clarence historical society 2012 spring newsletter

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Spring 2012 Editor – Julianna Fiddler Woite May 8 th 2012 – This month’s meeting will be held at the Clarence Nature Center on Sheridan Drive where Jim Marshall and Ken Schnobrich will be presenting July 10 th 2012 – The History of Steel Plants in WNY - presented by Michael Malyak August 2nd 2012 - Annual summer picnic, 6pm - 10pm Sept 11 th 2012 - Denise Reichard, a local actress will be playing a historical figure Nov 13 th 2012 - David Ruch & Canal Street String Band will provide Music from the War of 1812” Conestoga Wagon Project: Any members wishing to help place the canvas top on the Conestoga Wagon should come to the Museum on Saturday, May 5, at 10 AM. This should take no more than one hour to two hours. No special equipment is needed. Mark Your Calendars: The Historical Society's annual Summer picnic will be held at Glenwood Park, 8355 Greiner Road on Thursday, August 2 nd , between 6 and 10 p.m. [Contact Donna Wanamaker at 741-9726 for details and to register to attend]. There is no fee. Genealogy Services: We have Genealogy services at the Gerber Library in the Hollow. The former library is open on Wednesdays from 10-2 pm. Contact Mae Coppola at the Center for details.

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Clarence Historical Society 2012 Spring Newsletter

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Page 1: Clarence Historical Society 2012 Spring Newsletter

Spring 2012 Editor – Julianna Fiddler Woite

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May 8th

2012 – This month’s meeting will be held at the Clarence Nature Center on

Sheridan Drive where Jim Marshall and Ken Schnobrich will be presenting

July 10th

2012 – The History of Steel Plants in WNY - presented by Michael Malyak

August 2nd 2012 - Annual summer picnic, 6pm - 10pm

Sept 11th

2012 - Denise Reichard, a local actress will be playing a historical figure

Nov 13th

2012 - David Ruch & Canal Street String Band will provide

“Music from the War of 1812”

������������������������������������������������

Conestoga Wagon Project: Any members wishing to help place the canvas top on the Conestoga Wagon should

come to the Museum on Saturday, May 5, at 10 AM. This should take no more than

one hour to two hours. No special equipment is needed.

Mark Your Calendars:

The Historical Society's annual Summer picnic will be held at Glenwood Park, 8355

Greiner Road on Thursday, August 2nd

, between 6 and 10 p.m. [Contact Donna

Wanamaker at 741-9726 for details and to register to attend]. There is no fee.

Genealogy Services: We have Genealogy services at the Gerber Library in the Hollow. The former library

is open on Wednesdays from 10-2 pm. Contact Mae Coppola at the Center for

details. �

Page 2: Clarence Historical Society 2012 Spring Newsletter

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Reminiscence of an Old Settler

-As appeared in an early issue of the Clarence Bee

According to the best of my knowledge and belief, I first saw daylight in the nineteenth

century, in the month of December, 1813, in the central part of New York.

In the early spring of 1818, I emigrated with my parents to the Holland Land Purchase

which was at the time considered way out west. We first stopped where the village of Lancaster

is now located and remained there for one year.

In the meantime, father purchased a piece of wild land in the Town of Clarence (now the

Town of Lancaster) where he cleared a small piece and put up a small house into which we

moved in the spring of 1819, right in the woods.

Western New York was at the

time (with few exceptions) one unbroken

wilderness, covered with a heavy growth

of forest trees and inhabited by Indians,

bears, wolves, deer, wild cats, foxes,

porcupines and various other animals.

The timber was principally oak,

hickory, white wood or poplar ash, had

and soft maple, birch, beech, pine,

hemlock, etc.

A few people had preceded us

and had made small clearings. Soon after our arrival, families from different parts came and

settled not far from us so we had neighbors within half a mile. Well do I remember hearing

wolves howling around our house in their nightly visits while seeking something to devour.

Men, and sometimes women, in attempting to go from one settlement to another would get

bewildered, lose their way and have to stay in the woods all night with the wild beast as

company.

The hardy husbandman had to clear his lands of the heavy timber with which they were

all covered before they could raise anything on-which to live.

What a typical cabin would have looked like in early

pioneer days in Clarence.

Page 3: Clarence Historical Society 2012 Spring Newsletter

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After they would get a few acres of the timber cut down and cut into suitable lengths,

they would make a logging bee, invite their scattered neighbors, and when they had drawn the

logs into suitable places with oxen, they would roll them into huge heaps to be burned. Thus

there have been millions of cords of good timber and wood burned simply to get it off the land.

During the log-rolling hours, there was plenty of good whiskey and at the close of the day a

sumptuous supper was spread consisting of roast pig, pumpkin pie, and other necessary viands.

Actually these logging bees were a luxury to those people who had so few community pleasures.

In those days common schools in this country were few and far between. My first

schooling I remember was acquired in a barn. School teachers in those days earned the small

pittance which was paid them. Male teachers would get from twelve to fifteen dollars per month

of twenty four days of school and board around with those who sent children to school. Females

would get from one

dollar to one dollar and a

quarter per week and get

their board paid for in

the same way. Lady

teachers were required

to understand the

marking of the letters of

the alphabet and figures

on canvas with a kind of

thread known as floss.

Many of the larger girls

would go to school armed with a piece of canvas and spend a part of their time learning the art of

marking. Them too, teachers were compelled to write all the copies for those who wrote, and

make or mend quill pens until about 1840 or 1845 when metal pens became general.

In those days, boys and girls were required on meeting and elderly person on their way to

or from school, an obeisance, but now out young ladies and gentlemen are not required to

reverence anybody, not even their parents.

Buffalo in those early days was only a small hamlet having been burned by the British

and Indians in 1813 who only left a house or two standing.

Page 4: Clarence Historical Society 2012 Spring Newsletter

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**As part of a new series, The Ransom Note will highlight one of Clarence’s historically

designated homes in each edition. Currently there are 16 homes that have received this

prestigious designation – so that should keep us buy for a while!**

The Landow Log Cabin

Presently located on the property

of the Clarence Historical Society,

the Landow Log Cabin enjoys a

rich and prestigious history.

Originally located on Goodrich

Road, this circa 1825 cabin was

constructed by Levi Goodrich who

was born in Massachusetts in 1774.

The Goodrich family settled in

Clarence in 1815 and remained in

the area for over 20 years. While

in Clarence, Levi worked as a land surveyor, laying out many of Clarence's most traveled roads,

including the one that bears his name.

The cabin's name derives from its last residents, Mr. & Mrs. Gustave Landow. The Landow

family were prominent members of the German settlement in North Clarence and incorporated

this cabin into their large family farm. The Landow cabin proudly remained on the east side of

Goodrich Road, north of Lapp Road for 165 years. In 1990 the cabin was relocated to its present

site and restored to original form.

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10 pounds of flour

8 pounds of butter

4 pounds of sugar

29 eggs

3 pints of yeast

1 1/2 pints of new milk

cinnamon, nutmeg and a few cloves

YIELDS 40-50 servings!!

Taken from a 1795 manuscript by Mrs. Dalrymple of Salem Massachutes

Provided by POLITICS & POTROAST

NOTE: Early recipes only listed ingredients,

not directions. The cook was supposed to

know what to do!

Page 5: Clarence Historical Society 2012 Spring Newsletter

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New Clarence Book Underway!

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Page 6: Clarence Historical Society 2012 Spring Newsletter

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Page 7: Clarence Historical Society 2012 Spring Newsletter

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Picturing History

Out for a walk: Look at how empty Main Street was in 1917! Jewett Hoffman (left) and

Charles Landel (right) were able to pose with Dorothy Landel (back), Eunice Landel and

Howard Hoffman (in wagon) right in the center of the road. It seems like this stretch of Main

Street was light on houses and traffic!

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October 8th

, 1878

While Buell Utley was driving into the Hunt’s Corners Churchyard last Sunday, his

horses suddenly took fright and ran down the road in front of Norton Hunt’s residence where

they ran against a stone hitching post, broke the tongue and whiffletrees, and then ran down Salt

Road to Grarret Bratt Hunt’s house. Here they turned into the barnyard and were caught. Mr.

Utley and daughter were thrown out when the vehicle collided with the hitching post. Mr. Utley

was bruised very badly and his daughter broke one wrist and dislocated the other. Dr. Lapp of

Clarence was summoned immediately and took care of the injured.

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Page 8: Clarence Historical Society 2012 Spring Newsletter