History of the Museum / News Release Archive - October 2005 * Represents newest additions to our Archive 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 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 to noon Also open by appointment Museum Names Trustee Emeritus; Adopts Code of Ethics The Board of Trustees of the North Tonawanda History Museum, at its October 3 meeting, named John Borycki a Trustee Emeritus in recognition of his service to the Museum as a President and Vice President in its first year of existence. Borycki, a resident of the City of Tonawanda but a native of North Tonawanda, was part of the original steering committee to create the Museum and attended meetings of the steering committee and then the Board from the date of the first meeting of what was then a grassroots interest group on September 10, 2003. Borycki joins the Museum’s founding President, Paul A. Rumbold, Jr., and its second President, Kay Learned, as Trustees Emeritus. In other business, the Board of Trustees, at its September 12 meeting, adopted a Code of Ethics for Board of Trustees, Advisory Committee, Professional Staff, and Volunteers. Drafted by the Museum’s Nominating & Governance Committee, much of the research on the final document was performed by Cynthia Fredricks, immediate past President. The Code of Ethics meets standards established by the American Association of Museums. The Code of Ethics is permanently posted on the Museum’s website at www.nthistorymuseum.org in the Administrative & Legal section, along with its first annual report and 990 return for 2004. 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 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 to noon Also open by appointment Museum to be closed for Columbus Day The North Tonawanda History Museum will be closed on Monday, October 10, in observance of Columbus Day. Museum representatives also advise that, because they will be busy preparing for the “13 Historic Ghosts of the Niagara Frontier” and the “Haunted Hayride” in the North Tonawanda Botanical Gardens, which begins on Friday, October 14, from 6 to 8 p.m., and continues on Fridays, October 21 and 28, they may find it necessary to be away from the Museum during some of their regular hours in the coming week. They apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to visitors and invite them to visit the Museum on Saturday, October 15, or Sunday, October 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, as they participate in Doors Open Niagara 2005. Regular Museum hours of Mondays and Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays 9 a.m. to noon will resume on Monday, October 17. 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 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 to noon Also open by appointment Museum Offers New Line of Ethnic Gift Items Will also be available at “13 Historic Ghosts” and October 20 Concert: “The American Gumbo: Multiculturalism in America” The North Tonawanda History Museum has added a new line of ethnic items to its gift shop area in the Museum. In collaboration with the Polish Peddler, the Museum now offers decorative ethnic kitchen towels with Velcro hangers. The towels are currently available in “Polish Kitchen,” “Polska Kuchnia,” “My Hungarian Kitchen,” “My Italian Kitchen,” “Lebanese Kitchen,” and “My Russian Kitchen.” “German Kitchen” will be available soon. A similar variety of kitchen magnets are also available. Also available now are hand-painted wooden Polish egg Christmas ornaments in two styles, “Our Lady of Czestochowa” and “Pope John Paul II.” They are the same ornaments offered by the Polish Cultural Center in Philadelphia and the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. “Ring in a Polish Christmas” CD’s of Christmas music and “Sing Along with Me: Let’s Learn Polish Together,” cassettes are also available. Other items available through the Museum are: The Museum’s first in its series of North Tonawanda Heritage Cookbooks, “North Tonawanda Ethnic Heritage Cookbook”, already in its third printing this year; the 2006 version of the Polish-American calendar by Don Samull, known as “Polonia’s Calendar Man;” a walking/driving self-guided tour book of North Tonawanda; Winter Walk candle holders with candles; and scarves, totebags and historic downtown North Tonawanda coffee mugs created expressly for the Museum by North Tonawanda’s Impressive Imprints. Also offered are autographed copies of novels by North Tonawanda native Diane Meholick and autographed copies of an autobiographical book by North Tonawanda native Joseph Corbett; and CD-ROM’s of “The Richardson Story,” by William C. Lindquist. In addition, light blue shirts with glow in the dark ink, “North Tonawanda Haunted History Ghost Walks,” are also available. Products will be on display and available for purchase at “13 Historic Ghosts of the Niagara Frontier” on October 14, 21, and 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Haunted Greenhouse at the North Tonawanda Botanical Gardens, 1825 Sweeney Street. Call the Museum at 213-0554 for pre-sale tickets. The gift items will also be available as the Museum presents a lively and fun-filled concert celebrating the multicultural stew that is America for its 2 nd Annual Ethnic Heritage Night. The program, “The American Gumbo: Multiculturalism in America,” will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 20, in the DeGraff Community Center, 139 Division Street. Parking is available in the rear of the center. The Hill Brothers, armed with a slew of intriguing musical instruments (guitar, jaw harp, banjo, mandolin, dulcimer &/or washtub bass) and a zest for exploring history through music, will perform. They will combine fun songs from Russia, Africa, Ireland, Mexico, and other countries. Adults and children attending the concert will be able to sing along with the entertainers on the songs that are more familiar. The Hill Brothers attempt to have audience participation to celebrate the diversity of cultures in our country, and in our own communities. Students of multicultural and diversity programs, immigration studies, international/world communities, and just lovers of history and music will find the evening entertaining. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For information, call 213-0554 or email to nthistorymuseum@aol.com.
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 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 to noon Also open by appointment The North Tonawanda History Museum will be presented with an Organizational Award of Merit from the Western New York Association of Historical Agencies at its October 29 Annual Meeting at Genesee Community College in Batavia (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) The awards are presented during the opening part of the Annual Meeting program. The Museum is receiving the award for its first bi-annual Historic Treasures Tour on July 31, 2005, and the guide book of North Tonawanda created for the tour which is now sold as a self-guided driving/walking tour guide of North Tonawanda.
These Annual Awards of Merit are given to organizations in recognition of outstanding accomplishment in the fields of state, local, and regional history within the 12-county area of the Western New York Association of Historical Agencies. It is a public acknowledgment by WNYAHA of the outstanding quality of a project in comparison with similar projects within the WNYAHA area and with reference to standards of excellence in the field at large. The Awards Program seeks to focus attention on projects that can serve as models to encourage other organizations to attempt activities of similar excellence.
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 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 to noon Also open by appointment History Museum Sets Orientation Sessions for First Ethnic Heritage Festival “North Tonawanda : A Celebration of our Ethnic Diversity!” set for October 7, 2006, will be the first bi-annual ethnic heritage festival of the North Tonawanda History Museum. The Museum will host two orientation sessions to provide individuals and groups with an overview of the project. You may attend either Thursday, November 3, beginning at 7 p.m., or Monday, November 14, beginning at 7 p.m., both in the Museum at 314 Oliver Street. A phone call or e-mail would be appreciated so that Museum representatives may accommodate the number of interested individuals planning to attend each session. Event planners and workers, coordinators, and other participants are presently being interviewed. Needed are individuals or groups willing to perform or present demonstrations of ethnic and occupational skills and crafts, musical performers, dancers, narrators to explain various ethnic traditions with which they are familiar; providers of ethnic foods, individuals/businesses/groups with ethnic items to sell. Also needed are materials to use in exhibits or completed exhibits on various ethnic backgrounds and customs of individuals or groups calling North Tonawanda their home. There is no age limit. Participants may create a school or youth group project or an individual or other group project. Representatives of North Tonawanda organizations are invited to become part of the planning committee. Writers and researchers wishing to assist with creation of the event souvenir book are also invited to contact the Museum. For additional information contact the Museum at 213-0554 or by email at nthistorymuseum@aol.com.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 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 to noon Also open by appointment History Museum Treadle Sewing Machines to be included in “The Wall: Reshaping Contemporary Chinese Art” exhibit at UB’s Center for the Arts The North Tonawanda History Museum is providing several of the treadle sewing machines in its collection for display by the UB Center for the Arts in their new exhibit: “The Wall: Reshaping Contemporary Chinese Art” which opens to the public at the UB Art Gallery in the Center for the Arts on UB’s North Campus in Amherst, the UB Anderson Gallery on Martha Jackson Place in Buffalo, and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo on October 21 and will remain on view and open to the public through January 29, 2006. The sewing machines, a 1902 and a 1925 Singer, which will be utilized in one of the installations, are consistent with the type of sewing machines still used by seamstresses working in China today. By using these machines, the artist aims to exemplify the domesticity of the female that still resides within this profession. This exhibit is the most ambitious exhibition of contemporary Chinese art to travel beyond China. The exhibit debuted in Beijing this summer at the Millennium Art Museum. It is the first collaboration between U.S. art museums and a significant Chinese art museum to focus on contemporary Chinese art. Because of its size, the exhibit will be installed at the three venues. Gao Minglu organized “The Wall” during his tenure as assistant professor in the Department of Art History of the UB College of Arts and Sciences. A leading authority on 20 th and 21 st century Chinese art, Gao was curator of “Inside Out: New Chinese Art” at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 1998 and the Chinese section of the “Conceptual Art: Point of Origin 1950’s – 1980’s” exhibition, sponsored by the Queens Museum in New York in 1999. The North Tonawanda History Museum was established in 2003 to tell of the industrial and ethnic heritage of North Tonawanda, a once significant industrial and shipping center located on the Niagara River and the Erie Canal.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 Museum accepting applications for full or part-time volunteer office workers, curatorial assistants, event planners, walking tour guides The North Tonawanda History Museum’s increasingly busy schedule and programming has resulted in an urgent need for additional volunteers to perform general clerical functions in the Museum. Also needed are individuals with curatorial experience or interest. Will train serious volunteer candidates. Individuals are needed as well to work on event planning and coordination, trainees to lead walking history tours from June through September, and individuals or groups wishing to participate in planning and carrying out an ethnic heritage festival in 2006. The Museum is open Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon. In addition to the regular hours, programs and events are scheduled evenings and weekends as well. Additional hours will be added when volunteers are trained who are available to handle office assignments and meet with Museum visitors. Volunteers can select hours appropriate to their personal schedules; however, regular schedules, such as mornings or afternoons or evenings on a specific day or days of the week are preferred. For a volunteer application, visit the Museum at 314 Oliver Street or download one from the Museum website at www.nthistorymuseum.org under the Membership & Other Participation section. Call 213-0554 or email to nthistorymuseum@aol.com for additional information.
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 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 to noon Also open by appointment "13 Historic Ghosts of the Niagara Frontier" will return to the Haunted Gardens of the North Tonawanda Botanical Gardens at 1825 Sweeney Street on Friday the 21st and Friday the 28th, with tickets to both the Guided Stroll through the gardens with the 13 historic ghosts and the haunted hayride being sold beginning at 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. Each event takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. Refreshments are available also in the haunted greenhouse. The photos attached show the Niagara Frontier Cadet Girl Scouts chartered at Drake School in North Tonawanda preparing to haunt their part of the hayride route; Joann Mis of Ghostlight Theatre preparing for the guided stroll; Carl Tamburlin of Ghostlight Theatre beginning a guided stroll; and two photos of the North Tonawanda Ghost of the 1920's talking to a visitor. The events are sponsored by the North Tonawanda History Museum, produced by the Ghostlight Theatre, and inspired by Mason Winfield. 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 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 to noon Also open by appointment AREA YOUNGSTERS TAKE PART IN HALLOWEEN EVENT “13 Historic Ghosts of the Niagara Frontier” The Niagara Frontier has had an adventurous past. Think of wars, piracy, conspiracy, the Underground Railroad...! Not surprisingly, a supernatural tradition has built up across the centuries, and a few ghostly stars stand out. Their appearances are usually rare and unpredictable, but this Halloween season something special is going on in the North Tonawanda Botanical Gardens. The events will take place in the North Tonawanda Botanical Gardens, 1825 Sweeney Street, just north of East Robinson Street. "13 Historic Ghosts of the Niagara Frontier" is a guided stroll through the Haunted Gardens on Sweeney Street at whose stations each of the famous ghosts will come alive. A festival of high spirits and spooky moods, this family-friendly event will be sure to educate while it entertains. Area youngsters and their adult group leaders and parents will take an active role in the event, which has been designed as an educational event to afford community service opportunities to area students and volunteer opportunities to students of all ages and to provide Halloween entertainment for residents and visitors to North Tonawanda. It is hoped to become an annual event. Joanne Mis and Carl Tamburlin of Ghostlight Theatre are coordinating the creation of skits and logistics for the Guided Stroll through the Haunted Gardens. They have researched local historic ghost stories and are creating scripts for the thirteen sites in the stroll through the gardens and will supervise the performances. Also in the gardens Hartland Carriages will provide a “Haunted Hay Ride” and refreshments and gift items will be available for purchase in the “Haunted Greenhouse.” North Tonawanda History Museum volunteers will coordinate ticket sales and the Haunted Hay Ride and Haunted Greenhouse, parking and traffic control, and ticket collection. Tickets are: Guided stroll through the Haunted Gardens on the EEErie Canal : Adults: $10; children 6 -11: $5; 5 and under – free; Maximum Family Pre-admission: $40. Haunted Hay Ride tickets: Adults - $5; children 6 – 11: $3; 5 and under: free. Refreshments available for purchase in the Haunted Greenhouse will include Budwey’s donuts, Barb’s Sweet Treats cookies, candied apples, popcorn, brownies, candy bars, cider, coffee, and hot chocolate. Mason Winfield Haunted History Ghost Walks shirts, and a special North Tonawanda version, will be available for purchase, along with other interesting items for early Christmas shoppers. Mason Winfield, who is also presenting Haunted History Ghost Walks for the North Tonawanda History Museum on Fridays beginning at 7 p.m. from September 16 through October 28, starting at the Museum at 314 Oliver Street, is expected to also be present to meet visitors at the “13 Historic Ghosts of the Niagara Frontier” on Friday, October 14 and 21 and will be autographing his books and CD’s in the Haunted Greenhouse part of the event. Proceeds from the event will become part of the North Tonawanda History Museum’s “The Future of Our Past” capital fund for the permanent future home of the Museum. Come meet famous thirteen of the Niagara Frontier and hear them tell their stories! And take a walk on the dark side into our region's history and mystery... Call the Museum at 213-0554 or email at nthistorymuseum@aol.com for additional information.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 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 to noon Also open by appointment Museum To Present Free Concert: “The American Gumbo: Multiculturism in America ”; Free refreshments to include goodies made from the “Wurlitzer Centennial Cookbook (1856-1956)” The North Tonawanda History Museum will present a lively and fun-filled concert celebrating the multicultural stew that is America for its 2 nd Annual Ethnic Heritage Night. The program, “The American Gumbo: Multiculturalism in America,” will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 20, in the DeGraff Community Center, 139 Division Street. Parking is available in the rear of the center. The Hill Brothers, armed with a slew of intriguing musical instruments (guitar, jaw harp, banjo, mandolin, dulcimer &/or washtub bass) and a zest for exploring history through music, will perform. They will combine fun songs from Russia, Africa, Ireland, Mexico, and other countries. Adults and children attending the concert will be able to sing along with the entertainers on the songs that are more familiar. The Hill Brothers attempt to have audience participation to celebrate the diversity of cultures in our country, and in our own communities. Students of multicultural and diversity programs, immigration studies, international/world communities, and just lovers of history and music will find the evening entertaining. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served and will include goodies made from recipes in the “Wurlitzer Centennial Cookbook (1856-1956).” The cookbook was published in the company’s 100 th year to commemorate a century of achievement in musical progress. It included recipes covering three generations of the Farny and Wurlitzer families and those of wives of the business associates of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company in 1956. For information, call 213-0554 or email to nthistorymuseum@aol.com. The Hill Brothers were founded in 1977 to bring educational music programs to Western New York area schools for Young Audiences of Western New York. The group is now well known throughout New York State and beyond for its high quality arts-in-education concerts, performing at over 250 assembly programs per year in addition to professional conference addresses and workshops. Dave Ruch is a multi-instrumentalist with over twenty years of experience playing acoustic music. He has performed in clubs from Toronto to Austin, Texas, and with a number of nationally known folk, rock, and bluegrass artists. Currently, Dave is a full-time arts in education professional, splitting his time between performances with the Hill Brothers and his own workshop series. The concert is meant to celebrate the fact that America (and North Tonawanda ) is made up of many diverse cultures, and we’re all better off because of our country’s (and city’s) cultural richness. It is meant to develop a deeper appreciation of the place of immigration in the shaping of modern society, and to expose people to the wonderful music and language of many different peoples, and to encourage, by example, an interest in and reverence for other cultures. Available at the concert will be a number of items appropriate for Christmas giving, including tapes and CD’s by the Hill Brothers, “Good Time Music 2” a delicious gumbo” of songs celebrating the diversity of cultures in our country; “The Season of Light,” celebrating the spirit of Christmas, Chanukah, & Kwanzaa; The 3 R’s & Celebrate Reading,” and “Good Time Music,” which includes Erie Canal songs and other songs featured in Hill Brothers programs.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 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 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 to noon Also open by appointment Museum to offer Haunted History Christmas Ghost Walks for Winter Walk 2005 The North Tonawanda History Museum will take an active role in its third Winter Walk on December 2 & 3. Winter Walk is a joint project of the Downtown Merchants Associations of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda. Once known widely as the Twin Cities, the two small cities are now becoming known as the Gateway Cities, a reference to their location at the western end of the Erie Canal, and their thriving Gateway Harbor. The Historic Downtown Shopping District is an eclectic mix of unique shops, services, theatre and other cultural venues. The Museum will sponsor two Haunted History Christmas Ghost Walks with Mason Winfield. The first will be on Friday, December 2, beginning at 6 p.m.; the second will be on Saturday, December 3, beginning at 5 p.m. The 90-minute walks will begin in front of Buffalo Suzuki Strings at 4 Webster Street at the North Tonawanda History Museum gift & information stand. Fees are $10 for adults, $5 for children 7 – 11, 6 y ears old and younger are free. Light blue Ghost Walk shirts with glow-in-the-dark ink will also be available at the Museum’s gift stand and at the Museum. The Museum sponsored four Haunted History Ghost Walks during Canal Fest of the Tonawandas in July. Another seven weeks of Friday walks ran from September 16 through October 28. The Museum will also hold an Open House at their facilities at 314 Oliver Street from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, December 3, and will also staff two gift & information stands, also from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Museum will offer hot, freshly brewed gourmet coffees and teas and hot chocolate to visitors at the Open House. The gift & information stands will be located in front of Buffalo Suzuki Strings Musical Arts Center at 4 Webster Street at the Erie Canal and in front of Greater Buffalo Savings Bank at 107 Main Street at Goundry where Main is joined by Webster Street. Museum personnel will have a variety of items for sale for Christmas giving at the gift stands and in the Museum in addition to the Ghost Walk shirts, including a new line of ethnic items. In collaboration with the Polish Peddler, the Museum now offers decorative ethnic kitchen towels with Velcro hangers. The towels are currently available in “Polish Kitchen,” “Polska Kuchnia,” “My Hungarian Kitchen,” “My Italian Kitchen,” “Lebanese Kitchen,” “Russian Kitchen.” And “My German Kitchen” will be available soon. A similar variety of kitchen magnets are also available. Also available are hand-painted wooden Polish egg Christmas ornaments in two styles, “Our Lady of Czestochowa ” and “Pope John Paul II.” They are the same ornaments offered by the Polish Cultural Center in Philadelphia and the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. “Ring in a Polish Christmas” CD’s of Christmas music, “More Favorite Polish Folk Songs,” and “Sing Along with Me: Let’s Learn Polish Together,” cassettes are also available. Other items available are: The Museum’s first in its series of North Tonawanda Heritage Cookbooks, “North Tonawanda Ethnic Heritage Cookbook”, already in its third printing this year; the 2006 version of the Polish-American calendar by Don Samull, known as “Polonia’s Calendar Man;” a walking/driving self-guided tour book of North Tonawanda; Winter Walk candle holders with candles; and scarves, totebags and historic downtown North Tonawanda coffee mugs created expressly for the Museum by North Tonawanda’s Impressive Imprints. Also offered are autographed copies of novels by North Tonawanda native Diane Meholick and autographed copies of an autobiographical book by North Tonawanda native Joseph Corbett; and CD-ROM’s of “The Richardson Story,” by William C. Lindquist.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 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 a.m. to noon Also open by appointment; free admission; donations accepted. Museum to host 2nd Annual Military Heritage Night in November as part of New York State History Month Italian Christmas program scheduled for December as 2nd Annual Ethnic Christmas program; Refreshments to be served will include goodies whose recipes originated with the Wurlitzer family over three generations. The North Tonawanda History Museum will present its 2nd Annual Military Heritage Night on Thursday, November 17 as part of New York State History Month. The program, which will take place in the DeGraff Community Center at 139 Division Street, beginning at 7 p.m., will include two separate presentations: “The War of 1812 on the Niagara Frontier” by Town of Tonawanda Historian John W. Percy, and “World War II: The 483rd Bomber Squadron,” by North Tonawanda resident William S. Strapko. Percy has written extensively about the history of Western New York for over three decades. In addition to serving as the Town of Tonawanda municipal historian, he also has long been active with the Town of Tonawanda-Kenmore Historical Society, and has been a member of the Advisory Committee of the North Tonawanda History Museum since its beginnings as an interest group. Strapko, whose role with the 483 rd Bomber Squadron during World War II has been documented in books written about the squadron, and his wife Irene were early donors of artifacts to the new North Tonawanda History Museum. New York State History Month was established in the summer of 1997 when the Governor signed into law a bill passed by the Legislature officially designating each November as New York State History Month. From its inception, New York State History Month has been a grassroots effort, an opportunity to reflect on the past in each and every corner of the State, and to share, locally and statewide, the richness of that past through public programs, publications, and exhibitions. The program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served, including goodies prepared from recipes in the 1956 “Wurlitzer Centennial Cookbook,” many of which originated with the Wurlitzer family over three generations. Barbara Wickman will prepare the refreshments. Parking is available behind the Community Center, which is located between Tremont Street and Christiana Street. Museum representatives will offer a variety of items for sale for Christmas giving at both events including light blue Ghost Walk shirts with glow in the dark ink, and a new line of ethnic items, in collaboration with the Polish Peddler: decorative ethnic kitchen towels with Velcro hangers (available in “Polish Kitchen,” “Polska Kuchnia,” “ My Irish Kitchen,” “My Hungarian Kitchen,” “My Italian Kitchen,” “Lebanese Kitchen,” “Russian Kitchen,”and “My German Kitchen”). A similar variety of kitchen magnets are also available (“Polish Kitchen,” “Italian Kitchen,” “German Kitchen,” “Slovenian Kitchen,” “Lebanese Kitchen,” “Irish Kitchen,” Slovak Kitchen.” Also available are hand-painted wooden Polish egg Christmas ornaments in two styles, “Our Lady of Czestochowa ” and “Pope John Paul II.” They are the same ornaments offered by the Polish Cultural Center in Philadelphia and the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington , D.C. “Ring in a Polish Christmas” CD’s of Christmas music, “More Favorite Polish Folk Songs,” and “Sing Along with Me: Let’s Learn Polish Together,” cassettes are also available. Other items available are: The Museum’s first in its series of North Tonawanda Heritage Cookbooks, “North Tonawanda Ethnic Heritage Cookbook”, already in its third printing this year; the 2006 version of the Polish-American calendar by Don Samull, known as “Polonia’s Calendar Man;” a walking/driving self-guided tour book of North Tonawanda; Winter Walk candle holders with candles; and scarves, totebags and historic downtown North Tonawanda coffee mugs created expressly for the Museum by North Tonawanda’s Impressive Imprints. Also offered are autographed copies of novels by North Tonawanda native Diane Meholick (“Painting Katherine” and “Switch in Time,” and autographed copies of an autobiographical book by North Tonawanda native Joseph Corbett, “We Played Our Cards”; and CD-ROM’s of “The Richardson Story,” by William C. Lindquist. December’s event will be a musical production celebrating Italian Christmas traditions and culture and is fund for children and adults. “The Legend of LaBefana” will be presented by Dr. Emelise Aleandri, Artistic Director of Frizzi & Lazzi the Olde Time Italian-American Music and Theatre Company in New York City. This program is made possible through a grant from Speakers in the Humanities, a program of the New York Council for the Humanities. Italian Christmas refreshments will be served. This event will also be in the DeGraff Community Center, 139 Division Street, and will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 17. Dr. Aleandri is a singer, actress, and folk dancer. Her production borrows from many different versions of the 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, but the common thread to all the stories is that on the Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, Twelfth Night, the night of magic when all things can happen, the Magi, three wise and learned Kings from the mystical East, faithfully and determinedly follow the brightest star in the heavens in a relentless search for a newborn king to welcome him as representatives of their own kingdoms. On their long journey, they unexpectedly encounter an old woman, LaBefana, as she diligently sweeps her little house and they ask her for directions to Bethlehem. The Kings invite her to accompany them but she declines because, she explains, she is too busy cleaning her house and cannot leave. They continue on without her but later Old Befana has misgivings and decides to embark on her own long journey in search of this new mysterious child. Flying through the sky on her magical broom, she never finds him but wherever she does see a sleeping child, she leaves a special gift just in case that one is the newborn king, the Neonato. And she has been fulfilling this purpose on Epiphany eve for centuries. This musical production brings to life an assortment of colorful characters from the legend. Frizzi & Lazzi, which means “sparkling theatre,” is a music and theatre company of professional actors, singers, and musicians dedicated to reviving the delightful musical and theatrical entertainments performed by Italian-American immigrants at the turn of the century. Call the Museum at 213-0554 or email at nthistorymuseum@aol.com for further information.
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 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 a.m. to noon Also open by appointment; free admission; donations accepted. Museum has “The Richardson Story” by William C. Lindquist on for sale on CD-ROM, and autographed copies of “We Played Our Cards: How My Generation Met the Call of World War II” by Joseph Edward Corbett The North Tonawanda History Museum is now featuring a CD-ROM version of “The Richardson Story” by William C. Lindquist and autographed copies of “We Played Our Cards: How My Generation Met the Call of World War II” by Joseph Edward Corbett in the Museum’s online gift shop and at the Museum and is programming, including the gift tables at the Haunted Greenhouse as part of this week’s final “13 Historic Ghosts” and Haunted Hay Ride in the Haunted Gardens (North Tonawanda’s Botanical Gardens at 1825 Sweeney Street. Also available are a line of ethnic gift items from the Polish Peddler. The ethnic items were offered for the first time as part of the Museum’s October Ethnic Heritage Month programming. “The Richardson Story” and “We Played Our Cards” are part of November’s Military Heritage Month programming. Richardson Boat Company was active in wartime military production during World War II. Lindquist’s book is no longer in print but has been made available to the Museum due to extensive interest expressed in its industrial heritage focus. Both items, and the ethnic gift items, will be available at the November 17 2 nd Annual Military Heritage Night program, which will take place in the DeGraff Community Center at 139 Division Street, beginning at 7 p.m. The program will include two separate presentations: “The War of 1812 on the Niagara Frontier” by Town of Tonawanda Historian John W. Percy, and “World War II: The 483 rd Bomber Squadron,” by North Tonawanda resident William S. Strapko. Percy has written extensively about the history of Western New York for over three decades. In addition to serving as the Town of Tonawanda municipal historian, he also has long been active with the Town of Tonawanda-Kenmore Historical Society, and has been a member of the Advisory Committee of the North Tonawanda History Museum since its beginnings as an interest group. Strapko, whose role with the 483 rd Bomber Squadron during World War II has been documented in books written about the squadron, and his wife Irene were early donors of artifacts to the new North Tonawanda History Museum. The program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served, including goodies prepared from recipes in the 1956 “Wurlitzer Centennial Cookbook,” many of which originated with the Wurlitzer family over three generations. Barbara Wickman will prepare the refreshments. Parking is available behind the Community Center, which is located between Tremont Street and Christiana Street.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 to 5 p.m., Fridays 9 a.m. to noon Also open by appointment FINAL PERFORMANCE OF “13 Historic Ghosts of the Niagara Frontier” set for Friday The Niagara Frontier has had an adventurous past. Think of wars, piracy, conspiracy, the Underground Railroad...! Not surprisingly, a supernatural tradition has built up across the centuries, and a few ghostly stars stand out. Their appearances are usually rare and unpredictable, but this Halloween season something special is going on in the North Tonawanda Botanical Gardens. The two events will take place in the North Tonawanda Botanical Gardens, 1825 Sweeney Street, just north of East Robinson Street. "13 Historic Ghosts of the Niagara Frontier" is a guided stroll through the Haunted Gardens on Sweeney Street at whose stations each of the famous ghosts will come alive. A festival of high spirits and spooky moods, this family-friendly event will be sure to educate while it entertains. Area youngsters and their adult group leaders and parents take an active role in the event, which has been designed as an educational event to afford community service opportunities to area students and volunteer opportunities to students of all ages and to provide Halloween entertainment for residents and visitors to North Tonawanda. It is hoped to become an annual event. Joanne Mis and Carl Tamburlin of Ghostlight Theatre are coordinating the creation of skits and logistics for the Guided Stroll through the Haunted Gardens. They have researched local historic ghost stories and are creating scripts for the thirteen sites in the stroll through the gardens and will supervise the performances. Also in the gardens Hartland Carriages will provide a “Haunted Hay Ride” and refreshments and gift items will be available for purchase in the “Haunted Greenhouse.” North Tonawanda History Museum volunteers coordinate ticket sales, the Haunted Hay Ride, and the Haunted Greenhouse, parking and traffic control, and ticket collection. Tickets are: Guided stroll through the Haunted Gardens on the EEErie Canal : Adults: $10; children 6 -11: $5; 5 and under – free; Maximum Family Pre-admission: $40. Haunted Hay Ride tickets: Adults - $5; children 6 – 11: $3; 5 and under: free. Refreshments available for purchase in the Haunted Greenhouse will include Budwey’s donuts, Barb’s Sweet Treats cookies, candied apples, popcorn, brownies, candy bars, cider, coffee, and hot chocolate. Mason Winfield Haunted History Ghost Walks shirts, and a special North Tonawanda version, will be available for purchase, along with other interesting items for early Christmas shoppers. Proceeds from the event will become part of the North Tonawanda History Museum’s “The Future of Our Past” capital fund for the permanent future home of the Museum. Come meet famous thirteen of the Niagara Frontier and hear them tell their stories! And take a walk on the dark side into our region's history and mystery... On the other side of the city, beginning at 7 p.m. from the North Tonawanda History Museum at 314 Oliver Street, Mason Winfield hosts the final Haunted History Ghost Walk in North Tonawanda for the autumn season. Call the Museum at 213-0554 or email at nthistorymuseum@aol.com for additional information.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 a.m. to noon Also open by appointment; admission free; donations accepted Museum hosts walking tours of City’s history on Wednesday evenings The North Tonawanda History Museum will host its third season of North Tonawanda Seaway Trail Walks. The 1-1/2 hour guided walking tours will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays at Project Pride Way on Webster Street between Tremont Street and Goundry Street. Located in the Historic DowNTown North Tonawanda Shopping District, Project Pride Way joins Webster Street across from the Historic Riviera Theatre. The walks begin on June 7 and continue to September 27, 2006. They are 90 -minute walking tours of the City's lumber and industrial history and historic mansions hosted by the North Tonawanda History Museum. Each walker receives a packet of information on North Tonawanda historical and cultural attractions, concert schedules, restaurant menus, and will also receive a free pass to an organ concert in the Riviera Theatre and a token for a free ride on the historic carrousel at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum. Included in each packet will be self-guided walking/driving tour brochures created by the Museum, funded in part by a grant from the New York Council for the Humanities. Museum volunteers present two different rotating tours of historic North Tonawanda, a city whose location at the juncture of the historic Erie Canal with the mighty Niagara River made it a significant industrial center in the 19 th and early 20 th centuries. The “North Tonawanda’s Historic Homes” tour will be presented on July 12 as part of Canal Fest of the Tonawandas activities, and on June 7 & 21; July 26; August 2, 16, & 30; September 13 & 27. This tour takes you through the North Tonawanda “historic mansion district” and combines the stories of the lumber barons, bankers, insurance executives, and other prominent North Tonawandans with the stories of their wonderful historic homes. See wonderful homes and hear about the people who built them and lived in them. The “North Tonawanda ’s Industrial Heritage” tour will be presented on June 14 & 28; July 5 & 19; August 9 & 23; September 6 & 20. Learn about the rich immigrant heritage of “the Lumber Capital of the World,” in a walk which takes you through the historic downtown Webster Street business district, an eclectic mix of restaurants, small shops, and cultural attractions; and along the historic Erie Canal as concerts are taking place, enabling you to learn the history of the North Tonawanda waterfront area now participating in a rebirth as a summertime mecca for boaters and other tourists, past many of the City’s historic buildings and other sites, and through the historic Oliver Street business district, once described as having the most taverns on a single street in the country. Plan to visit the historic downtown North Tonawanda shopping district earlier in the day. Plan to stay after the walking tour for a free concert in Gateway Park on the banks of the historic Erie Canal. Spend a day or more in North Tonawanda, visit its wonderful waterfront on the Canal and mighty Niagara River, and explore the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, the Ghostlight Theatre, Carnegie Art Center, the Railroad Museum of the Niagara Frontier, Partners in Art Studios, and the Riviera Theatre. Visit the City’s 98-year old Farmer’s Market or its parks and Botanical Gardens. Visit the North Tonawanda History Museum at 314 Oliver Street Mondays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or Fridays 9 a.m. to noon. Also open by appointment. Call 716-213-0554 for further information. Fees for Seaway Trail Walks are $8 for adults, $4 for children under 12, $6 ea. in groups of 15 or more. The walks can also be scheduled at other times for groups or school classes by advance reservation. |
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© 2005 North Tonawanda History Museum |
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