History of the Museum / News Release Archive - July 2007 * Represents newest additions to our Archive
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!! New 430 page book on NT history to be released in August described as a “monumental first effort” and “a love story finally told.” Early ordering recommended to insure obtaining one from the first shipment. The North Tonawanda History Museum will release its first full-length book on the history of North Tonawanda in August. 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 in their contacts with the three year old museum organization. Originally intended to be a 352-page book, the length was expanded to 430 pages. Because of the expanded length of the hard-cover book, the publisher requires a cover price of $34.95 each. Once the material has been submitted to the publisher, the $34.95 price will be firm. ““North Tonawanda: The Lumber City” is a “love story finally told,” the story of so many thousands upon thousands of individuals, organizations, and businesses that were woven together into the entity North Tonawandans so fondly refer to as just “NT” but which is proud to be the City of North Tonawanda,” notes Donna Zellner Neal, Museum Director and editor of the publication. The book has been described by some area historians who have had advance opportunities to read it as a “monumental first effort,” and a significant contribution to the city of North Tonawanda , its residents and former residents, and area educational institutions. It is a general overall account of the city’s development and shares many stories of the people who were part of the life of the city. Neal is editor of the volume but a number of contributing authors have furnished parts of the text. “It is not just a book of photos,” said Neal. “About 20% of the volume is photographs. The unique and special history of our city could not be told with photos alone.” Future volumes planned will focus in detail on historical homes and other sites, industrial heritage, and specific periods of time. For a donation of $38.95, a copy of the book will be mailed upon publication. 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 initial printing. 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!! 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. This year’s tour will include eleven (11) historic homes and two additional historic structures. The homes belonged to the industrial and commercial giants of North Tonawanda’s past. Historians, architects who appreciate the historic character of older homes, and just people who enjoy touring wonderful and interesting homes will enjoy this tour! Architects who designed some of the structures included in the tour include Charles D. Swan of Buffalo, William H. Archer of Buffalo, and Louis F. Eggert of North Tonawanda. Homes included in the tour were the residences of lumberman John H. Edwards and industrialist Farny Wurlitzer; lumberman and banker Wilhelm Stradella and one of the owners of the popular McCarthy’s Market; lumberman William Kelsey; insurance man Evan M. Davies; lumberman Ray H. Bennett; coal business owners Lawrence J. Benson and Kensett D. Whitcomb; insurance and real estate executive and part of the Rand entities, Stanley Rand and his wife Winifred Vandervoort Rand, and long-time physician Dr. G. Norris Miner; lumberman Albert B. Williams and industrialist Stanley Cooper Peuchen; banker, Mayor, and Rand executive Benjamin Long Rand (father of Stanley) and Ralph Taber, founder of Taber Instruments; lumberman and banker George C. Dailey and industrialist Robert McClurkin. 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. Major Sponsors for this year’s tour are: Cipriano, Inc., Realty, the law firm of Brick, Brick & Elmer, Greater Niagara Savings Bank, Humphrey House Antiques, Pioneer Printers, Sherwood Florist, and Joe Cecconi’s Chrysler Complex. Andy’s Tree Service, Senator George D. Maziarz, and Peter E. Smolinski are general sponsors. James Amato & Company, Ascension Industries, Bonterra Landscaping, Brady Electric, Graf Land Surveyors, Holler Grapes Insurance Agency, Matt’s Music, North Tonawanda Senior Center, Michael B. Mroczka/RealtyUSA, and Thomas Turtle Optical are patrons. 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. Contact the Museum at 213-0554 for further information 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, 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, August 18, 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. Museum publications and books by local authors from the Museum gift shop will be available also. 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 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!! Advance orders now being accepted for Third Heritage Cookbook: Dessert Recipes Sought for Holiday Cookbook: “ North Tonawanda Sweet Treasures” Second cookbook to be released during Canal Fest week: “ North Tonawanda Families & Their Favorite Recipes” First heritage cookbook: “ North Tonawanda Ethnic Heritage Cookbook” still selling around the world! The North Tonawanda History Museum is now accepting advance orders for its third in a series of heritage cookbooks, “North Tonawanda Sweet Treasures,” which will sell for $15 is to be released in time for holiday giving in December and should be available during Winter Walk on December 1 and the Museum’s “Forgotten Holidays” program on December 8 ( 2 p.m. ) at Sutherland Lodge, 1400 Ruie Road , a program which explains the practices brought here by Dutch settlers in the 17 th century that had a lasting impact on American life. The program will include the changes that took place, not only in the present day celebration of Christmas, but also in the festivities surrounding New Year’s, Pinkster (which became an African American holiday) and other events that are cause for celebration, such as the birth of a child. Slides illustrating the various festive occasions are part of the lecture. This program will also be presented by Peter G. Rose. Recipes and brief notes on family or individual history from the recipe sources are being accepted for the third cookbook. Recipes for desserts, cookies, breakfast treats, and other sweet items are needed from North Tonawanda residents or former residents. Advance orders may be placed for this cookbook as well for use as holiday gifts. The second in the series, “ North Tonawanda Families & Their Favorite Recipes,” will be available at the Museum’s booth during Canal Fest. The new cookbook, with 174 recipes, sells for $11 including sales tax. Include $4 for shipping and handling per cookbook. Recipes, along with historical notes on individuals, families, and businesses are from a wonderful cross section of North Tonawanda , including workers and owners in businesses on Oliver Street , Payne Avenue , and Webster Street . “Even gentlemen have joined in to have their favorite recipes included,” notes Museum Director Donna Zellner Neal. The second cookbook is dedicated to Barbara Wickman, described in the dedication at “the heart of the Museum” for her volunteer efforts on behalf of the Museum in its first three years. The Museum’s first book in the series, “ North Tonawanda Ethnic Heritage Cookbook”, which was first released for sale on January 6, 2005 , has been reprinted four times since. Orders have come in from all over the country, and as far away as Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates for the first cookbook. The unique cookbook contains 115 recipes, with a variety of ethnic flavoring, each including a historical note about the family or individuals contributing or originating the recipe. A brief history of North Tonawanda is included as well. The cookbook is dedicated to Ken Mountain , a 1958 graduate of North Tonawanda High School , who is a Charter member of the new Museum and a researcher/writer for the Museum. He is credited as having suggested the cookbook project. He is now a resident of Texas . Cynthia Fredricks coordinated the creation and compilation of first the cookbook. This first cookbook is still available at the Museum offices at 314 Oliver Street , or by mail for $7 each, including tax. Include $4 for shipping and handling for each cookbook for mail orders. The Museum also accepts Master Card and Visa. “ North Tonawanda Ethnic Heritage Cookbook” and “ North Tonawanda Families & Their Favorite Recipes” will be available with other museum publications at the August 5 “Historic Treasures Tour” of historic homes and at the Museum’s fall programming. The Museums September 20 program, “Dutch Influence on the American Kitchen and Life” will explore the food ways brought to America by the Dutch more than three centuries ago and the way these food ways were adapted to new circumstances. Slides of 17 th century Dutch art works depicting various foodstuffs are part of this program. The program will be presented by food historian, columnist, author, and lecturer Peter G. Rose. Ms. Rose has lectured on a Variety of topics related to Dutch-American culinary history, at such places as the Smithsonian Institute, the National Gallery of Art, the Culinary Institute of America, New York University , and the New York Historical Society. Her program will be presented in the Sutherland Lodge at 1400 Ruie Road at 6:30 p.m. Barbara Wickman is Heritage Cookbook Committee Chair. Valerie Garrison is the typist for the third cookbook. Call 213-0554 for further information. Orders may be phoned in with Master Card of Visa information. Submit new recipes or checks for orders to the Museum at 314 Oliver Street . Because the first cookbook sold out so quickly in the first printing and the second one has already resulted in significant advance orders, early ordering is suggested for the book to be released in December. 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 host the North Tonawanda visit on Wednesday, August 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. of the Lois McClure to Gateway Harbor. The schooner Lois McClure, a full-scale replica of an 1862-class sailing canal boat, constructed in Burlington, Vermont, is in the midst of its “Grand Canal Journey”, having left her home port at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum on June 18 to travel from Lake Champlain across the Empire State on the famed Erie Canal and NYS Canal System. The Grand Canal Journey commemorates and celebrates the nationally significant Erie Canalway and New York ’s contribution to the formation of the American nation. The 524-mile canal system, over 180 years old, is an engineering marvel that knitted together New England , New York , and the west, spreading commerce and ideas. Interpreters will be present to explain the schooner to visitors. Museum representatives will be present with information on events and activities and cultural and recreational attractions in the City of North Tonawanda in Niagara County and its sister City of Tonawanda in Erie County for visitors to the schooner.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’s 2nd Bi-Annual Historic Treasures Tour is scheduled for Sunday, August 5, 2007, from noon to 6 p.m. This year’s tour includes eleven historic homes and two additional historic structures. The homes belonged to the industrial and commercial giants of North Tonawanda’s past. Historians, architects who appreciate the historic character of older homes, and just people who enjoy touring wonderful and interesting homes will enjoy this tour! Benjamin Long Rand’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. Architects who designed some of the structures included in the tour include Charles D. Swan of Buffalo, William H. Archer of Buffalo, and Louis F. Eggert of North Tonawanda. Other homes included in the tour were the residences of lumberman John H. Edwards and industrialist Farny Wurlitzer; lumberman and banker Wilhelm Stradella and one of the owners of the popular McCarthy’s Market; lumberman William Kelsey; insurance man Evan M. Davies; lumberman Ray H. Bennett; coal business owners Lawrence J. Benson and Kensett D. Whitcomb; lumberman Albert B. Williams and industrialist Stanley Cooper Peuchen; Ralph Taber, founder of Taber Instruments; lumberman and banker George C. Dailey and industrialist Robert McClurkin. Major Sponsors for this year’s tour are: Cipriano, Inc., Realty, the law firm of Brick, Brick & Elmer, Greater Niagara Savings Bank, Humphrey House Antiques, Pioneer Printers, Sherwood Florist, and Joe Cecconi’s Chrysler Complex. Andy’s Tree Service, Senator George D. Maziarz, and Peter E. Smolinski are general sponsors. James Amato & Company, Ascension Industries, Bonterra Landscaping, Brady Electric, Graf Land Surveyors, Holler Grapes Insurance Agency, Matt’s Music, North Tonawanda Senior Center, Michael B. Mroczka/RealtyUSA, and Thomas Turtle Optical are patrons.
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 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 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. 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!! In a letter sent to our local newspapers for publishing... Editor: We thank you for the opportunity you afford to all of the member organizations to raise vital operating income at Canal Fest. We thank you for the excitement and pleasure we see in the attendees as they come to our booth or pass it. As the Museum representative who attends your monthly Board meetings, the commitment and dedication of your individual Directors and the leadership of the officers never cease to amaze me. Your year-round efforts as a not-for-profit organization designed to benefit our community as a whole and the community's not-for-profit organizations cannot be totally appreciated by those who aren't in regular attendance at those monthly meetings.
Because we know so much of what a Board of Directors does generally goes unrecognized by the community as a whole, we wish to publicly express our thanks to Canal Fest President Larry Denef and the entire Board and advisors for this year's event and to all who made the previous 24 possible. We also extend our gratitude to the Cities of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda for their continued accommodation of this valuable event which brings nationwide and bi-national recognition to our two cities. We look forward with enthusiasm to the 25th Anniversary of Canal Fest in 2008! Donna Zellner Neal, Director |
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© 2005 North Tonawanda History Museum |
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