History of the Museum / News Release Archive - June 2007 * 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, known as “the Lumber Capital of the World,” 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. Museum 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 Proud to be a member of the Cultural Alliance of Niagara, Downtown Merchants Association of North Tonawanda and the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas!! Donald R. Benjamin, Jr., and Barbara Wickman, co-chairs of the North Tonawanda History Museum’s Community Relations Committee announce plans for a Saturday, June 30, used book sale on the lawn in front of The Gersh Experience Building (former Lowry School building) at 621 Payne Avenue. The sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Paperbacks and hard cover books will be offered. Hot dogs, fresh shake lemonade, bottled water, and Barb’s Sweet Treats HUGE cookies will be available for purchase throughout the sale as well. Donations of additional used books for the sale will be accepted at the Museum through 6/29. Individuals wishing to volunteer to help with the sale should contact the Museum at 213-0554 as soon as possible. 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, known as “the Lumber Capital of the World,” 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. Museum 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 History Museum Announces Last Call for Reservations for Dinner and First Presentation of the concept for the Lumber City History Center and Twin Cities Welcome Center Final reservations are being accepted for the Third Annual Dinner & Meeting, which will be held in Pane’s Restaurant, 984 Payne Avenue, on Thursday evening, June 21. Reservations need to be made prior to 5 p.m. on Monday, June 18. The evening will begin with a cash bar at 6 p.m., followed by a sit down dinner at 7 p.m. Dinner choices are strip style sirloin, Italian stuffed chicken, and shrimp scampi over pasta. Reservations may be made by cash, check or credit card. Master Card and Visa are accepted. Dinner is $25 or $45 for a couple. A table of 6 is $130, a table of 8 is $175. A copy of the 3 rd Annual Report of the Museum will be issued to each attendee. The report has been developed for this year by Museum Director Donna Zellner Neal. A presentation on the Museum’s Lumber City History Center project will be the focus of the meeting. The presentation, created by Hadley Exhibits, will provide attendees with a preview of the exciting concept the Museum Board plans for the new history center facility and Twin Cities Welcome Center. A booklet about the project is being prepared and will be distributed to guests at the Annual Dinner. The Museum Board has initiated its fundraising efforts directed at the purchase of 54 Webster Street. A “5 & 10” campaign has begun, focusing on the building’s long history as a 5&10 cent variety store. Donations of $5.10 and pledges of $5.10 a month or week and other donations have begun arriving. The 2007 goal is $730,000, which will enable the North Tonawanda History Museum to acquire and move into the 40,000 square foot building at 54 Webster Street which housed the G. C. Murphy store for many years. The Museum Board has initiated its fundraising efforts directed at the purchase of 54 Webster Street. A “5 & 10” campaign has begun, focusing on the building’s long history as a 5&10 cent variety store. Donations of $5.10 and pledges of $5.10 a month or week and other donations have begun arriving. Museum representatives plan to also incorporate a replica of the Sugar Bowl, another long-time Webster Street institution, an event hall, a reference library, a Lumber City Gift Shop, and other features into the completed project. An important feature will be the Twin Cities Welcome Center, a visitors’ center designed to promote the Tonawandas and Niagara County as tourist destinations. The completed Lumber City History Center will serve the needs of residents, students and researchers as a state of the art history center. It also is being designed to incorporate modern technology in a format which will create a tourist attraction of significance. The Twin Cities Welcome Center will serve as a resource center for visitors and residents on the cultural and recreational and other opportunities in the Tonawandas and in Niagara County as a whole. Samples of local products and Niagara County products will be given to visitors in the Welcome Center. Museum representatives plan to also incorporate a replica of the Sugar Bowl, another long-time Webster Street institution, an event hall, a reference library, a Lumber City Gift Shop, and other features into the completed project. An important feature will be the Twin Cities Welcome Center, a visitors’ center designed to promote the Tonawandas and Niagara County as tourist destinations. The completed Lumber City History Center will serve the needs of residents, students and researchers as a state of the art history center. It also is being designed to incorporate modern technology in a format which will create a tourist attraction of significance. The Twin Cities Welcome Center will serve as a resource center for visitors and residents on the cultural and recreational and other opportunities in the Tonawandas and in Niagara County as a whole. Samples of local products and Niagara County products will be given to visitors in the Welcome Center. A five-year timetable for the ultimate completion has been established. Museum Trustees and members of the Lumber City History Center Committee will also be scheduling smaller sessions, several breakfasts, several lunches, and several evening receptions in which to permit the viewing of the Hadley presentation to prospective donors or benefactors. Individuals wishing to know more are invited to call the museum. Jack and Carol Kopczynski have been named Honorary Chairs of the Lumber City History Center Committtee, formed as the capital fundraising arm of the North Tonawanda History Museum to make 54 Webster Street the permanent future home of the museum and its visitors’ center. They are supported by the following Honorary Co-Chairs: Kurt P. Alverson, A. Daniel Bille, Frank S. Budwey, William M. Davignon, Dal Giuliani, Carl P. Hoover, Paul F. Hoover, Hon. John J. LaFalce, Kay Learned, Senator George D. Maziarz, Michael B. Mroczka, Gerald N. O’Neill, George F. Rand IV, Lou Santiago, Peter E. Smolinski, Brett M. Sommer, Peter F. Trinkwalder, Margaret A. Waite, and Walter C. Yaro Call 213-0554 or email to nthistorymuseum@aol.com for more 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, known as “the Lumber Capital of the World,” 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. Museum 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 Proud to be a member of the Cultural Alliance of Niagara, Downtown Merchants Association of North Tonawanda and the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas!! The North Tonawanda History Museum will only be able to offer the pre-publication price of $29.95 each for advance purchase of one or more copies of its first full-length book on the history of North Tonawanda through June 21. Orders may be placed at the Museum’s 3 rd Annual Meeting & Dinner at Pane’s Restaurant Thursday evening, the very last opportunity to purchase at the reduced price. The book, “ North Tonawanda: The Lumber City,” is expected to be the first in a series of full-length books, as requested by area residents and former residents. The targeted release date is August 2007. Originally intended to be a 352-page book, the length has expanded to 400 pages, with approximately one-eighth of the book to include photos. A change of publisher was required to keep the target release date and increase the size. Because of the change of publisher and increased length, the cover price of the book after the initial printing will be $34.95 each. “North Tonawanda: The Lumber City” will be a general overall account of the city’s development and will share many stories of the people who were part of the life of the city. Future volumes planned will focus in detail on historical homes and other sites, industrial heritage, and specific periods of time. For a donation of $32.95, a copy of the book will be mailed upon publication to those with gift certificates or purchasing it for themselves. Because the first printing is expected to sell out quickly, those wishing to have copies for holiday giving this year are encouraged to order in advance to guarantee that a copy or appropriate number of copies will be reserved for them from the first printing and to take advantage of the lower price for the initial printing. Donations to the project may be made by cash, check, or money order payable to “ North Tonawanda History Museum” and marked “BOOK PROJECT.” Donations may also be made by using Master Card or Visa. Call the Museum at 213-0554 for 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, known as “the Lumber Capital of the World,” 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. Museum 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 Proud to be a member of the Cultural Alliance of Niagara, Downtown Merchants Association of North Tonawanda and the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas!! MUSEUM SELLING FLOWER BULBS FOR FALL PLANTING The North Tonawanda History Museum, in conjunction with its 3 rd annual Historic Gardens Tour, which continues through August 31, and the planned 3rd annual contest and tour for 2007, is accepting orders for flower bulbs from Dutch Gardens for fall planting of spring flowers. Bulbs available are Monsella Tulips, Mountain Lilies, naturalizing Daffodils, Allium Purple Sensations, Jumbo Crocuses, Fragrant Hyacinths, Stargazer Lilies, Deluxe Tulips, Quail Daffodils, Glory of Snows, Angelique Tulips, Blue Grape Hyacinths, and a 50-bulb spring garden collection is also available (includes deluxe tulips, deluxe daffodils, jumbo crocus, blue grape hyacinths, tall Dutch iris, and Alpine rosy bells). Prices range from $10 to $20 for packages of available varieties. Orders must be received at the Museum before October 12 and will available for planting by October 25. Bulbs are endorsed by the National Gardening Association. This is the third year the Museum has offered the bulbs. Orders may be placed with museum volunteers or at the Museum at 314 Oliver Street or through the Museum’s online gift shop at www.nthistorymuseum.org. Photos of the flowers will be available on the online gift shop soon. Call 213-0554 for further information. Volunteers wishing ordering materials should visit the Museum for supplies. Tour guides with maps may be obtained for the Historic Gardens Tour for a $3 donation at the Museum offices at 314 Oliver Street. For $5, a copy will be mailed. The self-guided tour runs through August 31 and combines history and gardens for a different type of experience and to increase appreciation for the City of North Tonawanda by residents and visitors to the city. 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, known as “the Lumber Capital of the World,” 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. Museum 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 Proud to be a member of the Cultural Alliance of Niagara, Downtown Merchants Association of North Tonawanda and the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas!! Business Sponsors take Historic Treasures Tour seriously! 2nd Bi-annual Tour To Include Eleven Historic Homes And Two Additional Sites! Homes of city’s business and industrial leaders of days gone by… The North Tonawanda History Museum’s 2nd Bi-Annual Historic Treasures Tour is scheduled for Sunday, August 5, 2007, from noon to 6 p.m. Museum representatives report that tickets are selling briskly. Major Sponsors for this year’s tour are: Cipriano, Inc., Realty ( Tonawanda), Pioneer Printers, Inc. ( North Tonawanda), the law firm of Brick, Brick & Elmer ( North Tonawanda), Greater Niagara Savings Bank, Humphrey House Antiques ( North Tonawanda), Sherwood Florist ( North Tonawanda), and Joe Cecconi’s Chrysler Complex ( Niagara Falls). Andy’s Tree Service ( North Tonawanda), Senator George D. Maziarz, and Niagara County Legislator Peter E. Smolinski are general sponsors. James Amato & Company (Tonawanda), Ascension Industries (North Tonawanda), Bonterra Landscaping (North Tonawanda), Brady Electric (North Tonawanda), Graf Land Surveyors (North Tonawanda), Holler Grapes Insurance Agency (Tonawanda), Matt’s Music (North Tonawanda), North Tonawanda Senior Center, Michael B. Mroczka/RealtyUSA (North Tonawanda), and Thomas Turtle Optical (North Tonawanda) are patrons. Two homes connected to Rand family history will be included in this year’s tour. North Tonawanda is a city with a history rich in stories of the people who lived here. From the first recorded settler in 1809 until the present, many individuals and families contributed to the developing fabric of what we affectionately refer to as “NT.” Although many remained here, over the years, the changing economy of the nation drew many others away. As a new museum of the history of this city, we have enjoyed becoming acquainted with many “former NT’ers” as they all seem to call themselves—even after decades of living elsewhere—all of whom still have a deep attachment to North Tonawanda. The Rand family, particularly the three sons of Calvin Gordon Rand and Almira Hershey Long Rand, played a prominent role in both the community and business life of the original village and from 1897 on the city in the 19 th and 20 th centuries. The three sons, Benjamin Long Rand, George Franklin Rand, and James Henry Rand, have often been referred to as “the greatest success stories to begin in North Tonawanda.” Their influence and leadership in the banking and industrial fields continued into the second and third generations and beyond—continuing today, although no longer as residents of North Tonawanda. The home at 257 Goundry Street which Benjamin Long Rand moved into when he was cashier of the State Bank, president of the Tonawanda City Water Works Co., and treasurer of Standard Gas Co. is included in this year’s tour. Benjamin Long Rand was mayor of North Tonawanda for two terms from 1915 to 1918. Ben’s three sons, Benjamin Garfield Rand, Charles F. (Ted) Rand, and Stanley Rand, were also prominent in business and the life of North Tonawanda. Benjamin Long Rand died in 1952 in the house next door at 261 Goundry, to which Ben had moved in the 1930s. Ben’s son Stanley was also an active local businessman, including a real estate and insurance business. He and his wife, Winifred Vandervoort, built a home at 115 Pinewoods Drive in the 1920s. His brother, Charles F. (Ted) and his wife Emogene built a home nearby at 89 Pinewoods. The home at 115 Pinewoods Drive in more recent years was home to Dr. G. Norris Miner and his family. They moved there in 1946, with Mrs. Miner living there until it was sold in July 2005. Dr. G. Norris Miner served as health officer for North Tonawanda from 1952 through 1965, when the Niagara County Health Department was established. In 1965, he was the first to give polio vaccinations in the Tonawandas. He organized a campaign in the North Tonawanda Schools between 1955 and 1956 wherein over 6,000 polio vaccinations were administered. He also served on the Board of Education. He practiced medicine for 40 years, retiring in June 1975. He died one year later at the age of 70. Nine additional homes involve the history of lumber barons, industrialists, insurance executives and bankers. A limited number of tour tickets will be sold. Tickets sold out quickly for the previous tour; those wishing to participate in the 2007 tour are advised to order their tickets early. It is unlikely that any will be sold on the day of the event. Orders have already come in from out of state. Payment may be made by cash, check, money order, or by Master Card or Visa. Tickets are available at the Museum at 314 Oliver Street, by mail, or may be ordered through the Online Gift Shop at www.nthistorymuseum.org. Ticket prices are $18 each for the tour of ten of North Tonawanda’s most interesting homes. Museum members pay $15. A membership may be purchased for $10 for seniors; $15 for individuals; $25 for families. A Cinderella carriage ride by Hartland Carriages will be repeated also, at a charge of $5 per person and may be prepaid or purchased at the event if space is available on the carriage. Tickets will be turned in for the guidebook and map at the starting point for the tour, which will be on the front veranda of the historic Paschal S. Humphrey House at 332 Goundry Street. Refreshments by Gullo’s Macaroni Grill may be purchased and enjoyed in the rear yard of the Humphrey House, surrounded by beautiful gardens which have been part of the Museum’s Historic Gardens Tours for the last three years as well. Restroom facilities and additional refreshments will be available for purchase at the historic Louis F. Eggert designed Elks Lodge #860 building at 21 Main Street. Additional restroom facilities will be available in the original First Baptist Church building at 190 Vandervoort Street, now home to Artistique Photo. The Elks Lodge building and the Artistique Photo building are participating sites for the tour as well. The Artistique Photo building was designated a local landmark earlier this year by the North Tonawanda Historic Preservation Commission. The Elks Lodge is requesting the local designation. Each participating site will have an antique automobile in front as a site marker. North Tonawanda resident Richard L. (Joe) Zellner is coordinating the antique automobiles. Sherwood Florist will supply floral accents for each of the participating homes. On the grounds of the Humphrey House, throughout the event, two local authors will be present offering the books they have published. Diane Meholick, a North Tonawanda native, is the author of “Painting Katherine,” “A Switch in Time,” and “Buffalo Stories.” John H. Kolecki, son of Polish immigrants, is the author of “The Hybraid Amerykaniec Dziadzi” and “On the Avenues and Beyond.” Joe Cecconi’s Chrysler Complex in Niagara Falls will provide free shuttle van service for tour participants between sites if desired. Hartland Carriages will provide the horse-drawn Cinderella carriage rides as they did in the 2005 tour. Marilyn Pane Lasky, chairwoman of this year’s event, is a life-long and 4 th generation resident of North Tonawanda and a Trustee of the North Tonawanda History Museum. Presently a customer service representative for Impressive Imprints, she served previously as Senior Buyer for the Catholic Health System and as Purchasing Director for Kenmore Mercy Hospital. The event’s primary purpose is to present and promote North Tonawanda as a wonderful city in which to live. North Tonawanda is described by Museum representatives as “the best little city in New York State, with a small town atmosphere and a rich and unique history.” The North Tonawanda History Museum’s first award-winning historic homes tour, “Historic Treasures Tour 2005,”on July 31, 2005, was attended by visitors from five states, Canada, and all over New York State, with a significant number of visitors expressing serious interest in relocating to North Tonawanda if the appropriate historic home were available for purchase in the future. The 2005 tour was the first of what is planned as a bi-annual event in odd-numbered years, rotating with an ethnic heritage festival in even-numbered years. The Western New York Association of Historical Agencies awarded the North Tonawanda History Museum an Organizational Award of Merit for excellence in presenting the 2005 tour and the 65-page guidebook created as the passport to the tour which has continued to be purchased by people from all over the country. RealtyUSA was the event’s major sponsor in 2005. In conjunction with the bi-annual tours, the Museum has established a North Tonawanda History Museum Historic Treasures Recognition Plaque program. Cast bronze plaques may be purchased through the Museum for installation on historic homes and buildings in the City, including the Humphrey House at 332 Goundry and the Evans/McLean House at 338 Goundry. Contact the Museum or the Online Museum for an order blank. The Museum will have copies of its 2006 publication, “The Rand Family Left a Lasting Imprint on North Tonawanda—and the World!” for sale at the event registration center at 332 Goundry Street throughout the day. The publication is also available at the Museum or at the North Tonawanda Public Library for a $2 donation. Contact the Museum at 213-0554 for further information or email to nthistorymuseum@aol.com.
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