Holland Land Office Museum

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum will be hosting its Seventh Annual Senior Bus Trip on Wednesday, Sept. 18th. This year's trip will be traveling to the Roycroft Campus in East Aurora.

The trip will include a two-hour tour of the campus, going through many of the buildings not always open to the general public.

After the tour we will be eating lunch at the beautiful Roycroft Inn, with a choice of entrees: lemon rosemary chicken, garden penne, or salmon.

There will also be time afterward for exploring of Downtown East Aurora, where everyone can enjoy the wonderful shopping opportunities including the famous Vidler’s 5 & 10. It bills itself as the "largest 5 & 10 cent variety store in the world" -- over 75,000 items spread through four buildings on two floors.

The bus will be leaving at 9 a.m. from the museum and returning at 5 p.m. Tickets are $60 per person ($55 for HLOM museum members). Must be 60 years of age or older to purchase tickets for this event.

For more information please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

The event is made possible by the Muriel H. Marshall Fund.

Press release:

Back and expanded by popular demand, please join the Holland Land Office Museum for a Westside Ghost Walk on three Fridays in October.

The walks led by Connie Boyd will take place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 11^th, 18^th, and 25^th.

Take a walk on the Westside and hear tales of murders, hangings, grave robbing, ghosts and other eerie happenings from Batavia's past. Hear stories of Joseph Ellicott, E. N. Rowell and other famous and infamous Batavians.

Admission is $10 and reservations are required with purchase.

Tours are limited to 25 people each.

The tour begins and ends at the museum and will last approximately one-and-a-half to two hours in length.

For more spooky fun from Batavia’s past, please visit the Batavia Cemetery’s Ghost Walk on Saturday, Oct. 26^th.

For tickets or more information, please call (585) 343-4727, email at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com, or stop by at 131 W. Main St. Batavia.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to present its first Murder Mystery Dinner Theater fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 28. An original mystery written for HLOM, it is based on the 19th century local crime of the century, the disappearance of William Morgan.

Will you outsmart the suspects and determine what happened to him and "who dun it"?

The mystery is a live performance at Red Osier Landmark Restaurant in Stafford, with considerable interaction between the suspects and the audience with an extensive comedic touch put on by WNY Improv Inc.

WNY Improv Inc. is a group of eclectic and talented performers from throughout Western New York with extensive experience in acting and improvisation. WNY Improv has performed on stage, in films, on cruise ships, at festivals and many other venues in New York, the City of Toronto in Ontario Province, Canada, and Pennsylvania.

Doors opening at 5:30 p.m., performance beginning at 6, and dinner served by 6:30.

Each ticket will get you a choice of four different entrees for your meal: prime rib, chicken French, blackened salmon, or veggie lasagna, all include sides, salad, and dessert. Cash bar will also be available.

Tickets are $50 per person. They can be purchased by contacting the museum at 585-343-4727, hollandlandoffice@gmail.com, or stopping by 131 W. Main St. Batavia. Please have entree choice ready when buying tickets.

In photo, from left: Ryan Duffy, director HLOM; Kathy Jasinski, committee member; Sean Valdes, co-owner of D&R Depot; Alice Chapell, committee member; and Linda Johnston, committee member.

Submitted photo and press release:

CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST? While some people are taking vacations and enjoying the summer, several dedicated volunteers at the Holland Land Office Museum are preparing for the 2019 Wonderland of Tree’s Gala Opening on Friday, Nov. 22nd. Pictured above are some members of the Wonderland of Tree’s Committee, who recently met at the D&R Depot in Le Roy to discuss the menu for the upcoming Gala with Sean Valdes, co-owner of the restaurant and catering service.

D&R Depot will be catering the 2019 Wonderland of Tree’s Gala Opening.

The Wonderland of Trees Gala Opening, at the historic Holland Land Office Museum, kicks off the holiday season for the Genesee County Community. It will have the traditional display of trees, music and great food that people have enjoyed over the past 16 years. Many new ideas are being incorporated into the regular Gala to provide a wonderful holiday event for everyone.

More information will be available soon -- you can call the Holland Land Office if you are interested in setting up a tree at 343-4727.

A property deed from 1813 and signed by Joseph Ellicott was purchased at auction yesterday by the Holland Land Office Museum for $1,900.

The deed was acquired last year by Dale Vargason, from Wayland, who found it in a box of 18th century documents he acquired and then decided to bring it to Bontrager's Auctions.

Auctioneer Todd Jantzi started bidding off at $1,000 and when there were no initial bids, dropped it down to $800. Two people then jumped into the bidding, including Gary Harkness, representing HLOM, and the bids quickly rose to the $1,900 mark.

Previously: Rare historical document, a deed signed by Joseph Ellicott, to be featured in upcoming auction at Bontrager's