history

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.

From 1927 through the 1940s, drivers had many different brands of gasoline, such as Atlantic, Blue Sunoco, Cities Service, Colonial, Esso, Essoline, Kendall, Mobil Gas, Richfield, Socony, Standard, Sunoco, Texaco, and Tydol.  But by 1949, only five gasoline brands were sold at the 39 gas stations in Batavia.

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.

John Kennedy was born in England on September 17, 1846. He was one of a family of 14 brothers and sisters. He moved to a farm in Iowa in 1875.  John served in the Civil War; after the war, he became superintendent of an Iowa school district.

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.

In Kennedy's opinion, if Morris had not appeared on the scene or had died during the struggle, the revolution would have collapsed.   It is upsetting to read that Robert Morris died in debtor's prison in the United States of America within a few years after the adoption of the Constitution, which he helped frame.    

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.

Press release:

Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. as we welcome the next presenter in our Guest Speaker Series. Ken Slaughenhopt of the Lewiston Historical Society and a surveyor himself will be presenting on "The Holland Land Survey". He will be discussing the trials and tribulations of the surveying process that went into laying out the Holland Purchase and its 3.25 million acres, as well as its importance to Western New York even today. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. If you plan on attending, please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

The Guest Speaker Series is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and New York State Legislature and administered by Go ART!

Press release:

Behold, and Blush is a comprehensive telling of the 1779 Sullivan Expedition as it wound its way through western New York. We begin with the legend behind the creation of the Seneca Nation, the "Great Peacemaker," and Hiawatha, and the formation of the Haudenosaunee (League of Five Nations). Next, the book segues the French-led invasion of Seneca territory in 1687. Finally, it touches on the French and Indian War and the deeds committed by British General Jefferey Amherst, for whom Amherst New York is named. Behold and Blush reviews chronologically and introduces the readers to the campaigns of "Goose," Van Schaick, and Daniel Brodhead, culminating with Sullivan and Clinton. Thompson's research expands upon the expedition's little-

known members, which significantly adds to the story of the Sullivan Expedition. The book introduces the reader to Joseph Brant, Mary Jemison, Daniel Shays, Timothy Murphy, Lt. Thomas Boyd, and Sgt. Michael Parker. The book concludes with the discussion of genocide as it may or may not relate to Sullivan's Expedition. "If a reader expects to find this book treating the men of Sullivan's Expedition as barbarians and a book where the Seneca are treated as victims, they may be disappointed in what they find.”

Release date October 9:

Presentation and signing:

• Sat. Oct. 22 – Simply Positive 23 Main St. Livonia NY 10-1 p.m., (585) 204-0441
• Sat. Oct. 29 – Holland Land Office Museum 131 W. Main St Batavia NY, 1-3 p.m. 585-343-4727.

Press release:

Back by popular demand, please join the Holland Land Office Museum for a West Side Ghost Walk on Fridays in October.

The walks led by Connie Boyd will take place on October 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 7 pm.

We will also be adding second walks beginning at 7:30 on October 7 and 21.

Take a walk on the west side 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.

Also, be sure to also check out the Old Batavia Cemetery's Walk on Saturday, October 22. For more information on the Cemetery Walk please contact 585-943-5662.

Admission is $15.00 or $10.00 for museum members and reservations are required with purchase. Tours are limited to 20 people each.

The tour begins and ends at the museum and is approximately 1 1/2 to two hours in length. 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 Batavia Cemetery Association is excited to announce that the annual Halloween Candlelight Ghostwalk will be held on Saturday, Oct. 22. 

Join us for some spooky fun on a ghost walk through the Historic Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue in Batavia to meet the famous and infamous movers and shakers who not only shaped and influenced the City of Batavia but the United States and the world.

The guided tour on candlelit paths will bring guests to meet men and women of Batavia, who, for various reasons, held great power and exerted great influence in their day, were victims of tragic events, or both. Philemon Tracy, one of the few Confederate officers buried in the north, Joseph Ellicott, a man of great power and great flaws, and William Morgan, the man who disappeared and was allegedly murdered before he could reveal the secrets of the Masons, are some of the ghosts who will tell their stories on the tour.

New visitors this year include Albert Brisbane, a utopian socialist and the chief popularizer of the theories of Charles Fourier in the United States, Mary Elizabeth Wood, the first librarian at the Richmond Memorial Library who is best known for her work in promoting Western librarianship practices and programs and founding the first library school in China, and Dr. Martha Morgan, who spent most of her professional life working at the State Lunatic Hospital in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

You will meet Civil War veteran General John H. Martindale, who was Military Governor of the District of Columbia in 1865, James Holden, a sergeant in the American Revolution and Eli Fish, maltster and brewer. Dean and Mary Richmond, who greatly influenced business and civic life in western New York in the 1800s, will greet guests in their beautiful mausoleum on the last stop of the tour. Mr. Richmond amassed a great fortune in Great Lakes shipping and was the second president of the New York Central Railroad. Mrs. Richmond vastly expanded her husband’s fortune after his death and sat on the boards of many businesses and civic organizations. 

Tours begin at 7 p.m. and run every fifteen minutes until 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10. Reservations are required. Proceeds benefit the upkeep and restoration of the cemetery. For more information, or to make reservations, contact (585) 943-5662.

Don’t forget the Holland Land Office Museum’s first West Side Ghost Stories program on Friday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. Join Connie Boyd as she shares the sinister and weird documented stories from the West Side of Batavia’s past. Tickets are $5/3$ for museum members. And back and expanded by popular demand, the HLOM will host the West Side Ghost Walk on October 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 7 p.m. Hear tales of murders, hangings, grave robbing, ghosts and other eerie happenings from Batavia’s past. Tickets at $15/$10 for members. For reservations call 343-4727.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the return of its West Side Batavia Ghost Stories on Friday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. Connie Boyd will be sharing the spooky, sinister, and weird documented stories from the West Side of Batavia's past. Come and listen to tales of murder, ghosts, body snatching hangings, and abandoned cemeteries. This presentation is the same as our Ghost Walk, perfect for those who don't want or aren't able to go on our guided Ghost Walks. Tickets are $5/$3 for museum members. If you would like to attend please contact the museum at (585) 343-4727.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its next Trivia Night at the museum on Thursday, September 8th at 7 pm. This month we will be meeting at the GO ART! building located at 201 E. Main St. in Batavia. This month's topic is Elizabeth I in honor of the queen's birthday. Admission is $3 per person or $2 for museum members. Come and join us at GO ART!, where you can also enjoy beverages served by Tavern 2.0 while testing your Elizabethan knowledge. Please contact the museum if you would like to attend at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its next presenter in our Guest Speaker Series on Wednesday, September 14th at 7 pm. Deanne Quinn Miller will be presenting on her recently published book, "A Prison Guard's Daughter: My Journey Through the Ashes of Attica." The book is her mission to find answers to the death of her father, a corrections officer, during the Attica Prison riot on September 13, 1971. Copies of the book will also be available in the museum gift shop. 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 Guest Speaker Series is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and New York State Legislature and administered by Go ART!

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its next Java with Joe E. morning presentation series on Thursday, September 22nd at 9 am. This month's presenter is Greg Van Dussen. Mr. Van Dussen is a local author and former Methodist pastor. He has also taught at the Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan College. His topic will be the Methodist Circuit Riders of North America, focusing primarily in areas of the Northeast and Midwest. The presentation is free to attend 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.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the return of its West Side Batavia Ghost Stories. Connie Boyd will be sharing the spooky, sinister, and weird documented stories from the West Side of Batavia's past. Come and listen to tales of murder, ghosts, body-snatching hangings, and abandoned cemeteries. This presentation is the same as our Ghost Walk, perfect for those who don't want or aren't able to go on our guided Ghost Walks. Tickets are $5/$3 for museum members. If you would like to attend please contact the museum at 585-343-4727.

 

The last time the First Presbyterian Church of Elba had its property lines surveyed, Ulysses S. Grant was president.

That's just one measure of how much history has passed since the church's founding 200 years ago.

"Two hundred years is a long time for a small church in a rural community to be able to hang in here," said the current pastor, Rev. Barbara Tipton (inset photo). "They have seen the Civil War and the Depression and World War I, World War II, all that history they have gone through and watched the history of this country and the development of this country."

That long history shows the spirit of the people of Elba, Tipton said during a bicentennial celebration picnic in the Elba Village Park on Saturday. The picnic included live music, food served by Elba's Boy Scouts, a petting zoo, a balloon artist, and a bounce house.

"They've been through several fires and rebuilds and they still hang in there," Tipton said. "They're tenacious. They need to be in a community like this that has seen all kinds of changes. They're salt of the earth. They have the muck in their blood. The nature of farming makes you strong."

The church is healthy, Tipton said, with about 100 members and strong regular attendance from much of the congregation. Tipton has led the flock for 15 years, making her the third-longest tenured pastor in the church's history.

"We're fortunate that we have a choir director and an organist," Tipton said. "Many churches our size don't have that, and our members contribute to their community through food pantries and special offerings. They are generous people when it comes to answering a need, and expressed needs when people have them, within their limitations. They do the best that they can out of generosity of spirit. You have to admire that."

Photos by Howard Owens

Michele Keberle makes friends with a calf born earlier Saturday morning.

Press release:

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce its next edition of our Java with Joe E morning coffee presentation on Thursday, August 25 at 9 am. This month’s presenter is Ryan Duffy who will be presenting on Henry Glowacki. Glowacki was a Polish immigrant to Batavia in the 1830s. He became a prominent Batavia citizen and went on to become a lawyer, a clerk for the Holland Land Office, was a recruiter for the Civil War, Village Trustee, and school board member amongst many other things. The event is free to the public and coffee and donuts will be available. If you wish to attend, please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.