Lodi Historical Society - Lodi NY - Record-2006

Colonial Dames

kthomas — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 15:52:38 -0500

COLONIAL DAMES MEMBER RECALLS SARAH TOWNSEND

The Winter 2005 edition of The Record featured a cover photo of an unidentified woman holding a cat. Several readers thought they recognized the woman, but there has been no positive identification.Colonial Dames

Eagle Hotel

kthomas — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 15:12:40 -0500

Townsend HotelA banner hung from the balcony of todays Eagle Hotel announces that hunters are welcome. Nothing said hunters were welcome quite like this photo of a 1964 gathering of deer hunters and their trophies at what was then the Townsend Hotel, operated by Webb Ganoung, Mike McLaughlin and Pete Close. This auto is a 1963 Ford and the photographer is unknown.

(courtesy of Bob and Joan Covert)

John T. Rallings,Winter 2006 cover of the Record

kthomas — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:12:48 -0500

Lodi Town TruckSTATE OF THE ART 1925 – The man in this 1925 photo of a Town of Lodi truck with hoist is believed to be John T. Rallings. An early 1960s edition of the Ovid Gazette featured this photo and another of Rallings seated on the running board of a truck bought by the town in 1919. The caption states that Rallings — well-known for his photography — drove both “service vehicles” for Lodi and that he posed for the picture he took of himself with the 1919 truck. It is likely he did the same in this photo.

Lodi High School 1923, Fall 2006 cover of the Record

kthomas — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:10:18 -0500

BACK TO SCHOOL – The 1923-24 sophomore class of the Lodi High School on W. Seneca Street was dressed in their Sunday best with hair combed neatly in place for this picture taken by photographer J.H. Kibler of Syracuse. Back row: John Wright, Ray Newkirk, Grant Newkirk. Middle row: Lynn LaM1923 Sophomore class Lodi High Schooloreaux, Mary Huff, Carrie Wiley Halsey, Alice Covert Wyckoff, Betty Voorhees Hazlett, Ben Birge, Earl Shannon.

Local Artist Floyd Covert, Summer 2006 cover of the Record

kthomas — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:07:22 -0500

Summer on SenecaSUMMER ON SENECA – Society member and gifted artist Floyd Covert worked from a postcard to create this painting of boathouses that once stood at the northern end of Seneca Lake near Geneva. It was given as a gift to Lodi Historical Society president Carolyn Zogg and now hangs in her home. Floyd was born in 1932 and passed away in early 2006, after a long battle with cancer. His extensive works are known for their vibrant colors and seasonal realism. (photo courtesy of Carolyn Zogg)

Lehigh Valley Railroad, Spring 2006 cover of the Record

kthomas — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 14:45:28 -0500

RUMBLING ALONG - The Lodi Train Station was one of 23 freight and passenger stops spaced five to ten miles apart on the New York Division of the Lehigh Valley Railroad's Mainline, spanning the distance between Manchester, NY and Athens, PA. The steam locomotive in this photo, circa 1910-20, is believed by local train authorities to be a K-2 Pacific Lodi Station Its heavyweight, truss rod cars appear to include six coaches, one baggage car and a Railway Post Office (RPO) car at the head end. Sisters Harriet and Ruth Van Vleet, interviewed in this issue, recall their father Lawrence visiting with Lodi stationmaster Halsey Covert at the time when communications were telegraphed in Morse Code.(photo courtesy of Bob and Joan Covert)

How Times Have Changed and Haven't Changed... (Winter 2006)

zip — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 14:08:08 -0500

The June 6, 1965 edition of The Elmira Telegram published a full-page feature on the Town of Lodi. At the center of photos and an article titled "Lodi: Peaceful Landmark" was an essay by Darwin Smith, titled "Why I'm Proud of Lodi." He lovingly wrote of growing up as a third generation member of a farming family residing on Smith Road and of Lodi's resistance to "progress." The following is part of Smith's essay:

"Through my window I can see the ever-changing face of Seneca Lake, where as a small boy I watched the last of the steamboats as they plowed through the waters, and where today only the decaying pilings are left to remind one of their former points of call."

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A CHANGING OF THE HEARTH FOR HISTORIC LODI HOMES (FALL 2006)

kthomas — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 18:06:10 -0500

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.

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BRICKS: THEIR ORIGIN, PERFORMANCE, DECAY AND MAINTENANCE (WINTER 2005 AND SPRING 2006)

kthomas — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:45:28 -0500

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.

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UNDERGROUND RAILROAD FACTS (SPRING 2006)

kthomas — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:15:03 -0500

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.)