july 2016 - greece historical society
TRANSCRIPT
J u l y 2 0 1 6
Programs 1
Museum Community 4
Of Interest 5
History Report 7
J u l y 2 0 1 6 V o l u m e 3 7 , I s s u e 7
Thank you to scouts and family members of
Boy Scout Troup 48 from Greece Baptist
Church and Cub Scout Pack 173 from Greece
United Methodist for helping to clean up our
gardens on Friday June 3rd.
On Wednesday, May 25th we were visited by the Athena Middle School History Club. A great group of young people interested in history!
In Every Issue: Points of Interest:
President’s Message 2
Calendar 2
Board of Trustees 4
Contact Us 8
Strawberry Dessert Tasting Festival and Fundraiser Photos
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"President's Message"
Thank you to everyone who came and enjoyed our Strawberry & Dessert Tasting Festival fundraiser on June 20th. Despite a very hot and windy afternoon, more than 350 of our friends and neighbors enjoyed the festivities and visited our museum and our newest exhibit "Hometown Sports of Greece, NY." Due to a nearby mo-tor vehicle accident, Long Pond Rd was closed between 3:30 and 4:30 affecting many who planned to come early. I am sure the very hot weather also affected the attendance.
A special thank you goes to all our volunteers, vendors, sponsors and all the organizations who contributed to the success of our major fund raiser of the year. An event like this takes months of planning and a lot of hard work the day of the event. Some of the organiza-tions, businesses and volunteers that helped were:
Vendors: Legacy at Park Crescent, Long Pond Family Restaurant, Tim Horton's, Tops Friendly Markets, Village at Unity, Pop Corn Plus and Cinelli's Ristorante.
Nonprofit community organizations: Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse, Spencerport Depot Museum, Rochester Baseball Historical Society, Meals on Wheels, Communi-ty Clothing Closet, Veterans, Outreach Center, Baseball Historical Society and Honor Flight.
Organizations and businesses that contributed gifts or services: Adventure Landing, Bill Grays, Blanchard Flo-rist, Faris Pharmacy, Greece Chamber of Commerce, Senator Joe Robach, Joe's Homestyle Eatery, LiDestri Food & Beverage, Marriott Hotel, Memorial Art Gallery, Masters Seafood, Northwest YMCA, Rochester Red Wings, Rochester Rhinos, Rockcastle Florist, Sea Breeze, Sky Zone, Shorewood Garden Club and Van Putte Gar-dens.
Entertainment: Jeremy Carter and Brian Hardick of Par-ty Productions.
Corporate Sponsors: Wegmans, NW Savings Bank, Vay–Schleich & Meeson Funeral and Cremation Chapels.
Individual and group volunteers: Joe & Carol Riesen-
berger, Kathy Firkins, Jack Heller, Judith Chafel, Bobbie
Roberts, Faye Cole, Renee Sanger, Kathy Kier, Sue Eddy,
Pat Palumbo, Hanna Chibber, Wendy Peeck, Bradley
Haag, Ruth Curchoe, Steve Lemon, Andrew Easterly,
Jack Wallenhorst, Joe Vitello, BSA Venturing Crew
1910, Paula Smith, Barbara & Joe Giancursio, Paula
Kosiorek, Alan (continued col 2)
“Museum Events”
Museum and Museum Shop hours: Sunday 1:30 - 4p.m.
GHS office hours: Mon-Tue 9:30 a.m.-Noon
Museum and Museum Shop also open office hours.
Sunday, Jul 24th, 1:00 pm Holy Sepulchre Cemetery
Tour I: East Sections 1-13
Sunday, Aug 28th, 1:00 pm Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Tour II: East Sections 18-26
Sunday, Sept 11
th, Greece Museum 2:00 pm
The Manhattan Project by Wally Rust
Tuesday, Sept 13th
, Greece Library 7:00 pm Searching for the Musical Dossenbachs by Lisa Kleman
Sunday, Sept 18th
, 1:00 pm Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Tour I: East Sections 1-13
Tuesday, Oct 11th
, Greece Library 7:00 pm The life of Harriett Tubman by Maggie Moore
*Pre-registration Required for Programs at the Library
Call the Greece Library at 585-225-8951or go online at
http://www.greecepubliclibrary.org, click on the calendar
link, click on the event and follow the instructions. Please
register individually for each person attending the program.
The Library will e-mail or text you a reminder or advise of last
minute changes or weather related cancellations.
(continued from col 1) Mueller, Lorraine Beane, Deborah Whitt, Bill Peeck, Dennis Ruger, Tom Sawnor, Terry LeFeber, Keith Kroon, Bill Coe, Officer Todd Gumaer, Greece Police Explorer Post 400, Greece Special Police, Maureen Whalen, Terry Robach, Marie Poinan, Angie Kananen, Sue Hodge, Lynn Smith, Sandy Peck, Bobbie Young, Karen Henry, Lyn Heard, Joan DiGiacomo, Dagmar Doland, the Lakeview Garden Club, Barton's Parkside Hots who provided his delicious grilled food, The Signery for their continued support in creating signs for us and finally, several unnamed guests who helped tie down some of our tents during heavy winds. Bill Sauers, President
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“Museum Shop”
We have many books in our Shop on local history. Right now we are offering special pricing on most of our local history books. Our area has been making history with our residents – past and present. Please come and check out these amazing stories of our great town. You can stop and see ‘Hometown Sports in Greece’ and the Early Settlers and Agricultural Exhibits in the museum– we are a history making town.
Wendy Peeck, Museum Shop Coordinator
Museum Shop hours: Sun 1:30-4:00, Mon-Tue 9:30-12
Officers & Board of Trustees
For newsletter input only, please contact:
Cyndie Shevlin, Editor This newsletter is published monthly by the editor for the
Greece Historical Society and Museum.
Please Remember
the Greece Historical Society in your tax
and estate planning. We are a non-profit
organization supported by your
gifts and endowments*.
We sincerely appreciate your donations.
*Tax deductible per Section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code
President: Bill Sauers
Vice President: Sandy Peck
Secretary: Paula Smith
Treasurer: Bill Peeck
Executive Director: Needed
Honorary Trustee: Don Newcomb
Trustees: Ruth Curchoe
Pam O'Sullivan
Sandy Peck
Bill Peeck
Gregg Redmond
Bill Sauers
Tom Sawnor
Cyndie Shevlin
Paula Smith
Betty Tudisco
Jack Wallenhorst
Deborah Whitt
Committee Chairs:
Grounds Bill Peeck
GHS Historian Alan Mueller
Membership Kathy Kier
Museum Shop Wendy Peeck
Newsletter Cyndie Shevlin
Programs Bill Sauers
Publicity Marge Zercie
Registrar Lee Strauss
Tours, Education Kathie Firkins
Linda Evans
New Web Page
We are in the process of transitioning to a new web page. Our current one http://www.greecehistoricalsociety.net will soon go off line and we will be using http://www.greecehistoricalsociety.org Take a look at the new site and let us know what you think.
In October 2014 we unveiled an historic
marker noting the history of Paddy Hill
School. It was the culmination of many
months of research and working with the
William Pomeroy Foundation, who funded
the project though their historic sign grant
program. The sign was a gift from the Greece
Historical Society to the Paddy Hill School.
Unfortunately in February we were notified
by Kevin Maloney of the School District
maintenance office that the sign had been
damaged and broken off its pole
either by wind, vandalism or a de-
fect in the sign.
A big thank you to Kevin for his
prompt action in retrieving the
sign and to Catskill Castings for the
great job of repairing it.
Quote of the month
"The past we inherit, the future we create".
Edward Flanagan
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“Our Museum Community” THANK YOU to the BUSINESSES that have SUPPORTED the Greece Historical Society
American Custom Interiors & Exteriors
Cinelli’s Pizza Restorante Greece Chamber of Commerce*
Greece Grange Legacy at Park Crescent* Long Pond Auto Body*
Long Pond Family Restaurant Mark IV Enterprises North Ridge Glass*
Northwest Savings Bank (Long Pond Rd) Party Productions
The Signery The Villages at Unity*
Tim Horton's (Long Pond Rd) Tops Markets
Ultimate Interiors* Vay-Schleich & Meeson Funeral &
Cremation Chapels* Wegman Food Markets (Latta Rd)*
(* denotes Business Member)
Sports Exhibit Opening, sponsored by Locker Room Sports, a Great Success!
On a beautiful summer afternoon June 10th, over 70 local sports athletes and coaches, athletes’ families, friends, dignitaries, and local sports enthusiasts gath-ered for the opening of the Historical Society’s Hometown Sports Exhibit. This exhibit will run for the rest of the year and highlights the careers of 34 local sports stars. Athletes attending were Bob Bleier (football), Megan Shoniker (basketball), Mindy Sawnor (track), Jill Cardella (hockey), Jason Bonsignore (hockey), and Coaches Ed Nietopski and Jim Johnson along with Manager and Coach Joe Altobelli. Also attending were the families of Jeff Weston, Jori Davis, and Joe McShea. Dignitaries attending were Senator Joe Robach, Councilman Andrew Conlon, Receiver of Taxes Rick An-telli Sr. and Sarah Lentini from the Greece Chamber of Commerce. The premier was an outstanding success. Kudos to Society trustee Tom Sawnor for leading and coor-dinating this endeavor. Thank you to the exhibit team members: Ma-rie Poinan, Sandy Peck, Kathy Fir-kins, Paula Smith, and Lee Strauss.
“Tours and Education”
When Spring arrived not only did the flowers bloom, but the museum filled with excitement as we began our annual school tours. This year we had over 300 2nd graders from Pinebrook and Longridge Elementary schools. Along with that we had a Home School group and the Greece Athena History Club. Each group was unique in its own way. The 2nd graders are primarily interested in how life was 100 years ago. They are amazed that the house did not have electricity so there-fore no electronics. What did they do after dinner? No TV, video games or cell phones to play with. When I demonstrate the phonograph and ask them what the “record” is - the response is always the same - it’s a CD or disc. What else would they think it was? I love to let them watch it play and show how the “record” can be turned over to play the other side. Once we get back to the museum area they are eager to learn some history facts about the Town of Greece. The One Room School House, the Ridge Road Wheel and the Kitchen are fa-vorites. We have approx. 45 minutes to one hour for each group which always seems to go by too quickly.
Kathie Firkins, Education Committee
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"Apples, Pine Trees and Boxing Gloves!"
We've explained apples and pine trees......What about boxing gloves...? Mr. Edward Sturm had once been in the furniture business on Joseph Ave. and knew well how to greet custom-ers and run a successful retail venture. The tavern business was a bit different, but Edward slowly built the Pine Tree Inn into a profitable enterprise. Ridge Road West would become completely paved (two lanes) from Lake Ave. to Man-itou Road, the town of Greece line and beyond. Yet, with all its popularity, Sturm decided to put the Inn up for sale in the fall of 1928. A strapping, young and gregarious fellow by the name of Clement Versluy, who had immigrated here with his family to the United States in 1914, bought the Pine Tree Inn in December of 1928. Despite the depression of the 1930s and prohibition until 1933 (he was cited and fined several times for having illegal spirits on site), the Inn soon became one of the most popular eateries along the greatly improved West Ridge Rd. Clement Versluy, having dropped his Belgian name, was now calling himself, MIKE CONROY - "the boxer"! Mike’s professional boxing career had its start in the spring of 1920 with his first fight in Rochester. Boxing was second to baseball in popularity during the 1920s-1950s. He was named one of the heavyweight contenders of Western New York in the early ‘20s. With Mike and his wife Alice as congenial hosts, "Mikes Pine Tree Inn" became one of the most favored spots on the west side of Monroe County. The walls of the barroom were covered with framed, autographed boxing greats and other local and national luminaries Mike had befriended. The Inn was enlarged and updated in1948 and now had a capacity to serve 300 people in the dining room and 100 more in the "tap room"! There was also space for a band-stand and a dance floor. Boxing legends from around the country often held gatherings at Mike's place. The Democrat and Chronicle on Nov. 11, 1953 headline on the sports page read: "Mike Conroy to Quit Business, To See Sights with Alice". Their plan was to lease the business for a period of ten years so he and his wife, Alice, could travel. The business was leased to Shale (Sol) Gans. Shale had been in the restaurant business on Brown St. for many years. Mike and Alice traveled to Europe, Cuba and Mexico. Within a few years the lease led to a sale to Gans. Shale took lit-tle time in a complete redecoration of the venerable Inn with new drapes, wallpaper & carpet, soft lighting, and over-head stars above the dance floor. Gone were Conroy's photo collection of boxers and notable personages. Shales was a bowling fan, sponsoring several leagues. The name was now SHALE’S and in small print, for a while, “Formerly Mike Conroy's". Mike and Alice enjoyed their retirement years, still traveling and visiting old friends until Mike’s health declined. Mike was "on the ropes and would soon be counted out" as longtime friend and columnist Henry Clune said in his col-umn . When Mike Conroy (nee Clement Versluy) passed in July 1964, Clune said about his friend: "a big, blustering, immensely good-natured man, who loved life and the hard sport of professional boxing"......"Mike died the other day, and another colorful character departed the Rochester scene.” As a post-script to this tale.......Mike was lucky he never saw the final chapter to his once beloved Pine Tree Inn. Shale Gans filed bankruptcy in 1964 and The County of Monroe seized the property at 1225 Ridge Rd. for back taxes. That is the end of "Apples, Pine Trees & Boxing Gloves" plus a few nicked bowling pins!
Greece History by Alan Mueller
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Membership Application
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595 Long Pond Road P.O. Box 16249
Rochester NY 14616-0249
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