the drive-through. He went towards the front door of the bank and the robber said he had a bomb and thrust a box covered in wires into the merchant’s face, telling him, “I don’t care if we both die and go to Hell.”

The businessman, who has requested anonymity, backed off. “I’m not an Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I could tell he was under the influence of something,” the merchant told the Orleans Hub on July 3.

Although he backed off, the businessman knew the robber was likely fleeing to a getaway car. So the merchant followed the robber behind the bank and along the railroad tracks. He watched the robber tear off his mask and get into a blue Ford Focus. The merchant then relayed that description to police.

Ten minutes later Holley police stopped the car at Woodside Court, an apartment complex off Route 31 on the west side of the village.

Rothmund and his girlfriend Elyse A. Hoffer, 22 have both pleaded guilty. Rothmund faces up to 15 years in state prison.

“I just wanted to help and be a good citizen and a Good Samaritan,” said the resident. “It all happened so fast.”

Apple grower helped bring new varieties to market

Photos by Tom Rivers – Roger LaMont is chairman of the New York Apple Growers LLC, a group of farmers that worked with Cornell to grow and market new apple varieties.

Apples are big business in Orleans County. We’re New York’s second-leading apple county behind only Wayne County.

The future of the industry is brighter, and a local grower played a key role in two new apple varieties reaching the market this year. In August, Cornell University and the New York Apple Association unveiled SnapDragon and RubyFrost.

Roger LaMont, an Albion apple grower, served as chairman of a group that formed to grow and market the apples. The new varieties are exclusive to New York growers. They won’t be released to growers in other states, which will give growers in the Empire State an edge. That should lead to bigger returns for the farmers, making their farms stronger financially.

LaMont is nearing retirement. He took the lead on the initiative, wanting to set up the industry for a more viable future. That should make these farms key contributors to the county’s economy for years to come.

Pole vaulter gives back by competing in Lyndonville

Jenn Suhr competes in a pole vaulting competition May 31 at the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville.

Jenn Suhr, the Gold Medal-winning pole vaulter, is married to Lyndonville native Rick Suhr, who is also her coach. The couple has a home in Kendall.

Mrs. Suhr is thankful for the support of her fans in Western New York, but she said many of them have never seen pole vaulting live. When Suhr was prepping for the world championships in August (where she won the silver medal), she helped orchestrate three sanctioned vaulting competitions in Lyndonville, using the White Birch Golf Course for the meets. Her brother-in-law Harold Suhr owns the course. He used the second fairway as a runway for three vault competitions between May 31 and July 4.

Suhr cleared the top outdoor height in the world when she went over 16 feet, 1 inch at the White Birch, giving the course a distinction normally reserved for major sporting arenas in the world.

“We wanted to bring the pole vault out here so people don’t have to travel and spend tons of money to see it,” Suhr said.

Resident rallies to save Clarendon Stone Store

The old Stone Store building, currently an eyesore at the corner of routes 31A and 237 in Clarendon, is being turned into an attractive asset for the town.

The old Stone Store, once a key focal point to community life in Clarendon, had fallen into disrepair and was considered an eyesore. Many residents two years ago were calling for the building to be torn down.

But one local resident convinced the Town Board to call off the wrecking ball. Erin Anheier, chairwoman of the Old Stone Store Preservation Committee, mobilized volunteers to clean up the property and find a buyer for the site, which dates back to 1836.

She helped get the site on the National Register of Historic Places. She also helped get Hillside Cemetery in Holley on that list this past year, designations that bring prestige and the prospect of grants for building improvements.

Joe and Sue Fertitta are rehabbing the Stone Store. They are gutting and renovating the building, and the couple plans to put on a front porch to match the building’s original look. They expect to have the project done next summer, with a tenant living in the upstairs and the first floor available for offices.

“This shows it can be done,” Anheier said. “These buildings can be saved.”

Anonymous donor has helped beautify Medina

This home at 204 West Center St., Medina, was one of 17 houses in the village to receive matching funds for improvements through a grant administered by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce. The $200,000 grant also provided money to 11 businesses for façade and sign upgrades.

It has been a busy year for painters in Medina. An anonymous donor offered matching funds for people who painted their houses or worked on other beautification efforts.

Contractors worked on 28 properties in all as part of $200,000 in matching grants. The grants will continue in 2014. The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is administering the program.

“It’s just been amazing,” said Kathy Blackburn, Chamber executive director. “We are thrilled with the work that has been done. It’s encouraged others to work on their properties as well.”

The grant in its first year funded projects at 17 homes and 11 businesses. The initiative is aimed to boost the curb-side appeal of the community, and make needed improvements more affordable for property owners. The money has given many neighborhoods a lift.

Kent helps lead the fight for ‘Concerned Citizens’

Adolf Genter, a member of the Concerned Citizens of Orleans County, protests the sale of the county nursing home.

These are apathetic times when it comes to pubic participation in civic affairs. Voter turnout is low. Membership is way down in service clubs, and many political candidates run unopposed.

Gary Kent helped reverse that trend in Orleans County, leading hundreds of residents in a protest against the sale of the county nursing home. Many will say Kent lost the fight because the sale will likely be approved early in 2014 and he failed to be elected to the County Legislature. (Kent was one of six candidates to try to unseat the Republican-endorsed candidates, the most opposition the GOP has faced for the Legislature since it formed in 1980.)

But Kent, a retired social studies teacher, inspired a sustained protest from people of all political parties against the county’s move to sell The Villages of Orleans.

They stood in the rain outside Legislature meetings. They carried petitions. They filed lawsuits. The Concerned Citizens raised money at spaghetti dinners. They tried every route possible in voicing their opposition to the sale. That’s what good citizens do: They engage in the process.

Young mom leads fight against SAFE Act

Gia Arnold speaks at a rally against the SAFE Act in April outside the Orleans County Courthouse.

A new movement took off this year, and it was led by a mother of three young children. Gia Arnold of Holley helped create the New York Revolution, a group opposed to the SAFE Act. The group was born after the State Legislature and Gov. Cuomo in January passed the SAFE Act, legislation that NY Revolution saw as an infringement on the Second Amendment rights.

The group has a following state-wide but it may be it’s most powerful in Orleans County. Arnold attended numerous community events and municipal board meetings, and swayed every elected board at the village, town and county level to pass resolutions opposing the SAFE Act. A top goal is unseating Cuomo as governor in November 2014.

Arnold planned a rally in April attended by about 200 people outside the County Courthouse.

“It’s not just a guns issue,” she said. “It’s more of a rights issue. They are taking away our freedoms.”

2013 Person of the Year: Jodi Gaines

Local resident has built a juggernaut of a company, employing hundreds in job-starved Orleans County

Photos by Tom Rivers – Jodi Gaines answers questions from the media on Sept. 30, when she announced Claims Recovery Financial Services would be actively recruiting to fill 150 more positions in Albion.

You hear it a lot around here: No jobs for young people so they leave after high school or college in search for more opportunity. Our community is far poorer for it.

One local woman has proven a major force combating the flight of area residents by providing employment in their backyard. Jodi Gaines in a decade has built a company to 600 workers with plans to add 150 more in Albion, with possibly more expansion in the future.

Gaines, chief executive officer and co-owner of Claims Recovery Financial Services, is leading the company in a major growth spurt at a time when Orleans County desperately needs it. We have one of the highest unemployment rates in the state.

This year CRFS outgrew its space in Albion and expanded into a site in Medina at the Olde Pickle Factory. The company had the Albion and Medina sites, and added about 80 people in San Antonio, Texas. CRFS was still pinched for room.

In June, JP Morgan Chase announced it would close its Albion site in September, and would lay off 413 workers, leaving a 60,000-square-foot facility to sit empty in a prominent location in the village. The news was a major blow to the community’s psyche.

Gaines saw an opportunity in the Chase site. In September, she announced she was moving the entire Orleans County operation to Chase building and would actively recruit 150 more workers.

“CRFS is primed to do more for Orleans County than ever before,” Gaines said during a Sept. 30 press conference. “We started in Orleans County. We’re staying in Orleans County and the best is yet to come.”

The announcement had the added good news that Roger Hungerford, owner of the Olde Pickle Factory, was buying the site. He immediately set about painting the big building and making other renovations.

“We’re getting local ownership with the building and someone who will invest in the property,” Albion Mayor Dean Theodorakos said.

For the past 25 years the location has employed hundreds of people in the banking industry, first at Anchor Savings Bank, followed by Dime Bank, North American Mortgage Corporation, Washington Mutual and then Chase.

About every five years one of the banking companies was bought by a bigger bank in a very volatile industry. That always created uncertainty and worry in Albion that the new owners would eliminate the Orleans workforce through a consolidation.

Our Congressional representatives, notably former Congressman John LaFalce and more recently U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, used their clout on banking committees to help keep the banking jobs in Albion.

With a local woman running a locally based company, the community can breathe a little easier that Gaines won’t suddenly spring some bad news on us that she is taking her workforce out of state.

Gaines started as a claims clerk in 1989 for the former Anchor Savings Bank in Albion. She stayed in that department as ownership of the facility changed to Dime Bank and the North American Mortgage Company and then to Washington Mutual. WaMu phased out the claims department in 2002.

Gaines was offered a different job to stay with WaMu, but she opted to start her own company in claims, helping banks and investors to recover money with foreclosed properties.

She started the new venture from her kitchen table in Albion. That was December 2002. She had two employees. The company quickly grew, mastering regulations in all 50 states and taking on more clients.

Her employees work with attorneys, county clerks, utility companies and investors from all over the country. CRFS works to recover past-due interest, unpaid principal, unpaid taxes and unpaid insurance on houses.

“This organization prides itself on results and quality each and every day,” Gaines said. “The work ethic of the CRFS managers and employees is why we are now poised for such tremendous growth.”

Gaines was active in the Albion youth soccer program for many years with her son, once serving as a league commissioner. She remains active on the board of directors for the Orleans County United Way.

She is the Orleans Hub’s 2013 “Person of the Year.”

2013: Top stories of the year

Photo by Tom Rivers – JPMorgan Chase closed its Albion call center in September after the company worked five years out of this East Avenue site, which was previously home to Washington Mutual. Claims Recovery Financial Services will be the new tenant in the building, which will house 750 workers for CRFS.

There was a lot of news in Orleans County in 2013. Orleans Hub has weighed the stories, and we have our list of the top 10. We gave preference to stories with impact on the community as a whole.

1. CRFS helps fill void from shut-down Chase site

It was devastating news in June when JP Morgan Chase announced it was shutting down its Albion operation and would lay off 413 workers by September.

Chase once had nearly 1,000 workers in Albion, but had gradually reduced its workforce over five years in Albion.

The company worked out of a massive former tomato processing facility on East Avenue. The site didn’t sit idle for long. Roger Hungerford, owner of the Olde Pickle Factory in Medina, bought the 60,000-square-foot site and started renovations in September for the new tenant: Claims Recovery Financial Services.

That home-grown company, led by Orleans County resident Jodi Gaines, announced it had outgrown sites in Albion and Medina and would consolidate its operations at the former Chase site, employing 750 people in Albion. As part of the move to the Chase site, CRFS announced it would add 150 workers, bringing much-needed jobs to a county with one of the highest unemployment rates in the state.

2. SAFE Act triggers sustained outrage

Conservative talk show host Bob Lonsberry addresses a crowd of nearly 200 people in front of the Orleans County Courthouse during a protest about the SAFE Act on April 13.

In January Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state legislators approved the SAFE Act, which they said was designed to tighten gun control laws.

The new law, which was passed without public comment, was loudly protested in Orleans County and throughout much of Upstate New York. The Orleans County Legislature called for the law’s repeal.

Every town and village elected board in the county also formally opposed the new law, which was called an attack on Americans’ Second Amendment Rights. Orleans is the only county to have every town, village and county elected board pass resolutions against the SAFE Act.

A new citizens group, New York Revolution, formed and was active at local parades and community events. The organization is trying to unseat Cuomo in the 2014 election for governor.

Orleans County District Attorney Joe Cardone told a crowd in October that he wouldn’t prosecute “John Q. Public” for violating some of the provisions of the SAFE Act, including cosmetic requirements that now make some guns illegal.

3. ‘Concerned Citizens’ fight against sale of nursing home

Ondrea Pate, an employee at The Viilages of Orleans, and about 20 other people rallied in a rainstorm on April 10 for the county to keep its nursing home publicly owned. Concerned Citizens of Orleans County picketed on Main Street during many County Legislature meetings, trying to sway the body not to sell the 120-bed site in Albion.

In February, the County Legislature announced it would sell The Villages of Orleans, a 120-bed nursing home in Albion. The Legislature said the site operated at too much of a loss, burdening local taxpayers by at least $2 million a year with prospects for $4 million in annual deficits.

The decision prompted protests from residents of all ages and political parties. Many protested outside Legislature meetings, standing in storms. Two lawsuits failed to stop the county’s push to sell the nursing home.

A slate of candidates also ran trying to save the nursing home, but they failed to unseat the Republican majority. The Legislature formed a local development corporation to temporarily own the nursing home and to find a buyer for the site. The LDC could select the buyer in January.

4. Massive warehouse fire threatened Albion neighborhood

The fire at Orleans Pallet quickly spread through the building and turned into an inferno, threatening the neighborhood.

A fire on Oct. 17 destroyed a big warehouse and threatened to damage other nearby structures. But the blaze was contained to Orleans Pallet’s main warehouse, a huge Medina sandstone structure built in 1901.

Smoke from the blaze could be seen from 20 miles in one of the community’s biggest fires ever.

The fire started after a spark from a grinder caught the wooden timbers on fire inside the warehouse. About 150 firefighters kept the blaze from spreading next door to Empire Coating.

Shawn Malark, owner of the warehouse and Orleans Pallet, used the site to store wooden pallets, which he then sold to farms and other businesses. Malark’s main production building survived the fire and he has stayed in business.

5. Burglars terrorized community with summer break-ins

Police agencies in three counties worked together to arrest Jonathan Banks, top left; Isaiah Bonk, top right; Jasper Lloyd, bottom, left; Thomas Shingleton, bottom right.

Burglars terrorized Albion and Medina neighborhoods with a series of break-ins over the summer. The burglars would remove window screens or enter through unlocked doors, typically committing their crimes while people were asleep late at night.

Police from multiple agencies in three counties arrested four people in December who are accused of 32 burglaries in August and September, a rash of break-ins in Albion, Medina, Oakfield and Lockport.

One of the suspected burglars, Jonathan Banks, 21, of Medina, was arrested by Lockport police in September. After his arrest, there weren’t additional burglaries, police officials said. Besides Banks, 21, police arrested Isaiah Bonk, 20, of Medina; Jasper Lloyd, 20, of Albion; and Thomas Shingleton, 36, of Medina.

There were other high-profile crimes in the county in 2013, including a bank robbery, murder and attempted murder.

6. Lakeside closes in Brockport and Medina Memorial Hospital makes changes at top

Strong West in September opened the former Lakeside Memorial Hospital as an urgent care center.

Lakeside Memorial Hospital in Brockport, a site that served many Orleans County residents, closed in April due to mounting financial losses. The facility would reopen in September as an urgent care center.

It is now owned by the University of Rochester Medical Center, which renamed it “Strong West.” The site doesn’t currently have an emergency room, meaning fire departments and ambulance squads form Orleans County now have a longer transport for patients on the east side of the county. Lakeside handled 17,000 ER calls in its final year.

Small-town hospitals are struggling, and Medina isn’t immune. The hospital’s board of directors announced in June that long-time hospital CEO Jim Sinner had resigned after 15 years.

The board of directors hired HealthTech Management Services to manage the hospital and healthcare organization. In late October, the board hired Dolores Horvath from HealthTech to serve as CEO.

She said hospitals are challenged and there will be a shift to more outpatient care in the future.

7. Assessments spark uproar and worry

Carlton residents packed several town meetings this year, including this one in April, to sound off about assessments they say were set too high for many properties. The Town Board opted against reappointing the town assessor and is hiring a firm to establish values for the properties in Carlton. The board includes, from left: Dana Woolston, Joyce Harris, Town Supervisor Gayle Ashbery, Robin Lake and Jim Shoemaker.

Orleans County completed its once-every-three-year reassessment in 2012, and the new values were sent to property owners this past spring.

In Carlton, residents were in an uproar over assessments that showed big increases for many sites. Crowds packed Town Board meetings to complain about the assessments.

The backlash prompted the Town Board not to reappoint assessor Karen Adams. The town is hiring a private firm to help establish values for 2,400 sites in the town.

The reassessments painted a gloomy picture for the four villages in the county. While Carlton saw big increases for some properties, the villages collectively went down in value, which may be unprecedented during a reassessment for an entire municipality.

The village of Albion declined nearly $3 million, the biggest loss. The shrinking assessed values results in a smaller tax base to pay for services, likely driving up the tax rate.

8. Some changes at historic churches

The United Methodist Church in Medina meets for the first time in the former Apple Grove Inn on Oct. 27. The church transfromed the former restaurant int a modern church setting.

One congregation at a historic church in Medina left its building and moved to the former Apple Grove Inn, following an extensive three-year renovation.

Another congregation in Albion voted to abandon its historic building, although that congregation continues to meet there.

The Medina United Methodist Church celebrated its first service in the former Apple Grove Inn on Oct. 27. The church bought the landmark building for $100,000 at an auction. Most of the building was gutted, walls were taken out in some spots and new ones put in. The west end of the building was extended to accommodate the sanctuary. The project cost nearly $1 million.

It was a lot of work, and church members did the bulk of the construction, painting and carpeting themselves. The congregation of about 50 people had a final service at their old building at 222 West Center St. Then they walked or drove a mile down the road to the former Apple Grove.

In August, the First United Methodist Church in Albion voted to walk away from its 150-year-old building. The church faces about $1 million in repairs. The church is trying to find a buyer for the site and is looking for a new home. It will continue to meet in the building in the near future. The church is one of seven in Albion named to the National Register of Historic Places.

9. ‘Squirrel Slam’ cast media glare on Holley

The national media doesn’t often pay much attention to an Orleans County community, but for weeks leading up to the annual “Squirrel Slam” in February, news organizations from throughout the world were talking about a fund-raiser at Holley.

The Holley Fire Department for six years held a competition where contestants paid an entry fee and then went hunting for squirrels. Hunters as young as 12 could win prizes for biggest squirrels shot.

Animal rights activists protested and urged Holley to cancel the event. The Village Board and Fire Department let it continue and participation surged from the usual 250 to about 700. Outside police were brought in to help manage the protest.

10. Point Breeze wins ‘ultimate’ fishing title

Orleans County Legislature Chairman David Callard gives Narby’s Superette and Tackle owner Sharon Narburgh a hug on June 26. The Point Breeze community received a trophy and check for $25,000 after winning the “Ultimate Fishing Town” competition.

Orleans County has new bait to lure visitors for the county’s top tourism draw, its fishing industry. Point Breeze was named the “Ultimate Fishing Town” in 2013 by the World Fishing Network, topping 700 other fishing communities in the U.S. and Canada for the crown.

Thousands of votes were cast on-line in support of Point Breeze and the Oak Orchard River. It appeared during the competition that Cape Hatteras in North Carolina would win, but voting irregularities for that community led to WFN giving the top award to Point Breeze.

The title has been proclaimed on banners and will be used to market the area to more anglers.

“This can help us to stand out,” said Sharon Narburgh, owner of Narby’s Superette and Tackle.

There were other big stories in the county this year, including Holley Central School’s completion of extensive renovations to the junior-senior high school and elementary school. The district also built a new transportation facility, all-weather track and football stadium

Many of the downtown Albion building owners also painted and did other improvements to their buildings in the most extensive renovation spree in recent memory.

2013: Best submitted photos from the readers of Orleans Hub

Orleans Hub readers submitted many photos to our web site this year, including some on-the-scene news photos and other more artistic features.

These photos helped us tell the story of Orleans County. We’re grateful for the submissions and welcome more at news@orleanshub.com.

Here are some of our favorites:

On July 2, Jeremy Rothmund robbed the Bank of America in Albion and hopped in a getaway car driven by his girlfriend, Elyse Hoffer, both of Rochester. The two were spotted leaving Albion in a blue Ford Focus and headed east on Route 31 towards Holley.

Police stopped them in Holley at Woodside Court, an apartment complex off Route 31 on the west side of the village. Jeff Schuner lives at Woodside Court and he took this photo of Rothmund being taken into custody.

Peggy Bropst took this photo from a hot-air balloon on June 30. The shadow of the balloon appears in a cornfield. The ride was a belated Father’s Day gift for her father, Chet Wheelock, an 82-year-old farmer from Kent.

Four generations of Wheelocks rode in the balloon, including Wheelock’s grandson Jeremy Mikels and great-grandson Mason Mikels. “You don’t feel any wind up there,” Wheelock said. “You’re traveling with the wind. It’s as still as can be.”

The sun cast an array of colors while setting Aug. 23 at Lake Ontario. Jerome Pawlak of Albion was at Point Breeze and took this photo of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse. I’ve seen a lot of photos of the lighthouse since it was erected in 2010, and I think this is the best one.

Thom Jennings, an event promoter from Albion, took this photo of his son Trevor Jennings, center, playing the drums with Rusted Root after the Pittsburgh band played an encore on Aug. 25 in North Tonawanda.

Before the band would return to stage, they made Trevor, 19, come out and perform with them before 10,000 people. Trevor was backstage with his father Thom. After the song Trevor was invited to take a final bow with the group.

After playing local gigs for nearly a decade, Above the Fog performed for a final time Aug. 22 outside the Hoag Library in Albion. Michael Whiting of Whiting’s Village Studio took this picture of Dylan DeSmit, left, and Taylor Whittier giving an enthusiastic performance during the final concert. The musicians still expect to make an impact on the local music scene.

Chris Busch was out enjoying a gorgeous sunny day on July 23, and talked his way to the rooftop at the R.H. Newell Shirt Factory building at 115 West Center St. He took this photo looking toward the First Baptist Church at 203 West Center. You can also see the Post Office in the front right and St. Mary’s Catholic Church in the back right.

Michael Karcz, a frequent contributor to the Hub, took this picture of the fireworks on July 26 at the Orleans County 4-H Fair. This photo actually represents several different images.

“The firework shots were taken individually, and the shot of the fair was taken after the fireworks,” Karcz said. “I needed a higher vantage point, and the only place I could think of was on top of my van, so I climbed up and shot away. That’s the fun of photography.”

It was big news in the apple world on Aug. 1 when Cornell University and New York apple growers announced the names and logos for two new apple varieties. Orleans Hub wanted to be there for the announcement in Geneva, but couldn’t get away for the several-hour commitment. Ingrid LaMont, wife of apple grower Roger LaMont, was there and sent us a photo from her smart phone. We were one of the first news sites to announce the new names and show their logos.

In recent years, Holley dentist Dan Schiavone has traveled to rural Peru in the Amazon, spending a week providing dental care. His daughter Kaci, a biochemistry student at the University of Rochester, joined him in March for the trip.

Schiavone took this photo of his daughter checking a girl’s teeth and dental health during an exam in Peru. “They are gracious and happy people,” Schiavone said. “They appreciate everything you do.”

Heather Beach Smith of Medina took this picture of the Erie Canal lift bridge on Route 63 in Medina after the ice storm on Dec. 22.

2013: Portraits and Personalities

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The Orleans Hub has published more than 3,000 photos since we went live on April 2.

These are some of my favorites of portraits and personalities that show local folks in our surroundings. The top picture shows Maria Ball, 6, of Medina having fun with sparklers before the fireworks show in Lyndonville on July 4.

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Baillie Oberther, 16, of Medina is crowned queen of Dyngus Day on April 1 during a celebration at Sacred Heart Club in Medina. Bonnie Boyd, last year’s queen, passes on the crown. About 200 people celebrated Dyngus Day in Medina. This photo was published on April 2, Orleans Hub’s first official day. It remains one of our favorite photos.

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A group of Civil War re-enactors, which marched down Main Street in Medina during a parade on April 27, pause for a ceremony in front of the Bent’s Opera House. That building opened during the Civil War. Medina hosted a Civil War encampment for the first time in April.

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Ken Nice, co-owner of Nice Farms in Knowlesville, walks through a fruit orchard along Knowlesville Road on April 30. He is checking how the bees are pollinating the fruit crop. The pink blossoms will bear white nectarines while the white blossoms will be plums. Nice said the blossoming trees are a visual and olfactory feast. “It’s like a perfume factory,” he said.

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Bradley Martin and a team of six draft horses harrow a field on Knowlesville Road on April 30. Martin works for a Mennonite-owned dairy farm, part of a growing cluster for Amish- and Mennonite-owned businesses in the Ridgeway and Yates communities. Martin also walked the field, removing big rocks by hand.

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George Borrelli is pictured in June, working in his Carlton shop to make metal rings that will be put in hitching posts as part of a project in Albion. Borrelli, a blacksmith, heated the steel to 1,600 degrees so he could bend it into a circle to be used as a ring.

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Nick Wright, 11, of Holley is all smiles after plunging face first into a raspberry pie during a pie-eating contest on July 26 at the Orleans County 4-H Fair. The contest is a glorious messy affair.

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Alex Graff, a Medina native who now lives in Rochester, may be covered in grease, but he is having a great time during the grease pole championships on July 27 to cap off the Orleans County 4-H Fair.

Steven Papponetti is trying to climb of Graff’s shoulders. Graff and Papponetti are members of the Rough N Ready team. They weren’t able to reach the top of the pole on Saturday. They won on a different day to advance to the finals.

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Riley Schillaci of Rochester swallows a flame during the Steampunk Festival on Aug. 31 at the Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina. The event featured several outrageous stunts.

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Nelda Callard paints the trim above the side door of a house she and her husband David Callard are working to restore on Temperance Street in Albion. She is pictured in early September. Her husband is chairman of the Orleans County Legislature. The couple worked more than a year fixing up the house on Temperance. The house dates back to the 1840s. It was badly rundown.

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Jonathan Judd, 9, of Albion gets his hook ready when Albion Scouts kicked off a new year on Sept. 27 by going fishing. Jonathan was popular among the Scouts because he brought along some extra worms. The group went fishing in an old quarry on Keitel Road. The Albion Sportsmen’s Association owns the old sandstone site.

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Young Enterprises employee Shane Swann is on top of the Pratt building at 118 North Main St., coating the roof on Sept. 19. It’s not everyday you get to look down on the lift bridge in Albion.

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Ashley Webb, a drum major for Le Roy, leads the band in its performance of “Ashes to Ashes” at Vets Park on Sept. 21 in Medina. Marching bands performed for three hours at Vets Park before judges stopped the Fall Festival of Bands due to the major downpour.

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A lone onlooker, a former Orleans Pallet employee, walks the railroad tracks in Albion on the night of Oct. 17 when firefighters were packing up and heading home after six hours of intense firefighting. A huge blaze feasted on Orleans Pallet’s three-story stone warehouse. Most of the building was knocked down by a demolition crew in the following days.

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An anguished Fantine (Kaylee Jakubowski) sings, ‘I Dreamed A Dream,’ after she is forced into prostitution. She was among the stars in the Lake Plains Community Players’ production of ‘Les Miserables.’ The famous show became available for the first time this year to adult community theater groups. Lake Plains performed the show in late October.

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Nick Condoluci may have the scariest setup for Halloween in Orleans County, a backyard with hanging skeletons, a grave yard, a guillotine and a “Booger Booth,” just to name a few. He is pictured on Oct. 29 by his porch. Condoluci makes most of the props himself, spending much of the winter cutting out and designing tombstones, signs and other scary features, including an electric chair with a buzzer on the seat.

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Ann Batt of Albion dressed up as Harry Potter for Halloween. She joined other senior citizens in costume during their exercise class at the Albion Academy. The senior citizens have made it an annual Halloween tradition to dress up during their exercise class led by Leslie Allen.

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The village of Lyndonville celebrated a holiday event on Dec. 7 that included a visit by Santa Claus. The jolly ole’ elf met with youngsters at the Village Hall. Grayson Voltz of Lockport didn’t take a liking to Santa, who is looking for some relief from Grayson’s mother, Jessica Voltz, a Lyndonville native.

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2013: Portraits and Personalities – Photos

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 December 2013 at 12:00 am

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The Orleans Hub has published more than 3,000 photos since we went live on April 2.

dyngusqueen

cw7sm

kennicesm

mennoniteplowing2sm

gborrelliforgesm

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Nick Wright, 11, of Holley is all smiles after plunging face first into a raspberry pie during a pie-eating contest on July 26 at the Orleans County 4-H Fair. The contest is a glorious messy affair.

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Alex Graff, a Medina native who now lives in Rochester, may be covered in grease, but he is having a great time during the grease pole championships on July 27 to cap off the Orleans County 4-H Fair.

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Riley Schillaci of Rochester swallows a flame during the Steampunk Festival on Aug. 31 at the Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina. The event featured several outrageous stunts.

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Young Enterprises employee Shane Swann is on top of the Pratt building at 118 North Main St., coating the roof on Sept. 19. It’s not everyday you get to look down on the lift bridge in Albion.

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101713_fireout

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Mount Albion stays majestic, even in a deep freeze

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 December 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – A monument is framed by frozen branches.

Mount Albion Tower, a 68-foot-high Civil War Memorial, looms in the background.

Mount Albion Cemetery is one of the most glorious places in Orleans County. The cemetery has terraced hills, tree-lined roads and many impressive monuments. It’s also been well cared for by the village of Albion.

Mount Albion was the first site from Orleans County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That was in 1976, on the 100^th anniversary of the construction of the Civil War Memorial, the big tower in the cemetery.

Here are some images of the ice-coated cemetery this morning:

One of the front gates on the east side of the cemetery is dripping with icicles.

A ring is covered in ice on an old hitching post in the old section. The cemetery has many hitching posts and carriage steps.

The Civil War section in the cemetery includes a cannon from the war.

A Grand Army of the Republic marker is next to the grave for Noah Green.

The front gates to Mount Albion Tower weren’t spared from the ice storm. The spiral staircase, in back, leads to the top of the tower.

The cemetery has a lot of mature trees and many of their branches were hanging close to the ground from the weight of the ice.

Dairy farmer found other uses for old horse weight

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 December 2013 at 12:00 am

John Long has witnessed changes on the farm landscape

John Long holds the 18-pound horse weight that has been in his family for generations.

GAINES – For the many years John Long and his father Frank milked cows on Zig Zag Road, they used an old horse weight as a door stop in the milk house.

Frank Long started the farm in 1937 at Zig Zag Road. John Long sold the cows in 1988, when he turned the farm’s focus on crops. He also had a retail straw and hay business.

He kept the old horse weight, which weighs 18 pounds and has a ring. It is a relic from the horse and buggy era. Orleans Hub has posted many articles about the rather incredible collection of hitching posts, mounting blocks and carriage steps that remain on many properties in the area. Albion and Gaines, in particular, have many of these. There are also quite a few in Medina.

Long wanted me to see the horse weight, which his father referred to as a horse block.

John Long treasures the horse weight. He scrubbed it and gave it a new coating of black paint.

Horse weights were movable blocks, made of iron or stone, that were carried in carriages. Not every place had a hitching post to tie up a horse. So people brought along a horse weight to tie up their horse and keep it in place.

I had never seen a horse weight before until Long showed it to me on Thursday. He takes pride in the relic. He has it scrubbed up and painted black. It’s been in his family for many, many years.

Long, 79, remembers when horses were a bigger part of Albion. He can recall hitching posts along Caroline Street and a drinking fountain for horses on the Courthouse Lawn.

I asked County Historian Bill Lattin if he thinks there are many surviving horse weights these days. Lattin has two, including a heavy sandstone weight that he suspects was used to hitch a team of horses. He also has a smaller one, similar to Long’s.

But Lattin hasn’t seen too many of the weights.

Long likes the history of the area. He lives outside the eastern end of the village of Albion. Long and his wife Loretta raised two sons – Jeff and Doug – out in the country.

John Long said almost every farmer in the area used to grow tomatoes to feed the processing plants in Albion.

Many of the roads near him – Kietel, Densmore, Lattin and Sawyer – are named for pioneer settlers. Zig Zag Road used to be call Wickham Road, named for another pioneer. Long doesn’t know why the name was changed.

He’s seen a lot of changes in local agriculture. Long’s farm and almost every other farm oepration in the area grew a lot of tomatoes to feed the processing plants in Albion.

Lipton’s (across from McDonalds) stopped buying local tomatoes in 1961 and then Hunt’s took its last local crop in 1969. Hunt’s had an enormous facility, the former Chase site in Albion plus more space on East Avenue going to Platt Street, where Helena Chemical is currently located.

“In the fall you could smell the ketchup cooking in Albion,” Long said.

Many local farmers grew tomatoes for Lipton’s and Hunt’s. These days you don’t see much acreage for tomatoes.

Instead, Long said it feels like corn is everywhere. He rents out his land and two farmers who use it for corn.

“Corn is king now because of the ethanol,” Long said.

Most of the corn has been harvested next to Long’s former dairy farm on Zig Zag Road. Long sold much of equipment from the barn in an auction in October.

Buggy, picked up at yard sale, finds a home at Panek’s

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Jim Panek saw it at a yard sale in Gaines, an old buggy with wobbly wheels.

The buggy likely dates back at least a century. You don’t see too many of them around anymore.

“I thought it was pretty cool,” Panek said.

He bought it and has given it shelter in a barn next to his family’s home at 13420 Countyhouse Rd.

I was at the barn today for a story on Panek’s daughter Katie Klotzbach, who opened County House Christmas Trees. She is selling about 300 trees from the barn. I tend to get distracted around old stuff, especially items that are part of the horse-and-buggy culture.

The Albion and Gaines area is loaded with hitching posts, carriage steps and mounting blocks. I really think a trail of these artifacts could draw people out here and stir some community pride.

A dream some day for the community would be to turn one of these old carriage barns into a museum. There are a lot of these old barns behind some of the nicer houses in the community.

Before today I knew one local person who had a buggy from the pre-automobile era. I know of two sleighs. If we ever had a museum or historic site in a carriage barn, we really should have a buggy in there.

For now, the public can see one of these while they go hunt for a Christmas tree. The buggy is even decorated for the holidays.

Panek has rescued other horse-and-buggy artifacts. He moved the carriage step from his grandparents’ property on Route 18 in Lyndonville and now has it by his house.

He also bought a hitching post that was removed from a property in Eagle Harbor. Panek intends to set it up by the carriage step in front of his house. I’m happy the trail of these relics keeps getting bigger.

Boot scraper remains part of charm at DAR House

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – This week I made a shocking discovery in Albion. There is an old boot scraper behind the DAR House in Albion.

I first encountered one of these last summer in Rochester at the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse, which dates back to the 1820s.

I like historic hitching posts and carriage steps. Orleans County has a lot of these, perhaps more than anywhere else.

I’ve been looking for an old boot scraper around here. I thought if we had one it could tie into a possible hitching post-carriage step trail. I hadn’t seen any until I stopped by the DAR House on Wednesday. Mounted in a stone block by the back door stands a cast iron boot scraper.

“They are really old,” said Bill Lattin, the county historian. “These things go way back and you just don’t see them around.”

Lattin knew about the one at the DAR House. He has one at his historic cobblestone house, mounted in a curb. He also has a mobile boot scraper. His two, plus the one at the DAR, are the only ones he knows of in the county.

“They go back to a time when there were a lot of muddy streets,” Lattin said.

Folks back then would scrape off the mud, and sometimes manure, from their shoes before going inside.

The boot scraper at the DAR complements one of the finest buildings in the county.

The DAR House was first built in 1840 on North Main Street at the Linwood Street intersection. The house was enlarged by Orson Tousley in the mid-1800s. The Greek Revival building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tousley’s daughter Florence followed her father in owning the site. She married George Church, the son of Sanford Church, one of the most prominent people from Albion.

Florence was one of the founding members of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1925. She left the house to her son Sanford T. Church, who sold the house to Emma Reed Webster in 1929. She then donated it a few months later to the DAR, which remains an active local organization.

I did a Google search for boot scrapers, and found these interesting articles (click here and here). If anyone knows where more of these might be locally, send me an email at tom@orleanshub.com.

Medina barn is a total loss from fire

Posted 12 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – A former carriage barn was in a pile of rubble today after a fire Monday at the site on the Walsh Alley off Prospect Street.

Press release, Medina Fire Department

MEDINA – A fire on Monday at a former carriage house behind 228 Park Avenue has been deemed a total loss. Officials from the Medina Fire Department and Police Department are investigating, and no cause has been ruled out at this point.

The Medina Fire Department was dispatched to the scene at 6:08 p.m. along with one engine from Shelby and a FAST crew from Lyndonville.

Initially the call was for a structure fire behind the old Maplecrest restaurant. But the fire proved to be at an old barn behind Park Avenue. The structure was a carriage house in the alley behind the property, known as Walsh Alley.

On arrival, Engine 11 encountered heavy fire blowing out the doors and windows of the structure. Two sides of the fire building had exposures close by, one being a garage to the west and the house to the south side.

Firefighters douse the blaze with water. Several fire companies responded to the scene.

A second alarm was struck by command and that brought Ridgeway to the scene with an engine and manpower. The firehouse was covered with a crew and a rescue truck from East Shelby, one engine and crew from Middleport, a FAST crew from Albion and an ambulance from COVA in Albion.

Medina Truck 40 established an aerial water stream for extinguishment as well as exposure protection. Shortly after that there was a collapse of the building, which was planned for by firefighters. Albion’s FAST crew then moved up to the scene to stand by with Lyndonville’s FAST crew.

A personnel accountability report was called for by command and all crews were accounted for without any injuries. The bulk of the fire was knocked down shortly thereafter and contained to the carriage house.

To ensure all smoldering piles of the structure were extinguished, the Village DPW crews brought in heavy equipment. This allowed fire crews to have better access to some areas still burning. All crews were clear of the scene at about 11 p.m.

Walsh Alley was a lane for residents to bring their horse and carriages to their barns in an era before the automobile. One hitching post remains in the alley.

Albion home is a step back in time

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 November 2013 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers – Jean Smith stands in front of the Hardie-Blake House, where she has lived since 1957 on West State Street in Albion.

The carriage step with the inscription “1875” used to be in front of the house but was moved back by a carriage barn before Jean and her husband Ed moved in more than a half century ago.

ALBION – When Jean and Ed Smith moved to a Victorian house on West State Street in 1957, the couple quickly fell in love with the historic features of the property, including a carriage step in the back yard.

The house was originally built in 1830 as a much smaller home. It was expanded in 1875 and turned into a home of Victorian splendor.

It was in the Hardie-Blake family until 1962, when the Smiths bought it from Francis Blake. (For five years prior the Smiths rented the house.)

When they bought the property there was an apartment as part of the house. The Smiths took that out and worked for decades to restore the site. A finishing touch came 12 years ago when the Smiths put a sign on the front of the home, “The Hardie-Blake House.”

When the Smiths bought the house, Mr. Smith told Francis Blake the Smiths would honor the Hardie and Blake families with the house. The Smiths lovingly cared for the home, raising three daughters and welcoming seven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren to explore the grand old house. The sign was Mr. Smith’s idea.

“We kept our promise to Francis to name the house after him,” Mrs. Smith told me on Thursday when I stopped by. “Francis grew up here and he loved this house.”

I visited Jean because I heard about the carriage step she had in back. I like old hitching posts and carriage steps. I saw Jean at the polls on Tuesday. She works as an election commissioner. We made a date for Thursday to talk about the house and the carriage step.

The step is next to a carriage house in a herringbone style, which Mrs. Smith said is unusual. When she and her husband moved to the site it still had the buggies in the barn. The previous owner took them out when the Smiths bought the property.

When Ed and Jean moved in in 1957, the carriage step was already moved out back. It originally was next to the street. It bears the inscription “1875.” These old steps are heavy and this one has sunk into the ground a few inches, covering the bottom part of the letters.

Jean said the her children and other kids in the neighborhood often gravitated to the carriage step.

“Little kids loved to play on that in the way that little kids do,” she said. “They like to step up and step down.”

The Smiths put a bird feeder on the top of the stone. The base is still there. The carriage step is next to barn that was once used as a carriage house for buggies and horses.

Smith displays a blue star in her window to signify she has family serving in the military.

Jean and Ed were hoping to get the house listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But Mr. Smith was killed in an accident, crossing Main Street on the way to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.

Mr. Smith loved local history. He led tours of the Catholic Church and served as parish’s unofficial historian.

“We really enjoyed putting this house back together,” Mrs. Smith said.

She lives down the street from where Grace Bedell grew up in Albion She’s the girl who wrote Abraham Lincoln, urging him to grow a beard. He took her advice.

Smith believes many of the old houses in Albion have interesting stories and architectural features. She would like to see a walking guide developed that give people a glimpse into the history of the community.

She has visited other places, communities with less historical assets as Albion. But many of these other towns proclaim their heritage, she said.

“There is so much in this town that we should be proud of and that we could include on a walking tour,” she said. “I think we’re really missing out.”

The carriage step is heavy and has sunk into the ground over the years. When her children were growing up, Smith said they loved to play on the step, going up and down.

Albion’s Main Street in the early ’70s

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 October 2013 at 12:00 am

ALBION – When Paul Mann thinks of historic downtown Albion, he longs for the Main Street of the early 1970s, an image captured in this post card. The photograph shows Main Street, looking north from near State Street.

“Notice the parking meters, awnings, signs, the Rialto Theater,” Mann wrote in an email. “Shell Gas station is now the municipal parking lot. This is the Historic Albion that I remember.”

There is also a nice hitching post in the bottom left corner, in front of the former Swan Library. Mann also notes the photo includes a nice-looking 1969 Plymouth Fury.