By Paulette Likoudis

 

As summer's haying season began, Lodi Historical Society trustee Bill Gates and his wife, Renee, did not have that activity on their to-do list this year. At their historic Long Lane Farm, the couple were preparing for a move to Virginia, loading boxes and not hay wagons.

 

For a number of years, Amish in the area have gone to the door of the Gates home, asking to buy the property if it were ever for sale. But before the for-sale sign went up, the 85-acre farm on Rt. 96A was first shown to a couple renting the historic Keady Farm in Lodi.

By Mark Soeth

Mark SoethThe American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) defines a brick as "a solid masonry unit of clay or shale, usually formed into a rectangular prism while plastic and burned or fired in a kiln." This article is about bricks, how they are made, their material properties, how they fail and what can be done to ensure maximum life in service.

The Lodi Historical Society building was constructed in 1880. Bricks made during this period of time were primarily clay with the possible addition of sand and water. Sand could have been added to improve the consistency and quality of the finished product. Water would have been used as necessary to ensure workability of the clay.

By Walt Gable

 

"Underground Railroad" refers to the effort of enslaved African Americans to gain their freedom by escaping bondage. It was neither "underground" nor a "railroad" but rather a loosely constructed network of escape routes that originated in the upper South, intertwined throughout the North, and eventually ended in Canada. It also included escape routes from the Deep South into the western territories, Mexico and the Caribbean. Anna Scott: click to enlargeCora Scott: click to enlargeMost "freedom seekers" (fugitive slaves) began their journey unaided, either alone or in small groups, and were frequently assisted by African American and white "agents" who risked their lives and property to allow their homes or barns to be "safe houses" ("stations") en route or to physically escort or transport them (as "conductors") to their next stop. These agents usually hid or destroyed their personal journals to protect themselves and the runaways. This clandestine nature of the Underground Railroad helps to explain why today it is so difficult to learn much of the details. Evidence is unclear as to when the Underground Railroad began. One of the earliest recorded "organized" escapes may have occurred in 1786 when Quakers in Philadelphia assisted a group of refugees from Virginia to freedom. Freedom seekers had little food or clothing and normally walked at nightfall and rested/hid during the daytime. The North Star would help them follow a basically northward path. They could also look for tree moss, which grew on the north side of tree trunks.They relied on use of back roads, waterways, mountains, swamps, forests, and fields to escape. Later in their trek north, they could sometimes travel by wagon, steamship, boat, and even train. Escape sometimes entailed disguises, such as females dressed as males.Underground Railroad activity flourished during the 1840s as antislavery sentiment deepened due to the federal government's failure to settle the slavery controversy. Congress passed the Compromise of 1850 that included a stronger Fugitive Slave Law, requiring that federal and state officials as well as private citizens assist in the capture of runaway slaves. Many freedom seekers living in northern communities for years then feared for their lives.While the Civil War captured the attention of the country, Underground Railroad activity continued as thousands of enslaved African Americans deserted plantations and cities and took refuge within Union lines. Following the war, the necessity for Underground Railroad activities ceased when the 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution officially liberated more than 4 million enslaved African Americans.(The above is an excerpt of the original column provide by Seneca County Historian Walt Gable.)

GUEST ARTICLE

By Billie Luisi-Potts

“We abolition women are turning

the world upside down.”

Lewis Brown's stagecoach drops off students at the Lodi High School on W. Seneca. Residents of Valois rode the Lehigh Valley Railroad train to the Lodi Station from where they rode to school. (photo courtesy of Ruth Wagner)

THE PETER LOTT HOUSE

By Alta E. BoyerPeter Lott house c. 1900: click to enlarge

The large Greek Revival house located at Orchard and Main Streets in Lodi has been a local landmark - historically and architecturally - since it was built in 1810. This survey of the house and its owners is based on records, personal documents and interviews with former residents. Dates are accurate, or closely estimated. This article has been written in the hope that this significant house will be rescued and made useful for the future.

By Harry McCue

The spring issue of The Record featured a great front cover action photo of "The Black Diamond," highballing through Lodi Station. I have been asked to comment further on what I gleaned from it. Let's read the photo again to see what we can find.

The locomotive is what is commonly called a "ten-wheeler." This was designated as a Lodi Station: click to enlargeJ class in the 1600 number range by the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Steam locomotives were commonly described by referring to their wheel arrangement. This is called the "Whyte classification" and describes how many wheels are in front of the driving wheels (pilot or pony truck), how many drivers, and many are after the drivers (trailing truck). Thus, this locomotive is a 4-6-0 or "ten-wheeler."

Stephen Wagner: Caywood Antiques owner Stephen Wagner uses a jeweler's loupe for close examination.Feature Interview With Stephen Wagner

By Paulette Likoudis

"People buy back their childhoods, they say - anything that rings the nostalgia bell," explains Stephen Wagner, owner of Caywood Antiques. If that is the case, there is surely something to ring everyone's bell at Wagner's store of treasures. It may be the place to find that one-of-a-kind gift for the history lover on your list.