North Tonawanda History Museum Newsletter Archive To request a copy of previous Museum Newsletters, please contact our Museum Office at (716) 213-0554
314 Oliver Street North Tonawanda, New York 14120 (716) 213-0554 - e-mail: nthistorymuseum@aol.com - website: www.nthistorymuseum.org
December 2004 2004 was our first year as a Museum. The New York State Board of Regents granted us a Provisional Charter on April 20. The Internal Revenue Service granted a 501(c)(3) designation retroactive to April 20. All contributions are tax-deductible, including bequests and other forms of planned giving. We are now able to seriously pursue funding for our future permanent home and will be able to continue and expand our preservation and educational efforts. On October 12, we received the Daniel B. Niederlander Award from the Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society for outstanding accomplishment in programming of local history. You may see the award in our offices. We will begin 2005 with many plans and programs underway. Our officers for 2005 will be: Cynthia Fredricks, President; John Borycki, Vice President; Betty Brandon, Treasurer; Donna Zellner Neal, Secretary. Sarah Walter, Thomas A. Brick, and Michael Mroczka are Trustees. Kay Learned is Trustee Emeritus. Our staff is all volunteer—Donna Neal is Director; John Borycki, Collections Curator; Sarah Walter, Education Curator; John Neal, Technological Assistant; Tim Gerwitz, Webmaster; Bernie Rotella, Grantwriter. Office volunteers are Kathy Manno, and our RSVP ladies: Joann Fern and Jane Garis. Lou Omel is setting up our cataloguing system. Jason Law is developing the format for our oral history program. Priscilla Neal and JamiLee Piatt are helping with maintenance and cleaning. Barb Wickman makes sure our membership meeting and events refreshments periods run smoothly. Our first year has been exciting indeed. There was an exhibit for the Tonawanda News Open House in February, a party for the City's 107 th birthday and celebration of DeGraff Memorial Hospital's 90 th anniversary in April, a day of auctions and antique appraisal and a wonderful concert in May, an open house in a historic home on Goundry Street in May, co-hosting of 16 weeks of Seaway Trail Walks with the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum from June through September, our first participation in Canal Fest in July (including a parade entry created with a historic theme by two NT youth groups), the Niagara County Fair in August, our first ethnic heritage evening and a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Carrousel Society of the Niagara Frontier in October, our first military heritage celebration in November, and a Polish Christmas evening in December. Our first public effort was our participation in Winter Walk in December 2003. We included an Open House at our offices and a gift booth on Webster Street in this year's Winter Walk. In these efforts, we've learned to work together effectively as a team. The museum established a website at www.nthistorymuseum.org in October 2003, which has reached people as far away as the Netherlands and England, as well as all over the U.S. Our oral history program began in the summer months. North Tonawanda businessman David Zobrist has donated the use of administrative office space and cataloguing and storage facilities in the historic Adams Bakery building at 314 Oliver Street. The office is currently open Tuesday afternoons from 1 to 5 p.m. and Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon. History walks are offered as field trips for teachers and their classes. Senator Maziarz obtained a grant for programming equipment and supplies. We have been able to purchase museum collections management software and needed items for cataloguing, accounting, administrative functions, and the oral history program, including a complete computer system. Our Board of Trustees met with a consultant twice through grants by the Western New York Association of Historical Agencies and the Upstate History Alliance for Board training and development and advice on planning. We sponsored a logo design contest for city school students, with 4 winning entries from the 79 entries which came from all NT elementary and middle schools and St. Mark's Lutheran School. This resulted in the theme, “The Future of our Past.” We are now sponsoring a second logo design contest to develop a permanent logo. Entry blanks are available at the office or will be mailed on request. We lent our support to the drafting of a Historic Preservation Ordinance for enactment by the Common Council, and we took an active role on the Tourism Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas. The “ North Tonawanda Ethnic Heritage Cookbook, Vol. I” will soon be available. Orders are being taken and gift certificates are available for Christmas giving for $6.69 including tax. We are still selling Yesterday's News CD's of Erie Canal music for $11 including tax. Cynthia Fredricks is planning our February membership meeting at the NT Football Hall of Fame. We hope to participate in the T-NT Expo in April. Our April membership meeting will celebrate the 140 th anniversary of North Tonawanda's incorporation as a village, our first anniversary as a Museum, and the 125th anniversary of the Tonawanda News. Steve Ash and Judy Mittiga are planning a day trip by bus, including a meal, to the Niagara County Historical Society on May 21 in place of a weekday membership meeting. Our June meeting will honor our Honorary Charter Life Members for their contributions in our startup phase. Without their solid support from the beginning and throughout the past year, we would not exist. Betty Brandon is planning the first of what we plan to be a bi-annual “Historic Treasures Tour,” which will include ten of North Tonawanda's finest homes and a number of other historic sites on Sunday, July 31. Tickets are available for Christmas giving at $18 ea./$15 for members. An additional $5 will cover a ride in a Cinderella carriage during the event. A Towpath Tea in historic Pinewoods Park during the event will offer an a la carte menu, catered by Mr. & Mrs. Catering. This event will rotate with a bi-annual Ethnic Heritage Festival. In conjunction with the Towpath Tiller, we are planning a historic gardens contest for 2005. Judy Mittiga is coordinating a Lumber City Scavenger Hunt for the summer months. Both are hoped to become annual events. We will also participate in Canal Fest, and we will host another 16 weeks of Seaway Trail Walks from June to September. We can use volunteer help for all planned endeavors. We also need additional volunteers in the office, to help with much sorting and filing, cataloguing, research projects, exhibit creation; and have numerous opportunities for participation in our events and as Seaway Trail Walk guides. We need committee chairs and are always on the alert for strong candidates for the Board of Trustees. CURRENT WISH LIST Bookshelves and standalone shelving units; a small wardrobe for our beginning clothing and textile collection; folding chairs, folding tables or card tables; picture frames, especially large ones for maps and artwork and large photos; coffee urn for meetings and a small coffeemaker for volunteers in the office; heavy duty extension cords; toner for our donated copier; ink cartridges for the laser (Samsung ML-170D3/XAA) and inkjet (HP 94 and HP 95) printers; CD-RW's – 700 MB min. (10 needed); Mini Digital Video cassettes – 90 minutes; postage stamps; copy paper; laser printer paper ; #5260 mailing labels; manilla file folders; #10 envelopes; 9x12” envelopes; Swingline standard staples; paper clips (large and small), archive boxes; cash box; letter trays; post-its; a clock. Books we'd appreciate : “Painting Katherine” by Diane Meholick; “Put Another Nickel In” by Q. David Bowers; “Nomenclature for Museum Cataloguing” by Robert Chenhall; “Cataloguing for Small Museum ” by Robert Chenhall; “Big Book of Forms” by American Museum Association. The North Tonawanda History Museum is proud to be a member organization of: Cultural Alliance of Niagara Canal Fest of the Tonawandas Downtown Merchants Association Niagara County Federation of Historical Societies Oliver Street Pride Erie County Historical Federation American Association for State & Local History Upstate History Alliance Western New York Association of Historical Agencies Thank you for your support in our startup phase. Your donations and membership contributions will enable us to continue building a strong community museum of our city's rich immigrant and industrial heritage. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES NORTH TONAWANDA HISTORY MUSEUM 314 Oliver Street North Tonawanda, NY 14120 (716) 213-0554 - email: nthistorymuseum@aol.com - website: www.nthistorymuseum.org September 1, 2004 Dear North Tonawanda Current and Former Residents: The North Tonawanda History Museum is becoming a reality. Since September 2003 the Museum's Board of Trustees has: • Recruited volunteers dedicated to creating a museum highlighting North Tonawanda's rich history. • Participated in many community events, including Canal Fest, and Winter Walk, co-hosted with the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum 16 weeks of Seaway Trail Walks, our first joint initiative. • Developed initial educational programming for students and the public. • Assisted the public with research questions via phone, mail, and the Museum's website. • Established working relationships with other local and regional tourism venues and civic organizations. • Made a commitment to historic preservation and the City's economic development. • Received a provisional charter from the Board of Regents of the State University of New York. The museum continues to search for a permanent home. In the meantime, an administrative office and cataloguing and storage facilities have been established in the original Adams Bakery building at 314 Oliver Street. As part of the museum's mission, volunteers will be cataloguing and digitizing historical materials, gathering oral histories, creating an Internet virtual museum, organizing community and educational events, and fundraising. But all this activity can not happen without your help. Creating a museum from the ground up requires people, artifacts, memories, and money. Please consider becoming a part of this exciting community endeavor. Ways for you to get involved include:
Please give the enclosed form your serious consideration. Your support now will ensure the preservation and continuing recognition of the historical heritage and identity of North Tonawanda. Those desiring to meet with the Board of Trustees to discuss major gifts are asked to call 213-0554 or email to nthistorymuseum@aol.com. Remembering Yesteryear, John Borycki Donna Zellner Neal President, Acting Curator Secretary, Acting Director Museum's vision: Provide leadership to the North Tonawanda community in the promotion of historic awareness and interpretation of the people's history in the community. Museum's mission: To assemble, preserve, protect, and exhibit collections pertaining to the history of North Tonawanda, its people and community life, focusing especially on our rich immigrant heritage and role as an important shipping and manufacturing center strategically located on the historic Erie Canal and Niagara River in the 19th and 20th centuries. As a research and educational institution, we plan to be both an active participant in the historical and cultural tourism focus of North Tonawanda and a focal point for students of all ages to participate in historical studies and activities of the City.
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195 Goundry Street North Tonawanda, NY 14120 North Tonawanda History Museum 314 Oliver Street North Tonawanda, NY 14120 (716) 213-0554 - email: nthistorymuseum@aol.com - website: www.nthistorymuseum.org October 7, 2004 We have also moved the website from DotEasy to Wizard Communications, a local internet provider which takes an active role in our community and in the Museum. The Board of Trustees and five-person volunteer staff are working closely with Director Neal in providing the direction and focus for the future of the site. Please know that all material donated to the North Tonawanda History Museum for use on the site becomes part of our Museum collections. They are not personal property of any individual and cannot be used for any other purpose. Since your main contact with us is through the internet, you are probably not aware of the active part we are playing in the life of our City or of the significant progress we have made with the actual Museum. This is our primary responsibility—making the actual permanent home of the Museum a reality. We are presently establishing a Museum office at 314 Oliver Street, in donated facilities, courtesy of North Tonawanda businessman David Zobrist, who owns Awnings Plus. This site is ours until we are ready to move into the permanent home. We have purchased Collections Management Software and will soon have a team at work cataloguing the collection. We have a group of volunteers soon to begin training to assist our Director and other staff. We have a growing membership list and hear from people all over the world. We have an active organization locally, with programs being carried out and others being planned as long-term repetitive projects rather than one-time efforts. On October 12 we will be receiving the Owen B. Niederlander Award for outstanding accomplishment in the last year as an emerging museum organization from the Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society at their annual dinner at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo. We will have a table of thirteen attending to accept the award, including Senator Maziarz and Mayor & Mrs. Burgio, the Executive Director of our Chamber of Commerce, our attorney and our accountant. We wish to point out that we are a museum, not a historical society or genealogical organization. We have a specific mission and purpose as an educational and tourism-focused museum, which does not duplicate genealogical materials collected and preserved by other historical venues. For genealogical information, we always refer individuals to the Niagara County Genealogical Society, housed in the Niagara County Historical Society in Lockport, and the Historical Society of the Tonawandas, located in the City of Tonawanda. They are chartered as the historical society of North Tonawanda as well as of the City of Tonawanda. There is no need for anyone to create a new genealogical organization or to collect the records already preserved by existing organizations. We have nearly 200 years of North Tonawanda's history to get caught up on to create our permanent museum. The task we have taken on is a huge one—but we are making it happen. Creating a new Museum takes massive amounts of time and dedication beyond comprehension of anyone not involved in the process. We believe you should be proud with us of what we have already accomplished and what we are continuing to accomplish. Sincerely, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES John Borycki, President
NORTH TONAWANDA HISTORY MUSEUM Telling the Story of Our City's Rich Ethnic & Industrial Heritage As a City Located on the Historic Erie Canal & Mighty Niagara River 314 Oliver Street North Tonawanda, New York 14120 (716) 213-0554 or 692-2681 - e-mail: nthistorymuseum@aol.com website: www.nthistorymuseum.org A new museum of the rich immigrant heritage of North Tonawanda and its role as an important shipping and manufacturing center on the Historic Erie Canal and the Mighty Niagara River in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as the “Lumber Capital of the World” in the late 19th century. 2005 Office Hours: Mondays 5 to 9 p.m., Tuesdays 1 to 9 p.m., Thursdays 9 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 to noon Also open by appointment NORTH TONAWANDA HISTORY MUSEUM ONLINE OFFERS VIRTUAL MUSEUM EXPERIENCE The Board of Trustees of the all-volunteer North Tonawanda History Museum extends an invitation to all North Tonawanda residents and former residents who have access to the internet to visit the North Tonawanda History Museum Online. Established October 15, 2003, with a donated site and a pledge of donated web services by Honorary Charter Life Member Theresa L. Carpentieri, a former North Tonawanda resident now residing in California, the response to the new site was immediate, enthusiastic, quite unexpected, and actually overwhelming. The community of NT'ers around the world we discovered through the site was something we'd never anticipated. In addition to creating a brand new organizational structure for an actual museum which current North Tonawanda residents also responded to immediately and enthusiastically), we found ourselves with an ever-expanding site. We'd never done a web site before. We'd never done a museum before! People were asking for as much of North Tonawanda as we could share with them. We were not in a building other than our own homes until August 2004. We were, however, carrying out successful museum programming on the local level, earning us the prestigious Daniel B. Niederlander Award from the Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society in October 2004. It should be noted that we began as an idea in the imagination of a handful of residents in June 2003 and held our first public meeting on September 10, 2003. On April 20, 2004, the Board of Regents of the State University of New York recognized our accomplishments and proposed format by granting us a Provisional Charter. Soon after, the Internal Revenue Service granted us 501(c)(3) not-for-profit status, retroactive to the date of our Charter. As an emerging fledgling grassroots all-volunteer organization, we had undertaken what has since been realized to have been an impossible amount of effort. By all rules of reality, the project we began on September 10, 2003, should have taken years to accomplish. Because we didn't know it should have been impossible, we did it! On June 16, 2005, we will hold our first Annual Meeting to honor our wonderful Advisory Committee members and those individuals we have extended Honorary Charter Life Membership to for their outstanding contributions to our new Museum, to distribute our first Annual Report and financial statements prepared by our accounting firm, James Amato & Company. While accepting the unbelievable task of creating an actual museum, establishing start up facilities, and working to obtain a permanent future home, along with continuing our ongoing regular programming, we also realized we had created a web site that was only partially meeting our needs as a museum and the desires of our NT'ers around the world. In the summer of 2004, we lost the services of our original web site creator due to personal and family health concerns. The web site had taken on a life of its own and required far more time and effort than any of us had envisioned or were prepared for. From our inception as an organization, the Board of Trustees has requested, accepted, and acted on the input and suggestions of those we serve—NT'ers and former NT'ers around the world—and the general public with an interest in our City's history. The actual existing Museum and its programming, the future permanent Museum plans, and the Museum Online have all been created around that input. It has never been “our” Museum. It has always been our objective to create the Museum desired by those who became part of the effort and those who it is meant to serve. On February 1, 2005, after a transitional period of eight months, during which we evaluated what had been asked for by visitors to the site from October 15, 2003, through January 31, 2005, and our needs for sharing ongoing information, one of our younger members, John P. Zellner Neal, with a love for the newest technology and, as one of our Honorary Charter Life Members who has been an intimate part of the Museum creation and development from the beginning, was given the responsibility by the Board of Trustees to transform the existing web site into the Online Museum we felt was required. As with our actual Museum and collections, the Online Museum will never be “complete.” We intend to always be growing, adapting to the needs and desires of those we serve. We proudly announced the re-launching of our site on March 8, 2005. It is now modified daily, with a regular daily schedule of additions and changes, a dedicated volunteer web master and a dedicated assistant, Dianne Flay, who has been a proof reader and reviewer since early in the creation of the original website. John Neal, who is 24 years old, working closely with his mother, volunteer Museum Director, Donna Zellner Neal, has crafted the format the Board of Trustees felt was needed. Our web site at www.nthistorymuseum.org is not meant to be merely a promotional tool to inform visitors of our purpose and activities. It does do that. However, its purpose is to provide visitors with the experience of a real visit to our Museum and to provide the history and even current information on our wonderful “best little city in New York,” North Tonawanda, to people around the world. Since March 8, we have had regular contact with visitors who reside in Germany, England, Poland, the Netherlands, Russia, Canada, and nearly every state in the United States. We've had occasional visits from individuals living in 41 different countries. So new that we aren't yet listed in phone books, our actual start up Museum on Oliver Street has had visitors from all over Western New York and, although only open 23 hours a week, and in cramped quarters, we average 200 visitors a month. The Online Museum averages nearly 1,000 visitors a month. The North Tonawanda History Museum Online offers a variety of information not normally available from such a fledgling organization. Present and prospective members and donors can see the by-laws, collection management policies, 990's and annual reports, our Provisional Charter, our 501(c)(3) determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service. Interested individuals may download deeds of gift forms for donations, membership and volunteer applications, applications for our contests, may shop in our online gift shop. A history of the Museum's creation is being archived by news releases, our weekly “Remembering Yesteryear” column and copies of major news articles about our progress. There are numerous galleries of photos of Museum activities and related to the historical material found under the Collections section. Visitors to the site can see our Museum volunteers at work in our activities and programming in these photo galleries. Visitors may also take a virtual visit to our actual Museum by visiting one of these galleries. New additions to the collections and their potential future use are the focus of another gallery. The Museum staff is unable to display all of its rapidly-growing collections in the actual Museum because of limited space. We include a sampling in the actual Museum and a sampling in the Online Museum as well. We have been fortunate to obtain safe and secure temporary storage space at another location for the rapidly accumulating larger items in our collection which just will not fit in our start up location. Scheduled events, interactive forums, links to most of Western New York's cultural and historical venues, and many other features are included in the site. Visitors to the North Tonawanda History Museum Online will require many repeat visits to experience it all. Because it is updated daily and expands daily, it will always have something new to view. Our intent is for visitors to the Online Museum to feel that they are a real part of our ongoing effort to create the actual permanent Museum, as well as to feel that they are part of our daily ongoing activities. Admission to the North Tonawanda History Museum Online is free, as is admission to the start up actual Museum at 314 Oliver Street. We believe, however, that those who visit either the Online Museum or our actual Museum – or both – will realize that our all-volunteer effort is deserving of their membership and support. NORTH TONAWANDA HISTORY MUSEUM Telling the Story of Our City’s Rich Ethnic & Industrial Heritage As a City Located on the Historic Erie Canal & Mighty Niagara River 314 Oliver Street North Tonawanda, New York 14120 (716) 213-0554 or 692-2681 - e-mail: nthistorymuseum@aol.com website: www.nthistorymuseum.org A new museum of the rich immigrant heritage of North Tonawanda and its role as an important shipping and manufacturing center on the Historic Erie Canal and the Mighty Niagara River in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as the “Lumber Capital of the World” in the late 19th century. 2005 Office Hours: Mondays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursdays 9 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 to noon Also open by appointment To Friends of North Tonawanda’s History: The North Tonawanda History Museum has already outgrown its start up facilities at 314 Oliver Street, the use of which has been donated since August 2004. The store front in which the Museum is now housed has been sold and the new owner has other requirements for the building’s future. We are initiating efforts to negotiate a long-term lease and for the eventual renovation of part of the former Remington Rand printing plant on Sweeney Street. The portion we are interested in was originally part of our lumber history, the site of a shingle mill, with a red brick structure built in 1895 for the Buffalo-Niagara Electric Railway Powerhouse #4. This structure then became the home of Herschell-Spillman, a carrousel manufacturer, and eventually housed the various Rand entities. The Board of Trustees has recently established several special funds: The Collections Acquisition & Exhibit Maintenance Endowment Fund, The North Tonawanda Heritage Program Endowment Fund, and The Future of Our Past Capital Fund. The Future of Our Past Capital Fund has been established to provide seed money for our first year of operations in our permanent home and to enable us to prepare for the future conversion into an interactive museum which will be a tourist attraction and a history center for residents and students of all ages. It would be our intention to utilize the labor of volunteers and donated materials and services in the first year so that we could continue our present Museum operations, including our continuing growth and development. At the present time, we are utilizing storage space donated by the North Tonawanda City School District in addition to our space at 314 Oliver Street. We utilize facilities provided by DeGraff Memorial Hospital for our programs. The proposed permanent location would allow all to be housed in one location. The initial move will also require significant donated assistance to conserve funds. Once we are housed in the structure we have determined is the ideal permanent home for the Museum, we will be in a position to pursue funding for the renovations required and the interactive museum components. We are presently seeking a grant in the amount of $7,500 for the beginning of a feasibility study for the project and another grant in the amount of $20,000 for the completion of the study to develop actual budgetary estimates and architectural plans for the future Museum. With $50,000 in seed money and the funding for the complete feasibility study, we will be in a position to raise the remainder required for renovations and creation of the interactive museum. Clinton Brown is our architect and Hadley Exhibits will provide the Museum concept. The North Tonawanda Lumber City Development Corporation and the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency will be working with us. They will all assist us in procuring funding for the total Museum project. We are working with the Niagara Frontier Antique & Classic Boat Society, which would has expressed the desire to be a tenant of the North Tonawanda History Museum, and will create a working boat museum. We have been discussing the future of the remainder of the large structure with potential developers and investors. The proposal we find most appealing would include loft apartments, upscale apartments, a motel floor, and upscale shops to cater to residents and Museum visitors. There is also the possibility of an additional boat museum—a total of three museum entities. We need your help at this time in spreading the word about the Capital Fund and the project as a whole. Ideally, we would like to see as much of the project as possible reflect the vested interests of residents and former residents of North Tonawanda. Donations of any size for this fund will entitle the donor to be listed on a plaque to be installed in the permanent Museum. Larger donations may justify the naming of exhibit halls, the reference library, the meeting hall, or even the entire building housing the Museum after or in memory of the people or families involved. We will be most grateful for your recommendations of individuals with connections to North Tonawanda ’s history who you believe would be interested in knowing of the project. Thank you for your continued interest and support. Sincerely, Betty A. Brandon, President NORTH TONAWANDA HISTORY MUSEUM Telling the Story of Our City’s Rich Ethnic & Industrial Heritage As a City Located on the Historic Erie Canal & Mighty Niagara River 314 Oliver Street North Tonawanda, New York 14120 (716) 213-0554 or 692-2681 - e-mail: nthistorymuseum@aol.com website: www.nthistorymuseum.org A new museum of the rich immigrant heritage of North Tonawanda and its role as an important shipping and manufacturing center on the Historic Erie Canal and the Mighty Niagara River in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as the “Lumber Capital of the World” in the late 19th century. 2005 Office Hours: Mondays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursdays 9 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 to noon Also open by appointment June 2005 To Friends of North Tonawanda’s History: The North Tonawanda History Museum has already outgrown its start up facilities at 314 Oliver Street, the use of which has been donated since August 2004. The store front in which the Museum is now housed has been sold and the new owner has other requirements for the building’s future. We are initiating efforts to negotiate a long-term lease and for the eventual renovation of part of the former Remington Rand printing plant on Sweeney Street. The portion we are interested in was originally part of our lumber history, the site of a shingle mill, with a red brick structure built in 1895 for the Buffalo-Niagara Electric Railway Powerhouse #4. This structure then became the home of Herschell-Spillman, a carrousel manufacturer, and eventually housed the various Rand entities. In this building, we hope to create the Lumber City Museum & History Center, an interactive museum and history center, which will be a self-supporting tourist attraction and history center for residents and students of all ages. The Future of Our Past Capital Fund has been established to provide seed money for our first year of operations in our permanent home and to enable us to prepare for the future conversion into an interactive museum which will be a tourist attraction and a history center for residents and students of all ages. It would be our intention to utilize the labor of volunteers and donated materials and services in the first year so that we could continue our present Museum operations, including our continuing growth and development. At the present time, we are utilizing storage space donated by the North Tonawanda City School District in addition to our space at 314 Oliver Street. We utilize facilities provided by DeGraff Memorial Hospital for our programs. The proposed permanent location would allow all to be housed in one location. The initial move will also require significant donated assistance to conserve funds. Once we are housed in the structure we have determined is the ideal permanent home for the Museum, we will be in a position to pursue funding for the renovations required and the interactive museum components. We are presently seeking a grant in the amount of $7,500 for the beginning of a feasibility study for the project and another grant in the amount of $20,000 for the completion of the study to develop actual budgetary estimates and architectural plans for the future Museum. With $50,000 in seed money and the funding for the complete feasibility study, we will be in a position to raise the remainder required for renovations and creation of the interactive museum. Clinton Brown is our architect and Hadley Exhibits will provide the Museum concept. The North Tonawanda Lumber City Development Corporation and the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency will be working with us. They will all assist us in procuring funding for the total Museum project. We are working with the Niagara Frontier Antique & Classic Boat Society, which has expressed the desire to be a tenant of the North Tonawanda History Museum, and will create a working boat museum. We have been discussing the future of the remainder of the large structure with potential developers and investors. The proposal we find most appealing would include loft apartments, upscale apartments, a motel floor, and upscale shops to cater to residents and Museum visitors. There is also the possibility of an additional boat museum—a total of three museum entities. We need your help at this time in spreading the word about the Capital Fund and the project as a whole. Ideally, we would like to see as much of the project as possible reflect the vested interests of residents and former residents of North Tonawanda. Donations of any size for this fund will entitle the donor to be listed on a plaque to be installed in the permanent Museum. Larger donations may justify the naming of exhibit halls, the reference library, the meeting hall, or even the entire building housing the Museum after or in memory of the people or families involved. We will be most grateful for your recommendations of individuals with connections to North Tonawanda ’s history who you believe would be interested in knowing of the project. Thank you for your continued interest and support. Sincerely, Betty A. Brandon, President NORTH TONAWANDA HISTORY MUSEUM Telling the Story of Our City’s Rich Ethnic & Industrial Heritage As a City Located on the Historic Erie Canal & Mighty Niagara River 314 Oliver Street North Tonawanda, New York 14120 (716) 213-0554 or 692-2681 - e-mail: nthistorymuseum@aol.com website: www.nthistorymuseum.org A new museum of the rich immigrant heritage of North Tonawanda and its role as an important shipping and manufacturing center on the Historic Erie Canal and the Mighty Niagara River in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as the “Lumber Capital of the World” in the late 19th century. 2005 Office Hours: Mondays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursdays 9 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 to noon Also open by appointment SEPTEMBER 2005 UPDATE CURRENT EVENTS & ACTIVITIES NEEDED! Favorite Family Recipes – each with a brief paragraph about the family or individual history of the donor of the recipe for the Museum’s 2nd Heritage Cookbook, “North Tonawanda’s Families & Their Favorite Recipes” YOU’RE INVITED!
Italian myth, and recreates the story of the good Italian Witch who visits children on the eve of the Epiphany and leaves presents for good children, but coal, stones, and ashes for naughty ones. Many variations on the ancient legend of LaBefana have come down to us by tradition and folklore. Also, purchase your last minute Christmas gifts with a historical twist. In the DeGraff Community Center, 139 Division Street.
AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THE MUSEUM OR BY MAIL!
All items may be purchased by mail. Include $3 per order for each 1 – 3 copies of any items (may be mixed). See online gift shop at www.nthistorymuseum.org for additional items available. WILL YOU BECOME A MEMBER? Please select a member level: ___ Individual $15.00 ___ Family (2 or more) $25.00 ___ Senior Citizen $10.00 ___ Student $ 5.00 ___ Student Group $30.00 ___ Business/Civic/Professional $50.00 ___ Historical Organization $25.00 ___ Contributing $100.00 ___ Life $250.00* *Life membership fees are deposited in the Collections Acquisition/Exhibit Maintenance Endowment Fund, the earnings of which only will be used in the future for Collections Acquisition and Exhibit Maintenance. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED PLANNED GIVING? Talk to your attorney or tax advisor about how to use planned giving to help us maintain and ensure the permanence of the North Tonawanda History Museum:
Will you consider a donation to help ensure the permanence of the Museum? ____ NORTH TONAWANDA HERITAGE PROGRAM ENDOWMENT FUND Earnings only will be utilized for operating expenses in the future. ___ COLLECTIONS ACQUISITION/EXHIBIT MAINTENANCE FUND Earnings only will be utilized for acquisition of collections and exhibit maintenance. ___ THE “FUTURE OF OUR PAST” CAPITAL FUND DONORS To provide for the future permanent home of the Museum. Donations may also be allocated for specific purposes: ___ General operating expenses. ____ Educational Programming ___ Other (specify) _____________________________________________ ___ In memory of _________________________________________________________________ ___ In honor of ___________________________________________________________________ Send acknowledgment letter to: Special instructions: Please complete the information below: Your Name Address City State ZIP E-Mail Adress The North Tonawanda History Museum received a Provisional Charter from the Regents of the State of New York on April 20, 2004, and is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the North Tonawanda History Museum is to assemble, preserve, protect, and exhibit collections pertaining to the history of North Tonawanda, its people and community life, focusing especially on our rich immigrant heritage and role as an important shipping and manufacturing center strategically located on the historic Erie Canal and Niagara River in the 19th and 20th centuries. As a research and educational institution, we plan to be both an active participant in the historical and cultural tourism focus of North Tonawanda and a focal point for students of all ages to participate in historical studies and activities of the City. VISION STATEMENTThe North Tonawanda History Museum will provide leadership to the North Tonawanda community in the promotion of historic awareness and interpretation of the people's history in the community. Mission and Vision Statements Approved by the Board of Trustees, February 19, 2004 NORTH TONAWANDA HISTORY MUSEUM To download a printale version of the above newsletter, please click HERE and save to your computer for printing. NORTH TONAWANDA HISTORY MUSEUM Telling the Story of Our City’s Rich Ethnic & Industrial Heritage As a City Located on the Historic Erie Canal & Mighty Niagara River 314 Oliver Street North Tonawanda, New York 14120 (716) 213-0554 e-mail: nthistorymuseum@aol.com website: www.nthistorymuseum.org
A new museum of the rich immigrant heritage of North Tonawanda and its role as an important shipping and manufacturing center on the Historic Erie Canal and the Mighty Niagara River in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as the “Lumber Capital of the World” in the late 19th century. 2005 Office Hours: Mondays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 a.m. to noon Also open by appointment; admission free; donations accepted. DECEMBER 2005 UPDATE CURRENT EVENTS & ACTIVITIES NEEDED! Volunteers for many roles to meet the requirements of our rapidly expanding programs & activities! Clerical help for the office (computer knowledge especially helpful, but not necessary), event workers, individuals for training to be history walk guides, a volunteer coordinator to contact and schedule volunteers for various Museum activities, youth groups to create a parade float with a historical twist for the Canal Fest parade in 2006, individuals to work on the planning committee and as event workers for October 2006 ethnic heritage festival, individuals to record with a camcorder and others to interview senior citizens to record their life histories. Favorite Family Recipes – each with a brief paragraph about the family or individual history of the donor of the recipe for the Museum’s 2nd Heritage Cookbook, “North Tonawanda’s Families & Their Favorite Recipes” YOU’RE INVITED!
Italian myth, and recreates the story of the good Italian Witch who visits children on the eve of the Epiphany and leaves presents for good children, but coal, stones, and ashes for naughty ones. Many variations on the ancient legend of LaBefana have come down to us by tradition and folklore. Also, purchase your last minute Christmas gifts with a historical twist. In the DeGraff Community Center, 139 Division Street. See our web site for additional details. Volunteers of the Year Recognition also!
AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THE MUSEUM OR BY MAIL! Great Holiday Gifts!
All items may be purchased by mail. Include $3 per order for each 1 – 3 copies of any items (may be mixed). Visit Museum or see online gift shop at www.nthistorymuseum.org for additional items available. The North Tonawanda History Museum received a Provisional Charter from the Regents of the State of New York on April 20, 2004, and is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the North Tonawanda History Museum is to assemble, preserve, protect, and exhibit collections pertaining to the history of North Tonawanda, its people and community life, focusing especially on our rich immigrant heritage and role as an important shipping and manufacturing center strategically located on the historic Erie Canal and Niagara River in the 19th and 20th centuries. As a research and educational institution, we plan to be both an active participant in the historical and cultural tourism focus of North Tonawanda and a focal point for students of all ages to participate in historical studies and activities of the City. VISION STATEMENTThe North Tonawanda History Museum will provide leadership to the North Tonawanda community in the promotion of historic awareness and interpretation of the people's history in the community. Mission and Vision Statements Approved by the Board of Trustees, February 19, 2004 Please select a member level: ___ Individual $15.00 ___ Family (2 or more) $25.00 ___ Senior Citizen $10.00 ___ Student $ 5.00 ___ Student Group $30.00 ___ Business/Civic/Professional $50.00 ___ Historical Organization $25.00 ___ Contributing $100.00 ___ Life $250.00* *Life membership fees are deposited in the Collections Acquisition/Exhibit Maintenance Endowment Fund, the earnings of which only will be used in the future for Collections Acquisition and Exhibit Maintenance. Talk to your attorney or tax advisor about how to use planned giving to help us maintain and ensure the permanence of the North Tonawanda History Museum:
We were pleased to add Margaret A. Waite, Director of the North Tonawanda Public Library, and Carl Hoover, President of Pioneer Printers, to our Advisory Committee in 2005. Other members of the Advisory Committee who have served in this capacity, many since 2003, and will continue in 2006 are: Paul A. Rumbold, Jr., Kurt Alverson, A. Daniel Bille, Elizabeth M. Brick-Schutt, Thomas A. Chambers, Penny Creasey, William M. Davignon, Randy C. Fahs, Esq., Dr. John H. George, Thomas M. Jaccarino, Daniel R. Killian, Dale M. Marshall, John W. Percy, Lou Santiago, Leslie J. Stolzenfels, Michael B. Mroczka, Rae Proefrock, and Brett M. Sommer. Will you help ensure the Museum’s permanence? ____ NORTH TONAWANDA HERITAGE PROGRAM ENDOWMENT FUND Earnings only will be utilized for operating expenses in the future. ___ COLLECTIONS ACQUISITION/EXHIBIT MAINTENANCE FUND Earnings only will be utilized for acquisition of collections and exhibit maintenance. ___NORTH TONAWANDA EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FUND A restricted fund, to be used only for educational programming requirements. ___ THE “FUTURE OF OUR PAST” CAPITAL FUND DONORS To provide for the future permanent home of the Museum. ___ Other (specify) _____________________________________________ ___ In memory of _________________________________________________________________ ___ In honor of ___________________________________________________________________ Send acknowledgment letter to: Special instructions: Please complete the information below: Your Name Address City State ZIP E-Mail Address THANK YOU!!!!! Send to: North Tonawanda History Museum 314 Oliver Street North Tonawanda, NY 14120
Telling the Story of Our City’s Rich Ethnic & Industrial Heritage As a City Located on the Historic Erie Canal & Mighty Niagara River 314 Oliver Street North Tonawanda, New York14120 (716) 213-0554 e-mail: nthistorymuseum@aol.com website: www.nthistorymuseum.org A new museum of the rich immigrant heritage of North Tonawanda and its role as an important shipping and manufacturing center on the Historic Erie Canal and the Mighty Niagara River in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as the “Lumber Capital of the World” in the late 19th century. 2005 Office Hours: Mondays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 a.m. to noon Also open by appointment; admission free; donations accepted. December 2005 Our second year saw tremendous growth and a multitude of activities and events. We renamed our monthly programs “History Nights” because they are not actual “membership meetings” but rather educational programming for all age groups in the community. As a museum, our focus is on getting as much history into the hands and minds of people in the community and around the world as possible. There are benefits to being a member of the North Tonawanda History Museum, but membership is not a requirement for participation in any of our offerings. Our website celebrated its second anniversary on October 15, 2005, but was actually totally redone in February 2005 by our present webmaster, John Neal. It was transformed into the kind of online museum of North Tonawanda’s history that our many NT’ers and former NT’ers had been asking for since it was established. A visit to our website permits you to actually make a visit to our actual museum and provides you sufficient information on our city’s history without leaving your home, office, or school, to meet most of your needs. The site is updated daily and has been expanded three times this year. It is meant to permit our Museum visitors from around the world to experience the efforts which have gone into creating the actual Museum in North Tonawanda and to permit easy access to the history of our City to all. DeGraff Memorial Hospital continued to make their wonderful Community Center available for our meetings throughout 2005. Our history nights have become part of our oral history program, and the recorded programs are used for replaying at trade shows, volunteer fairs, nursing homes, and in the classroom, as well as being available for visitors to the museum who were unable to attend the actual events originally. Our 2005 programs included a visit to the NT Football Hall of Fame in February, an Irish Heritage Night in March, our 2nd annual North Tonawanda’s Birthday Party in April, celebrating our first anniversary as a chartered museum, the 125th anniversary of the Tonawanda News, the 120th anniversary of First Baptist Church, the 88th anniversary of the Rotary Club of the Tonawandas, and the City’s 140 th anniversary from its date of incorporation as a village and its 108th anniversary as a city. In May, we hosted our first bus trip to the Niagara County Historical Society, as part of national Preservation Month activities, with a luncheon following at Pane’s Restaurant. Our first Annual Meeting & Dinner in June was held in the Elks Club. Our September History Night focused on the history of the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department and Diane Meholick and her authorship of historical novels. October’s 2nd Annual Ethnic Heritage Night, as part of State Humanities Month, featured a concert on multiculturalism and diversity. November was our 2nd Annual Military Heritage Night on the War of 1812 on the Niagara Frontier and the 483 rd Bomber Squadron in WWII. In December, through a grant obtained from Speakers in the Humanities, a program of the New York Council for the Humanities, we will have a wonderful Italian Christmas program on a Saturday afternoon, instead of our usual Thursday evening programs. Our 2006 history nights will be held in the North Tonawanda Senior Center. Taking our mission seriously to spread history and the enjoyment of history widely, we continued our weekly column, “Remembering Yesteryear” in the Tonawanda News. Begun March 29, 2004, this column attracts dedicated weekly readers. We also took history to the community by participating in the T-NT Expo for our first time, a Community Fair at Tonawanda High School and a Volunteer Fair at Kenmore East High School, the 28th Annual Niagara Frontier Chapter Antique & Classic Boat Show on Grand Island, the 1st Polish Dozynki (Harvest) Festival at Holy Mother of the Rosary Cathedral of the National Polish Catholic Church in Lancaster, and the 1st Annual Oliver Street Art Show. We shared our progress and mission with speaking engagements with the Rotary Club of the Tonawandas, the Kiwanis Club of the Tonawandas, the Historical Society of North German Settlements, the Older & Wiser Lutherans of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, the Fortnightly Club, the Ashland Oil Retirees Club, and we will soon speak to the Retired Men of the Tonawandas. We participated in the Retired Senior Volunteer Program annual volunteer recognition luncheon, welcoming the volunteers on behalf of the sites, and presenting a table of information and gift items. In April, our President and Director attended, courtesy of a grant from the Upstate History Alliance made possible by funding by the New York Council on the Arts, the annual meeting and conference of the Upstate History Alliance and the Museum Association of New York in Rochester. We had a table at the Western New York Association of Historical Agencies annual meeting in October. At this meeting, the North Tonawanda History Museum received an Organization Award of Merit from WNYAHA for our first bi-annual homes tour, the Historic Treasures Tour 2005, and the self-guided walking/driving tour guide book created for it which is now for sale in its own right. We appeared on “Crossroads” on Adelphia Cable twice this year and on Channel 2 News in July. The North Tonawanda School District provided packets of information to all school principals and administrators on our offerings as a history museum for the 2005-6 school year. We hosted our second year of 16 weeks of Seaway Trail Walks, and had our first year of Haunted History Ghost Walks, working with Mason Winfield, presenting four walks during Canal Fest week and seven in September and October, and are planning two during Winter Walk in December. We participated in our second Canal Fest of the Tonawandas in July and in our second parade, winning a prize for “Most Improved Booth” and one for third place in costuming for the parade as we combined forces with the Polish Heritage Dancers, our second year of participating in the parade as well. We initiated our second logo design contest and our 1st Annual Historic Gardens Contest. The Historic Gardens Contest resulted in a Historic Gardens Tour which proved quite successful and popular. We presented our 1st Historic Treasures Tour on July 31, a tour of ten historic homes, five historic churches, and four other historic sites in North Tonawanda, bringing 461 paid visitors in from five states, Canada, and all across New York State. The event included a Cinderella carriage ride and a Towpath Tea. We created the 1st “13 Historic Ghosts of the Niagara Frontier” in collaboration with Ghostlight Theatre, inspired by Mason Winfield, in the North Tonawanda Botanical Gardens. The event offered many area youngsters an opportunity to earn community service credit in a fun and educational setting. We participated in our third Winter Walk also, with two gift and information stands, an Open House, our second Winter Walk Open House, and two Ghost Walks. The building in which we have been housed since August 2004 was sold in 2005 and we graduated from having facilities with donated use to being rent-paying tenants. We continued efforts to obtain a permanent location which will make it possible to become a self-supporting tourist attraction. We were appointed “community lead” for the three Tonawandas, the City of Tonawanda, City of North Tonawanda, and the Town of Tonawanda, by Doors Open Niagara 2005, a bi-national cultural tourism initiative, and participated in our first Doors Open Niagara in October, combining it with our first participation as well in Archives Week. We created an exhibit using six display cabinets in the North Tonawanda Public Library which remained up throughout September and plan to do an annual September exhibit in the library. We participated in an internationally renowned traveling art exhibit: “The Wall: Reshaping Contemporary Chinese Art” exhibit at the UB Art Gallery in the Center for the Arts on UB’s North Campus in Amherst, the UB Anderson Gallery, and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery from October 21 through January 29, 2006. A 1902 sewing machine from our collection is part of one of the installations, consistent with the type of sewing machines still used by seamstresses in China today. Using the machine, the artist aims to exemplify the domesticity of the female still residing within this profession. The exhibit, which debuted in Beijing at the Milennium Art Museum, is the most ambitious exhibition of contemporary Chinese art to travel beyond China. It is the first collaboration between U.S. art museums and a significant Chinese art museum to focus on contemporary Chinese art. We are proud to be able to participate. Continuing to take a leadership role in preserving our City’s history, nine active Museum members helped draft the City’s new Historic Preservation Ordinance, and eight Museum members were appointed to the first Historic Preservation Commission. Our Museum Director was notified in November that she was named North Tonawanda Regional Coordinator for the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier.We established several endowment and restricted funds with donations arriving during the year, as well as a capital fund for the permanent future home of the museum. We prepared our first annual report, including our first 990 tax report, both of which appear on our website. We received a number of grants for specific projects. We were delighted when we tallied up the estimated number of volunteer hours for last year, 2004, and it came to well over 6,000 hours. We are pleased to announce that this year, over 8,000 hours of volunteer service, divided among hundreds of volunteers, including our two full-time ones, made Museum programming successful. At our December meeting, the Board of Trustees appointed three new Trustees and elected officers for 2006. Your Board of Trustees in 2006 will be: Joyce Santiago, President Paula Belair, Vice President Judith Mittiga, Treasurer Donna Zellner Neal, Secretary Margaret Cheeley Paul Hoover Marilyn Lasky Diane Meholick Barbara Wickman Paul A. Rumbold, Jr., Trustee Emeritus Kay Learned, Trustee Emeritus John Borycki, Trustee Emeritus Cynthia Fredricks, Trustee Emeritus Betty Brandon, Trustee Emeritus We look forward to the future with enthusiasm and look forward to the continued support of our members, donors, and volunteers! We acknowledge and thank all who have helped us in our first two years of existence, with special thanks at this time to those being recognized at our Italian Christmas program:
Stephen Ash - Betty Brandon - Cynthia Fredricks - Jane Garis - John Zellner Neal - Priscilla Zellner Neal JamiLee Piatt - Barbara Wickman
The Mittiga Family Joe, Judy, Ricky, Gabbie, and Lydia The Neal Family Donna, John, Priscilla Neal; Kathy Delbert; Liz Hall; Lea Aquino; Bryan Blandford; Danielle Oney; Matthew DiNatale; Frank Zellner The Santiago Family Lou, Joyce, Sara, Maria, Leah Santiago; Bryan and Jason Kastelan; Michael Giglia Anthony Abdulla - Frank Budwey - DeGraff Memorial Hospital - Downtown Merchants Association - HSBC Bank, N.A. Keyser Buick, Inc. - John and Alexandra Kopczynski – George D. Maziarz - Arlene Stocki McNair - The Neal Family – Pioneer Printers – RealtyUSA George and Marilyn Soemann – Sterling Sommer, Inc. - Barbara Wickman - David Zobrist
Abigail Cliff - Michael El-Sharif - Ashley Herman - Kathryn Jordan Jason Law - Priscilla Neal - Heather Sowder
Buffalo Suzuki Strings - Ghostlight Theatre - Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum North Tonawanda Public Library - North Tonawanda City School District Kopczynski Family Foundation - $1,000 – 2004 For Start-up Operating Funds Upstate History Alliance / New York State Council of the Arts - $500 – 2004 “Get Ready” Consultative Services Grant for Long Range Planning Western New York Association of Historical Agencies - $250 – 2004 Technical Assistance Consultative Services Grant for Board Development and Training RealtyUSA - $1,000 – 2005 Major Sponsorship – Historic Treasures Tour 2005 HSBC Bank, NA - $350 – 2005 In recognition of Judith Mittiga’s volunteer services – 2005 Upstate History Alliance / New York State Council of the Arts - $300 – 2005 GO grant to attend April 24-26, 2005 UHA/MANY Annual Conference in Rochester, NY New York Council for the Humanities.- Speakers for the Humanities Grant - $450 – 2005 For December 2005 Italian Christmas Program New York Folklore Society/New York State Council of the Arts - $1,800 + travel expenses – mentoring grant – 2005 For consultative/mentoring services to plan First Ethnic Heritage Festival for 2006 Max & Victoria Dreyfus Foundation - $5,000 – 2005 For Oral History Demonstration Program York Children’s Foundation - $1,000 – 2005 For Education Program – WebQuest New York Council for the Humanities, A state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities $5,000 – 2005 For Two Self-Guided Walking Tour Brochures New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation $5,000 – 2005 For operational expenses NORTH TONAWANDA HISTORY MUSEUM 314 Oliver Street North Tonawanda, NY 14120 |
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