North Tonawanda History Museum © History of the Museum / News Release Archive

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

Pictorial History of Gratwick family estate donated to North Tonawanda History Museum

A pictorial history of the Gratwick family country estate, Linwood, in Livingston County, “My, This Must Have Been a Beautiful Place…When it was Kept Up,” as documented in the year 1965 by William Gratwick has been donated in digital format to the growing collections of the North Tonawanda History Museum by Ted Lewis, representing members of the Gratwick family.

The estate was created between 1901 and 1910 by William Henry Gratwick II, with portions of the “Big House,” and all the original garden areas designed by architect Thomas Fox. William Henry Gratwick, who was born in 1870 and died in 1934, purchased the land originally in 1899, then the main farm and three adjoining farms, a total of 350 acres, on York-Pavilion Road in Livingston County. Members of the Gratwick family have lived there since 1900.

In 1933, William H. Gratwick III moved to Linwood with his family. He created the “Rare Plants Nursery,” featuring the Japanese Tree Peony. As an artist, landscape architect, and horticulturist, William H. Gratwick III contributed sculpture and new garden areas to the Linwood landscape. Harriett Gratwick, his wife, erected a community music school on the property, which operated from 1947 – 1963. The Gratwicks hosted many cultural activities at Linwood during those years.

Although much of the “Big House” was destroyed by fire in 1973, part of the exterior was redesigned and part of the original structure is still in use. W. H. Gratwick III’s daughter, Lee, has worked to preserve Tree Peony Collection, gardens, and “Big House.”

The first William H. Gratwick, for whom the Gratwick section of North Tonawanda was named, was born in Albany in 1839, where he began his working career as a tally boy. A self-made man, he became a lumber baron after moving to Buffalo in 1877. He was one of the principals in White, Gratwick, & Mitchell Lumber Company. This lumber operation was located on River Road. In 1879, Mr. Gratwick established a planning mill on 50 acres of land. Our present day Riverside Chemical Company was founded on the site by George Rasch and continues operations there today. In addition to the planing mill operation, Gratwick also owned Wm. Gratwick & Co., and Gratwick, Smith, & Fryer Lumber Company.

Although Gratwick lived in Buffalo, his businesses made a solid contribution to the Village of North Tonawanda. By 1899, Mr. Gratwick had sold his lumber businesses and owned and operated six of the largest ships on the Great Lakes. He died on August 15, 1899. His Romanesque mansion at 775 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo was the last architectural commission of H. H. Richardson. It was torn down in 1919.

The section of North Tonawanda known as Gratwick, the northernmost area extending from Linwood Avenue to Ward Road, along with Martinsville, was incorporated into the Village of North Tonawanda on January 16, 1891. From 1887 through 1897, North Tonawanda’s population increased over 720%, a great deal due to the incorporation of these two sections into what in 1897 became the City of North Tonawanda.

The North Tonawanda History Museum acknowledges the research efforts of Jerry Waldkoetter, historian of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, and the assistance of the Gratwick family.

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

The North Tonawanda History Museum recently participated in the Bon-Ton Care to Share Event, which consisted of Museum volunteers selling 30% off coupons for Bon-Tons Care to Share Day on June 4 which included special drawings in the store the day of the event. Budwey’s Supermarket permitted Museum volunteers to sell the coupons outside the store for several weekends.

The Museum also held a special drawing, with all donors receiving an entry form.

Susan Mai of North Tonawanda was the winner of a gift basket. Ron LaVigne of North Tonawanda won a $25 gift certificate for Bon-Ton. Mary Jane Fremont of Tonawanda won two tickets to the Buffalo Philharmonic. Donna Hartrich of Tonawanda won a family admission to the Buffalo Museum of Science.

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

The North Tonawanda History Museum, in collaboration with the Towpath Tiller, has completed the entry phase of its first Historic Gardens Contest. The contest and resultant tour is meant to encourage visitors to our city and to serve our residents, emphasizing the enjoyment of history, things historical, and gardening. The gardens accepted for the tour phase are all unique and have a historical flavor.

All or part of most gardens in the tour are visible from the street. Some offer specific separate viewing hours. A self-guided driving tour is available at the Museum at 314 Oliver Street, the Mayor’s office in City Hall at 216 Payne Avenue, Hodgepodge at 72 Webster Street, the service counter at Budwey’s Supermarket at 535 Division Street, and the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas at 15 Webster Street. Museum hours are 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.

Twelve gardens have been selected to participate this year. The participating gardens are part of a growing number of North Tonawanda residents, businesses, and other organizations creating beautiful gardens each summer. Participating gardens were required to have a historical connection or theme to be included in the tour. Volunteer judges will be visiting the gardens as well in he next several weeks to determine the winners in various categories. Winners, categories, and prizes will be announced separately.

110 Niagara Street – rear gardens at home of Richard E. Rog. An unexpected pleasure pleasure awaits visitors as they enter a sheltered private garden, complete with deck, gazebo, fountain, sun dial, private areas. Visiton Sundays, July 10, 24; August 7, 21 from 2 to 5 p.m.

226 Niagara Street – side and rear gardens at home of Mr. & Mrs. Daniel E. Brick. These gardens in the shade incorporate plantings with a wonderfully historic flavor, including spectacular and unique peonies in bloom earlier in the season. All plantings in the gardens are over fifty years old! The Brick family is also an important part of North Tonawanda’s history. If Mr. Brick is home, he will be pleased to show visitors around his gardens. Please respect the homeowner’s privacy otherwise.

394 Goundry Street at Niagara Street – home-surrounding gardens at home of Mr. & Mrs. Don Topolski. The home the gardens surround was built originally as a wooden home for banker Frederick Robertson, whose first wife was Clara Rand, a sister of George, James, and Benjamin Long Rand. George Rand was a banker whose heritage continues in the now HSBC Bank; James was a principal in the Kardex and then Remington Rand Companies; Benjamin Long Rand was a Mayor of North Tonawanda. The original home caught fire in 1912 and burned down, with Mr. Robertson replacing it with this large red brick home, which includes an enclosed porch on the Goundry Street side. Having a front entrance at the side of the house was a new idea at the time. The present homeowners have only lived there for three years and the extensive gardens totally surrounding the home have been created by them. A pond and many lovely private areas for solitude and contemplation are incorporated into the wonderful gardens here. Some gardens visible from the street; visit the rest on Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m. during July and August, unless the homeowners have unexpected commitments.

373 Goundry Street at Niagara Street – side lot garden at home of Norm & Cynthia Kobel. Known as “the Farney Wurlitzer Home” and the former home of the Town Club of the Tonawandas, the classic side yard garden has been faithfully restored according to the original Wurlitzer plans found in the home by the present owners. The garden includes an original fountain, also repaired and restored. Originally the site of a fine vegetable garden and where the cow was tethered, this side lot was owned by Tom Charleton, who was a bookkeeper for Robinson Brothers Lumber Co. The home was built by the Edwards family and sold to Farney Wurlitzer upon the death of John Edwards. He enlarged the house greatly, replacing an original veranda with tall white colonial pillars, a solarium, and a fountain. The side lawns became a beautiful garden, with Italian fountains, marble benches, rare flowers and shrubs. When the Wurlitzers moved to Illinois, Mr. Wurlitzer sold the home to the Town Club of the Tonawandas for a pittance, stipulating that the garden was to always remain a garden and not become a parking lot. The home returned to private ownership in 1993. A cutout in the shrubbery surrounding the gardens makes a pleasant vantage point for viewing this historic garden at any time.

332 Goundry Street – front, side, and rear gardens at home of Kevin & Maggie Cheeley. Traditional American gardens in the front and side yards meet traditional Asian gardens in the rear, replete with ponds and a large collection of Bonsai trees. The gardens accent the Victorian splendor of the home which was built by Paschal Humphrey of Humphrey & Vandervoort in 1889. The home is a magnificent example of the Shingle style. Mr. Humphrey was identified with the lumber industry in his early manhood through his connection with the Evans-Kilmaste Company, which conducted an extensive rafting business, bringing rafts of timber down the Great Lakes to the Tonawandas to be made into lumber and shingles. Visit rear gardens on Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m. during July and August, front gardens at your convenience.

215 Falconer Street – front garden at the Mileham home – a superb front garden of unique plantings replaces a lawn. A small garden elegantly crafted into a thing of beauty. Visit at your convenience.

127 North Marion Street – rear gardens at home of Jeffrey & Donna Heppner. Reminiscent of a World War II era Victory Garden and Depression era gardens, with a wonderful combination of vegetable and flower beds. This section of the city housed many of the lumber and canal workers in North Tonawanda’s days as the Lumber Capital of the World. Visit Sundays during July and August from 2 to 5 p.m., but the gardeners welcome visitors to view their gardens at any time.

Oliver Street at Center Avenue – side garden at the Grotto of Our Lady of Czestochowa Church. Established in September 1965, the Church is celebrating the Grotto’s 45 th anniversary this year. Grotto gardens incorporate a statue to Our Lady of Czestochowa and the Stations of the Cross into a wonderful area for contemplation and escape from a busy day. Visit this lovely retreat from worldly concerns any time.

1308 Brookfield Drive – gardens (!) at home of Ronald & Julie Panaro. The homeowners have incorporated over 200 hanging baskets, a 20-ft. high tower, gazebo, and carrousel horses into a fabulous garden which not only surrounds the house but also is lit up at night! This section of the city is named for the Wurlitzer Co., which in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was known throughout the world as a leading manufacturer of musical instruments. The North Tonawanda plant, one of three manufacturing facilities they operated, was the world’s largest musical instrument plant. Ron & Julie invite you to visit their gardens on Sundays during July and August from 2 to 5 p.m. to enjoy this lovely oasis in the Wurlitzer Park section of the city. Be sure to drive by—or fly over—at night!

671 Barrally Street – gardens at home of James Graf. Front, side, and rear gardens, with a cozy patio which overlooks this small but beautiful city lot garden, with statuary, dwarf trees. Small beds with individual themes, including lighting at night, create a wonderful retreat from the day’s pace. During the Depression era and through the end of World War II, the entire area which is now totally residential housing and School District property was nothing but gardens. Visit Sundays between 2 and 5 p.m. during July and August.

362 North Avenue off Ruie Road – gardens at home of Don & Pat Guise. These lovely rear gardens incorporate a railroad and lumber theme. You will be amazed at the railroad trestles and the railroad ticket station storage/work shed incorporated into this marvelous garden. The gardeners have incorporated numerous items made of wood into the garden. North Tonawanda was known as the Lumber Capital of the World in the late 1800’s and was at one time serviced by sixteen different railroad lines! Ask the gardeners to share their future plans for additional gardens as well! Visit Sundays between 2 and 5 p.m. during July and August.

1166 Niagara Falls Blvd. at Forbes – rear gardens at home of Charles & Bonnie Giammusso. Most of the gardens are enclosed by fencing at the rear of the home. The gardens are an amazing oasis from the hectic traffic on the Boulevard. The home itself is an 1870’s log cabin now covered over with modern siding. The log and rock foundation is still visible on the exterior. The owners hope one day to restore it to its original appearance. The homestead was purchased directly from Colonel John Sweeney by the Forbes family, and they built the log cabin over 130 years ago. The present owners purchased the property from Forbes descendants. Visit rear gardens on Sundays, July 24 and August 21, from 2 to 5 p.m.

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

Museum Awarded Grant to Produce Brochures for Self-Guided Historical Walking Tours

The North Tonawanda History Museum has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the New York Council for the Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The grant will enable the Museum to produce two separate self-guided historical walking tour brochures for distribution beginning with the 2006 tourist season. The brochures will be based on the Museum’s experience in presenting 16 weeks of guided Seaway Trail Walks in both 2004 and 2005 and in producing their first Historic Treasures Tour of ten historic homes, five historic churches, and four additional historic sites. Both brochures will incorporate the influence of North Tonawanda’s rich ethnic heritage on the City’s development. The brochures will supplement the Museum’s guided Seaway Trail Walks and the new Haunted History Ghost Walks, which are to begin as part of the Museum’s participation in Canal Fest of the Tonawandas.

The grant will cover the services of Martin Wachadlo, an architectural historian who has previously provided such services for the Historic Treasures Tour, and graphics, design, layout, and printing services of Pioneer Printers.

The North Tonawanda Seaway Trail Walks begin and end at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum at 180 Thompson Street on Wednesdays, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. through September 28, and include two rotating tours, “ North Tonawanda’s Industrial Heritage,” and “ North Tonawanda’s Historic Homes.” Fees for the guided walks are $8 for adults and $4 for children under 12.

The Historic Treasures Tour 2005 is set for Sunday, July 31 by advance sale tickets only, although the Museum has planned a full day of events in historic Pine Woods Park which are open to the general public to supplement the tour.

The Haunted History Ghost Walks, presented by Mason Winfield, will begin at the Museum at 314 Oliver Street on Fridays, July 15 and 22, and Saturdays, July 16 and 23, at 7 p.m. Fees for the Ghost Walks are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 7 – 11; children under 7 are free. The walks will also be presented on Fridays in September and October.

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

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

Senator Maziarz Secures Grant for Museum

Senator George D. Maziarz has secured a grant in the amount of $5,000 for the North Tonawanda History Museum under the 2005 Senate Member Initiative Program. The grant, to be administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, & Historic Preservation, will be utilized for operational and programming expenses and purchase of needed equipment for the Museum, which is in its second year of existence.

Senator Maziarz, along with North Tonawanda Mayor David J. Burgio, and Niagara County Legislator William M. Davignon, and now volunteer Museum Director Donna Zellner Neal, called the first official meeting on September 10, 2003, of the interest group which led to the creation of the new Museum.

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

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 hosts walking tours of City’s history on Wednesday evenings

The North Tonawanda History Museum is in its second season of presenting 16 weeks of North Tonawanda Seaway Trail Walks. The 1-1/2 hour guided walking tours begin at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays in the parking lot of the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum. The walks began on June 8 and continue through September 28. Fees are $8 for adults, $4 for children under 12, $6 ea. in groups of 15 or more.

Museum volunteers present two different 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 19th and early 20th centuries.

The July, August, and September “North Tonawanda’s Industrial Heritage” tour will be presented on July 6 as part of Canal Fest of the Tonawandas activities; and on July 20; August 3, 17, and 31; and September 14, and 28. Learn about the rich immigrant heritage of “the Lumber Capital of the World,” in a walk which takes you through the historic Oliver Street business district and the historic downtown Webster Street business district, an eclectic mix of restaurants, small shops, and cultural attractions; and along the historic Erie Canal as the free 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.

The July, August, and September “ North Tonawanda ’s Historic Homes ” tour will be presented on July 13 and 27; August 10 and 24, and September 7 and 21. 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.

Tours begin and end in the parking lot of the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, 180 Thompson Street (admission extra, open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily) or visit the Historic DowNTown North Tonawanda shopping district, a unique eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, and cultural venues. Plan to stay after the walking tour for a free concert in Gateway Park on the banks of the historic Erie Canal. 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 to 5 p.m., or Fridays 9 to noon. Also open by appointment. Call 716-213-0554 or 716-692-2681 for further information.

The Museum has also begun its first season of North Tonawanda Haunted History Ghost Walks,presented by Mason Winfield and hosted by the North Tonawanda History Museum, 90-minute walking tours of North Tonawanda, beginning at 7 p.m. at 314 Oliver Street, Friday, July 15, Saturday, July 16, Friday, July 22, and Saturday, July 23; $10 adults, $5 kids 7-11, under 7 free. Part of Canal Fest of the Tonawandas week activities.

Historic Treasures Tour 2005 presented by the North Tonawanda History Museum and RealtyUSA - July 31 – Noon to 5 p.m. Walking/driving tour of ten historic homes, five historic church buildings, and four other historic sites. Includes a Cinderella carriage ride, a Towpath Tea, and Erie Canal music by Yesterday’s News in Historic Pinewoods Park. Tour only available by pre-purchased tickets. Cinderella carriage rides presented by Double T Ranch may be pre-purchased but will be open to the public as well, with pre-paid ticket holders taking precedence; Towpath Tea presented by Mr. & Mrs. Catering will offer an a la carte menu. Keyser Buick will provide two new special courtesy shuttle vans for those wishing to avoid parking and re-parking their cars. Tickets are $18 for the tour; $5 additional for a pre-paid carriage ride. Photos may be purchased as well of riders in the carriage. Towpath Tea and Erie Canal music in historic Pinewoods Park will be open to the public.

Fridays, September 16 through October 28 - North Tonawanda Haunted History Ghost Walks,presented by Mason Winfield and hosted by the North Tonawanda History Museum – 90-minute walking tours of North Tonawanda, beginning at 7 p.m. at 314 Oliver Street : History, legend, architecture, parapsychology, and ghosts! $10 adults, $5 kids 7-11, under 7 free.

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

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 Awarded Grant for Oral History Program

The North Tonawanda History Museum has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Max & Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc., of White Plains, New York, for the Museum’s Oral History Program.

The grant will enable the Museum to continue development of its Oral History Program under the coordination of Jason Law. Law, a D’Youville College history major, has assisted the Museum for the last year in developing the format for its oral history program. Law has also worked with Museum representatives in the recording of personal interviews and Museum programming. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide area high school students with an opportunity to participate in intergenerational interviews. The initial programming will provide a concrete demonstration and testing for the long-term project.

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

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

North Tonawanda History Museum members to host reception for volunteers and out-of-town guests

North Tonawanda historic Goundry Street home owner, Margaret Truell Cheeley, will host a social gathering for North Tonawanda History Museum volunteers participating in the Museum’s first Historic Treasures Tour, following a walk-through practice tour on Saturday, July 30. Docents and other volunteers will gather in an outdoor setting in the Cheeley gardens. Kathy Manno, also a historic Goundry Street homeowner, whose yard is adjacent to Mrs. Cheeley’s, will assist Mrs. Cheeley and Museum representatives. The Cheeley gardens are part of the Museum’s 1 st Annual Historic Gardens Contest. The Cheeley and Manno homes are part of the Historic Treasures Tour.

The Historic Treasures Tour itself will take place on Sunday, July 31, and includes ten historic homes, five historic churches, and four additional historic sites. A full day of activities in the City’s historic Pine Woods Park are scheduled, including Erie Canal music by Yesterday’s News, a Cinderella carriage ride, and a Towpath Tea with foods typical of the 1880’s to 1920’s.

Additional guests for the gathering will be members of one of North Tonawanda ’s historic families who are returning to the City to participate in the Sunday event. Mayor David J. Burgio will welcome the guests for 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 or 692-2681 - e-mail: nthistorymuseum@aol.com

website: www.nthistorymuseum.org

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 and Polish Heritage Dancers Join Forces for Canal Fest Parade

The North Tonawanda History Museum and the Polish Heritage Dancers of Western New York are joining forces to participate in the Canal Fest of the Tonawandas parade on Tuesday evening, July 26. The North Tonawanda History Museum is a new all-volunteer 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 19 th and early 20 th centuries. A large number of North Tonawanda ’s early residents were Polish immigrants.

The Polish Heritage Dancers of Western New York have won the hearts of Western New Yorkers with their traditional folk dancing. North Tonawanda still has a large Polish-American population.

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

LAST CHANCE TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR SUNDAY HISTORIC TREASURES TOUR

Churches supporting tour with enthusiasm!

Ticket sales have been brisk for the Sunday, July 31, North Tonawanda History Museum ’s Historic Treasures Tour 2005. Small quantities of tickets are still available at the Mayor’s office in City Hall, 216 Payne Avenue; the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas, 15 Webster Street; Hodgepodge at 72 Webster Street; Lovin’ Life at 305 Robinson Street, Shawnee Country Barns Co-Op in Wheatfield, and at the Museum at 314 Oliver Street. The Museum will be open Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon .

Should any tickets be unsold, they will be available at the registration desk in Pine Woods Park beginning at 11 a.m. on Sunday at $20 each. The optional carriage ride is $5.

RealtyUSA is the major sponsor for the Historic Treasures Tour 2005. The event will begin in historic Pine Woods Park on Niagara Street between Pine Woods Drive and Thompson Street .

A Towpath Tea will be presented by North Tonawanda ’s Mr. & Mrs. Catering in the pavilion of historic Pine Woods Park throughout the day during the Museum's first bi-annual North Tonawanda Historic Treasures Tour. The tea is not included in the ticket price for the Tour, and it will be open to the public as well as to ticket holders. The tea will include a sampling of typical fare from the late 1800's to early 1900's as well as more modern fare. Attendees will pay for their individual choice of food and beverage purchases. The a la carte menu will include a variety of tea sandwiches, pure and natural fire house chowder, elegant desserts, and a variety of teas. “The fare will be representative of a tradition said to have been introduced by Queen Catherine of England , wife of King Charles II, in 1662,” noted David Cohen.

“Yesterday’s News,” Bruce Trombley and Dennis LaFontaine, of Mohawk, New York, folk singers who perform Erie Canal folk songs and other New York State folk songs, will return to North Tonawanda for the event and will perform throughout the day in the park for the benefit of those attending the Towpath Tea and other area residents as well as tour participants. “Yesterday’s News” performed for the Museum in May 2004 in their “Antiques & Things: Auction & Antique Appraisal & Concert” event in the Buffalo Suzuki Strings Musical Arts Center . No admission fee will be charged for this part of the event and neighbors and other residents are invited to come to the park to enjoy the Towpath Tea and the Erie Canal music. The duo’s CD’s will be available for purchase at the event as well.

Two North Tonawanda authors will participate in the day’s events.

Diane Meholick, author of “A Switch in Time,” and “Painting Katherine,” will be present in historic Pine Woods Park , for a book signing of copies of “Painting Katherine” Meholick grew up in North Tonawanda . The novel is about Kate Vermay, who inherits an old North Tonawanda Victorian home from her grandmother, Katherine Malloy, and her husband, Vincent, who partners with others to build a grand theatre in North Tonawanda .

Peter Jehrio, author of books, “ Niagara by Rail I, II, and III” and now presenting his fifth 18-month self-published historical photo-essay calendar, “ Niagara Frontier Transportation Heritage 2006,” will also participate at the park.

Museum volunteers will be present as well with copies of the first in its series of North Tonawanda Heritage Cookbooks, “ North Tonawanda Ethnic Heritage Cookbook,” and the Polish-American Calendar for 2006 by Don Samull. Also available by special arrangement will be autographed copies of “We Played Our Cards: How My Generation Met the Call of World War II” by Joseph Edward Corbett, a former North Tonawanda resident, and a limited number of “The Bison Shipyard Story” by Allen C. Gademsky, a book recounting the history of this World War II industry on Tonawanda Island.

The Railroad Museum of the Niagara Frontier will have representatives selling their book, “The Niagara Gorge Belt Line: A Pictorial Album”, produced by the Niagara Frontier Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, and tapes on railroad history.

Miss Western New York 2005 , Lindsay Pratt, a North Tonawanda resident, will greet tour participants at the registration area of Pine Woods Park , as well as those participating in the Towpath Tea. Spirit, the RealtyUSA mascot, will also be in the park that day to greet and entertain youngsters of all ages.

A daylong raffle will also be part of the day’s activities, including the chance to win a St. Francis of Assist indoor/outdoor garden statue and other items.

Hours for the event will be: Registration in historic Pine Woods Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ; Historic Treasures Tour (admission by ticket only) from noon to 5 p.m. , carriage rides and Towpath Tea from noon to 7 p.m.

The event includes a 2-1/2 mile walking and/or driving tour of historic homes and other historic structures in the city. Ten of North Tonawanda’s most fabulously interesting homes, five historical church buildings (Ascension Church, Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, First United Methodist Church, North Presbyterian Church, and the former Friedens Church which has been re-used as the Ghostlight Theatre), three of North Tonawanda’s registered historic sites (the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum and the Carnegie Arts Center building, and the Riviera Theatre) and the Railroad Museum of the Niagara Frontier will be included. The Railroad Museum will open the control tower and a railroad passenger car as well as the former ticket office housing their museum. Tour ticket holders may select the sites they wish to visit on this tour, hopefully wishing to return in 2007 to visit those that time didn’t permit them to visit in 2005. (The Museum is planning a bi-annual Ethnic Heritage Festival for even-numbered years.)

Ascension Church is one of the five historic church buildings to be featured in the North Tonawanda History Museum ’s Historic Treasures Tour 2005 on Sunday, July 31. Bruce Woody, the church organist and music director, will be present from 2 to 2:30 p.m. and from 4 – 4:30 p.m. to tell the tour participants the history of the organ and will also demonstrate the organ’s sound briefly. The church, as with the other four churches, four historical sites, and ten historic homes, participating in the tour, will provide the visitors with a tour of the historic church. Also participating are First United Methodist Church, Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, North Presbyterian Church, and the former Friedens Church building which is not re-used as the home of Ghostlight Theatre. Advance sale tickets for the Historic Treasures Tour may be obtained at the Museum.

Our Lady of Czestochowa Church is participating also in the Museum’s first Historic Gardens Tour and church members will proudly show off their historic church as well. Ghostlight Theatre, housed in the former Friedens Church, will have a dual emphasis, with former Friedens members telling the history of the church and members of Ghostlight Theatre’s cast sharing the story of the current use of the historic church building.

A vintage automobile will be stationed in front of each location as a site marker to facilitate location of the sites by attendees. Tony LaNasa, a North Tonawanda resident, is assisting Museum representatives in coordinating the automobiles.

Horse-drawn Cinderella carriage rides, similar to those used by the wealthy residents of the City in the late 1800's and early 1900's, will be available during the event from Pine Woods Park to the Goundry Street homes and back to the park. Photos of those taking carriage rides may also be purchased as mementos. Rides will be provided by Double T Ranch of East Bethany and will be open to the public during the event, but those holding tickets to the Historic Treasures Tour will be given precedence. Non-ticket holders’ ride fees will be $5 for adults, $3 for children, $10 for a family of 4 plus $1 for each additional family member.

Martin Wachadlo , an architectural historian and Blasdell resident, has assisted Museum event planners in detailing the architectural histories of the homes. A keepsake guidebook is included in the ticket price for the tour of historical homes and other sites and may be used as a self-guided tour of the City’s historic treasures for return visits to the City.

A courtesy shuttle for elderly or others who find walking between sites a problem and for those not wishing to park and re-park their cars, will also be available, with two special new vans and drivers provided by Keyser Buick of Tonawanda for the day’s event.

Members of the Rotary Club of the Tonawandas will assist Museum representatives as volunteers for the event, as will Greg Burt and Boy Scout Troop 58 from St. Christopher’s Church.

Tickets are $18 each advance sale or $15 for members of the North Tonawanda History Museum . To include a prepaid a carriage ride with the tour ticket, an additional $5 is required. A maximum of 500 tickets will be sold for the tour. The keepsake guidebook/passport will be included in the ticket price. The guidebooks will be distributed to ticket holders at a registration table in Pine Woods Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the day of the event.

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 Seeking Recipes for 2nd Heritage Cookbook

1st Heritage Cookbook and new City Guidebook Available

Recipes are being accepted from residents and former residents for inclusion in the second in the series of North Tonawanda Heritage Cookbooks, North Tonawanda Families and Their Favorite Recipes,” which is expected to be ready for Christmas giving. Each recipe must include a paragraph or more of family or individual history. Advance orders are presently being accepted for the new cookbooks at $8, plus $ .64 sales tax per book. Shipping and handling for 1-3 books is $3. The Museum’s first in its series of North Tonawanda Heritage Cookbooks, “North Tonawanda Ethnic Heritage Cookbook” is available as well at the Museum, the Mayor’s office, Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas, and Hodgepodge. The cookbook, already in its third printing this year, is still being sold at the $6.69 including tax price.

The 2006 version of the Polish-American calendar is also available for purchase in the Museum. Mail orders may also be submitted at $5 plus $ .40 sales tax. To have the calendars mailed, include $3 for 1-5 copies for shipping and handling. Last year’s calendars proved so popular the Museum arranged to have a larger quantity available this year as well as much earlier than last year.