The Corinthian May 2007

2 From the Desk of the Executive Director There is so much planning and work being done to insure future success for the Greece Historical Society and Museum. It’s a good example of our progress. Under the leadership of Lee Strauss, the years of accessioning artifacts by recording in a ledger and on cards is being shifted to a computer, which by the way, is one of many donations by Lee. All the accessioning from the beginning of this organization has been done weekly by Betty Fetter. The loft over the exhibit hall measures 1400 sq. ft. and it full of articles cataloged and packaged to be shown in exhibits. Lee has had much help for many hours from Fred Stock. Fred works under the auspices of “Experience Works,” a “Senior Work Force Solutions Company.” Lee’s own hours are averaging 30 per week for the past eight weeks, with another eight weeks expected. Fred’s hours are only slightly less. Lee’s family of Heidi, Holly, and Richard are all helping. We thank them and Lee should get a gold key reward! May is going to see the annual Greece Garden Clubs Plant Sale on Saturday, May 19th. It runs from 9 ‘til 12, but don’t wait too long because the sale is well known for top quality and low prices so it sells out fast. Our famous coffee and donuts will be available in the kitchen from 8 am ‘til noon. Heidi Strauss will hand out free seed packets from the Animal Protection League. The Gift Shop will be open for people to see and buy our books, gifts, and new historic Greece, NY throw. We are sure that the following events on our 2007 calendar will bring in many people to our facility and fund-raisers. Mark your favorites. ¾ May 19 Greece Garden Clubs Plant Sale ¾ June 1 Greece Chamber of Commerce members coming at 7:30 AM for coffee

and Danish to see our gift shop and museum. ¾ June 4 Lockport Memorial Hospital Guild Visit at 2:00 PM. ¾ June 16 Greece Performing Arts Garden Tour will feature a special sale and music under the large tent on our parking lot. The museum and gift shop will be open. ¾ June 17 Antique and Doll Appraisal from 1 – 4 PM under the big tent. This was very popular last year. Price Prazar will appraise the antiques and Helene Marlowe will do the dolls. The only charge is $4.00 per article with a maximum three articles per person. Refreshments will be served. ¾ June 20 Strawberry Festival and Fund Raiser. See Pages 7 and 8.. ¾ September 11 First meeting of the new season ¾ October 20 Chili Historical Society Visits Please read the column in the “Greece Post” called the “Historical Notebook.” It appears monthly and it gives me a space to talk about history. Call 225-7221 if you would like to help or advise us. Lorraine Beane, Executive Director

DOCENT LUNCHEON The Museum Curatorial Committee will hold their annual Docent Recognition Luncheon on Monday, May 21, 2007, at the Greece Historical Center at 12 noon. This is the day that we thank all our docents for their dedication and the time spent at the Museum. Current docents will provide the luncheon. The after-luncheon program will be a talk on “19th

3 Century Irondequoit” by Patricia Wayne, Town of Irondequoit Historian.

MUSEUM HAPPENINGS GIFT SHOP OFFERINGS The Museum Gift Shop can supply your needs for books well. New books and popular books as well as Greece shirts, Greece mugs, and other great shopping ideas are awaiting you. “Images of Irondequoit” by Patricia Wayne is our latest book offering. It is $21.50, including tax. The regular Gift Shop hours are Sundays from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. and during office hours on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. Call 585-225-7221 for an appointment for any other times.

DEWEY – STONE EXHIBIT LAST TWO MONTHS TO VISIT The “Dewey – Stone and Beyond” exhibit is a great success with many visitors on Sundays. Please come to visit the Museum to see what it’s all about. Even though it has been decided to keep this exhibit open until June, 2007, please come to see it early. You may wish to come a second time.

“Eight Miles Along the Shore—An Illustrated History of Greece, N.Y.” continues to be one of our best selling books. See you soon.

The Gift Shop Staff

GREECE, NY THROW Our new colorful “Historic Greece, NY” throw is on display above the fireplace in the living room and is for sale in the Gift Shop. It is a multi-colored tapestry and the design is a new version of the popular old buildings in Greece. The price is only $38.00 including sales tax. They will make good gifts for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduations, showers, weddings, or for any other reason to give a nice gift.

Featured is a model dollhouse made to specifications of the houses on Strathmore Drive in the 1930’s. Also, on display are pictures and articles about the original St. Charles Borromeo Church (see above) and the Bethany Presbyterian and Hope Lutheran Churches. Also for Barnard School, Barnard Fire Department, St, Joseph’s Villa, Northgate Plaza, Garage Houses, and stores around the Dewey – Stone area. “Then and Now” photos will be available also. This is one of the earliest commercial areas in the Town of Greece. See how it compares to the new Dewey corridor now under review by the Town.

Phyllis Brown, Committee Chairperson If you have questions, contact Phyllis Brown at (585) 865-4168 or 225-7221

VISITORS ARE WELCOME EVERY SUNDAY 2:00 until 4:30 pm

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS DOLL and ANTIQUE APPRAISALS

GREECE HISTORY by: Bill Sauers LEGACY OF THE BARNARD CIVIC CLUB

1 – 4 pm, SUNDAY, JUNE 17 On Sunday, June 17, 2007, from 1:00 to 4:00 P.M., Helene Marlowe, doll appraiser, and Price Prazar, antique appraiser, will be at the Greece Historical Center. The cost for each item is $4.00 with a maximum of three items per person. Please note that the Museum will open one hour earlier than usual this one day only. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call 225-7221.

Bloomin' Good Plant Sale SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2007 9:00 A.M. to Noon (or until all plants are sold, whichever comes first)

Five Greece Garden Clubs - Lakeview, Shorewood, Thyme In The Garden, Wildwood, and Woodside - will hold their Sixth Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, th May 19 . It will be held on the grounds of the Greece Historical Museum, 595 Long Pond Road, Greece. Perennials, annuals, dahlias, hostas, houseplants, and garden related items will be for sale from 9:00 a.m. until noon (or until sold out – whichever comes first), rain or shine. In event of severe weather, the sale will be postponed until Sunday. The GHS Coffee Shop and Gift store will be open.

The residents of the Town Greece enjoy a variety of 18 town parks. Their features and size are certainly varied, from the 577 acre Greece Canal Park to the four acre Henpeck Park. But their history and their names are just as varied. Most park names are derived from their location such as Barnard Park or Grandview Park or from a prominent Greece native such as Carter, Badgerow, or Basil Marella Parks. But one park, first developed for recreation in 1935, is named after a Hilton doctor. It all began in 1924 when Doctor Sherwood Sawyer of Hilton purchased a parcel of land near the intersection of Latta and Long Pond Roads from William Hogan. Dr Sawyer had purchased and developed other properties in the Hamlin and Parma area, so we can assume he planned on developing this land at some time in the future. But with the depression of the 1930’s, the town did not develop quite as fast as the doctor had anticipated. Meanwhile Boy Scout Troop 14 at Barnard School was in need of a sponsor. The troop had been sponsored by a series of different groups since its forming in 1926 and by 1935 was in need of a permanent responsible sponsor. A group of concerned citizens stepped forward with a proposed program for the troop that would eventually benefit the entire Town of Greece. In early 1935, a group of Greece men from the Dewey/Stone area formed a committee to sponsor the troop. They called themselves the Barnard Civic Club, and civic-minded group they were! Their first order of business was to find a suitable camp site for the boys. They found the unused property owned by Dr. Sawyer perfect for their purpose and the Doctor

5 offered the property to the club for $400.00. Antoinette Grabowski of Stone Road was the first to give the group $2.00 for the express purpose of starting the camp site fund. The remainder of the fund was raised by public subscription. One Dollar Certificates were sold with the inscription "Invest In Youth Of Today For Better Manhood of Tomorrow". The Barnard Civic Club purchased the property. They built a bridge over a creek, the scouts planted pine and spruce trees donated from the State, and they built a log cabin. For many years the scouts camped on their site. The called their special place "Camp Sawyer". The years passed and their private camp-site fell in to disuse. By the mid 1950’s private camps run by individual scout troops had became less common. A camp operated and maintained by the Scout Council had opened nearby in Webster and other opportunities opened up with the availability of cheap, available transportation after world war II. In 1958 the site was offered to the Town of Greece as long as it was used for public recreation. The Town accepted the site and in time officially opened it as a Town park. Doctor Sawyer died in 1944, the Barnard Civic Club eventually folded, Troop 14 lasted until 1979, and Barnard School closed several years ago. But the legacy of the Barnard Civic Club, Boy Scout Troop 14, and the Hilton doctor lives on in a pleasant picnic ground and park behind our YMCA know as Sawyer Park. Learn more about the businesses and people of the Dewey/Stone area at our Museum exhibit “Dewey/Stone and Beyond.” The exhibit will close after the Strawberry Festival in June. GENERAL MAINTENANCE PEOPLE NEEDED H E L P ! We desperately need several people who feel comfortable with their home improvement skills to volunteer to help

around the Museum with general maintenance projects. Please call 225-7221 if you can help.

FROM THE HISTORIAN FILE Ancient "GEMS" from the Greece Town Clerk File Circa 1909 to 1930 Hidden away in the bottom file drawer in the office of the Historian Office is a wealth of yellowing letters, memo's, receipts, paid bills, and numerous other piffle from eighty to almost one hundred years ago, kept by various Greece Town Clerks. As an occasional series, it might be interesting to publish some of the more interesting, and sometimes amusing items. Below is another in the series. To the Town Board of Greece, N.Y. Feb. 10, 1909 Gentlemen: I hereby tender my resignation as constable of the town of Greece, to take effect at once. I find that my duty to my family necessitates that I give my whole time and thought to my farm, and therefore cannot take care of constable work as formerly. In conclusion, I wish to thank each and all of the gentlemen of the town board for their kindness and good will towards me and assure them that I will always hold them in the highest regard. Yours very truly, (signed) Albert H. Baker Filed this 13th Day of February 1909 Jos. M. Donnelly, Town Clerk

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BUILDING MAINTENANCE Maintaining our museum and 100 + year old house is an important and necessary function of the Greece Historical Society. Unfortunately the people who have been responsible for this job have retired. We are now looking for a volunteer who could organize a maintenance committee, be responsible for the prioritizing our maintenance needs, receive contractor estimates, report to the board, and make minor maintenance and repairs as needed. If you are willing to help with this necessary position call Bill Sauers at 225-3760

HAPPENINGS – FOLLOW-UP LOTS OF G.H.S. ACTIVITY

Pat Wayne , Irondequoit Historian, at book signing of her book “Images of Irondequoit” Photo by Bill Sauers

Over 150 people attended the program on Prohibition and the Lake Ontario Rum Runners Photo by Alan Mueller

Fran Carisi-Paxton as Sophie Forrester reveals the gossip she overheard in the house of her employer as a maid in the 1890’s Rochester Photo by Bill Sauers Lorraine Beane relates area history to the Northgate Neighborhood Association Photo by Fred Amato

September 11, 2007 First meeting of the new season.

Strawberry Festival and Fund Raiser The Greece Museum Wednesday, June 20, 2007 4:00 to 7:30 P.M. (UNDER THE BIG TENT) MUSEUM OPEN FOR TOURS

OPTIONAL:

595 Long Pond Road

HOT DOG STAND

ENTERTAINMENT BY

Admission Includes

THE FOX DEN Country

CHIPS

and

Western Music 5:00 to 7:00 pm FREE PARKING BEHIND TOWN HALL SHUTTLE BUS

BEVERAGES BAKED GOODS

Real Fresh Strawberries on Shortcake Great Musical Entertainment $4.50 each

BRING YOUR FOLDING LAWN CHAIRS

GIFT SHOP WILL BE OPEN

For Groups of 5 or More, please notify 225-7221 in Advance For admission tickets, make check payable to Greece Historical Society. Send it and a self-addressed stamped envelope before June 12th to: P.O. Box 16249, Rochester, NY 14616-0249 Information at (585) 225-7221 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2007 Strawberry Festival & Fund Raiser Ticket Order GREECE HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2007

Mail by June 12 to: P.O. Box 16249, Rochester, NY 14616-0249 DATE__________________________

(please print)

NAME__________________________________________________________________________________ PHONE_________________________ (Last) (First) ADDRESS_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (Street) (City/Town) (State) (Zip Code+4)

Check Included for Number of Tickets This is our Annual Fund Raiser

______ at $4.50 each =

$ __________

) Optional Donation: $ __________

Check Total + Self-Addressed, Stamped Business-size Envelope

$ __________

GREECE HISTORICAL SOCIETY 595 Long Pond Road P.O. Box 16249 Rochester, NY 14616-0249

Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Rochester, NY Permit #1188

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2007 http://historicalsociety.greeceny.org

Strawberry Festival and Fund Raiser Greece Museum

Under the Big Tent 595 Long Pond Road

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

4:00 until 7:30 p.m.

The Strawberry Festival and Fund Raiser will once again be a feast of fresh strawberries heaped on a biscuit topped with whipped cream. This is our main annual fund raiser. Planned activities will make the event special: Entertainment will be provided by The Fox Den, playing Country and Western music from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. There will be a Hot Dog Booth with Chips. So, you can eat before your dessert. Beverages and baked goods will be optional. The Gift Shop will be open and will feature many new items and special sales for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, and Christmas. Look for the new Greece, NY Throw! Bring your families! The children will have lots of fun. They can play games on the large lawn on the north side of the Museum. Tickets will be available at the May 8th general meeting. Free Parking is plentiful behind the Town Hall. Ride the shuttle bus. Bring your folding lawn chairs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Membership Application GREECE HISTORICAL SOCIETY † New Application † Renewal † Upgrade (please print)

DATE__________________________

NAME__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (Last) (First) (M.I.) (Spouse, if Family Membership) ADDRESS__________________________________________________________________________________ (_______)____________ (Street) (City/Town) (State) (Zip Code + 4) E-MAIL ADDRESS___________________________________________________________ MEMBERSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS † Student - Senior (65 & over) $10.00 † Individual Family $20.00 † Family Contributing $35.00 † Business/Professional $50.00 $50.00 † Sustaining $150.00 † Life Members (Each) $500.00 Please Make Check Payable and Mail to: Membership, Greece Historical Society • P.O. Box 16249 • Rochester, NY 14616-0249 (Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope to receive your membership card.) OR BRING COMPLETED FORM TO THE NEXT MEETING

PHONE:

†

$12.00 † Family Supporting † Patron

$75.00