history

"The Stories Behind the Businesses (The Way We Were)" chronicles what writer Darlene Warner calls Oakfield’s “carefree years,” and tells the stories behind the businesses which put Oakfield on the map.

“I am totally enthused about this book,” Warner said. “Wherever possible, I asked family members to write their own family stories, and this resulted in fantastic histories about the businesses in Oakfield in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s that only they could tell.”

Warner has covered earlier years in previous books she has written, she said. 

"The Stories Behind the Businesses" contains 65 stories, including hardware stores, grocery and dry goods stores, gas stations, car dealerships, dairies, a pharmacy, furniture stores, a flower shop, plumbers, laundromats and pizzerias.

“You name it, we had it here,” Warner said. “The stories are wonderful.”

Readers will discover how Al Hilchey got the hardware store; what it was like living at the Arnold House; that the bowling alley once had bleachers; why Cuzzy’s was called the “Eland Dairy Bar”; who had the first self-made car wash; and the interesting ways some business owners were paid.

The book also discloses when the shoemaker’s shop was demolished and what happened to the cobblestone; which grocer taught a young boy about food and self respect; and who was a former cowboy and could do some soft shoe.

“We had restaurants and hotels and so much more,” Warner said. “Plus, it was our ‘carefree years,’ where children could play outside until dark with never so much as a worry for their parents. Many people have commented to me that this was great fun for them, reminiscing over old memories. Thus, this has been a fun book to work on all the way around.”

The book, which sells for $20, is the latest in a series of books about Oakfield, all of which are on sale at the Historical Society’s Research Center, 7 Maple Ave. Or this newest book will be shipped for $6.70 more.

The book is also available at the Haxton Memorial Library, and after Dec. 3 at the Oakfield Family Pharmacy.

The Historical Society is open from 1 to 3 p.m. Sundays.

On Dec. 1, the Historical Society will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. during Christmas in the Village. During that time they will also host the Oakfield-Alabama Central School Art Show. Residents are urged to come in and vote for their favorite artist.

The Historical Society will also be an ornament stop for the Oakfield Betterment Committee.

Tracy Ford reprised his role as the Rev. John Henry Yates during the Batavia Cemetary Association's annual Ghost Walk, which gives guests an opportunity to be treated to a lively lesson on Batavia's history.

This year's addition included Gregory Hallock, director of GO ART!, as Eli Fish, the former local brewer who has come to life again, so to speak, in the brewery and restaurant now occupying the former Newberry's building downtown.

Diana Buckman, also pictured below, played Nannie Hunt, whose sons Thomas and Joseph served in the Civil War, with Joseph dying in battle in 1862. She read a letter from Hunt's daughter Martha about Joseph's death.

Once again, the event was a sellout.

Louis Buono, left, owner of the McDonald's franchise in Le Roy, is remodeling his store and in the new design there won't be room for the historical photographs he had on display before.

Most of the photos are going to the Le Roy Historial Society, but one, of Le Roy police officers with a patrol car and motorcycles, has been donated to Le Roy PD for display inside the station in the Village Hall. Accepting the donation is Officer Greg Kellogg.

Press release:

Capture a piece of the historical Daniel A. Van Detta Stadium at Woodward Field while supporting the Batavia City School District Foundation Inc. on Oct. 13.

From 9 a.m. to noon that Saturday, the Batavia community is invited to own a piece of the historic ground of Daniel A. Van Detta Stadium at Woodward Field by making a monetary donation to the Batavia City School District Foundation Inc. Any monetary donation to the foundation will be accepted.

All present and former staff, students, athletes, spectators, and members of the Batavia community (including Notre Dame alumni), are encouraged to participate in this event!

It will take place just prior to the groundbreaking for renovations included in the Batavia City School District’s 2020 Vision Capital Improvement Project (https://www.bataviacsd.org/Domain/437).

Members of the BCSD Foundation Inc. will be on hand at the Union Street entrance to collect donations from those entering the stadium, located at 120 Richmond Ave. This event gives people the opportunity to not only support the foundation, but to have a part of the City of Batavia’s athletic history.

We encourage your participation and look forward to you stopping by the Daniel A. Van Detta Stadium at Woodward Field on Saturday, Oct. 13. Shovels will be available for your use.

For more information about the event, please contact Julia Rogers at foundation@bataviacsd.org. For further information on the BCSD Foundation Inc. please check out www.bataviacsd.org/Page/7364.

On Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. Pulitzer Prize winning professor of History from New York University Steven Hahn will discuss his latest book "A Nation Without Borders" at Genesee Community College.

This is an important reinterpretation of 19th century America — a kind of coming-of-age story especially significant for its contribution to the scholarship on the Civil War period.

“A massive and masterly account of America’s political and economic transformation between 1830 and 1910 . . . Hahn describes his book as telling ‘a familiar story in an unfamiliar way.’ It is much more than that. Attempting a synthesis of a century’s worth of American history is a daunting task. Writing one as provocative and learned . . . as this one is a triumph, nothing less.” – David Oshinsky, The Washington Post

The lecture will be in room T102 of the Conable Technology Building; it is free and open to the public.

The Yale-educated Hahn had none other than Southern historian and scholar C. Vann  Woodward (Nov. 13, 1908 -- Dec. 17, 1999) as his academic advisor. Hahn is also a recipient of the prestigious Bancroft Prize, which is awarded each year by the trustees of Columbia University for books about diplomacy or the history of the Americas. It was established in 1948 by a bequest from Frederic Bancroft.

Hahn was awarded the Pulitizer Prize for History for his 2004 book "A Nation Under Our Feet."

"This is big news for GCC," said GCC Associate Professor of History Derek D. Maxfield in an email. "He is our third Pulitzer Prize winner in three years. Copies of his book will be available for sale (and signing)."

I have been writing articles for more than 10 years. I have written about our early history, businesses, people, schools, transportation to name only a few topics. There is so much history surrounding us.

You can go to the Holland Land Office Museum, our county museum or visit the Batavia Historical Cemetery on Harvester, go to our Richmond Memorial Library, or visit our county Historian, Michael Eula, at the Genesee County History Department.

Deciding to clean out our attic, I discovered another place surrounded by history. As I entered our crowded, dusty attic on that first day, I was immediately taken back to an earlier time. I found, in the back of the attic, our daughters’ cribs and their toys. Opening bins of their toys reminded me of their faces on Christmas morning. Where did the time go?  

I felt I was in a time capsule and was landing at different decades. The cribs were taken to the dumpster but the memories stayed. I landed next to bins that said, “Jenn sort,” and “Jes sort.” I opened the bins and smiled at what they have saved and wondered why I was still storing them.  

There were bins filled with photographs, not organized, just sitting haphazardly in a bin. Every picture took you to that time and in my mind, I relived the memories. One particular album caught my eye. It was filled with just 8-by-10 pictures. In the '70s you could have your child’s picture taken for $.99 for an 8-by-10 picture at J.J. Newberry’s or W.T. Grant Co. department stores. I found our daughters dancing recital costumes and soccer jerseys.

My next landing was very bittersweet. A bin of memories my mom had given me many years ago that I don’t remember ever seeing. How did she do it with six children and found the time to save articles about us growing up. There were programs that I had been in along with many pictures. There was even my medical history with shots and my allergy testing. So that brought me back to living on Highland Park and then Evergreen Drive. 

I found my wedding gown and wedding pictures. I loved my simple gown and the cherished memories of that day. I laughed when I saw one picture of my brothers’, one in a plaid jacket and the other in plaid pants. That landing was such a sweet memory, especially the picture of me dancing with my Dad surrounded by family and friends. So many pictures of him and me on important events in my life, my Communion, my Confirmation, my wedding, my retirement, and our daughters' baptisms. Did he know how much those pictures meant to me, did I ever tell him? 

My next landing were the pictures of my students and the cards and letters they sent me. I would always have them write their name and date on any gifts they gave me. I had a file on every class. In the early years, they were remembered on slides and in the later years in a PowerPoint (presentation). I hope they all knew what they meant to me. So many children, so many years, so many memories! 

Now our children are married and we are blessed with grandchildren. There are no words to describe what those children mean to us. They also had fun in the attic last year when they played with their mother’s toys and wore the old-fashioned hats. 

My last landing was also my most recent memories. The pictures were from our parents' memorial services with CDs that chronologically displayed their lives through pictures. Losing our parents filled me with a mixture of sadness and so much happiness. We were loved, just like we love our children and how they love their children. It is a cycle that will always continue.

I’m done for now in the attic. It was quite a ride. I realized that everything I saved was a part of my history.

I know you all have someplace similar to an attic that holds your memories. My memories have reentered my heart in a different way, an older way.  Now when I look at old pictures I remember the history. I am glad I took a memory tour in our attic. It just made me realize how lucky I am to hold these cherished memories. When there are days that don’t seem to go the way I hoped, maybe I should revisit our attic.

People like to make discoveries. It makes them feel important, that they've found something unique. Children especially like to have something to show off and I was no different. When I was about 9 or 10 I tried to get something I found put in a museum -- the Holland Land Office Museum.

As it turned out, the thing I found belonged in a dumpster, not a display case.

It all started because of jealousy. A kid I knew had uncovered an arrowhead in his backyard or somewhere. The local museum had it displayed in a case with his name by it and every time I saw it I turned green with envy. Why wasn't it me who unearthed something while digging around as kids do?

I loved that museum. They had antique guns, a drum from the Civil War, an actual hangman's noose from the old jail -- great stuff. But nothing contributed by me, David Reilly. Every time I went there I imagined a card with my name on it next to something that every visitor would remark about.

One day while prowling around the attic of a house where we were renting an apartment, I found an old, dented, beat up bugle. I ran to show it to my mother and asked if it could be a valuable souvenir, possibly from the Civil War. She didn't think so, especially since if it was valuable no one would have left it in the attic. Of course.

Crushed, I trudged back upstairs. But as I went to put the bugle back in the cobwebs, a seed of a scheme entered my mind.

What if my mother was wrong? After all, wasn't our house on Ellicott Avenue? And wasn't Joseph Ellicott the man who was the land agent for the Holland Land Company and the one who made the plans for the city of Batavia, New York? And wasn't my favorite museum down the street named The Holland Land Office where Joseph Ellicott had his office for many years?

That bugle could have been his! Or at least belonged to someone that he knew.

I thought, “Maybe if I take this bugle to the museum they will put it in a case, type up a card with my name on it, and finally I'd be famous, at least in Batavia. Nah, they'd never fall for it. But on the other hand... oh why not give it a try?”

The next day I went to the backyard, rubbed some dirt on the bugle so it looked like it had been dug up, and nervously headed for the museum. I hung around in front playing by the cannons for awhile trying to get up my nerve. Finally, I entered.

“What can I do for you young man?” the elderly woman at the desk asked.

“I found this bugle and it's got dirt on it and it was in my backyard right across the street on Ellicott Avenue and I dug it up and I bet it was lost there by Joseph Ellicott or at least by someone he knew look see how old it is can you put it in the museum?” I spewed out the words like my voice was trying to win the Indianapolis 500.

“Oh,” the woman said thoughtfully. “Ellicott Avenue you say? Well, that's right close by isn't it? What is your name young man?”

“Oh boy!” I rejoiced in my mind. The neatly printed card next to my donated bugle was looking pretty clear to me now.

“David Reilly,” I replied, “and I live at 20 Ellicott Avenue where I dug it up.”

"Well, David,” the woman said, “I'm going to show this to our museum experts and we will check it out very carefully. You come back next week and we'll let you know.”

All week long I couldn't sleep, paced the floor, and thought incessantly about that bugle. Finally, the big day came. I walked to the museum, marched straight to the lady's desk and looked imploringly into her eyes.

“What can I do for you young man?” the woman asked.

My heart dropped to my stomach. She doesn't even remember me? But wait. She's old; at least 90. She's just forgotten.

“I'm David Reilly. I brought in Joseph Ellicott's bugle last week.”

“Bugle? Oh yes, of course. I wouldn't forget a thing like that. We took a very close look at it I can assure you.”

My stomach felt like butterflies were having a gymnastics competition. “Yes! I'm in! I've got it!" I thought. If there was such a thing as a high five back then I was giving myself plenty of them mentally.

“Unfortunately, David, that bugle is no more than 20 years old at most. Are you sure that you dug it up in your yard?”

"Oh boy. What now?" I thought. "I'm done for on the display case. Can I get arrested for lying?"

But I proceeded nonetheless.

“Oh yes ma'am, it was way down there," I told her, then blurted out this realistic tidbit: "I thought it was gold when I first saw it."

My palms were sweating so badly now that they were leaving streaks on the sides of my corduroys.

The lady reached into the drawer of her desk and pulled out the bugle. She handed it to me with some of the dirt still clinging to the sides. She wiped her hand on one of those little old-fashioned hankies.

“Well, young man, I'm sorry that we couldn't use your discovery, but it's always nice to see someone your age so interested in history. If you ever come across anything else be sure to bring it in.”

I took the bugle and managed to utter a quick “Yes, thank you ma'am” before making a hasty exit.

As I slunk back home I could almost hear the guffaws of the museum staff as they mocked my find of the “bugle of Joseph Ellicott.”

Looking back on it, the museum volunteer probably had a little laugh after I gave it to her, then put it in the drawer and never thought about it again until I came back.

As I clumped up the back steps, I chucked the bugle into the garbage can where it clanged forlornly, never to be seen again.

As I went through the kitchen my mom stopped me. “Where've you been Dave?” she asked.

“Oh, just down at the museum,” I replied.

“Again? You must have been there a hundred times. Anything new down there?”

“Nope. Nothin' to toot about anyway,” I told her and headed off to check out that new comic I had stored under my pillow.

PHOTO: Bugle shown is for illustration purposes only; it is not the bugle David found.

Genesee Community College's History Club will begin its fall lecture series on Wednesday, Sept. 5, when Kevin R. Pawlak speaks on "The Jewels of War: Robert E. Lee, George B. McClellan and the Battle of Antietam."

The free lecture will take place at 7 p.m. in Room T102 in the Conable Technology Building at GCC's Batavia Campus, located at One College Road. All are invited.

The History Club will host a lecture on the first Wednesday evening of every month this fall as part of its Historical Horizons Lecture Series. 

Pawlak is the author of "Shepardstown in the Civil War."

The Battle of Antietam is America's bloodiest single day. In totality, 12 hours of fighting on Sept. 17, 1862 left approximately 23,000 casualties. During this lecture, Pawlak will assess the dramatic events of the Civil War battle from the unique perspective of the commanders on the field.

(Photo of author Kevin R. Pawlak, courtesy of GCC.)

Ryan Duffy is 18 months into his job as director of the Holland Land Office Museum and members of the Genesee County Legislature have taken notice of the improvements he's made to the local history destination.

Several members praised him Monday after he give his annual review report to the Human Services Committee.

"Two years ago or three years ago there was significant activity and concern about the museum," said Robert Bausch, chairman of the legislature. "I just want to compliment you. The issues that we raised are being addressed and addressed in a positive way. I just want to congratulate you."

During his presentation, Duffy laid out some of the activities at the museum, which include continuing the just-completed History Heroes summer camp, cataloging more than 8,000 items at the museum, bringing in more groups to use space at the museum for meetings, bringing in more guest speakers, and starting a Java with Joe morning speakers series.

Duffy also brought back the annual antique show at Batavia Downs, which this year had vendors from as far away as Syracuse and Binghampton and brought in 450 visitors.

The museum also continues to grow as a tourist destination. Duffy said in 2017, nearly half of all people who visited the museum were from outside Genesee County.

Duffy also suggested people start thinking about their Wonderland of Trees decorations. This year's theme will be "favorite holiday movies."

"You’ve done fantastic," said Legislator John Deleo. "You’ve energized everybody including the board."

During his presentation Monday, Duffy also mentioned two recent acquisitions by the museum.  

Top photo: Six pictures of Gen. Emory Upton. The larger picture on the left is from the West Point yearbook when Upton was an instructor at the academy. The other five are of Upton during the Civil War, showing Upton as a young lieutenant fresh out of West Point through the end of the war when he was a brevet major general (brevet means a temporary promotion usually awarded for valor or exceptionalism; Upton was a brigadier general prior to the brevet promotion).

The photos were obtained from a private collector.

"The pictures show not only the change in himself over time but also his change in rank," Duffy said. "We didn’t have anything like that before. We had later things of him but not something tracing his career. We had the beginning and the end but not the middle."

Bottom photo: A painting of Henry Glowacki on a piece of ivory. Glowacki was a prominent citizen of Batavia in the second half of the 19th century and he had a pretty fascinating biography. Born in 1816, the son of a Polish general, Glowacki was promoted to major in the Polish Army at age 17. He was probably part of the November Uprising, when a group of young officers rebelled against Russian rule of part of their homeland (source). The officers were banished from Poland. He intended to make exile in Illinois but he came into contact with David Ellicott Evans, then manager of the Holland Land Office. Evans hired Glowacki, though he was still only 19 and didn't speak or read English. Within four years, he mastered the language and studied law under H. J. Redfield and he married Mary Redfield. He passed the New York State Bar in 1840 and became a prominent local attorney. He was chairman of the local Democratic Party, a recruiter during the Civil War, a Village of Batavia trustee, an original trustee of the NYS Blind School, and he donated land for the first hospital in Batavia.

Prior to obtaining the painting -- about the size of an egg -- the only pictures HLOM had of Glowacki were as an old man with mutton chops, Duffy said.

Museum staff located the painting while attending an antique show. It is etched on the back with Glowacki's name and his date of birth and death.

The museum already possessed his Polish army uniform and a paperweight he used while employed at the land office.

A Le Roy native will be attending his 65th class reunion today and debuting his newest book at the O-at-ka Festival.

Bill Brown worked on a secret project, now declassified, for a nuclear-powered bomber which could fly continuously for 30 days. His book, “The Atom Plane and the Young Lieutenant” is a true story of Huron’s United States Air Force military service at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio.

Brown was privileged to play an engineering role in the testing of critical components of the General Electric X-211 nuclear turbojet.

Very little is known today about the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion project, which spanned 10 years and the expenditure of $1 billion, Brown said. This was a highly advanced technology program conducted during the 1950s Cold War to provide a continuous 30-day flying bomber ready to respond to any attack on the United States, he said.

Although the nuclear-powered bomber never became an operational weapon system, the technology advancement was a major contribution to the nation’s military and civilian air and space programs, Brown added.

The author complements the story with several interesting experiences at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, including aircraft and security incidents, along with a flying saucer investigation.

“These were indeed adventurous years exploring the challenge of the unknown,” Brown said.

Brown will donate proceeds from his book sales at the O-at-ka Fest to the Le Roy Historical Society. The book will be for sale in the Le Roy Historical Society’s booth and at Amazon.com.

It's not exactly a facelift Gen. Emery Upton will get on the Soldier's Monument at the corner of Ellicott and Main streets in the City of Batavia, but when his bronze sculpture turns 100 next year, you should be able to see it better at night.

Lighting Design Innovations, a Batavia-based company, is planning to install new lighting on the monument next month thanks to $1,500 in donations the company has received for the project.

The county's Ways and Means Committee is recommending the Legislature accept the donation.

Assistant County Manager Matt Landers said company officials describe the current lighting as "flood lights" and their designers will come up with a plan to appropriately light the monument with more modern fixtures to make it more attractive when viewed at night.

LDI, which donated the rotating color lighting for the cupola of the Old Courthouse last year, is also trying to secure $6,500 in donations to pay for colored lighting on two of the pillars of the Old Courthouse.

"They are obviously very passionate about lighting," Landers said.

The offer was well received by the members of the Legislature.

"I think it’s very generous of them," said Marianne Clattenburg, who is chair of Ways and Means.

The Soldier's Monument was first conceived by local citizens in 1882 as a way to pay tribute to those from the area who died in the Civil War. A committee was formed to champion the idea but fundraising, apparently, didn't start until 1903. The first donation came from Albert Knapp.

By the end of the year, the fund reached $1,713.66.

In 1904, voters approved a $10,000 expenditure for the monument. The city agreed to pay another $15,000.

In 1907, there was a move to put Lincoln's bust atop the monument.

The next year, there was an effort to locate the monument in what is now Centennial Park (then called State Park) instead of its present -- and originally proposed -- location.

In 1911, the Genesee County Soldier's Monument Association was formed.

In 1917, the Board of Supervisors viewed a wooden model of the proposed monument and appropriated $10,000 for the project.

The city, at that point, was willing to chip in $5,000.

The granite structure was constructed in Barre, Vt., in 1918. C.A. Worden, a New Yorker, was the designer.

The base was placed in August 1918.

By October 1918, crews were ready to affix the eagle at the top, with a 3-foot, 10-inch tail, and an eight-foot wingspan. The bronze figure of Gen. Emory Upton was paid for by his sister, Sarah Edwards. Another sister, Sara Upton Evans, also made a contribution.

Supervisors accepted monument in January 1919.

As of February 1919, the City had not yet paid for its share of the monument. The county threatened to sue the city and after the county paid the $5,000 due from its contingency fund, the City Council approved paying its $5,000 share In April 1919.

The monument was dedicated Aug. 6, 1919. 

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens.

Photo of HOLM Director Ryan Duffy, assistant Nellie Slocum, and History Heroes coordinator Anne Marie Starowitz at the Holland Land Office Museum yesterday.

They're gearing up for the annual History Heros summer program.

More information:

The 2018 Holland Land Office Museum will again be conducting its History Heroes Summer Program.

The program is an eight-day camp for local youths from the ages of 7 to 12 to learn more about the local history of Genesee County and Western New York in a fun and educational environment.

The theme of this year's camp is "Summer Days at the Museum."

The campers will be busy with all sorts of fun and educational activities and projects.

Some of the highlights of History Heroes include: a field trip to the Buffalo and Erie County Naval Park; a visit by animals of the rainforest courtesy of the Buffalo Zoo's Zoomobile; tours of the museum and historic Batavia; a trip to the movies; penny carnival; end of program presentation, and much more.

The dates for the History Heroes this summer will be July 17th through July 20th, and July 24th through July 27th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Those who wish to attend can sign up for all eight days, or for individual days.

The cost per day is $25, or $20 for museum members, excluding the field trip day. Please contact the Holland Land Office Museum for further information at 343-4727 or at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

The information for the History Heroes Summer Program is also available on the museum's website hollandlandoffice.com.

The Holland Land Office Museum would also like to thank the sponsors for this year's History Heroes, who without their generous donations the program would not be what it is today: Ken's Charcoal Pits, Batavia Showtime, T-Shirts Etc., Tompkins Insurance, Bontrager's Auction, Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union, Artic Refrigeration, Batavia's Original, Batavia Turf Farms, Bohm-Calarco-Smith Funeral Home, Jim Dommer -- CPA, J. Leonard McAndrew Funeral Home, Kreative Design Kitchen & Bath, DelPlato Casey Law Firm, Edward Jones, Ficarella's Pizzeria, Lambert's Design Jewelers, Max Pies Furniture, Pellegrino Auto Sales, The Batavian, Valle Jewelers.

This is a painting by Noah North of Oliver Vaughn, a resident of Darien who died at age 14 in 1833.

I stopped by to see it today at the Holland Land Office Museum because until a few days ago, I hadn't heard of North, who, it turns out, is a painter from Alexander of some minor national renown. His name has never come up before, at least in my presence, in any discussion of local artists.

The painting of Vaughn is one of North's earliest when he was still being trained by M.W. Hopkins, of Albion.

He is recognized among collectors and art historians as a folk portrait artist (also called "naive" or "primitive"). 

He relocated to Ohio where he continued to pursue his portrait career and then returned to WNY, married a woman from Darien, and settled in Mt. Morris, where he eventually adapted to the new medium of photography (working in daguerreotype).

Within the region, North's work can also be seen at the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester and the Genesee Country Museum in Mumford. His work is also in the collections of the National Gallery of Art, the Museum of Folk Art, and the Shelbourne Museum in Vermont.

For the next four hours, one of his paintings is available on eBay for $9,000.

East Bethany resident Rick Hale holds up a scrimshaw horn he made himself, one of a few antique and reproduction pieces he brought to the Oakfield Historical Society's annual open house today to display. His collection included handmade rifle reproductions and 500-year-old powder horns (below).

Jim Ferris, of Alabama, demonstrates how a pioneer could have light any time as long as he had something to make into a wick and animal fat to render into an oil.

Next Saturday, April 21, the Oakfield Historical Society will host its Grand Opening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the 2018 season, which also marks its 20-year anniversary.

"Oakfield-Alabama Schools Through the Years" is the year's theme and the corresponding exhibit will debut, plus there will be other new exhibits and updated favorites.

Reenactors representing the late 18th and early 19 centuries will be there, too. There will be several knapping demonstrations where OHS Member Bill Chase will work a piece of raw flint, with the goal of creating an arrowhead.

The museum is located at 7 Maple Ave. in Oakfield.

A marker honoring Delia Philips was dedicated in Le Roy yesterday at the Village Hall with Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul in attendance.

Philips, who was 91 years old at the time, cast the first ballot by a woman in an election in Le Roy in 1917. She was one of 58 women to vote in that election in Le Roy after the state approved the right of women to vote.

The marker was sponsored by the Le Roy Historical Society and the Village of Le Roy.

"I have traveled across the State to tell the stories of women who never gave up fighting for the right to vote, "Hochul said. “We stand on the shoulders of the brave and audacious women who went against the tides of their time and secured suffrage for women here in New York.

"Today, 100 years after 91-year-old Delia Phillips walked into Le Roy Municipal Building and became the first woman to cast a ballot there, we honor her legacy and every woman who marched, who spoke out, and made women's suffrage a reality."

Submitted photo.