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Discovering the history of Allegany County, NY

Below is the weekly column of Ron Taylor, published originally in

"Patriot and Free Press" - Allegany County's community newspaper since 1862. 

Columns are re-printed here by agreement with the Patriot.  (Tap the Dates)

Page 10

Below is Patriot Newspaper column week of 1/7/2009

Last Edition’s Picture(s)

Last Edition’s Picture(s) showed two pictures of a chimney and I was in error calling them two chimneys.  I received a note from Dean Scott’s daughter on his behalf which stated he had owned the land along Route 19 north of the Transit Bridge area where one chimney had stood.  Bob Dorsey wrote to me stating the chimney was probably from the Ayres home, sometimes mistaken for the d’Autremont house which was dismantled and moved a few years ago.  I did not want to mislead anyone.  I have learned that this chimney was not one of 7 chimneys, rather, there were 7 fireplace & oven openings in the one chimney.  In other words, central heating is not a new term!!  Velma Guild also responded with the correct location as did Bob Gleason (formerly of Fillmore).  Thanks to all who responded.  That’s what makes this job fun.  The DECEMBER 17^th edition photo was of 1^st-2^nd-3^rd Grades of Allentown Union Free School and I have been provided almost all the names.  I have placed the name lists on my website, write me if you wish a listing and don’t have internet service.

This Week’s Picture goes back to the days of true horsepower, when man relied on horses to get it done!  This picture was almost lost when it was rescued by the submitter, Charlie Barrett, from eventual obscurity.  Although the true location may never be known for sure, the photographer (Saunders) had a Friendship studio and it is highly possible that this was a load of Friendship produced cheese boxes.  What can you tell us about this fascinating part of our county’s history?  Does anyone recognize anything at all about the photo?

JUST CHEESE BOXES? There’s a Story here!

Below is Patriot Newspaper column week of 1/14/2009

Last Edition’s Picture showed

Last Edition’s Picture showed an unknown location including a horsedrawn wagon load of cheese boxes, assumed empty since the wagon bed appeared to be lightweight and not conducive to that much weight if the boxes were full.  The photo was done by Saunders Studio, probably of Friendship, NY., and submitted by Charlie Barrett who “rescued” the photo from possible extinction…..Please consider me for any of your old photos so we can share them with others.

This Week’s Picture

“COUNTY HOUSE SCHOOL” – ANGELICA Old District School #2 Classes

Gerrie Evans Raw submits this photo of teacher & pupils which was “From my very own (3rd) cousin – in sifting through his recently deceased parents pictures, he ran across this one” and we are glad to have it to show.  (Gerrie marked “her own” family members.)  Names in unknown order-- Teacher: Eva Rutherford; Pupils: Mary Lytle, Grace Greene, Edgar Greene, Nora Evans, Viola Evans, Harvey Evans, Agnes Ackley, Harrison Ackley, Ray Wafler, Emma Wafler, Anna Butler, , Mabel Greene, Fannie Lytle, Walter Lytle, , Edith Lytle, Willie  Lytle, Charlie  Lytle, Alma Lytle, Gratie Behrens, Myrtie Behrens, Harvey Warner, 22 Joe ______, Mabel Scholes, & Nina Hammond.  Year unknown.  Do you know any of these people or anything more about the photo?

The following from Bob Dorsey regarding the County House School Pupils:

"Grace Greene(Scholes) is in the back row, 2nd from the left;  2nd & 3rd in Row 3 are Harry & Joe Warner; 4th from left in 2nd row is Edgar Greene;  Mabel Scholes (labeled) was known to most in Angelica as Mabel Morton.

This week’s photo is from the archives of the Thelma Rogers Genealogical and Historical Society in Wellsville, NY.  The location of this company was in the vicinity of where Madison Street meets the arterial (4-lane).  At the time of the photo the Pearl Street bridge is slightly visible to the right of the smoke stacks.  Welcome Coats was the first recorded manufacturer in Wellsville Town and Village that I have found, establishing his first shop within his home in 1838.  His business grew rapidly with several pieces of machinery added to the business including wood lathes which were originally turned by horsepower according to newspaper accounts.  As business progressed, Mr. Coats provided another manufacturing “first” in Wellsville as he installed in his shop the first steam engine to be used in town, the year, being 1852.  The manufacturing business had been moved out of his home into its own building by this date to ease space constraints and fire.  Welcome H. Coats was truly the Town’s Pioneer Manufacturer.     Welcome Coats was married to Joanna Burrows and they had five children.  He conducted the furniture business until 1872 and was active in Town and Village affairs having held the office of justice of the peace for many years.  Walter B. Coats, second son of Welcome H., was born in Wellsville and was in business with his father from 1861 until 1866, when, with his brother Hiram, he established the firm of Coats Bros. and after the death of Hiram in 1884, he continued in the furniture trade under the firm name of Coats Brothers.     The Coats Furniture Company was plagued with fires during the nearly 85 years it was in business.  The final blow to the business was a huge fire September 2, 1925.  It never reopened.    LAST WEEK’s photo of the County Home School children has had several students identified and I am placing the names on my website with the photo.

Below is Patriot Newspaper column week of 1/28/2009 

Discovering the history of Allegany County by Ron Taylor

 

 

 

This week’s photo is very plainly marked as “Petrolia School 1935-‘36”.  I also will tell you that the photo is owned and submitted by Eleanor Kruger Cott who is the gal at the far right.  Other than that very little is know and I look to you for a name supply….email, mail or call me!  Petrolia, the location of the famous “Triangle Wells” drilled by O. P. Taylor, is a hamlet located in the very farthermost corner in Town of Scio.  It is located just a few minutes from both Allentown, Alma and Wellsville and a longer driving distance to Scio than any of these.  Geographical arguments occurred for many years about which School had the “right-of-way” to pick up students that lived in Petrolia when going to high school.  At times, students wishing to go to Allentown School were required to walk quite a distance in order to get on an Allentown bus since it was not allowed to pick up students on “foreign land”, namely Town of Scio or Town of Wellsville.  This school was know in Town of Scio as “Joint District #4” School.   Please send me the names of the other students.

Comments and discussion of this photo can be forwarded to me at: rgtaylor02@roadrunner.com  or mail to the address shown below or The Patriot Office.  Do you have pictures you think will stump Patriot readers about Allegany County Local History?  Are you willing to share them?    Please dig in the attic and send pictures since I need all the help I can receive in order to keep this column “fresh”.   Mail to:  Ron Taylor, 200 Rauber Street, Wellsville, NY 14895 or email address above.    Please include a stamped self-addressed envelope if you want the picture returned.  Also, write an explanation of the picture including date and statement that you are owner of the picture and give permission for it to be published in paper and on website.  My website address: www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/county/allegany

Below is Patriot Newspaper column week of 2/4/2009 

Discovering the history of Allegany County by Ron Taylor

 

 

 

 

Last Week's Photo: I never cease to be amazed at the number of readers of “The Patriot” inform me about my column.  To all who respond, thank you sincerely for letting me into your life each week.   I have the following response from Earsol Barnes Mattison living on North Main Street, Wellsville, listing the students in Last Week’s photo of Petrolia School:  Front (L-R) Earsol Barnes, Unknown, Gordon ?, Anita Taylor, Louise Barnes, Unknown, Eleanor Kruger.  Back (L-R) Lois ?, Helen Kemp, Unknown, Darr Barnes, Hilda Trowbridge, & Unknown.  The teacher was Ms. Fisher.

 

 

This week’s photo is a mystery photo even to me!!  This is a really great “Stewart” photo and has the date of August 7, 1948.  Help is needed to identify who the “Wildcats” are and what the photo is all about.  The photo was in the archives of the Nathaniel Dyke Museum at Wellsville and nothing else written to accompany.  Who are these guys?

Comments and discussion of this photo can be forwarded to me at: rgtaylor02@roadrunner.com  or mail to the address shown below or The Patriot Office.  Do you have pictures you think will stump Patriot readers about Allegany County Local History?  Are you willing to share them?    Please dig in the attic and send pictures since I need all the help I can receive in order to keep this column “fresh”.   Mail to:  Ron Taylor, 200 Rauber Street, Wellsville, NY 14895 or email address above.    Please include a stamped self-addressed envelope if you want the picture returned.  Also, write an explanation of the picture including date and statement that you are owner of the picture and give permission for it to be published in paper and on website.  My website address: www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/county/allegany

 

Below is Patriot Newspaper column week of 2/11/2009 

Last Week’s Photo of the “WILDCATS” has not been answered….who are the “Wildcats?

This week’s photo – 1931 Allegany County Board of Supervisors

Thanks to Ebay and the sharing by Karl Graves of Andover we can view this week’s photo.   It was purchased on the internet at a very good price and is now available for us all to see.  Thanks, Karl.  The answer is below, but, How many can you name of the 1931 Allegany County Board of Supervisors, as well as several of the County Offficials.

ANSWER:  (L-R) Seated: D. G. Perkins, Clarksville; Sidney J. Cleveland, Alma; Earl G. Kingsley, Rushford; Fred C. Mulkin, Friendship; E. E. Fenner, Alfred; H. E. Goodrich, Wirt; Charles W. Whitcomb, Amity; T. S. McVey, New Hudson; T. J. McElroy, Centerville; J. H. Winchip, Hume.  Second Row: William W. Bush, County Clerk; Daniel Witter, Sheriff; Leon Ackerman, Assistant Clerk; Alwin W. Schaller, Wellsville; Fred S. Potter, Andover; Morris Voss, Granger; Fred Farwell, Ward; W. B. Wright, Scio; Thomas B. Burdick, Genesee; Charles Morton, West Almond; R. S. Deck, Independence; L. B. Chaffee, Allen; D. S. Burdick, County Treasurer; L. C. Allen, Clerk of Board; Oscar Younger, Caneadea; P. E. Collins, Belfast; Frances W. Coombs, Burns; I. D. Karr, Almond; Frank L. Gere, Cuba; Joseph Clancy, Birdsall; Mark Rogers, Willing; J. Y. Thompson, Angelica; William Hall, Welfare Officer.  Absent: Arthur W. Shaner, Bolivar; Fred Blakley, Grove.

A Previous Photo, Allegany County Supervisors – 1931 – is now being framed and will hang in the County Courthouse, thanks to Karl Graves for saving it and the work of County Clerk, Robert Christman.  An important photo will be restored to it’s proper place where all can share!

This Week’s Photo:

This “old Classic” is shared by a couple of Allegany County people well known to the community.  What year is the car and who is the man?  (Answer below) 

This Week’s Photo:

The Log Cabin featured in this week’s photo sat on the site of the Allegany County Fairgrounds.  Bob Dorsey sent this picture asking for feedback on what it’s use might have been through, obviously, many years.  When was it built, when was it removed and was it just demolished?  Any and all replies will be passed along to readers through my website and to Bob.  Can anyone date this photo? 

 

 Week of 3/18/09 Patriot

Discovering the history of Allegany County by Ron Taylor

 

 

 

 

This Week’s Photo: 

This 1911 drawing of The B&S Railroad layout, in part, for the area in and around Wellsville gives answers to many questions regarding how much railroads played in the local history.  Don’t you wonder, when seeing the 98-car (I counted one last Friday while stopped at a crossing) trains loaded heavy with coal cross our county today, of what the landscape looked like a hundred years ago?  Here is just a couple of clues.  The Wellsville High School of today is approximately where the Buffalo & Susquehanna Railroad Freight Station stood in 1911.  When looking at the drawing, the Station that is noted in the bottom left corner was the passenger station.  Another drawing (not shown) placed against this drawing at the left would show State Street and a Freight Station in the near location of the present-day school.   Island Park and the present “lagoon area” have drastically changed over the years due to man’s use of the area and Mother Nature’s floods.  The B&S RR (later “WAG” Wellsville-Addison-Galeton) line came north from Galeton (& Genesee) PA to the Wellsville Refinery (later Sinclair) in 1911 and many “siding tracks” were installed and removed as needed.  At the refinery many siding tracks were provided through the years for product incoming and outgoing, including the circular 1012’ siding shown above at the right.  The area noted in drawing as “B&S Ry Fair Grounds” raises a question I cannot answer….was the area owned by the Railway in 1911?  This same area is now known commonly in Wellsville as the Lagoon area and consists of several ball diamonds.  The “wye” of the railroad was built from the main line on the southern bank of the Genesee River across the river to rest partly on an Island before reaching the northern bank of the river and continue to cross the (now) arterial and through land where today’s Motel is built.  In 1911 there were 3 tracks that crossed Main Street to travel beside what is now known as Air Preheater (then Kerr Turbine Co.) and connect with the Old Erie Railroad mainline.  In 1973, when I managed a lumber yard no longer in existence where the motel stands, we unloaded several cars of lumber that were delivered by Erie RR across Main Street to the location.  The last railroad crossing of main street took place about 1974.  Prior to the drawing of this layout map, the following Wellsville Daily Reporter article was printed: November 17, 1899 –  ROUND HOUSE BURNED – The B. & S. round house across the river from the Fair grounds was destroyed by fire last evening about 10 0’clock. An alarm was sent in and the companies quickly responded but could be of no assistance.”  What interesting changes the landscape takes in 100 years!  (Source of drawing, Allegany County Historian Office Archives)

 

Comments and discussion of this photo can be forwarded to me at: rgtaylor02@roadrunner.com  or mail to the address shown below or The Patriot Office.  Do you have pictures you think will stump Patriot readers about Allegany County Local History?  Are you willing to share them?    Please dig in the attic and send pictures since I need all the help I can receive in order to keep this column “fresh”.   Mail to:  Ron Taylor, 200 Rauber Street, Wellsville, NY 14895 or email address above.    Please include a stamped self-addressed envelope if you want the picture returned.  Also, write an explanation of the picture including date and statement that you are owner of the picture and give permission for it to be published in paper and on website.  My website address: www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/county/allegany

Week of March 25, 2009 Patriot Column