history

Even many of Bethany's oldest residents, said Town Supervisor Carl Hyde, have come to accept the unpleasant but unavoidable and undeniable reality of the situation. The old Town Hall, built in 1832, must come down.

The town is currently accepting bids from demolition contractors.

But there is a plan in place to preserve a bit of history and provide residents with a new park where the town hall currently stands.

"It's a hard decision that we had to come to, but the reality is, I can't raise taxes. I can't double everybody's taxes to come up with $2 million to save the building," said Town Supervisor Carl Hyde during an exclusive tour of the structure with The Bataivan. "It's a hard spot as a town supervisor to be in when you have to deal with something like this."

There are several factors that have the town in a seemingly unsolvable dilemma.  

• The town has been trying to sell the building for many years with no takers, even offering to sell it for $1 if the buyer will ensure it is usefully occupied;
• One reason there are no buyers, and why the town can't use the building, is to make use of the second floor for any public purpose, is an elevator needs to be installed, as well as make other ADA-compliant upgrades;
• The building isn't connected to water and can't be connected to water unless a new water district is approved for the hamlet, and there's no guarantee that will happen;
• Under current state law and regulations, the building needs plumbing connected to a septic system.

The septic system issue is its own set of complications, Hyde explained.

"For this building to be used for anything, somebody's going to have to put in a septic system," Hyde said. "So the property line goes to 15 feet off the back of the property. On the north side, the property line is the edge of the building. And then you have what little bit of property there is out front. So there's no property to put a septic system in."

If the town wanted to install a septic system, it would have to tear down the highway department building behind the structure, and then that building would need to be replaced by a new structure at another location.

That's another "astronomical" expense, Hyde said.

So the price tag to save the building is at least $2 million, and then there's no guarantee the building can get public water.

"We've reached out to Genesee Valley Museum in Caledonia-Mumford, a place on Long Island and a place in New Hampshire, to donate the building to have them come to take it apart, relocate it, and they're not interested because of the cost factors," Hyde said.

It's a beautiful building inside and out, but state officials have said emphatically that it has no historical value. No famous historical figure ever visited it. Nothing of historic significance ever happened inside the building. There is no barrier to tearing it down, and Hyde said the town board feels it's left with no other option.

"So we've got some structural issues plus the ADA issues plus the no septic issues plus the no water issue," Hyde said "We can't use it for anything. What we're going to do is take the building down before it falls down, and we're going to turn the property into a green space."

A green space that preserves the history of the old town hall.

"The cupola is going to stay on the property, the yoke is going to stay on the property, and the bell is going to stay on the property," Hyde said. "That's going to be the centerpiece of a display in the middle of the green space. So the town board has put a lot of work and effort and thought into doing the best we can with what we have to do."

Hyde plans to be on hand during the demolition, especially when work crews get down to the foundation.  Nobody knows if there is a cornerstone with a lockbox of 1832 history in it.  Hyde wants to make sure the structure is thoroughly searched for such a historical artifact. 

As many artifacts as possible from the building are going to be stored by the county for safekeeping.

The request for proposals process from contractors closes on June 27.  Hyde said the town has set a budget for demolition but doesn't want to release that figure so it doesn't influence bids by contractors.

Hyde said he's already spoken with some contractors about trying to preserve as much history as possible from the old building.

"We've told them as they're tearing the walls down and stuff, they're gonna be looking for oddities; what's between the walls? We don't know what's between the walls."

It's not easy to be the town supervisor responsible for overseeing the destruction of one of the town's most recognizable landmarks, but Hyde sees no way out.

"I grew up here in Bethany," Hyde said. "The town court was here, the town clerk was here, the town supervisor, the office, this was the town hall. But unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, such as water, septic, this whole ADA thing -- unless somebody wants to write a check for $2 million and guarantee water, we can't figure anything out."

Performing artist Annette Daniels Taylor had planned to review the life that Adeline “Addy” Barbara most likely endured for her 46 years in captivity as a slave in Batavia, but that wasn’t the focus of Monday morning's Juneteenth memorial service, so she turned to a poem titled “Dreaming.”

The piece journeyed back into memories of tall trees, running barefoot, glistening cocoa-brown skin under the hot sun, smiling teeth, beautiful souls, and dancing with one another.

“We danced to drums of waterfalls, drums of hoofbeats, drums of heartbeats, drums of rain storms, drums of drought, drums of baby's breath, drums of aching souls, drums of flying feet, drums of running legs,” Taylor said at the Historic Batavia Cemetery. “Drums without shame, drums without whips, drums without cuffs, drums without ropes, drums without branding irons, I still hear them beating, but only in my dreams, dreams of freedom.”

Addy’s last name was Barbara, though she belonged to the Rev. Lucius Smith, an Episcopal priest who owned her as a member of his family. She was a slave from the tender age of four until she died in 1857 at age 50. The memorial service was to honor and dignify her life for those 46 years in between.

The Rev. Shiela Campbell McCullough performed a memorial service and dramatic reading, proclaiming Addy “free at last.” Way down yonder, in the graveyard walk, I’m gonna meet with my God, and we’re gonna have a talk, she said. “I’m free at last, I’m free at last.”

“Thank God almighty, I’m free at last. And in the words of Harriet Tubman, I’d rather be dead and in the grave than be a slave,” McCullough boldly said in Addy’s spirit. “I’m free at last.”

“Her marker reads Addy for 46 years, the faithful colored servant of the Reverend Lucius Smith and family, died Jan. 28, 1857 … This means that Addy began her burden for the Smith family at the age of four; this is Lucius Smith's marker, very symbolic, as you can see, even in death — even in death — her slave master overlooks her,” McCullough said. “The word servant and this X on her marker, connotes the idea that Addy had a choice. The word servant is an exchange of a kind or pleasant word that is being substituted for an explicit or offensive word. In this context, the use of the word servant camouflages the truth that Addy was indeed a slave. She was the slave of the Episcopal priest, Reverend Lucius Smith. And she was burdened with the lifelong responsibility of sacrificing her own humanity for the benefit of another person.

“The word servant downplays the psychological burden of surrendering one's humanity. So today, as a community, we gather, acknowledging the truth of Addy’s condition. Addy was not a servant, she was a slave,” McCullough said. “We join hands and hearts today to remove the veneer and allow the truth to take its rightful place. Addy was a slave.”

Batavia’s St. James Episcopal and First Presbyterian churches had established plots in the cemetery since 1823, which is why Lucius Smith and his family were buried there. The Rev. Deacon Diana Leiker spoke on behalf of St. James to assure folks that the Episcopal Church is righting those wrongs of the past.

“The church as a whole is working very, very hard with our black brothers and sisters to learn more, to be open to what we did, to help people to heal. We are recognizing all of the despicable, tragic things that were done on behalf of the church or with the church being complicit in letting things happen,” Leiker said. “So we just want you to know that this is wonderful. We had no idea that Lucius Smith owned someone. So we're really thankful that this was being brought to light. And we just want you to know we are doing a lot of hard work nationally.”

Rev. Roula Alkhouri, of Batavia First Presbyterian Church, was one of the organizers of the special Juneteenth event. It came about from McCullough’s pain that bubbled up after learning about Addy. It raised questions of how to move on yet not ignore an important piece of the past.

“What do we do with this pain? What do we do with this history? And so we've been talking and praying and thinking, and so that's kind of like, okay, Juneteenth is coming up, can we celebrate her humanity? Can we look at the story and reclaim it in a different way? And so that's what brought it together for us,” Alkhouri said. “And then we talked, we connected with (Batavia Cemetery Association President) Sharon Burkel, and said, Can we do this? And she said, Absolutely.

“I feel like always, whenever we bring up the hard parts of our lives or our history, it brings healing. You know, it's like, people don't want to talk about the painful stuff. But if you don't, you'd never heal," Alkhouri said. "And if you don't honor the lives of people who suffered, then it gets repeated in different forms. But it does, always, I mean, you see it in families the same way, not just the nation. So we're hoping to be part of that healing for the nation.”

A monetary gift will be used to add another inscription on Addy’s headstone. This will help to tell “a different side of the story and reclaim her humanity and her being created in the image of God,” Alkhouri said.

Press Release:

Richmond Memorial Library will host its Spring program of History by the Hearth on Thursday, June 8 at 7 p.m. 

City Historian Larry Barnes will share his research as presented in a new monograph:  "Black Batavians: Who they are, their local history, and aspects of our larger culture that have especially shaped their experiences."

Deborah Wood, Special Collections Librarian at Richmond Memorial Library, will finish the evening with Within the Collective Memory: Why now? And a sneak peek at the exhibit Juneteenth: A Day of Celebration, on display June 15-21.

Richmond Memorial Library is located at 19 Ross Street in the City of Batavia. Find the library online at batavialibrary.org. 

I use the Richmond Memorial Library daily, tutoring different students. I told one student about Mary Richmond and how she was responsible for financing this beautiful building in memory of her son Dean Richmond Jr.   

Baby boomers grew up walking or driving by the Dean Richmond mansion as part of our daily scenery. Yet, all I seem to notice now is what is gone—most of all, our Main Street. 

I can't forget cruising down Main Street in the 60s. You would drive from the Big N, Eastown Plaza, to the Red Barn or the old Tops Market, now Harbor Freight. Back then, most cars had bench seats, and if you were with your boyfriend, you sat in the center, showing you had a boyfriend, or if you had bucket seats, you would sit on a pillow on the console. In my early teens, the memories were always from spending time outdoors. It was from swimming in the New Pool or, if you were adventurous, the Sandwash, now known as DeWiitt Park, dancing on the tarmac of the tennis courts at MacArthur and Kibbe Park, or winter skating on the frozen tennis courts.

One of my favorite memories was watching St. Joseph's Drum Corps marching down Main Street or watching one of their competitions at Woodward Field. Of course, it also helped if you had a crush on a corps member. Then, on a quiet evening, you could hear them practicing at the Sylvania parking lot.   

Everyone knew who you were, so if you decided to do something you didn't want your parents to see, you soon realized they knew it by the time you got home. We walked to any place we wanted to go. When we were young, we belonged to the neighborhood park and participated in the annual summer craft fair parade. 

You could drink when you were 18, so you would try to get a drink when you were 17. I only know that because my brother took me to our favorite bar on Ellicott Street, Louie's.  

We had house parties. My 18th  birthday was very memorable; my class and the faculty of Notre Dame were invited. Thanks, Mom and Dad! 

Our favorite places to stop after school or on a Saturday afternoon were   Critics and Kustus soda fountains. You would sit at a booth in Critics, drinking your cherry Coke, eating French fries, and putting quarters in a personal jukebox. Then, on a Friday night, you would all meet at Pontillo's for a pizza and hang out with your friends.

The churches were packed for Sunday Mass or Sunday services. Everyone seemed to belong to a church. In the Catholic Church, females had to wear a hat at Mass, and if you didn't have a hat, you used a bobby pin and clipped a tissue to the top of your head. Stores were closed on Sunday. I found not eating pepperoni on our pizza challenging on a Friday night. No meat was allowed on any Fridays.

Our high school dances at Notre Dame ended with a prayer at 11 p.m. with the lights on in the gymnasium. At 11, my dad was waiting outside to take me home. I made sure the eye makeup was off before he saw me

I recently turned 73, and I find solace in remembering old Batavia and the fun we had that did not connect us to a cell phone. 

I don't think I will ever stop remembering my good old days. They just make me smile and make me grateful I grew up in a time with a large family, a station wagon, going under a bridge and blaring the car horn, or punching your brother when you see a Punch Bug Volkswagen Beetles,  and visiting the popcorn and peanut man at his stand on Main Street only to name a few.

As I type this, I sit in the former Ebling Electric store, now The Coffee Press.

This business owner knew the value of saving our old buildings and creating a new place for friends to gather and create their memories.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce "Appraisals on Main: HLOM Appraisal Day" on Saturday, May 20, from 10 a.m. 3 p.m. at the Batavia First Presbyterian Church, located at 300 E. Main St., Batavia.

The community is invited to bring any of their treasures and heirlooms that may be collecting dust to see what they may be worth.

Appraisers from Bontrager Real Estate & Auction, Cottone Auctions, and Schultz Auctioneers will be available to give their expert opinions.

There is a $5 charge for each item appraised, with a limit of 5 items per person.

All attendees are required to register for an allotted time slot. The online registration form can be found at the museum’s website.

Information can also be found on our website, www.hollandlandoffice.com or by contacting the museum at either (585) 343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Guest Speaker Series on Wednesday, April 19, at 7 p.m. The museum welcomes local author and presenter Rick Falkowski as he shares the histories of those who made our area what it is from its beginnings in the early 1800s. The subjects include such significant persons and events as Red Jacket, Joseph Ellicott, the War of 1812, and the Erie Canal, among many more. Copies of Falkowski's books will be available. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Concert Series on Thursday, April 20, at 7 p.m. as it welcomes back local guitarist and musician Steven Kruppner. The concert will be an hour and a half from 7-8:30 pm featuring a wide array of tunes, focusing on the singer-songwriter as a storyteller. Admission is $5 or $4 for museum members. If you would like to attend, please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Java with Joe E. series on Thursday, April 27, at 9 a.m. This month's presenter is Larry Barnes, the City of Batavia Historian. Larry will be sharing his travels across the United States over the past decade to the other locations named Batavia, all nine in total, the others in: Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Montana, and California. He shares the origins of their names and compares their features to our own community. Admission is free, and coffee and donuts will be provided. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

Greg Kinal taught social studies at Pembroke High School for 52 years.  He's also a history buff, and after his retirement in 2022, for another project, he compiled a history of the school district.  He provided The Batavian with a timeline of the district's history to share with readers.

The Pembroke Central School District- A Timeline

CORFU

• In the 19th century, rural schoolhouses were strewn across towns and villages. They usually consisted of one-room buildings with a single teacher to teach a number of grade levels.
• In 1811, the first school opened in the Town of Pembroke. It was private and was operated by Anna Horton. She ran it in her home in the village of Long’s Corners, now named Corfu.
• In 1814, a village meeting was held to determine the future of education in the village. The meeting was held at the home of Josiah Lee, who was part of a team to accomplish this.
• By 1819, a log schoolhouse existed on what is today Alleghany Road, the present site of the Pembroke Intermediate School.
• The year 1820 saw the first public school open in the village of Long’s Corners.
• The 1860s witnessed Long’s Corners now being called Corfu. In 1867, a new schoolhouse was located in Corfu at 39 South Alleghany Road. James McGraw was the teacher as well as the head of the fledgling district.
• Twenty years later, the Corfu residents planned a new school. However, there were complications. The school would be built where an existed cemetery was located. So, in 1881, graves were relocated so the new school could be built. The location is the present site of the Intermediate School. The new building was a two-story wood-frame structure with three classrooms on the first floor and a large room upstairs for the high school. The Corfu residents were proud to witness the graduating class in 1884 of just four girls.
• The 20th century witnessed more school expansion. In 1906, a two-story addition was added to house another elementary classroom, a cloakroom downstairs, another high school room, and a new principal’s office.
• On June 13, 1906, the Corfu school became an accredited high school and was then known as the Corfu Union Free School District.
• (Note: A common school district is a school district first created by legislative action back in 1812 to operate elementary schools (kindergarten through eighth grade). Even though they lack the authority to operate a high school, common school districts remain responsible for ensuring a secondary education for their resident children. The term union free school has nothing to do with unions of any kind. A union free school district is a school district generally formed from one or more common school districts to operate a high school program, which common school districts cannot do.)
• The Corfu school became a teacher training center between 1913 and 1916, to help supply teachers to rural grade schools.
• In 1930, a moveable building was added to the rear of the Corfu school at a cost of $2,500.
• In the middle of the Great Depression, the Corfu Union Free School District believed a completely new building was needed to deal with a growing population. The District hired architects Harbach and Kideney to produce plans for the new school. The cost of the new school was $156,363. The new school would be funded in a number of ways. $70,363, or about half the cost would come from a New Deal program called the Public Works Administration, with $86,000 coming from a bond issue paid for by taxpayers.
• The District believed the best location for the new building would be directly behind the school built in 1881. Ground was broken in January 1935 and the new school was completed on February 1, 1937. The old school was leveled shortly after the new school opened. The Batavia Daily News reported that the new building was a “two-story fireproof structure of red brick trimmed with Indiana limestone, 158 feet wide across the front and 56 feet on the ends and 100 feet deep in the center where the auditorium is located.” This building could house 350 students. In 1940, a new auditorium was added.

EAST PEMBROKE

• In 1856, a number of “interested and generous citizens” met and pledged $3,413 toward the building of a new school in East Pembroke.
• On October 7, 1856, the Old Rural Seminary opened on School Street in East Pembroke on an acre of land donated by Rev. Daniel C. Houghton. The previous March, 15 trustees were elected to oversee the running of the school.
• The new school had a principal named I.A. McFarlane, who was paid $600 for his services, and the teaching staff included Helen Page, Elizabeth Rich, and Helen A. Gould. In today’s world, McFarlane’s salary would be a lot higher, and there would be many more teachers.
• Changes occurred toward the end of the century. In 1893, the Old Rural Seminary became the East Pembroke Union Free School. They could now operate a high school program.
• Like other rural areas, East Pembroke was broken up, education-wise, into Districts that led to some consolidation. In the late 1890s, repairs were made to the East Pembroke school building at a cost of $600, and in June 1897, the East Pembroke High School graduated its first class of one member, Leona Seamans.
• The East Pembroke School was a site to behold. The two-story structure had a cupola on top with a bell. Boys entered the building in one entrance and girls at the other.

CORFU-EAST PEMBROKE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

• In 1938, the New York State Education Department required that rural school districts be consolidated into centralized districts.
• Corfu and East Pembroke each had to prepare their own consolidation plans. However, their plan was negated and the State mandated they join both school buildings into one district.
• The plan instructed that the existing Corfu building would house grades 1-12. Then, a new building would be built in East Pembroke to house grades 1-9. Grades 10-12 at the existing East Pembroke School would be bused to Corfu.
• On September 7, 1938, the Corfu Union Free School and the East Pembroke Union Free School officially became centralized.
• The two schools, plus the 18 rural districts from the towns of Pembroke, Darien, Batavia, and Alexander, would now make up the new Corfu-East Pembroke School District.
• The Public Works Administration (PWA) would once again play a role in the Corfu-East Pembroke District. The Batavia Daily News reported on September 30, 1938, that “controversy over school centralization in the Town of Pembroke appeared ended today with the approval of a $340,000 bond issue for construction of a combination junior high and grade school at East Pembroke and an addition to the present Corfu High School.” The $340,000 bond issue represented only 55 percent of the total cost, with the remaining 45 percent to be furnished by the PWA.
• This building project for the school also included the construction of a bus garage, the purchase of school equipment, and acquiring land for the school and athletic field on West Avenue in East Pembroke. Also included in this monetary package were funds for the Corfu school to purchase land for an athletic field.
• The East Pembroke School construction began on December 27, 1938, with numerous speakers, including Master of Ceremonies, and Principal Laurence B. Lane.
• The East Pembroke School was completed for the 1940 school year. In 1958, the schools were realigned, and East Pembroke became a K-6 building, while Corfu maintained its K-12 status. (Note: Historian Lois Brockway said kindergarten did not come to Pembroke until 1949).
• In the early 1960s, school overcrowding led to the Corfu and East Pembroke Grange halls being used for 6th-grade classes. Also, the growing student enrollment meant that regular school hours had to be adjusted. The Corfu High School went on split sessions during the 1960s, with grades 9-12 attending classes from 7:55 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. and grades 6-8 attending classes from 12:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
• With the new buildings, students had physical education classes in the gymnasium instead of recess and playing games outdoors. Buses were now used to pick up and drop off students at their houses.

PEMBROKE CENTRAL SCHOOL

• The student population increased in the Pembroke district, and officials realized a new high school needed to be built. The new school would be built at the corner of Routes 5 and 77. Ground was broken in August 1962, and the new junior/senior high school opened its doors in January 1964. The district principal (now called superintendent) was Laurence B. Lane.
• The Pembroke Central School became a 7-12 building and could hold 800 students. The Corfu and East Pembroke buildings each became K-6 buildings.
• The late 1960s brought about more improvements in the district’s buildings. An addition was added to the East Pembroke School, which opened in 1967, and a large lecture hall (the Round Room), and 17 instructional classrooms (the 500 wing) were added to the high school, along with a swimming pool, library research center, guidance offices, and a cafeteria.
• The elementary schools saw a major educational change in 1971. The new superintendent, Dr. Richard Nealon, along with the Board of Education, decided that elementary students’ education would be better served by having the East Pembroke School be a K-2 building and the Corfu building serve as a 3-6 building, becoming the Pembroke Intermediate School.
• This move was not popular. Some teachers in both schools chose to retire rather than switch buildings.
• With the 1970s came more improvements. In 1972, the Wilson Choate Outdoor Education Area was dedicated along with the Kip Mantor football field.
• On June 10, 1987, Pembroke Central School suffered a horrible tragedy. Three Pembroke students and their Driver Education teacher were killed in a DWI accident. The following year, Pembroke’s Redesign Team, part of the Art Department, created a memorial sign to be placed in front of the school. The Pembroke Community Rainbow Memorial Committee, including students, school and community members, constructed this memorial. Dedicated in 1988, it serves as a reminder of the tragedy, as well as a marquee for school events. In 2022, the memorial’s marquee was upgraded to an LED digital sign, bringing a beautiful addition to the front of the school.
• The last major renovation at Pembroke Central School came in 2008. Taxpayers passed a $25 million bond issue to upgrade the three buildings. It took two years to complete. In those two years, infrastructure upgrades were done at the Primary and Intermediate schools, including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical and lighting and plumbing. The high school received most of the updates. Tiles were replaced, and new ceilings, lighting, and floors were installed as well. New boilers were also on the list for refurbishing, along with upgrades to the technology and home economics room. The “Round Room” was turned into an art and music center, the auditorium was air-conditioned, new offices were built, and a new library complex was added.
• The Pembroke community has a lot to be proud of with its school community. They have come a long way from Anna Horton’s 1811 school in her home, to our modern educational facilities of today. One wonders what the future holds for this dynamic community that has always risen to the challenge of caring for our most precious commodity: our children.

Submitted photos:  Top photo, students at Pembroke High School in a typing class in the 1970s.

Pembroke High School under construction in 1963.

Corfu High School.

East Pembroke Seminary.

Pembroke High School students in the 1970s.

We all know -- or should -- that Sherman burned Atlanta, but like all historical characters who have become more myth than human, there is more to General William Tecumseh Sherman than his march to the sea during the Civil War.

The Ohio native was an intellectual, insightful man with a keen understanding of human character, said Derek Maxfield, a GCC history teacher who has written a 160-page biography of Sherman.

GO ART! hosted a reception on Friday evening to celebrate the release of "Man of Fire," published by Savas Beatie as part of the Emerging Civil War Series. 

"Somebody like Sherman is a lot more complex than what popular culture makes him out to be, and that was part of one of the reasons I wanted to write this book," Maxfield said. "Here's a character who is not that simple."

In popular culture, Sherman is remembered for burning nearly all of Atlanta to the ground on Nov. 15, 1864, largely because of Gone with the Wind. From Atlanta, Sherman marched his Union soldiers to Savannah (the March to the Sea) as they destroyed everything in their path.

"I think one of the tasks of a good biographer is to make somebody more human, make them more easily understood," Maxfield said.

It as tough, Maxfield said, capturing somebody as complex as Sherman in 40,000 words, but he thinks he's produced the best short biography yet of the Union general.

This is the first biography written by Maxfield but his second book.  Previously, he wrote "Hellmira: The Union's Most Infamous Civil War Prison."

Among Sherman's more positive traits, Maxfield said, was his intellectual strength.

"He used to love to quote Shakespeare, so he was very literate, and I think that part of him is lost," Maxfield said. "He is known as this arsonist and barbarian, at least to the South, and even some of his partisans want to remember him that way. I think it does him a disservice because he's probably the most intellectual of all of the generals in the Union Army.

"I also think that he had a deeper understanding of people than many in the administration, perhaps save Lincoln. I think that, ultimately, that understanding of human nature is one of the keys to the Union victory because he could understand how to break the will of the Confederacy and end the war sooner."

The most unredeemable aspect of Sherman's life, Maxfield said, came after the Civil War.

"I think you have to be careful judging people of another time and place by 21st-Century values, but the thing that punches me in the gut is he's the author of a federal policy in the late 19th Century to kill the buffalo in order to subdue the Plains Indians," Maxfield said. "That's the one that I find the most unredeeming."

The book, Maxfield hopes, will find an audience among people with an emerging interest in the Civil War while also appealing to people who have already read a good deal about the war between the states.

"I always envisioned it as a general audience book for somebody who might not even know a lot about the Civil War," Maxfield said. "I was aiming kind of broadly, but certainly anybody who has an interest in the Civil War, I would hope that they would find this of value."

For more about the book, click here.

Photos by Howard Owens. First and second photos, Derek Maxfield.

Tracy Ford, actor and teacher, dressed above as Sherman, wrote an essay published at the end of the book entitled "Becoming Sherman."  He's signing a copy for fellow actor Daniel Snyder, who played Arthur Brisbane in the one-act play written and produced by Derek Maxfield, Brothers at Odds: The Brisbane Story

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its Garth Swanson Memorial Scholarship for 2023. This scholarship was created in honor of Garth Swanson, who was the Stafford Town Historian, a History professor at Genesee Community College, and a former board member and officer of the museum.

This $500 scholarship is open to any graduating senior in Genesee County planning on attending Genesee Community College or current student attending Genesee Community College and have an expressed interest in history or plan on working in the history field in the future

Completed applications should be mailed or emailed no later than May 1st. They can be emailed to Ryan Duffy at duffyhollandlandoffice@gmail.com. Or Mailed to Ryan Duffy, Executive Director, Holland Land Office Museum, 131 W. Main St., Batavia, NY 14020.

The application is available on both the museum’s website and Facebook page. You can also contact the museum for the application or further information.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of our Trivia Night @ the Museum. This month's topic is Julius Caesar. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

Get in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit at the Holland Land Office Museum with Batavia natives No Blarney! as they return to get us off our feet and dancing to traditional Irish music on Friday, March 10th at 7 pm. Tickets $5 per person and $4 for museum members. Please R.S.V.P. to the museum by email at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com or call the museum at 585-343-4727. Seating is limited, so get your spots now.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of our Java with Joe E. series on Thursday, March 23rd at 9 am. This month's presenter is Don Burkel. "There were thirteen children in the Upton Family, six were girls. The first was born in 1822, and the last in 1846. They became the primary correspondents of their brother, Emory, while pursuing careers and goals which were examples to other women. This is their brief yet interesting story of their contributions."

Admission is free, and coffee and donuts will be provided. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of our Guest Speaker Series on Thursday, March 30th at 7 pm. The presenter will be Holly Watson of the Linwood Gardens. Linwood Gardens is a rare example of a Western New York country place from the early 1900s with a unique horticultural history and enduring connections to its community. Join family member Holly Watson for a behind-the-scenes look at the history of the people, peonies, and property during this presentation. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

In 1900 only 4,000 cars existed in the United States.  However, by 1905 there were 25,000 cars manufactured in the United States.  The world’s first filling stations began opening the same year. 

The first stations were most likely a pump on the sidewalk in front of a general store.  Motorists lined up to buy gas, causing quite a disturbance as the cars blocked horses and pedestrians. By 1910, 500,000 vehicles needed gas for refueling. With this problem came a solution: a new type of filling station, the drive-in station.       

In 1914 when the government broke up Standard Oil, which controlled most of the oil in the U.S., many smaller companies were born.  Suddenly, the new companies competed for customers.  Gas, cheap and plentiful, gave the motorist a choice of where to purchase gas.  With the smaller companies came the competition between the local stations. This would be known as the gas wars.  Different stations would drop their prices to encourage people to buy gas at their stations.  The prices would drop periodically for a short time.

Many customers chose their gas station by its service, location, or their similar ethnic backgrounds to the owners of the stations.  A favorite in the ‘40s on the south side of Batavia was Mrs. Rose Argulski’s station at 338 Ellicott Street.  She became a well-known fixture pumping gas at her station.

Articles found at the Genesee County History Department give insight into the various gas stations and the promotions used to lure customers to their stations. For example, a 1939 article described William King’s Service Station on West Main and Porter as one of the oldest service stations. Jimmie Scibetta had a Sinclair station on West Main Street and Montclair.    He stood behind the Sinclair motto for all of its products, a “Factory of safety in its motor oils.”

Many catchy slogans appeared, and a team of uniformed attendants eagerly gassed up the car, cleaned the windshield, and checked oil and tires as the driver sat in the car.  To promote the sale of gasoline, many stations offered incentives such as Green Stamps, dishes, glasses, steak knives, and different automobile coins, to name only a few.   Many newlyweds’ china was from a gas station as a gift for buying its particular gas. 

In the ‘50s, the gas price averaged about 18 cents a gallon, and a new car cost $1,500.  Batavia’s West Main Street was home to 19 service stations, and East Main had 12 stations.  Side streets also had gas stations. For example, Ellicott Street had four stations, Walnut, Hutchins, and Center Street had one station each, and on Clinton Street, there were three stations. Over the years, the names of the gas stations changed, but many of the service stations remained on the original property. 

Some of the names of the 53 stations in Batavia in the ‘50s were: Acheson’s, Argulski, Athoe, Atlantic, Barrett, Batavia Motors, Bob Folger, Boudreau, Campbell’s, Chilano’s, Corey’s, Davis, Day C. C. and Son, Dibbles, Didget, Diegelman’s, Dobson, Frontier, Genesee GLF, Genesee Hygrade, Greening, Gulf Service Station, Hudson and Seward, Kohl’s, Lambkin Bros, Leo’s, Mancuso Motors, Mc Wain, Moretto’s, Nichols, Oaks Auto Service, Paul’s Atlantic, Post’s, Richardson’s, Snyder, Warren Roberts, Winslow,  and York.       

In the '60s, the number of gas stations speckled our main streets remained similar to the gas stations in the '50s.  A gallon of gas cost 32 cents

The first self-service gas station was located on Clinton Street Road. Instead of an attendant coming to your car and asking how many gallons of gas you wanted, you would exit your vehicle, open the cover on your gas tank and pump your gas.  The price of your gas would register on the gas pump.  The driver would go into the station and pay for the gas.

In the ‘70s, the oil crisis forced the United States into gas rationing because of OPEC‘s (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) embargo against the United States.  The embargo that went into effect did not allow any countries in OPEC to sell oil to the United States. With gas rationing, cars were allowed to purchase gasoline on alternate days, according to whether the last digit on their license plate was even or odd.  This resulted in long lines at the gas pump. Some gas stations had to close because they ran out of gas!

In the '80s, the price of gas rose to $1.25 a gallon.  By 2006 a gallon of gas could cost $2.95 a gallon, and today the national average is $3.27 a gallon.

We don’t see slogans such as Go Well with Shell; Esso, Put a Tiger in Your Tank; Gulf, The Gas with Guts; or from Texaco, You Can Trust your Car to the Man who Wears the Star.  Now, after you gas up your cars, you walk into a convenience store to pay, and you can also buy groceries, sandwiches, get a cup of coffee, a newspaper, and in the spring buy mulch for your gardens, gas for your grill and ice for your picnics! 

Many a baby boomer will remember the cost of gas. Still, they also supported their favorite gas station in the ‘60s and ‘70s and possibly the attendants’ names that so graciously took care of their automotive needs.  Some women even met their future husbands at the pump!

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its next Trivia Night at the Museum on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. The topic for February is the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Admission is $5/$3 for museum members. If you would like to attend, please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Guest Speaker Series on Thursday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. We welcome Patrick Ryan of the Buffalo History Museum as he presents on William Wells Brown, Buffalo's preeminent black abolitionist. Admission is $5/$3 for museum members. If you would like to attend, please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Java with Joe E. series on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 9 a.m. This month's speaker is Sharon Burkel of the Historic Batavia Cemetery Association, as she presents on Watson Bullock. Watson Bullock was an African-American man who moved to Batavia in the 1880s and went on to make significant impacts on many local organizations during his life. He is buried in the Historic Batavia Cemetery. Admission is free, and coffee and donuts will be provided. If you would like to attend, please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its next Java with Joe E. on Thursday, January 26th at 9 am. Richard Beatty will be presenting, “The Darwin Martin House-Frank Lloyd Wright’s Buffalo 1905 Masterpiece.” Admission is free, and coffee and donuts will be served.

Richard Beatty, a senior docent at the site, will give a presentation on Wright's incredible design, his client Darwin D. Martin, and the long history of the complex.  Abandoned and neglected during the Depression, taken for back taxes in 1946, and then partially demolished in 1960, the complex of buildings and landscape has been completely restored. Part of Mr Beatty's presentation will include a history of the organization that took shape in the 1980s in response to the ongoing decline of the masterpiece, focusing on the key role that volunteers play in presenting the site to visitors from all over the world.

Photo via the NYS Parks website.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its next Trivia Night at the Museum on Thursday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m. This month’s topic is “Ellis Island”. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. If you would like to attend, please contact the museum at (585) 343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its next Guest Speaker Series on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m. Kevin Pawlak will present on “Western New Yorkers on America’s Bloodiest Day.” Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members.

“New York State contributed more soldiers to the United States Army at the Battle of Antietam than any other state. Western New Yorkers fought in many of the well-known places on the Antietam battlefield, from the Cornfield to the Bloody Lane to the Burnside Bridge. Learn about the stories of some of these local soldiers during the bloodiest single day in American military history.”

Kevin Pawlak is a Historic Site Manager for Prince William County’s Office of Historic Preservation. He also works as a Certified Battlefield Guide at Antietam National Battlefield and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Kevin is the author of numerous articles and is the author of five books on the American Civil War.

Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. If you would like to attend, please contact the museum at (585) 343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

In 1890 the Batavia School District asked Mr. Kennedy to come to Batavia and serve as superintendent for the village school system. He served as superintendent for 23 years. His system for the village school was known as the Batavia System. He believed that if children were stimulated, they could educate themselves. 

John Kennedy was also a famous author and had many books to his name. His book, The Genesee Country, was published in 1895, during his time as superintendent from 1893 to 1913.

John was a writer with quite a descriptive flair. The chapter I found very interesting was called "Patriot-Not Financier." In this chapter, John Kennedy was distraught. He did not want Robert Morris to be remembered as a financier of the American Revolution. In John Kennedy's eyes, Robert Morris was a patriot who wanted America to be independent. He wanted the American government to stand with the firmest foundation. To achieve this, Robert Morris put everything in jeopardy: his good name, his life, and his fortune. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He rescued George Washington's troops in 1777 and prevented the army's dispersion by raising $50,000 of his own money for the war.

We have a Constitution and a Union primarily because George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Robert Morris sat in the convention that devised our great document.

As John Kennedy ended his chapter on Robert Morris, he said, "We are living here on his beautiful farm, the famous Holland Land purchase, and more famous still by having had for its first owner the patriot Robert Morris." 

John Kennedy and Robert Morris are still remembered today, with the John Kennedy Intermediate School on Vine Street and the  Robert Morris Primary School on Union Street. What is impressive is that John Kennedy had the foresight in the 1800s to write about Robert Morris' legacy in the hopes that he would be remembered as a true patriot.  

John Kennedy has to be acknowledged not only for the many books to his name but for his outstanding reputation as the school superintendent for the Village of Batavia. His system emphasized individual instruction of students, which was copied by school districts nationwide.

In the summer of 2018, retired school teacher David Reilly got inspired to write a story about growing up in Batavia, about going to the circus, and he sent it off to Billie Owens, then the editor of The Batavian, and asked if the online news site would be interested in publishing his little piece.

Captivated by the nostalgia, Owens thought it was just the sort of thing readers of The Batavian would enjoy, and she was right.

Reilly went on to write two dozen stories in his humous style about growing up in Batavia in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.  He's collected them in a book for friends and family but has also made the book available for $10 (his cost) at the Holland Land Office Museum.

"I want to compliment your wife, Billie, who read one of my articles and inspired me to keep writing," Reilly said during a visit with The Batavian on Thursday. "My mom always tried to convince me I was a good writer, and I didn't really believe it. But once I started publishing the stories, which you did for me, and with Billie's help with editing and encouraging, it just made all these memories from when I was a kid come out, and it was enjoyable for me to go back and remember all the fun and crazy and wild things I did when I was a kid in Batavia."

Reilly said he is planning a couple of more stories about his life in Batavia in the coming months that will be published in The Batavian.

Photo by Howard Owens.

Henry Homelius was born in 1850 in Buffalo, New York, to an immigrant family from Germany.  His father was a carpenter and builder.  When Henry was six years old, his family moved to Batavia, an up-and-coming city with many possibilities. 

Henry attended Batavia High School, but no records show he graduated.  He may not have earned a high school diploma but what he had was a determination to succeed.  He spent his evenings studying books on drafting, architecture, and math.  During the daytime, he worked with his father and other craftsmen. 

With Henry W. Homelius's work ethic and hands-on experience, he would be remembered as one of the most talented architects of our time.

In 1874 Henry married Catherine Blenker, a beautiful statuesque daughter of a well-known tailor.  She gave birth to a son, Frank H. Homelius, in 1876.  That particular year seemed pivotal for Henry because he was commissioned to build a home on a new street in Batavia called Ellicott Avenue. 

Today that home can be seen in most of its original glory with a mansard roof tower and ocular dormer windows in the Second Empire Style.  It also features arches on the front porch and two-inch thick double-leaf entrance doors.  Henry and Ann Emmans are the proud owners of this home built by Henry H. Homelius at 32 Ellicott Avenue.

Another example of Homelius' architect is Joe Seidel's home on 30 Ellicott Avenue, next door to the Emmans' Homelius home. Both houses are very similar, just different exteriors.  Seidel's home was built in the Italianate style but had a "Victorian" Interior.  The use of old-growth chestnut, oak, and mahogany woods is prevalent throughout the home, and the original horsehair crown moldings and medallions are evident.   In addition, the floorplan layout reflects the era.

Henry's fame flourished, and he was in demand.  He built more than a dozen homes on Ellicott Avenue and Elba, Oakfield, and Corfu. Henry's homes were in a class of their own.  He created the onion-domed tower, large porches with three pillars on each porch corner.    He built palladium arches over smaller porches, bay windows, and often with pediments above the windows.  The windows in his unique homes would either be stained glass or leaded glass.  His homes often featured elaborate fireplaces and window seats.

Henry also built commercial buildings.  Many of his buildings were on Main and Jackson Street. In 1885 Henry built a small two-room brick shelter that housed pumps that forced water from the Tonawanda Creek into the water mains.  In 1893, he was hired to design a front for the Water Works building to house a power station.  The unique towers were added in 1906.  The Water Works was renamed the Municipal Building.  Over the years, the building has been used in various ways. First, it served as a fire hall, then as a restaurant, and for a time, it was the home of the Genesee County Historian.

In the late 1800s, Henry designed most of the schools in Batavia.  They were the East, West, Pringle, Lincoln, and Washington schools.  Today Reed Eye Associates occupies the historic building on Washington Avenue.

In the '60s and '70s, a new idea was presented to the city of Batavia.  Unfortunately, its attempt to renew the city destroyed our downtown history.  The historic buildings on Main Street were erased with a wrecking ball. Many of us remember these two words with sadness and regret, "Urban Renewal."  Fortunately, some of his buildings, such as the Daily News Building and The Batavia Times Building, survived.

No one would deny that Henry was a gifted architect.   His work was impeccable.  As a businessman, he was considered arrogant and aggressive.

Henry lived most of his life at 39 and 41 Walnut Street.   In 1889, Henry's brother Frank died, and in 1899 Henry's father drowned.  Henry's family is buried in the historical Batavia Cemetery.

Henry's son Frank did not stay in Batavia but traveled the country learning about different building methods and designs.  He also did not graduate from high school.  However, in 1905 Frank returned home, and Henry W. Homelius and Son was created with headquarters in the Dellinger building on Jackson Street.

Frank was considered very good-looking and charming. He fell in love with Maud Scoville Hugaboom, a married woman with a young daughter Eleanor.  The day after her divorce was final, Frank and Maud wed.  Eleanor Homelius went on to be a respected and loved teacher. As an English teacher, she taught many generations of young people at Batavia High School, an interesting fact considering her stepfather never graduated from high school.

In November 1917, Henry W. Homelius died of cancer and was buried in the Homelius Plot in the Batavia Cemetery.

Frank, like his father, was a gifted builder, but Frank also completed many home and building renovations.  His first project after his father's death was the renovation of the Brisbane Mansion into Batavia's City Hall.  He also remodeled the Dipson and Atwater homes.  He added an addition to the Richmond Mansion, used as the Children's Home.  Frank also built the addition to the Richmond Memorial Library by adding a children's room on the lower level of the original building.  This is not to be confused with the newer addition in the 1970s as the current children's room.

He also designed St. Anthony's Community Center.   Frank's father had 32 Ellicott Avenue as his proudest accomplishment; Frank would have 39 Ross Street as his.  Frank built the 6,000-square-foot home for Frank Thomas of the Thomas Coal Company. In 1926, it cost $125,000 to build the beautiful Thomas home.  Frank employed 50 craftsmen from the Batavia Woodworking Company to work on the construction of the house.  The Batavia Woodworking Company consisted of skilled carpenters, bricklayers, masons, and millwrights. These were the craftsmen that Frank used for his buildings.  When looking at this beautiful home today, you will note the red tile roof.  The horizontal lines of the house suggest the Prairie Style.  Frank built many Queen Anne-style homes throughout the city. You can still admire these homes on Summit Street and Lewis Avenue.

The Batavia Woodworking Company became skilled with the designs that constitute a Frank Homelius Home.  They borrowed his techniques and built homes that were called Homelius Design Homes.  These homes can be found on Kibbe Avenue, Morton Avenue, South Jackson St., and Ellicott Street.

Frank lived in a bungalow at 35 Richmond Street.  He was known for his kindness and for being the second Democrat to serve as mayor in the history of Batavia.

The construction of MacArthur Stadium's grandstand, bleachers, and press box in 1939 is considered the final design of Frank H. Homelius.

There was one project that Frank never had the opportunity to complete.  He wanted to build an annex to the Holland Land Office Museum.  This would include a library containing works of history about Batavia and Genesee County.

Frank died on November 20, 1941, ending the remarkable era of the talented craftsmen Henry W. Homelius and Frank W. Homelius.

Photos by Howard Owens. Top photo, 30 Ellicott Ave.; middle photo, 32 Ellicott Ave.

The Jurassic Wonder Tour, a display of animated dinosaur models, stopped in Batavia over the weekend, offering a self-guided car tour of the pre-historic world through Genesee County Fairgrounds.

Photos by Howard Owens.

The Batavia Cemetery Association held its annual Ghost Walk on Saturday, which is both a fundraiser and a chance to provide area residents with an entertaining history lesson about the people who shaped the development of Western New York.

Photos by Howard Owens, Top photo, Michael Gosselin as Rev. John Yates.

Tim Buckman as Maj. Philemon Tracy.

Patrick Weissend as Joseph Ellicott.

Dan Snyder as Albert Brisbane.