Addison, New York

Middletown MilepostsNewsletter

Middletown Historical Society of Steuben County: Towns of Addison, Cameron, Rathbone, Tuscarora &

Woodhull.41 Main Street, Addison, NY

607- 359-5070

Spring/Summer

A note from the Acting President:

The Museum is celebrating their 10th year anniversary. A tentative date has been set for the celebration for the last Saturday of March but there will be a flyer sent to all the members when the event is planned. Larry Mundy (who is a retired Social Studies Teacher from Addison High School) will present his history of Addison program. He has done incredible research over the years and has acquired many pictures and documents of Addison and surrounding areas. He is a gifted speaker and his presentation is outstanding.

In May, there will be nominations for elections for our officer positions. A president and vice president are needed as well as a secretary and trustee positions. I will not be able to continue. There is a need for new people with fresh ideas and leadership. The society and museum are a worthwhile organization and needs to continue and grow. If you or anyone you know would be interested, please call Vi

MemoirsAnother Ice Harvest Memory

I enjoyed Tom Flynn’s description of the ice harvest from the Canisteo river. Yes, things were different in the 30’s. My family lived in Hedgesville at that time. My two brothers and I, along with all the neighborhood kids attended the country school, grades one through eight.

We too had ice in Hedgesville. The North branch of Tuscarora Creek joins the river in Addison. It flows through Hedgesville where once thrived a mill and cheese factory. I don’t know just why, but it seems that a creek always holds a fascination for kids. Following is a memory of my brother, Shirley Pawling.

“As most readers would realize, life in the 1930’s in Steuben County, New York did not include television and little radio. Most of our entertainment we had to make up as we went along and using whatever was at hand. One of the things at hand in the spring were the blocks of ice, which the creeks threw up on the banks as the melting snow swelled the creek and the winter ice broke up.

Naturally something as appealing as large cakes of ice and a flow of water sufficient to float them made a fine diversion. We would pry cakes of ice from their resting places in the stream and follow them as they floated downstream—pushing them off whenever they got hung up on land. Some of the more adventurous among us would sometimes ride a large cake of ice until it floated down. Races of various kinds were devised and for as long as the combination lasted of large, un-melted cakes of ice and sufficient water to float them, we had materials for interesting lunch hours at school.

Naturally I was one of the ones who usually rode one of the blocks to see how far I could float and still return to school in time for the afternoon session.

One memorable day, I had located and prepared in advance a larger than average cake of ice and, as we were released from school for “noon hour,” I quickly pushed my block of ice into the stream, leapt aboard and set off intending to go farther than ever before. Everything went well for quite some time until I came to a stretch of relatively shallow rapids at which point my chariot struck a rock and split in two—right between my feet, dropping me to my neck in water which while not frozen is about as cold as water gets.

Of course, I had on for clothing, bib overalls, heavy work shirt, and knee-high rubber boots so for a time survival was the sole concern. Once I arrived on shore, I decided to run home, change clothes, and return to school—a bit late but none the worse for the experience.”

Submitted by Elaine “Happy” Johnson

As a young girl growing up near Cameron Mills, I remember my mother, aunts and I shopping at Crawford’s Store and watching the Erie trains get the mail bag from the Cameron Mills Post Office across from the store. My mother was so devastated when the store burned, she was worried it would not reopen, but it did, new and even better, she said. We would time our shopping so we could watch the trains pass through without a pause picking up the mail. My grandfather was

Crawford’s Store in Cameron Mills

As a young girl growing up near Cameron Mills, I remember my mother, aunts and I shopping at Crawford’s Store and watching the Erie trains get the mail bag from the Cameron Mills Post Office across from the store. My mother was so devastated when the store burned, she was worried it would not reopen, but it did, new and even better, she said. We would time our shopping so we could watch the trains pass through without a pause picking up the mail. My grandfather was

Crawford’s Store is now owned by Brian and Barb Arnold. They have renamed it Cameron Mill’s Market. There is a picture of them receiving a Citizen of the Year Plaque from Dan Farrand.

Thank you to Janie Ferguson for her help with photos and articles.

Facebook Page Update by Janie Ferguson

Sharing our history on line sure has become popular! We began a Middletown Historical Society of Steuben County Facebook Page, (that was approved by the board, on June 22, 2017) and it is now the beginning of February 2018, and to date we have 585 people who have liked our page. There are 601 "followers". Thank you to all of you that have supported our page. We hope you will also become members of our MHS, too, by filling out the form in our Newsletter, and sending it in with your dues.  There is also a form on our FB page, that you can print out to join as well. It is found in the "About" section, under " Story" click on “see more”. https://www.facebook.com/pg/www.MiddleTownHistoricalSocietyofSteubenCounty.org/about/?ref=page_internal

The Steuben Courier published this photo & information that I submitted on January 7, 2018, about the "Considine Memorial Works" business that was in Addison. Here is the information that I posted with the photo:  The Considine "Monument Works" on Wombough St, Addison, NY. ~ The "Baldwin Block," which burned in 1918 is at left. This photo was a special find since it has a family name in the information under this photo. After I found it in one of our MHS binders, and sent it to Judy (Ferguson) LaVancher last night. Judy answered back that Bonnie Moore had originally sent her this photo in the past, and she has it included already in our family history. She continued, that it is Michael Considine in this photo, standing by the monuments. He is the Ferguson's great grandfather John Considine's twin brother. This is the only Considine family photo that we have. Can you help us spread the word to others so that we may find other photos of our family?

Michael Troy delivering milk on Front St. in Addison in 1898. This photo found its way to Michael Troy's relatives on line. Here is the post, and updates on this photo:  Seated in this horse drawn cart we see Michael Troy on Front St. in Addison, NY delivering milk. Date 1898. You furnished your own containers, and Mr. Troy measured it out at the curb. What do you remember about getting milk delivered in your day? UPDATES: Information from Kirk House SCHS, "The 1917 Rural Directory says that he is a farmer on State Road in Addison (or at least getting his mail from Addison), with phone number Erwin 7." Thank you, Kirk! UPDATE: Mark Kane writes: At Laura Kane-Punyon’s suggestion, we took our copy of this picture out of the frame to see if my father wrote a description. Apparently, this picture of Michael Troy was taken on Front St in Addison in 1898. My Grandfather, Thomas Kane (FKA Keane) married Michael’s daughter, Hannah in 1904. Thank you for the information Kane Family!

The Hornell Evening Tribune/Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017 published these two photos to help us ID some of the students at the Cameron Mills School, District 2, Rathbone, NY. ~ "Can You Fill in the Blanks?"  See article in paper with photos above.

There are more I could share, so I encourage all our members to check out our FB page.

Janie L Ferguson

Featuring one of our members of the Middletown Historical Society who has loaned items on display, has been a guest speaker and very active with our society and museum.

Durland “Dewey” R. Weale

Durland was born in Lindley, NY in 1922. In the morning before school, between 7-9 a.m., he took milk from Lindley to Tioga to the milk plant. He attended District 3 One-room school in Lindley in his early years. He graduated from Northside Blodgett High School in Corning, NY.

He attended Cornell University graduating in the Class of 1944 and worked summers at Corning Glass Works.

He worked as a County Agent in Rensselaer, Steuben, Erie, Oneida, and Columbia Counties.

His first teaching job as an agricultural teacher was in Sherman, NY. He came to Addison as an agricultural teacher and served as class adviser of the Class of 1958. They still meet every September (March in Florida).

In 1962, he went to BOCES. He set up the BOCES Coopers Campus from separate buildings throughout Corning to one location in Coopers. He retired from there in 1980.

He went to Dresser Rand to train international customers on Air and Process Compressors.

He has always been i in old cars, specifically Fords. He has driven one of his four Model T Fords in 50 of the 52 parades in Painted Post each year. He has also driven them in Addison parades and shown them in Reading, Pa. as well as other places. His other interest is in gardening growing dahlias.. He is the oldest member of the Lindley Church, and attends the Addison Methodist Church. This year he celebrates 75-years as a member of Masons, Addison Chapter.

Dues are now due for 2018Our Membership runs from January 1, to December 31, each year. The dues

help maintain the museum and Northrup Hill One Room School House. Dues help pay our insurance premiums on these buildings, and the utilities. Without your help, we would not be able to keep these buildings in good condition and provide for our programs, our academic awards and school visitations. The Middletown Society appreciates and thanks all their members for their support every year. We have several sustaining members and we appreciate the donations that they make. Please continue to send your dues and thank you again.

Please cut and mail to Middletown Historical Society,

41 Main Street, Addison, NY 14801

****************************************************

Date:_______________________________________________

Name:______________________________________________

Address:____________________________________________

Telephone number:_______________________

Email address _________________________________

_____ Individual $15.

_____Family $25. _____ Senior Citizen/ Student $10.

_____ Institution or Business $50.

Donations to:

Northrup Hill School $________

Operating Expenses $________

Academic Award $________