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FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH!!!


Saturday. February 13, 2010

1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (150 min.) – “Underground Railroad,” hosted by Alfre Woodard, a new documentary from the History Channel that unveils the history, heroes, and villains of the Abolitionist movement.

 

Monday, February 15, 2010

7 p.m. - Genealogy Workshop, presented by Museum Trustee Randall Warblow, “Searching Other Records” - suggested donation $3.


Saturday. February 20, 2010

2 p.m. (60 min.) - “Whispers of Angels:  A Story of the Underground Railroad” – winner of the Chris Award Statuette, 2002 Columbus International Film and Video Festival.  Long format interview with prominent historians blend with dramatic reenactment to create a powerful story about the fight to end slavery.  Actors Edward Asner and Blair Underwood portray the two most prominent abolitionists on the eastern line of the Underground Railroad, Thomas Garrett and William Still.

 

Saturday. February 27, 2010

2 p.m. (90 min.) - “Race to Freedom:  The Story of the Underground Railroad” – a historical melodrama about the Underground Railroad.  Featuring Tim Reid and Glynn Turman.




"Let's Go Out!" 2010 Elite Coupon Book Now Available At Museum!

The North Tonawanda History Museum is offering an entertainment savings book, "Let's Go Out! Elite" in time for holiday gift giving for $20 each. 

The 370 page book is produced locally using green technology, such as the use of recycled paper and printed with 100% wind energy.




SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD!!!

Our latest newsletter is chock-full of upcoming events as well as an update of our status...

Please visit our Public Relations section inside for download!



Hurtubise Exhibit Being Developed at Museum!!!

Photo shows Richard L. (Joe) Zellner sharing his memories of working with Jim Hurtubise during his racing days with his sister-in-law, North Tonawanda History Museum Executive Director, Donna Zellner Neal.

The North Tonawanda History Museum, in collaboration with Richard L. (Joe) Zellner, is developing an exhibit on North Tonawanda's Jim "Hercules" Hurtubise.  James Ernest Hurtubise was a champion automobile race car driver. He established a fine record nationally, beginning with being named Rookie of the Year in 1960 at Indianapolis, until he was seriously injured and burned in a racing accident at Milwaukee on June 6, 1964.  The exhibit is only partially complete, but those interested in "Jim" are invited to visit the Museum.
 
Others assisting Zellner in gathering items for the exhibit include James Warblow, John Farino, Bill Stone, and Rick Schumacher.
 
When he won his first national championship in only four tries, he was nicknamed "Hercules" by the sports writers.
 
Jim had worked at American District Steam, but his passion for racing caused him, with his chief mechanic, Lee Bruss, to move to California in February 1956 so they could race year round.
 
In 1956, Jim won features in his home-built vehicle, with even better results in 1957, the year he was elevated to "superstar" status alongside Parnelli Jones and Roger McCluskey.  Jim was leading the IMCA point standings in 1959 when USAV star Johnny Thomsom was inured in a sprint car.  Thomson's car owner, Art Lathrop, asked Jim to leave IMCA and fill in for Thomson while he healed.
 
In his third championship car outing, Jim beat Tony Bettenhausen and A. J. Foyt to win the Sacramento 100.  He'd gone from driving at Merritville to winning the last champ car race of the 1950s in four years.
 
In 1960, Jim became a legend.  As a rookie at Indianapolis, he broke the track record by nearly two miles per hour.  He came very close to being the first to turn a lap in less than one minute.  In 1961 he started outside the front row, and in 1963 in the middle of the front row.  He often led at Indianapolis, but mechanical breakdowns kept him from the Victory Lane.  However, he had become a master of Indy cars on mile dirt tracks, conquering Longhome, Springfield, and Sacramento!
 
On June 7, 1964, during the champ car race at Milwaukee, Jim qualified third fastest behind Rodger Ward and A. J. Foyd.  They ran nose to tail for the first 51 of the 100 laps.  Ward's rear end seized up, Foyt jumped on the brakes, the left front of Jim's car vaulted Foy'ts tail and Jim rammed the front of stretch wall.  Jim's right rear tire snapped off and struck him in the chest, breaking three ribs and puncturing a lung.  Jim was unconscious as methanol flooded the cockpit,erupting almost immediately into a 1000-degree inferno.
 
Jim's brother Pete pulled him from the flaming wreck.  Jim almost died, lying in critical condition at the Houston Army Burns Center.  Doctors told him that his hands would remain paralyzed by the burns. Jim asked them to mold them to fit around a steering wheel.  The doctors did so.
 
In 1965 Jim returned to racing and was tenth fastest at Indianapolis in Andy Granatelli's Novi.  The car broke down on the first lap.  Jim brought in a fourth place finish at Atlanta and a second at Trenton, but he was no longer the driver he had been before the fire.  His 1965 comeback earned him nine awards for bravery, but he was no longer sought by owners of top cars.
 
Despite his limited success, Jim was a fan favorite throughout much of his career, and many described him as an "old style" race car driver.  He raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1959-68 and 1970-1974 seasons, with 97 career starts.  He finished in the top ten 38 times, with 4 victories, in 1959 at Sacramento, 1960 at Langhorne, and 1961 and 1962 at Springfield.  Jim died of a sudden heart attack on January 6, 1989 at the age of 56.  His car number had always been "56."  He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1993.




MUSEUM PROUD MEMBER OF NEWLY FORMED CULTURAL ALLIANCE


Rae Proefrock, Acting Chair, and Donna Zellner Neal, Acting Secretary announce the first meeting of the Cultural Alliance of the Tonawandas took place on Monday, June 1 at the North Tonawanda History Museum.  Initial participants in the new local alliance of cultural non-profit organizations were the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum/Carrousel Society of the Niagara Frontier; the North Tonawanda History Museum; the Historical Society of the Tonawandas and its Benjamin Long Homestead; the Railroad Museum of the Niagara Frontier/Niagara Frontier Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society; the Riviera Theatre, the Carnegie Art Center; Starry Night Theatre/Ghostlight Theatre; and Gateway Harbor, Inc.

The purpose of the alliance is to collaboratively address issues of importance to the individual members and issues which affect them collectively and work together toward solutions.

Since its inception, the following have joined the Alliance: North Tonawanda Public Library, the City of Tonawanda Public Library, the American Legion Post 264 Band of the Tonawandas, Partners in Art, Canal Fest of the Tonawandas, and Winter Walk in the Gateway Cities.

The Cultural Alliance of the Tonawandas normally meets on the first Monday at 7 p.m. in the North Tonawanda History Museum, 54 Webster Street, North Tonawanda.

Click the logo above to enter the new directory page for the Cultural Alliance of the Tonawandas.




NORTH TONAWANDA MAGNETS NOW AVAILABLE!!!

The North Tonawanda History Museum is pleased to announce the beginning of a line of North Tonawanda magnets.  The first two in the series, a colored photographic view of Webster/Sweeney Street looking across the Canal from Tonawanda declaring "PROUD to be from...North Tonawanda, NY" and a black and white 1953 view of the west side of Webster Street from the Sugar Bowl almost to Goundry Street labeled "Historic Downtown North Tonawanda, NY" are the first in the line and are available for purchase at $2 each.  An NTHS team letter magnet will also soon be available. Additional photo magnets will be designed.  A trial selection of tee shirts and caps reading "Proud to be from North Tonawanda" will soon be available also.



"PROUD to be from... North Tonawanda, NY"



"Historic Downtown North Tonawanda, NY"


Call us at (716) 213-0554 for shipping rates if placing order by phone.




Museum Now Accepting Discover Card!!!


The North Tonawanda History Museum is pleased to announce that, in addition to MasterCard and Visa, Discover Card is also an acceptable form of payment.  In addition to Museum books and publications and other publications by local authors, these cards may be used for the purchase of registration for tickets to the September 12 tour of historic homes.
 
Contact a Museum Representative by calling (716-213-0554) or emailing nthistorymuseum@aol.com for more information.


The Board of Trustees of the North Tonawanda History Museum announces that the purchase of their permanent home at 54-60 Webster (and 59-61 Manhattan Street) has been finalized, with closing occurring on March 18 in Buffalo.  History Museum President Carl Tamburlin and Executive Director Donna Zellner Neal consummated the purchase on behalf of the History Museum's Board of Trustees.


The purchase price was $675,000.  A significant role in the purchase was played by The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, which in January 2008, approved a $150,000 grant toward the purchase.  The History Museum has assumed an existing mortgage with HSBC Bank USA, National Association, using the $150,000 to pay down that mortgage to $202,386.87.  A $33,750 downpayment was made in 2008.  The previous owner, Regent Properties, LLC, is holding a second mortgage note in the amount of $290,623.77, with interest only payments until the HSBC mortgage is paid off.  There are no prepayment penalties on either mortgage.  Vadim Gorobets, principal in Regent Properties, a resident of California, is also guarantor on the first mortgage for the History Museum, having come to support the organization's vision for the building during the negotiation process which began in 2006. 
 
The History Museum has negotiated a lease with Tanning Bed to continue its operations in the south end of the building.  Museum Trustees hope that Tanning Bed will remain for at least several years.  Phoenix Frontier, which operated the Re-Tap Thrift Store in the part of the building now occupied by the North Tonawanda History Museum, moved out in January 2007 but had continued to be obligated under the terms of their lease with Regent Properties.
 
Gorobets purchased the building from Plaza Group in July 2006, assuming the two existing leases at that time.  Neal, having been informed of the purchase by Mayor Lawrence V. Soos, contacted Gorobets in early September 2006 to inquire about purchase possibilities.  Leasing was ruled out because of the heavy investment the History Museum Board plans for the renovation phase over the next ten years.  The experience of the then Niagara Aerospace Museum in losing its 37-1/2 year lease and conversations with potential donors ruled out leasing.  Gorobets and Neal enjoy recalling the first conversation in which Neal informed him that, while the group felt it would be a good location for their Lumber City History Center project, they were not then, as a two and a half year old organization, financially able to accomplish the purchase but were determined to find a way to do so.
 
Area residents, businesses, cultural organizations, and elected and appointed officials submitted a barrage of letters of support to Neal to submit to Gorobets to encourage him to consider a future sale.  By April 2007, Gorobets had issued a "non-binding letter of intent" to sell the building to the History Museum for $675,000, to enable them to begin raising the funds.  Then Board President John H. George signed the non-binding letter of intent in May 2007.  Now deceased Trustee John H. Kolecki suggested a "5&10 Campaign" for fundraising for the project.  Sadly, with his death on December 31, 2008, he did not live to see his dream come true.  Museum representatives reflect often on his influence during his two-year tenure as a Trustee.
In addition to the grant from The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, grants were received from Niagara County ($5,000), New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation ($10,000 in 2007 and $50,000 in 2008, both through the efforts of Senator George D. Maziarz), the Max & Victoria Dreyfus Foundation ($5,000), M&T Charitable Foundation ($2,500), Wal-Mart Foundation ($2,000), and a private foundation.  Individual donations through the 2005-6 "Future of Our Past Campaign," the "5&10 Campaign" and the "Buy a Brick Campaign," helped with expenses of the downpayment, due diligence and other expenses related to the purchase. 
 
History Museum representatives have found the response heartwarming to their plan to purchase and renovate the building, which was originally six separate buildings, four on Webster Street and two on Manhattan Street, parts of which date to 1888, with serious renovations having taken place in the mid-1960s and the second floor portion facing Webster Street having been totally reconstructed following a 1986 fire. Donations have come in from as far away as Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and from all over the United States.
 


In 2008, the History Museum Board authorized volunteer Danielle Oney to develop plans for the "Buy a Brick Campaign."  This campaign is ongoing, with engraved 8x8" ceramic tiles offered for $100 for individuals and non-profit organizations, $250 for families, and $500 for corporations.  The tiles, many of which are already on display in the new building, will eventually be installed on the interior walls of the History Museum portion of the building.
 
Michael A. DeFreitas of William C. Moran & Associates handled the legal work for the History Museum. 
 
William L. Henderson, AIA, of WL Henderson, Architect, of Clarence will serve as architect for the long range project.
 
During the lengthy pre-closing period, the History Museum supervised extensive repairs to the roof at Regent Properties' expense, repairs to the heating system at Phoenix Frontier's expense, and electrical upgrades on the first floor and basement level at the History Museum's expense.  A strong Facilities Committee has developed, with Trustee Edward Wokersien as Chair. Benton Hiltz II has taken on the volunteer role of Facilities Manager. 
 
The History Museum took over the deposits and expenses of gas and electric utilities and the security system in December, and had the building insured by The Hartford as of January 12, all in contemplation of closing. 
 
The History Museum officially moved out of their start up quarters at 314 Oliver Street over the Martin Luther King weekend when 24 volunteers spent the better part of a week packing, moving, unpacking, and hauling History Museum possessions from the Oliver Street location and from the former Lowry School Building, now Gersh Experience, at 621 Payne Avenue. They had occupied the Oliver Street site since August 2004 when then owner David Zobrist of Awnings Plus had donated the use.  When Zobrist sold the building in September 2005 to Paul Brown, the History Museum became a paying tenant. 
 
The North Tonawanda School District donated storage space in the former Lowry School building at 621 Payne Avenue for two years prior to the sale of the building to Kevin Gersh for his Gersh Academy project.  When Gersh took ownership, he extended the donated use of three rooms for storage as a donation to the History Museum.
 


Interior and exterior renovations for the final finished project will not begin until the History Museum has raised funding for and accomplished a solid fire warning and suppression system, an appropriately designed sprinkler system to meet the long term and short term requirements of the History Museum, a new HVAC system to perfectly climate control the entire building, and a total roof replacement.  Fundraising is presently underway for this phase of renovations--and to pay off the two mortgages, as well as to cover the mortgage payments while the organization works to organize the existing interior to bring in operating income. 
 
Part of the History Museum's Board's reasoning for desiring the building was that, in addition to its being perfect for the long term plans, its existing status lends itself to their short term needs as they remodel the building around themselves.
 
The Board of Trustees report that response to their occupancy of the building has been met with enthusiasm by the History Museum's more than 4,500 members and supporters.
 
The North Tonawanda History Museum began as a grass roots interest group in June 2003, grew to over 100 people by the first public meeting on September 10, 2003, created a Board of Trustees on October 9, 2003, and received its Provisional Charter from the Regents of the State University of New York on April 20, 2004.  The Board of Regents on December 16, 2008, extended their Provisional Charter to December 16, 2013.  Once the organization is fully functioning in the new building, they will make application for an Absolute Charter.
 
The History Museum Board of Trustees is grateful to the Board of Directors of Phoenix Frontier and to the management of Tanning Bed for their collaboration over the past two years.
 
The Museum is currently staffed by volunteer Executive Director Donna Zellner Neal, Assistant Executive Director John Zellner Neal.  John Zellner Neal is the organization's only paid employee.  Part-time volunteer staffs include Jane Garis, Archival Records Coordinator; Walter Wozniak, Research Coordinator; Daniel Harmon, Curatorial Assistant; Carol Kopcznski, Staff Assistant and Curatorial Assistant; and a number of general helpers. 
 
Museum hours are currently Monday though Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. while unpacking is completed and re-inventorying of upwards of 200,000 items is completed.
 
The North Tonawanda History Museum phone number will continue as 716-213-0554 and the email at nthistorymuseum@aol.com, the North Tonawanda History Museum Online is at www.nthistorymuseum.org, and you may also visit their new Facebook page. 



Kristin Doebler and Facebook to the Rescue!



We have recently found out that our Online Forums provider (Xsorbit.com) has shut down services (without giving anyone notice at that). We were lucky enough to have a Facebook page created for us within the last few months by Kristin Doebler and would like to invite all of our old Forum guests to visit the following link to join our new online community hub via registration through Facebook. You will see that she has added the very same forum topics as with Xsorbit and encourage everyone to join and post freely.

Click here to view and register for our Facebook page



"Demonstration Edition" of the "Niagara Historic Trail"  Update 2008-2009 Announced


 The North Tonawanda History Museum, in cooperation with the County of Niagara and the Association of Municipal Historians of Niagara County and other County historians, the Historical Society of North German Settlements in Western New York and the Niagara County Historical Society, has produced a "Demonstration Edition" of "Niagara Historic Trail:  A self-guided historic tour of Niagara County."  It is an update of the original 1975 County project and the 1991 update by the County.

The 166-page spiral bound book (designed for use in driving around the County so that the pages will remain open for reference) will be available in January initially through the North Tonawanda History Museum and will also be distributed to other County cultural and tourism locations wishing to handle the sale. 

Cost of the "Demonstration Edition" is $15 each and can be mailed for an additional $4.  The North Tonawanda History Museum is accepting advance orders and accepts Master Card and Visa.  Mail orders should be sent to the History Museum at 314 Oliver Street, North Tonawanda, NY 14120.

The new "Niagara Historic Trail" is dedicated "to our inspirations for their love of local history:  Dr. H. William Feder, A. Daniel Bille, and John W. Percy." 

Although the North Tonawanda History Museum is presently actively involved in moving from their three previous locations into their new home at 54 Webster Street, orders may be placed by phone at 213-0554 or email at nthistorymuseum@aol.com.  A Museum representative will get back to you within 24 hours and arrange for pick up or delivery or mailing. 

When the current Trail update project began in early 2008, the entire County of Niagara was enthusiastically celebrating the 200th anniversary of its establishment.  The volunteer crew of municipal historians and historians from historical organizations in the County did not know what to anticipate in doing the update.  A few had been involved in the earlier versions and some had never seen the printed versions of the earlier efforts.  We did, however, generally conclude that, since a significant number of sites included in the previous two printed publications either no longer exist, were of current interest at the time of their original inclusion, or required new or additional descriptive material based on knowledge gained since the earlier publications, an updated version was justified.

The original intent was to have each community section updated and redone as correctly and thoroughly as possible so that the current publication would be an appropriate addition to the celebration of the County’s anniversary and provide a starting point for future updates, since technology has significantly improved in recent years and repeat printings and updated printings are much easier to facilitate.  The finished product was to serve visitors to Niagara County, students of local history, and residents and become the basis for regular future updates and printing.

The plan was to fund the initial printing with grants and use the proceeds of the sale of the actual first printing for future printings.  A dedicated fund was  established by the North Tonawanda History Museum for this purpose, and a $5,000 grant was obtained from the Niagara County Legislature and a $2,500 Mini-Grant from the New York Council for the Humanities, a New York State affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, toward the initial printing costs.  Beverly DiPalma of Quinlan Associates volunteered her services for the design of the cover.  Carl Hoover of Pioneer Printers served as a consultant to the editor as plans progressed.  Donna Zellner Neal, North Tonawanda History Museum Executive Director served as Editor and coordinated the project.  Dr. H. William Feder made a presentation on the original Trail project at a March 2008 program of the North Tonawanda History Museum.

Because of the complications of a busy anniversary year in the County, a number of municipal historians were unable to fulfill the request for the historical descriptions, photos, and mapping data for their communities.  We apologize, therefore, if their communities’ segments require future work.  Without their assistance, we worked with what others were able to provide and did some of the work at the editor level so that all towns and villages and cities in Niagara County would be represented in the guidebook. The delays that resulted and the additional unanticipated work prevented us from having a completed copy at the initially planned time in September.

Our goal from the beginning, however, and the requirements of our funding of the printing, were for a book to be published in 2008 that could be easily updated and reprinted as needed. 

Once the copy was as complete as we could make it, with the variety of styles provided merged into a uniform style, mapping proved to be a problem because it was not just a matter of adding available maps.  Much of the material supplied, at a significant contribution of time by the historians, did not incorporate street addresses into the descriptions. In some instances, we had to totally eliminate a site which has an important history but for which siting it on a map was not possible as we passed our initial deadline and were continuing past the original schedule to complete the publication. 

Locating accurate maps which would work became a problem.  From the beginning, we had planned on using a uniform map, breaking it into segments.  That, we found as time was running out, left us with maps which did not agree with either of the previous publications in detail.  The historians who provided actual street addresses make it possible for the reader or traveler to locate their sites using the addresses.   We resigned ourselves to using what we had for the first printing.  John Zellner Neal of the North Tonawanda History Museum worked with the editor on this.  We will appreciate input from users of the book and the contributing historians so that the first update we do may include any necessary corrections and revisions. We also will be grateful for better maps for future reprints.   

We realize at this time with the initial printing that better maps are a necessity for the next printing.  Good quality black and white local municipal maps of the cities, towns, and villages are desired for future updates. It is our belief that the kind historians who worked with us in getting this “demonstration edition" together will, upon seeing the initial printing, assist in locating and preparing better local maps.   We also hope that other historic sites omitted from this initial printing of the publication can be incorporated into the next printing.  We hope as well that street addresses can be included – or at least a description of where on the road or street, or between what other sites, a site is located.

Copies will be distributed to all participating contributors to the publication and to the Mayor of each of the three cities, the Town Supervisors of the twelve towns, and the Mayors of the five villages.  City, Town and Village Clerks will also be given a copy of the "demonstration edition."  The  "Demonstration Edition" will be available for purchase and will be reprinted as needed until the next update.  It is hoped that the publication will be updated every couple of years.

DOWNLOAD YOUR PRINTABLE ORDER FORM HERE
(.PDF File Format)




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54 Webster Street
North Tonawanda, NY 14120
(716) 213-0554