Historical Museums in Genesee County, New York

Genesee County, New York, is rich in American history. The county is home to twelve historical museums, which are great places to learn about how things were done and how people lived in these communities in the past.

You do not need to visit large history museums in cities to learn about American history. Genesee County's historical places throw some insight into the history and history of each town. Come visit these locations in Genesee County to see history be brought to life!

Alabama Museum

The museum itself is a neat place as it was originally an one-room school house. When you walk into the museum, you can see the big windows and high ceilings and wonder about the children and the education that went on in the building. Through the artifacts you will discover that Alabama used to have three gun manufacturers in its small town. There was a prominent citizen named Dr. Grant Neal, who’s buggy is displayed at the museum. Part of the original Basom post office is also on display. Some visitors may appreciate the museum's historic posters of "horse auctions" and old-time carnivals to be intriguing cultural records and reminders of just how society used to be. A Christmas party invite from 1856 for a party in Alabama is just one object that remains relevant to today.

Alexander Museum

The Alexander Museum is located on the third floor of Alexander's Town Hall (the United States' only three-story cobblestone town hall). Bring your camera because the building by itself is worth a visit and offers very intriguing shots. An antique phone, record players, and typewriter are among the objects on show which remain important in today's environment, and are essentially now all part of our smartphones. Younger people these days  would be perplexed by the methods we had used to communicate. It's fun to look at the items in a tools area and try to figure out what they're used for. The museum's expansive open space is packed with its unique collection. The is a lot to take in at the museum, from farm tools to old record players and everything in between.

Bergen Museum

The Bergen Museum is absolutely one-of-a-kind. The museum is located in downtown Bergen at the historic 1880 Hartford Hotels Livery Stables. The building was converted into a charming and excellent museum. Inside the old barn, there are a few excellent life-size scenes showing a blacksmith shop, a general store, a schoolroom, and other scenes. The exhibitions' purpose is to allow the items convey their story. You truly get a feeling of how it was to go shopping, learn in school, or visit the neighborhood pharmacy. People's imaginations are captured by wartime posters in a local military exhibit. Volunteers from the museum built the beautifully designed scenes.

Byron Museum

This museum is housed in an old church next to an old cemetery. The historic German Lutheran church's sanctuary is filled with numerous artifacts, including a large amount of clothes and textiles. Individuals who are interested in fashion or clothing will appreciate seeing what people wore a century ago. Photos and yearbooks from South Byron High School are also at the museum. A big annex behind the church is devoted to objects characteristic of a farming community. There is also old signage for former businesses and community signs in the annex.

Elba Museum

The Elba Museum houses an excellent collection spread across three buildings: a museum, a historic 1842 house, and a recreated barn. The museum is loaded with Elba-related items. A tribute to the high school, along with a cheerleader uniform, was a unique touch. The 1842 house is right next door to the museum building. The house is well-kept and provides an insight into life before telephones, microwaves, computers, and other modern conveniences and technology. You can easily understand how people used to live their lives. Head over to the barn to witness how hard work was done around 150 years ago. The barn is packed with unique historical items and equipment.

Jell-O Gallery and Historic LeRoy House

The LeRoy Historical Society operates two separate museums within the same property in LeRoy. The Jell-O Gallery and the Historic LeRoy House are separated by the "Jell-O Brick Road," a small garden.

Learn the excellent story of America's Most Famous Desert, which was invented in LeRoy in 1897. The museum pays homage to the evolution of Jell-O as a brand and its place in everyday American life. There are numerous examples of how Jell-O promoted their product through clever marketing and merchandising tactics. The museum also has an excellent gift shop.

A little transportation museum, harkening to the times when people traveled by buggy or sled, is located in the basement of the Jell-O Gallery. It's a modest yet lovely collection that traces the growth of modern transportation.

The Historic Leroy House, erected in 1822 as a home for Jacob Leroy, a successful land agent, houses over a century of local history. The museum has three floors that are open to the public and are loaded with fascinating objects from the past. A highlight is an exhibit commemorating Leroy's Ingram University, which was established in 1837 and was the first institution to award women a four-year degree, as well as an exhibit honoring agricultural pioneer Calvin Keeney. The kitchen in the house recalls how meals were prepared and served a century ago.

Holland Land Office Museum, 131 West Main Street, Batavia, NY (585) 343-4727

The Holland Land Office Museum, housed in a stone building constructed in 1810, houses hundreds of objects from Western New York's history. Batavia is known as the "birthplace of Western New York" since the Holland Land Office was responsible for the sale and allocation of over 3.3 million acres of land. The Medal of Honor awarded to Batavian Charles F. Rand, the very first soldier in the country to volunteer for the Civil War, is on display inside the museum. The museum displays an authentic gibbet which was used to perform hangings, the last of which took place in 1881. Throughout the year, the Holland Land Office Museum hosts a variety of educational and social events. The museum is also located right next to the Batavia International Peace Garden.

Oakfield Historical Museum, 7 Maple Avenue, Oakfield, NY (585) 948-5901

The two-story house museum in Oakfield has several really interesting details. It provides an excellent job of informing tourists about the significance of gypsum mining in Oakfield. Numerous pictures and mining machinery reflect the history of significant gypsum mining in the town. Another representation at the museum is the Native American influence on the town and area which once stood a Seneca fort, village and  mounds. A very impressive collection of arrowheads (gathered from the surrounding area) that alone is worth the trip. The Oakfield Historical Museum is unique in that they print their own publications about local history, that are available for purchase.

Pembroke Museum, 1145 Main Road, Corfu, NY (585) 599-4892 ext. 9

This small museum can be found on Route 5 within the Town of Pembroke Town Offices. Items from the town's past post offices are all on exhibit, reminding us of the way people used to deliver messages and other communications. One area is dedicated to the local fire department, where you'll discover how they used to fight fires with glass water grenades over a century earlier. Civil War enthusiasts will appreciate seeing a soldier's hat and ammunition. Pembroke's military history is also displayed prominently.

Stafford Museum of History, 8903 Route 237, Stafford, NY (585) 343-1928

The Stafford Museum of History, which is connected to the Town of Stafford Town Hall, was constructed in 2004. The museum is one huge room with very well-presented artifacts in attractive display cases and information panels. This museum does not try to show you everything, but rather the excellent representations of early settlement life in Western New York. Visitors will also enjoy viewing the Morganville Pottery collection. A style of pottery with a characteristic reddish hue was produced in the nearby hamlet of Morganville (from the local excavated clay). Check out the museum's little gift shop on your way out.

Tonawanda Indian Reservation Historical Society, 372 Bloomingdale Road, Akron, NY (585) 542-2481

The Tonawanda Band of Seneca Indians' heritage is celebrated throughout the Tonawanda Indian Community House's hallways. The historical artifacts are presented all throughout the museum, therefore there is no particular museum room. The community house is open every day, so there are plenty of opportunities to visit and learn. Throughout the museum, large-scale photographs and illustrations showcase the Tonawanda Indian Reservation's history and heritage. Some of the lithographs tell the history of the tribe and the Seven Nations' history. On the second story, there is a piece of high reverence - a chief's headdress.

More Museums in Genesee County

Mary Jemison by Jane Marsh Parker

Mary Jemison

 by Jane Marsh Parker 
  Cosmopolitan, Volume 1, pages 371 - 374, March - August, 1886 

She was a slender slip of a girl to send alone at nightfall a mile or more to borrow the horse that she was to lead home before breakfast in the early morning; a fair-skinned. blue-eyed girl of thirteen, delicate

in feature. little hands and feet, the daughter of the well-to-do farmer, Thomas Jemison, a Scotch-Irish settler on the frontier of Pennsylvania. There were six of the Jemison boys and girls. and a very happy home was theirs, with their good and thrifty mother. 

They heard of trouble with the Indians in other localities along the border, but they felt safe in their frontier home, even when they heard the wolves howl at night, or missed a lamb or a calf after the visit of a prowling panther. Mr. Jemison must have been over-driven with work that Spring day, when Mary was sent alone to borrow the horse. No doubt the adventure was a pleasant change for the child, although she used to tell, in her after life, that she had a warning that night that something was going to happen.

She was safe home betimes in the morning, leading her horse, and hungry for the breakfast she knew would be waiting for her. She found that company had arrived the night before, a woman and three little children, and the woman's brother-in-law, the family of a man that was "fighting in Washington's army." Mary's mother was getting breakfast. The children were playing together, The two elder Jemison boys were at work near the barn. The men were outside, There was the sound of the firing of guns, shot after shot, in quick succession. and before those women and children could speak for fright, in rushed the savages that had killed the uncle of the children, and had bound Mr. Jemison at his very door. In a few moments, they were all helpless prisoners, their hands tied behind them, and the Indians driving them into the woods, lashing the little children forward with a whip.

Each Indian carried away as much plunder as he could, the bread, meal, and meat of Mrs. Jemison's larder, and the breakfast her children might not taste. All day they marched to the westward, never a mouthful of food or a drop of water, expecting every moment to be tomahawked or burnt at the stake. At night. they were suffered to drop down on the damp ground, without fire or shelter, the pitiful wailing of the starving children awakening no pity in the savage heart. On again they moved at early daybreak, halting at sunrise, when Mrs. Jemison's meat and bread were sparingly given out.

At the end of the second day's journey, the good mother, who had cheered her dear ones all she could, saw the Indians taking off Mary's shoes and stockings and putting a pair of moccasins on her feet. The same was done to the little boy whose father was in Washington's army. The mothers knew what that meant. The two children were to be adopted by the Indians. All but Mary and the little boy would never see another sunset.

Mrs. Jemison managed to say a last word to her little Mary. She bade her good-bye, charging her to remember her prayers and the English language. and not to try running away from the Indians. "I was crying," said Mary Jemison, in telling the story years after, "and an Indian Came and led me away. 'Don't cry, Mary,' mother called after me. 'God bless you. my child.'"

She and the little boy lay under the bushes that night with an Indian guarding them. They never slept, but the Indian did; and then the boy begged Mary to run away with him, to hide in the woods; but her mother's counsel kept her where she was.

The next morning they were hurried forward again, she and the boy the only captives. They knew, without being told, that the others of their party, father, mother, brothers, and sisters, had been murdered in the night, and that they would never see them again. They dared not cry, dared not complain.

The next night, they encamped by a fire. It had been raining, and they were cold and wet. Again Mary ate her mother's bread, and, crouching by the fire, she watched the Indians dress the bloody scalps they had brought with them. One was combing the gory locks Of her mother; another, the flaxen hair of her little brothers and sisters. If she fell asleep at all, it was to start and see those horrible scalps drying before the fire.

Through rain and snow, they marched on, day after day, at last reaching Fort Pitt, now Pittsburg. There the face and hair of the captives were painted red. A young white man, a prisoner, had been added to their company. They were shut up alone in an empty building inside the fort. Another terrible night was passed : for they might well dread the morrow, when, they had reason to believe, they would be horribly tortured and put to death, or turned into the forest to save themselves from the wild beasts as best they could. Early in the morning, the young man and the little boy were taken out of the fort, leaving Mary alone in her terror. She never heard from them again ; never knew their fate.

Now, two Seneca squaws, who had lost a brother in the warfare going on between red man and white man, were looking at that moment for a prisoner, or an enemy's scalp. Either would comfort them for the loss of their brother. It was a custom among the Indians for the mourners of the dead in battle to welcome the returning braves and claim a prisoner or a scalp. With the prisoner they could do what they liked, torture or adopt, just as they pleased. The two Seneca squaws received a prisoner and scalps in this case.

They were extremely pleased with Mary, and decided to adopt her. So she sailed away with them in their canoe, a larger canoe going before them down the Ohio, an Indian standing in the stern, holding upon a pole the scalps of her family. Her mother's bright red hair floated before her eyes, and seemed leading her to her new home. They passed a Shawnee town, where she saw a smouldering fire and the suspended fragments of the bodies of white people, who had just been burned to death. About eighty miles by river from Fort Pitt they landed at the wigwam of the Seneca Squaws.

Her new sisters were very kind to her. They named her Deh-ge-wa-nus, meaning Two-falling-voices. The little pale-faced stranger, who had taken their brother's place in their hearts, had lulled by her voice the voice of their sorrow. She was given light work only to do, and was forbidden to speak English. Remembering her mother's last words, she would go away alone and repeat her prayers and familiar English words. In time, she ceased doing so ; but she never wholly forgot her mother's tongue.

The Story of her life for four years at Shenanjee, where in summer she planted, and hoed, and harvested the corn, and squash, and beans, and where in winter she went into the forest with the hunters ; her hopes of escape more than once prevented by the watchful affection of her Indian sisters ; her early marriage to Sin-nin-jee, a Delaware brave--all this. as told in the account of her life by James E. Seaver, is a romance of thrilling incident, giving us a deep insight into Indian life. Singular as it may seem, she became contented, even happy. "Only one thing marred my happiness," she said in after years, "remembering my parents and the home I loved."

Some of Sin-nin-jee's kindred lived in the Genesee valley in Western New York, the fair hunting grounds of the Senecas in the Iroquois long house. In the fall of 1758, when her baby Thomas was about nine months old, she set out with her husband and three of his brothers, and her baby, of course, to visit these relatives in the Genesee. Sin-nin-jee, hearing of good winter hunting "down the river," concluded not to go to the Genesee until the spring. Mary went on with his brothers, her big baby on her back, traveling nearly six hundred miles on foot through an almost pathless wilderness, reaching Little Beard's Town (now Cuylerville) late in the autumn. The fatigue and suffering of that journey she never forgot, and in her old age she would go over the trail in her fancy, "sleeping on the naked ground. with nothing but my wet blanket to cover us."

Little Beard's Town was a place of considerable importance, to the Senecas at least, in 1759. It was on the west bank of the beautiful Genesee river. She found that many of the Seneca braves were off on the war path, helping the French against the English. She saw those of her own race brought in as captives and tortured, but her pleadings for them often saved their lives.

She was the first and only white woman in the country. Not until 1797, thirty-eight years after, was any of the land around her sold to the whites. The first orchard west of the Genesee, planted by a white settler, was in 1799, when Mary Jemison had cultivated her Indian patch for forty-one years. At the time of the treaty of Stanwix, in 1784, she had been with the Indians twenty-nine years. Seventy-two years she lived in the valley of the Genesee, and then left it, rather than be separated from her adopted people.

But we anticipate. The summer after her arrival at Little Beard's Town. she heard of the death of Sin-nin-jee, in the Ohio country. Not long after, she became the wife of the big chief Hickatoo. a famous warrior of seventeen campaigns, whose prowess in taking Cherokee scalps was only equaled by his wrestling and fleetness of foot. By him she had many children, her half-Indian boys giving her no end of trouble with their quarreling, One of them, John, brutally killed two of his brothers, Thomas and Jesse. before he was finally killed himself in a drunken dispute. But the things that were horrible to her, alien to her nature, she had to submit to, as Deh-ge-wa-nus, the mother of Seneca braves.

Mary Jemison's house, during the Revolutionary war, was headquarters for Brant and the Butlers. "Many a night," she said, "have I pounded samp for them from sunset to sunrise, and furnished them with provisions for their journey, and clean clothing." But she became attached to the life she lived. She fled with the women and children of the Senecas before Sullivan's raid in 1779, showing the same unwillingness to be restored to her race that she had shown several years before. when the King of England offered a bounty for returned prisoners. On that occasion. she had hidden, fearing that she would be taken back by some one anxious to claim the reward.

After the close of the Revolutionary war, however, when her Indian brother Black Coals offered her her liberty, and her son Thomas wanted her to seek her relatives and let him be her guide in finding them, she was inclined to go. But when she learned that Thomas would not be permitted to go with her, that she must leave her favorite son behind her, she resolved to stay with the Indians the rest of her day. "If I should find my relatives, those two brothers that escaped that morning, they might despise my Indian children."

She lived at Gardeau Flats until she followed the Senecas to the Buffalo Creek reservation in 1831. She was never sick, and, although she did not look strong, she did more work in a day the year round than

most men ; that is, white men. "I backed all the boards that were used about my house." she said, "from a mill nearly five miles off, my young children helping me." As late as 1823, when she was eighty-one years old, she husked her corn as ever and carried it into the barn. 

When the Senecas sold their lands to Thomas Morris in 1828, the Indians asked that a reservation be made for the white woman, a free gift from them to their captive. Morris thought, from the description of the lands named at Gardeau Flats, that the reservation did not exceed three hundred acres at the most. She described the boundaries of what she wanted, and outwitted the crafty speculator completely. After much delay and vexation (Red Jacket opposing her bitterly), she was declared the rightful owner of more than seventeen thousand acres of land in the garden of the state of New York, the tract including Gardeau flats and the surrounding hills. But for the trickery of white men, who robbed her as they would an Indian, she would have been in her old age one of the wealthiest women in the country. Once she was sadly imposed upon by a man calling himself George Jemison and pretending to be her first cousin. She gave him land and many farms, until he proved himself to be what he was.

When the Genesee country was opened to settlers in 1789, Mary Jemison was by no means disposed to make herself one with them. She kept aloof, and said as little to her gaping visitors as an Indian would have done. They looked upon her as a curiosity, visited her house as they would a museum. She dressed like a squaw, and was an Indian in her religion. When led to talk about her capture, she would shed tears. She spoke English fairly well, and she never lost her soft, white skin nor the pinkish glow of her cheeks. She clung to her moccasins always, and slept on the floor on skins, eating her food from her lap, Indian fashion.

As she grew feeble with age (she lived to be ninety-one), her memory of her childhood came back to her more distinctly. Not long before she left the valley, the agent of a large land owner in the locality tried to prevail upon her to remain at Gardeau Flats, for she was bent upon joining the Senecas at Buffalo Creek reservation. "Her children wanted to go," she said; they would be happier." That was enough for her. The agent was a native of the north of Ireland, and, in his earnest plea, his Scotch-Irish dialect came out. She caught it at once, looked up into his face in a half-startled way, her memory trying to recall something. "Are ye fra that kentry, too?" she asked, smiling. "I know noo whar ye carn from, and I leck ye better nor better." But she did not consent to stay at Gardeau Flats, nor was she ever sought out and found by her kindred, if any she had. She died on the Buffalo Creek reservation in September, 1833, and was buried near the grave of Red Jacket. Her little feet were encased in moccasins, and her burial dress was like the one the Indians gave the captive child one hundred years before.

The good missionary that visited her not long before her death found her in a poor hut, on a low bunk, a little straw on the boards, over which a blanket was spread. She had just awakened from sleep and began telling her dream. "It was that second night after we were taken," she said. "and we were so tired and hungry. My brothers and little sister Betsy were asleep on the ground. Mother put her arm around me and said, 'Be a good girl, Mary. God will take care of you.'" When she heard the missionary saying the Lord's prayer, she started up and smiled. "That is just what mother used to say ; that is what I could

not remember all these years." 

In 1874 her remains were removed to the grounds of Hon. William P. Letchworth, of Glen Iris, Portageville, N.Y., and re-buried by her descendants near the old councilhouse of the Senecas, where Mr. Letchworth has his valuable collection of Indian relics. It is believed that it was within the walls of this old council-house that Mary Jemison rested after her long journey from the Ohio country.

The Life of Mary Jemison from G. Peter Jemison on Vimeo.

The Blizzard of 77 -- One of New York State's Most Destructive Snowstorms

Twenty-nine people died in the storm from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1, 1977 the first snowstorm to warrant a federal disaster area declaration. Total damage reached $300 million. For 11 days, national news reports showed images of a city blanketed in snow up to the roofs of houses.

When the blizzard began, it seemed like just another Friday morning snow flurry. But by 11:35 a.m., lightning flashed and the sky darkened. The wind shifted and began to howl. Soon, people couldn't see across the street.

"My reaction? Wow!" meteorologist Ed Reich said. "It was the most dramatic storm I ever saw." Surprisingly, the snowfall total for the storm was only 12 inches. What made the blizzard unique were the sustained winds, gusting up to 69 mph, which picked up the drifts piled high on frozen Lake Erie and dumped them in western New York and southern Ontario.

The winds were accompanied by Arctic cold temperatures, making it feel like minus 60 degrees outside. Whiteout conditions quickly trapped thousands of people at work, in cars and in homes. Some had to stay put for a day, others for the storm's duration. At least nine motorists froze to death in their stranded cars.

During this time WKBW Radio was the up-to-the minute source of emergency news for all Western New Yorkers. Not only did WKBW report school, office and factory closings but it was a major contributor of reports that cities, towns and even entire counties were closed and impassable due to blowing and drifting snow! The following audio clips were recorded during this event.

While listening to these recordings of the actual broadcasts, you may detect some anxiety in the announcer's voice!

Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20171105065010/http://www.wkbwradio.com/blizzard.htm

Unfortunately, the audio on that mirrored link cannot be played because the streaming audio files were never mirrored there.

But you can listen to them in this video by PhilaVideo on YouTube. It is well worth the listen.



Here's a TV Broadcast during the Blizzard of '77 from WBEN Channel 4:



A slideshow video from the mirrored website above:



Snow Depth Map of the Blizzard of 77 (skip to 1:22:24, pause, and fullscreen if needed):

You can find more videos on YouTube about the Blizzard of 77 by clicking here

Websites about the Blizzard of 77
Classic Buffalo Weather - Blizzard of 77
The Blizzard of 77 - An Overview of the Blizzard
10 Biggest Snowstorms of All Time - #2 The Blizzard of 77

Photos from around Elba, Genesee County, New York.

For those that don't know, Elba is a small town in Western New York that's about halfway between Buffalo and Rochester. It's also a short distance away from Batavia, New York and a section of the NYS thruway. Elba is best known for its agriculture, its mucklands, and its well-developed community atmosphere. Find out more about the town by visiting this link here.

https://www.zeph1.com/2016/03/elba-new-york-history-early-years-and.html

TIP: Occasionally, you can find items related to Elba and it's history on Amazon.

Smokestack and old, abandoned storage facility.

Different shot of abandoned food processing and storage facilty, with smokestack.

Old train depot that's now a pizza place. The tracks were removed in the late '80s.

Elba Central School - Built in 1938

Barn currently housing a business called, "The Mill".

Serene field landscape at sunset

Here you can find more images from in and around Elba.

Related:

https://www.zeph1.com/2020/09/what-are-navajo-hogans-made-of.html

Lost Objects and Found Memories

Long-forgotten memories can be found again at the most unexpected times.

The photo above may not look like anything special but it's the place where i grew up. Many of my memories were made in that little town in Western New York. Our house was on a dead end road that transitioned into a field path. To the right is the driveway that led to our former home and little has changed since i was last there in the late 90s. Even the posted sign seems on one of the poles seems to be the same one. The little 'garden bed' is new, having replaced the bushes that used to be there. But the maple tree and the blue spruce tree are the same ones that were there back in the 90s. At one time there was a tall paper birch tree near the spruce tree, to the left of the garden bed, but it died from an insect infestation around the year 1996. The road itself still looks as beat up as it always has. They paved it in the early 90s, when it was nearly worn to gravel by then, and i'm sure they've paved it within the past few years though.

Across the road is the field where my siblings and cousins used to play in as children. We'd wait for the corn to get high enough and play a game that we called "ghost". We'd attach a piece of window plastic to a tall stick (the ghost) and run through the rows of corn chasing someone until we caught them. Then they'd become the "ghost". Everyone would have ten seconds to get away and hide and/or keep moving before the "ghost" started chasing while holding the stick of plastic and making ghost sounds. Sometimes, if we had enough sticks and plastic, we'd continue until everyone was a caught and became a ghost. I remember we'd usually play a little before sunset too. It was a game of tag, more or less.

Beyond the field, on the edge of the woods, my brother and i made a small, partial tree house in an old tree that leaned at an extreme angle. It was a large, healthy tree with a massive trunk that just grew strange. Given its size, the tree was at least 100 years old. Near that tree were remnants of what was probably a small building of some sort. The old, crumbling bricks and stones were hidden in the grass and in the dirt, along with remnants of a foundation. On old maps there is no evidence of anything ever being there. So we never knew what it actually was in the past. Further in the woods was old fence wire likely left over from when there were no trees there. Near that were two names carved in a tree that were at least ten feet up. The carving was kind of elaborate and definitely looked like it took a while to carve. I cannot remember the names but they'd certainly still be there.

One of the biggest memories i have though, from when i was around eight, involves the field path. We had neighbors around our age that'd we play with all the time. One summer the neighbor girl, who was my age, and i were running down the path. We ran all the way to the end and she'd realized that she dropped her necklace somewhere along the path. It was one of those colorful plastic bead snap-together necklaces. We searched the path and couldn't find her necklace anywhere. We gave up after a while and headed back to my house. This would've been around 1988. Years later, in 1997, and years after her family moved away, i was walking that path and randomly spotted the plastic necklace in the tall dry grass. It was along the path and about halfway up it. The necklace was worn and its colors had been faded by the sun over the decade. This was long after i'd forgotten about that day but picking it up triggered my childhood memories of that summer day. Almost like the memories themselves were locked up in that faded, worn, and dusty toy necklace.

Though we only lived there for around twelve years, my memories of that place are endless. I have so many memories of the people there, in the town. And they of I. I remember so much that i could probably write a short book on the years spent living there. Despite being a small town, it was definitely a lively and interesting town that i was glad to have lived in.

The Daily Post Prompt: The Things We Leave Behind

Learn about Genesee County, NY History by Visiting These Museums

Genesee County, situated in Western New York, has a long, rich history. Genesee County was founded in 1802 and got its name from the Seneca word for "The Beautiful Valley", Gen-nis'-hee-yo. Currently, there are twelve main museums in the county that provide insight into the history of the towns that they're in. You'll not only learn a lot of local history but you'll also feel a connection to it, through their exhibits.

So whenever you're in the area, definitely visit any or all of these museums.

Alabama Museum

Was originally a one-room school house. In the museum you'll find history about local industry, past notable citizens, and even historic items such as posters and even a horse buggy.

Alexander Museum

Plenty of old technology can be found in this museum, including a historic phone, a typewriter, and record players. Also, you'll find interesting tools, from the 1800s, that many may not even recognize.

Bergen Museum

The Bergen Museum is located inside what used to be a livery stable. You'll find works depicting local scenes, buildings, and even one of a classroom from the past. Many individual items are displayed for viewing to learn more about the local history.

Byron Museum

Located inside an old church, you'll find a lot of historic clothing and items on display. Displays related to the history of the local high school and local farming can also be found in this museum.

Elba Museum

This museums consists of three buildings and plenty to see. You'll learn the history of the local school, see how people used to live before any modern technology, and how farming was done in the 1800s.

Historic LeRoy House, Jell-O Gallery

These are two separate and distinct museums in LeRoy. The Jell-O Gallery, given its name, is where you can learn about the Jell-O brand's history, influence on American culture, and its beginnings. They also have a gift shop.

The Historic LeRoy House is a home that was built in 1822 and now houses many historic items. Also featured are items related to Jacob Leroy, who lived in the home in the 1800s. There's also an exhibit for the "father of the stringless bean", Calvin Keeney.

Holland Land Office Museum

This museum provides plenty of history about Genesee County and Western New York in general. There are also many historic items on display, including documents.

Oakfield Historical Museum

Learn about the local industry of gypsum mining, including photographs of operations and equipment. The museum also has a sizable collection of arrowheads found in the Oakfield area.

Pembroke Museum

Provides information on the history of the local post office and fire department. Including items from the past of these two facilities. Military history is also covered with military items on display.

Stafford Museum of History

One of the newer museums, featuring many items of historic importance and origin. Including excavated pottery that was created before, during, and after the times that settlers were moving into the area. Also has a gift shop.

Tonawanda Indian Reservation Historical Society

Features many interesting photographs and illustrations of the local history and that of the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. Including the history of the Seven Nations.

Learn More by visiting:

https://web.archive.org/web/20160810082806/http://visitgeneseeny.com/tourism/history-alive-in-genesee-county/

Genesee Region State Parks in Western New York

Dan Parnell at en.wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0
or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

The Genesee and Genesee Valley regions of Western New York are known for their many parks, its scenic beauty and rich history. One of the most well-known parks, Letchworth State Park, offers both an interesting history, many places of interest and miles of trails. Including the Genesee River Gorge, giving it the name "Grand Canyon of the East."

About an hour north of Letchworth is Lakeside Beach State Park and a handful of other state parks and beaches within the Genesee region. Most of which provide camping, swimming, outdoor activities and even fishing in some of the locations.

Letchworth State Park

Letchworth State Park is in the area of what was once the home of Mary Jemison and the Seneca. The "Grand Canyon of the East" is one of the most scenic areas in the state. The Genesee River flows through the middle of Letchworth Park with three waterfalls at different points of the river within the park. There are over 60 miles of hiking trails. Which includes specialized trails for biking, snowmobiling, skiing and horseback riding. Activities at the park include guided walks and tours, programs about nature and the local history, whitewater rafting, boating, and kayaking. There's also a pool available for swimming and hot air ballooning at the nearby, "Balloons Over Letchworth".

Not only are there plenty of spring and summer activities are Letchworth State Park but there's also winter activities for visitors. Which include cross-country skiing, snow tubing, sledding, and snowmobiling. At the Glen Iris Inn, many services are available and open to the public. Which include breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They also offer rooms and reservations for special events.

Letchworth State Park Official Website

Virtual Tour

Conesus Lake and Conesus Lake Public Boat Launch

Conesus Lake offers those who enjoy boating and fishing easy access to the lake with many different species of bass, trout and other fish in its waters. You can even fish from the docks. The lake is also open in the winter for ice fishing. For those looking just to visit and not go out onto the lake, there are plenty of picnic sites. For campers, there are campsites open for tents and RVs and on-site cabins, cottages and trailers available for rent.

A yearly tradition also takes place on the night of July 3rd for the 4th of July holiday. Called the "Ring of Fire", people staying at the lake light up thousands of road flares around the whole lake at dusk and shoot off fireworks. During the day, you can engage in activities beyond just fishing or having a picnic though. You can go scuba diving, water skiing, sailing or just sit back and relax if that's your thing.

Conesus Lake Campground

Conesus Lake Association

Benjamin D. Esham / Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0 us], via Wikimedia Commons

Darien Lakes State Park

Darien Lakes State Park, not to be confused with the theme park nearby. The park was originally called Harlow Lake and Park and was created in the summer of 1960. It provides over 150 seasonal campsites, most of which providing electric hookups for RVS and trailers. There's also a small beach at one part of the lake. Elsewhere around the park, there are rest stations, showers, playgrounds, areas for fishing, trails for hiking and horse-riding. Some of which are also open in winter for skiing and snowmobiling. For picnicking. there are two picnic shelters (requiring a reservation) and numerous picnic tables with grills nearby, including across the small bridge to Picnic Island.

Darien Lakes State Park Virtual Tour

Google Street View of Darien Lakes State Park, looking towards Harlow Lake

Genesee Valley Greenway State Park

Genesee Valley Greenway State Park roughly follows the Genesee River. Much of the park is a trail that stretches for 90 miles along what was once the Pennsylvania Railroad path and along the Genesee Valley Canal. The trail is open to public for biking and walking. Along the trail, you'll find a few areas of historical and natural significance. Being made from the former Pennsylvania Railroad path, much of the trail is level with cinder, gravel and short grass and not just a dirt path. While passing through the Genesee Valley Greenway, you'll find plenty of environments including marshes and wetlands, woodlands, streams and river valleys, gorges, farmland, the area's long-standing villages and more. The trail also connects up with the Finger Lakes Trail, Erie Attica Trail, Lehigh Valley Trail, the Genesee River Trail and the Erie Canal Recreation Way.

Friends of Genesee Valley Greenway

Genesee Valley Greenway State Park

Silver Lake State Park

Silver Lake State Park offers visitors a quiet day vacation getaway. There are many boat launch sites, picnic areas and restroom areas on and in the area of the parklands. But most of the park isn't developed, allowing it to keep its natural beauty. On West Lake Road, in the southwest corner of the lake, not far past Silver Lake Marine, is a boat launch open to the public. On the eastern side of the lake, there are a few boat rental businesses and public boat launch sites. The public boat launch is suited for rowboats, canoes, kayaks and small motor boats. While other sites can handle larger boats. So it's best to do a little research on the boat launch locations before visiting. The two links below provide much more information about Silver Lake and the State Park.

Silver Lake

Official Website Of The Silver Lake Association

Oak Orchard State Marine Park

Oak Orchard State Marine Park is open from April 15th to November 1st, offering picnic areas with grills, boat launch sites, showers and restroom areas, an overlook, and many seasonal events. Events which include a car show, a series of concerts, a fishing tournament. Visitors can also reserve, in advance, the park and pavilions for events and gatherings.

Oak Orchard State Marine Park

Irondequoit Bay State Marine Park

Irondequoit Bay Marine park has 30 acres of land and offers fishing, boating on Lake Ontario and Irondequoit Bay. There is a small restroom area for visitors and clean out stations for boaters who visit the park. The park is open from April 1st to October 31st, 6:00 am until 8:00 PM. Besides fishing and boating, there are also geocaches located around the park.

Irondequoit Bay Marine Park

Hamlin Beach State Park

Hamlin Beach features over 250 campsites for tents and trailers, numerous shaded picnic sites with grills and picnic tables. On the east side of the State Park is the mile-long nature trail that's for visitors. Elsewhere on the park grounds, mainly near the lakeside, are miles of hiking trails, which visitors are also permitted to use bikes on. In winter, there are numerous snowmobile and skiing trails. For those who enjoy time on the lake, or fishing, you can bring small (car-top) boats and launch them from an area on the eastern side of the park.

http://www.nystateparkstours.com/hamlinbeach/

http://friendsofhamlinbeach.org/

http://nysparks.com/parks/20/maps.aspx

Lakeside Beach State Park

By The original uploader was Decumanus at
English Wikipedia [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0],
via Wikimedia Commons

Lakeside Beach State Park is a well-kept, peaceful scenic park offering 274 camping sites, miles of hiking and biking trails, picnic areas, restrooms, fishing, open playing fields and a disc golf course with 18 holes to play through. There are separate pets and no pets areas for convenience and comfort. On the grounds, there are also a few playgrounds and a camping supply store.

The downside is that there is no swimming allowed at this park but you can head to Hamlin Beach with your camping pass. Though it's about a 20-minute trip to Hamlin Beach. In winter, Lakeside offers hiking, snowmobiling and ski trails.

http://nysparks.com/parks/161/details.aspx

http://www.nystateparkstours.com/lakesidebeach/index.html

The Mound Builders of Western New York - An Unknown Tribe

Excerpts from Aboriginal Occupation of the Lower Genesee Country by George Henry Harris - 1884

The discovery of several tall, 7 and 8 foot skeletons in multiple 
burial mounds around Western New York

Near the top of a high ridge of sand hills, in the town of Pittsford, south 
of the Irondequoit valley, and about one mile east of Allen's creek, stands a 
great heap of limestone boulders, evidently of drift origin. They are the only 
stone of that character in that vicinity, measure from two to three feet in 
diameter, and are heaped one upon the other in a space about twelve feet 
square. They occupied the same place and position sixty or seventy years 
ago, and old residents say the heap existed in the same form when the ground 
was cleared. Indians who passed that way in early days regarded the stones 
with superstitious awe, stating, when questioned, that a people who lived there 
before the Indians brought the stones to the hilltop. 

"On the shore of Lake Ontario, on a high bluff near Irondequoit bay, in 
1796," says Oliver Culver, "the bank caved off and untombed a great quantity 
of human bones, of a large size. The arm and leg bones, upon comparison, 
were much larger than those of our own race."' The bluff mentioned by Mr. 
Culver was the seaward side of an elevated spot that might properly be 
termed a natural mound. It was one of the outlying range of sand hills or 
knolls, then existent along the shore of the lake in that locality, and long 
years ago succumbed to the never-ceasing encroachment of the lake waters. 
Its location was immediately west of the angle formed by the present west 
line of Irondequoit bay and Lake Ontario; as late as 1830 human bones of an 
unusually large size were occasionally seen projecting from the face of the 
bluff, or lying on the beach where the undermined soil had fallen. The tribe 
of Seneca Indians living in Irondequoit in 1796 could give no information 
concerning these bones, stating their belief that they were the remains of a 
people who dwelt about the bay before the Indians came there. 

In 1880 a sand bank was opened in the side of the ridge, and that part 
covered by the mounds has since been entirely removed. During the course 
of excavation a laborer came upon human remains. Parts of eight skeletons 
were exhumed, each surrounded by fine black soil. These were concealed and 
all evidence of the find destroyed; but the discovery of a bone of unusual 
size, together with a curious pipe, was brought to the attention of Mr. Brewer. 
The laborer could remember few details of the position in which the remains 
were found, and the opportunity for careful investigation was lost. 

The Mound-builders were inveterate smokers, and great numbers of pipes 
have been found in their mounds. The skill of the makers seems to have been 
exhausted in their construction, and no specimens of Indian art can equal those 
of the lost race. Many pipes of a shape similar to those discovered in the 
mounds of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys have been found in various parts 
of the country. 




Figure 1 is a greatly reduced representation of an article of 
stone, evidently intended for a pipe, but unfinished, found near Mount Morris, 
in the Genesee valley, and sent to the New York state cabinet at Albany by 
Mr. Squier, who says: "It is composed of steatite or 'soap-stone,' and in 
shape corresponds generally with the pipes of stone found in the mounds of the 
Mississippi valley. One or two pipes of stone of very nearly the same shape 
have been found in the same vicinity, but in point of symmetry or finish they 
are in no way comparable to those of the mounds."' The pipe taken from the 
ridge mound in Rochester is of the distinctively characteristic, or primitive 
form^ peculiar to the Mound-builders, and is represented in figure 2. 






It is, or was originally, five and one-half inches long, one and three-fourths 
wide, and one inch and seven-eighths from bottom of base to top of bowl. 
The lines are slightly irregular, but very perfect for a hand-made article. The 
material is steatite, very close grain and quite brittle. 

In the color it is a deep, rich brown, with blending patches of lighter shade, 
and every particle of the surface is so beautifully polished that it might easily be 
mistaken for marble. It was the only article of any description found with the human 
remains, though other relics may have been unnoticed. Close questioning elicited the 
fact that nearly all the graves were near the south slope of the ridge, and from two to 
two and a half feet below the original surface, while the large bone, a humerus, 
was nearer the surface and perhaps more directly beneath the center of the west 
mound; from which it may be inferred, though not definitely proven, that the 
mound was built over that particular bod)' with which the pipe was buried, and 
the other bodies interred in the side of the mound at a subsequent period. 
The condition of the remains would seem to fivor this view, the humerus 
being the only remaining part of the body to which it belonged, while several 
portions of skeletons from the other graves were, though very much decayed. 
quite firm in comparison; one skull (figure 3 being preserved entire.)




Mr. Brewer presented this skull and pipe to Professor S A. Lattimore of the Uni- 
versity of Rochester, to whom we are indebted for their use. 

In March, 1882, a human skeleton of large proportions was unearthed near 
the former location of the east mound. The laborers, astonished at the great 
size of the bones, engaged in a discussion as to whether it was or was not the 
remains of a human being, and, with true Hibernian method, broke the skele- 
ton into fragments to prove the ease. 

Read the Rest, including the discovery of a skeleton over eight 
feet in height at Samuel Truesdale's farm in Greece, in 1878

More information about mound builders in the United States and North America

Elba, New York's Role in the Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad in New York State played a big part in helping slaves escape and throughout NYS, many smaller towns served as stops for escaped slaves to make the way on to Canada. The Town of Elba's involvement isn't well-documented and that's somewhat due to the secrecy of its participation at the time.

The route in Western New York passed through Rochester from Farmington. From Rochester, they would either continue on to Gaines and on to Lockport or to Elba on to LeRoy. These escaped slaves would make their way to stop points under the cover of night. Marking these stops, one such stop being in Elba, were tree branches. The branch markers would be around 2 feet in height and inconspicuously stuck in the ground near a fence near a roadway. They were also stuck on a street corner in such a way to also tell the direction for them to turn and head to find their stop.

In Elba, three buildings were used to shelter and hide escaped slaves before they continued on to LeRoy. These buildings are on North Main Street and were the Warren Shamp house, the home of Colonel Elias Pettibone, and the Willis Tavern. In the Pettibone home, a dutch oven hid a tunnel in the cellar that connected under the street to the Willis Tavern. There was also a second tunnel in the Pettibone home that led to a long torn down barn that stood behind the Presbyterian Church. The tunnel at the former Pettibone home was covered over by solid flooring but still exists. As the tunnel was likely never filled in.


At the tavern, the was a trap door where the escaped slaves would have been hidden. As for the Shamp home, its history wasn't discovered until 1993. This was after a pre-sale inspection of the home lead to the discovery of a small area under one of the rooms. This small was was also walled off in the basement by a stone wall.

As i said, the Underground Railroad in Elba isn't all that well documented. Yet, it played a crucial part as slaves made their way to Canada or tried to shake slave catchers on their trail. To this day, the town takes pride in playing their part in aiding slaves in escaping their captors. When i was younger, elementary school aged, our class took a history tour through the town in the early 90s. We didn't get to see inside the buildings where the tunnels were but the history of Elba's Underground Railroad has stuck with me since then. It's the town i grew up in and its rich history makes me proud to have experienced living there.

Map of the Western Network of the Underground Railroad

https://www.zeph1.com/2016/03/elba-new-york-history-early-years-and.html

Get the Book in Paperback: Underground Railroad in New York and New Jersey (The Underground Railroad)

History of the Tonawanda Indian Reservation

The Tonawanda Reservation is located in Genesee County in Western New York and not far from the towns of Batavia, Elba, Oakfield, and Alabama. When I was younger, my father would sometimes take us on Sunday drives through the area and stop off at The Rez Smoke Shop to fill up the gas tank and buy stuff from the store. It's been a long time since I'd been there and their gas station has definitely been upgraded since then. If I remember correctly, they weren't a self-serve the last time we were through there, around 1998. It's strange, thinking back, how even these little experiences have formed who I am.

Anyways, back on subject, the Tonawanda Reservation is settled by the Tonawanda Band of Seneca. Being federally recognized, they live by their traditional ways of governing. The treaty, which made them federally recognized, was the "Treaty with the Tonawanda Senecas." It was signed on November 5th, 1857, Ratified on June 4th, 1858, and Proclaimed on March 31st, 1859.

Charles Eli Mix, Commissioner of the Bureau of Indian Affairs at the time, represented the U.S. government and representing on behalf the Tonawanda Band were Seneca attorney and diplomat Ely Samuel Parker (Ha-sa-no-an-da), George Sky, Jabez Ground, Isaac Shanks, and Jesse Spring. Along with the treaty and being federally recognized, the land sales of the Treaties of Buffalo Creek were effectively reversed for the tribe and they were able to buy back the lands taken and sold by the Phelps and Gorham purchase.

The Tonawanda Reservation is along the region where the border of the neutrals lived back before they were wiped out during the Beaver Wars. The first tribe to take a hit from the Iroquois (specifically, the Seneca) were the Wenrohronon. They suffered mass casualties in the attack, had their land taken and were forced to flee to Huron lands. It's hard to find any information about the Wenrohronon, as their tribe was absorbed and lost to time. These attacks by the Iroquois were carried out due to the influence of the Dutch in trying to disrupt French trading.

Little by little, the lands of the Tonawanda Reservation are being sold to surrounding interests. Though, it's said the Tonawanda Seneca are more lenient in allowing land to be sold to non-natives, in comparison to other bands of Seneca in the region. In 2015, the population was 458 but that number may not be accurate. In 2010, according to the Census, there were 693 residents.

Bloomingdale Road contains a good amount of businesses on the reservation, including the Rez (mentioned above). Some of the other nearby businesses include:

T P Deli & Fuel Outlet
Two Eagles Smoke Shop and Gas Mart
Joandy's
Sacajawea Smoke Shop

History of the Senecas on Amazon