First Daughter of Mentz?

The Weekly Auburnian, Friday June 4, 1886

First Daughter of Mentz

Mrs. Sally Shaw, widow of the late Jacob Shaw died at the home of her daughter Mrs. William G. Soule in Savannah, on Tuesday at the age of eighty-nine years. She was the first child born in the town of Mentz, Cayuga Connty and had an unusually romantic career.  She was married in 1815 and was a mother of a large family.  The funeral took place this afternoon. 

For anyone that wants to see the original article (click here)

It is sometimes difficult to know if a newspaper obit is correct or not.  The above would suggest her birth year was about 1797, and given the headline caption this caught my eye.  Upon closer inspection, her head stone says she died in 1887 but the newspaper heading clearly shows she died in 1886.  Her stone says she was 84 and the obit states she was age 89. 

I believe she was the daughter of Henry Cook based on census readings.  In 1870, Henry has a Sally Shaw in his household.  The 1850 census would suggest her name may have been Nancy Sally.

While census readings indicate she was born in MA or NJ, her obit says she was the first child born in the Town of Mentz.  If this article holds true, it may suggest she was the first child born in the present-day town of Montezuma, which was once part of Mentz.  However, the 1810 census does not produce Henry, so perhaps they are living together with another family.  The first child born in present-day Mentz is believed to be Ezekiel King who was born about Sept. 2, 1800.

Lost Cattle

Union Springs Advertiser

November 5, 1908 ?

Five hundred dollars worth of cattle went to destruction Sunday night at Port Byron as the result of a fast train flying through a herd that George S. Newkirk of Port Byron and William Judson of Conquest had purchased. The purchasers had unloaded the cattle from a box car and were driving them across the track when the flyer came along at a fast clip.  Thirteen of the cows were killed and three others mangled.

NYS Cemetery Aerial Maps

In need of help finding a cemetery?

Here are some useful links to help you navigate:

GPS Waypoints of over 4,800 NYS Cemeteries

To view the aerial maps, jump down to the list by township and click on the respective cemetery to see the map.

Cayuga County Cemetery Maps from Cayuga County Historian's Office

Port Byronite

Port Byronite coined as early as 1878!

Well folks, it's official.  If you are from Port Byron, NY you are a "Port Byronite".


Thanks to fultonhistory.com, the term can be traced back as early as 1878 in The Evenings Auburnian when five our of residents left for Texas.

The phrase has been used to describe all kinds or activities connecting to our home town, from race car drivers, school bowling teams to fireman's parades.


 

1950 Weedsport Cayuga Chief

Not on your best behavior?  Then be prepared; you may be called out on the carpet for it as shown in this Syracuse Herald clip taken from the Port Byron Chronicle:

Photo per Rootsweb 

The term Port Byronite was even found in our business district when the Brown and Martens show room opened in 1948.

1948 Grand Opening of Brown and Marten Auto Dealers

How proud are you to be a "Port Byronite"?

Masonic Building Design

Sometimes when browsing published histories of other places, your eyes will see something that brings back the feeling of home.  That was the case when reading the history of North Platte, Nebraska.

Looking at their buildings, I was drawn to North Platte's brick jail building.

The picture above appears in the book North Platte: City Between Two Rivers by Jim Backus.  If this building looks familiar, your eyes may be spotting the similarity to Port Byron's Masonic Building below:

While the buildings are not an exact copy there is enough similarity to see they have similar design with ours having an extra floor and more elaborate center windows.
Link to original photo here









Full copy of Port Byron's Masonic building can be found here

Titanic News Coverage 1912

Articles about Titanic from 1912

1930's School Photo

Pearl Becker of Weedsport invited me to take a digital photo of her Dad's school picture taken at the Port Byron Central School.  Do you recognize these faces?

This school was the last of three buildings to be constructed on Church Street.  Today it is the Church Street Apartments.

Click the link to learn more about the previous buildings at this site:

Port Byron Free & Academy 1859-1898

Port Byron High School 1899-1935

Thank you Pearl!

Emma Sweet's Horse Accident

Weekly News and Democrat
Auburn, NY Wedesnday March 31, 1897
Cost $1.00 per year

PORT BYRON, March 25.—A fractious young horse attached to a buggy, the
property of Eugene Sweet, of Troopsville, and driven by Miss Emma Sweet,
indulged in a very spirited runaway Tuesday noon. It has been the custom
of Miss Sweet, who drives from Troopsville to attend the Port Byron high
school, to exercise her horse at noon time, and it was while so excersizing that the accident occurred.  She had proceeded as far as Park street and went on a down grade when the king bolt dropped out, letting the thills drop upon the animal's heels, causing him to run the whole length of Park street.  From there he ran into the garden of James English, where the buggy broke in two, throwing Miss Sweet out upon her head into the soft mud.  The horse with the two forward wheels attached then ran through the garden to Utica street, where he was captured after crashing through a high board fence, by William Alfreds.  Owing to the soft condition of the garden Miss Sweet was not injured and was able to walk to the schoolhouse very much covered with mud.

1911 Church History

Former Port Byron Stage Star Is Dead

The Cayuga Chief  Weedsport, NY Friday February 14, 1941

The funeral of Mrs. Lewis Henderson, formerly of Port Byron, who died Sunday at her home in Newburgh, was held Wednesday from the home of her sister, Mrs. Mertie Brown, in Port Byron, with the Rev. ? Burial will be in Mount Pleasant cemetery, Port Byron.  Mrs. Henderson many years ago was one of the prominent actresses of the country, having her own dramatic company in a repertoire of comedies and dramas. Her performances were enjoyed in the days of the old Academy of Music in Auburn, before erection of the Burtis Opera House, and later for many years in that theater. Her name was then Kittie Rhoades.

Man's Best Friend

The Ithacan, Ithaca, NY c. 1868

Cayuga County

The Auburn News says that Mr. Milan McCarty, residing on the Port Byron road, owns a dog that is deserving of notice.  Mr. McCarty is a subscriber to the News and the paper is brought past his door by the Port Byron stage. On the arrival of the stage the dog takes his position by the roadside, catches the paper in his mouth and delivers it safely at the house.  If the driver omits to hand the dog his paper, he will follow the stage for a long distance, and attest his displeasure by frequent barks.

Tribute to Capt. Lockwood

In Memory Marker
Mt. Pleasamt Cemetery

Port Byron was proud to honor one of its civil war heroes on Saturday July, 30th 2011.  The In-Memory marker ceremony was a beautiful tribute to such a courageous young man, Capt. John William Lockwood of Company F, 111th NY Infantry.    

I would like to thank Senator Michael F Nozzolio and especially the office of Senator Charles Schumer for their assistance in working with the veterans administration on our behalf.  I was pleased to sponsor this project with purchasing the needed documents to enable our Captain to receive this marker.

Daughters of Union Veterans
Tokens of Remembrance

The Julia Hibbard Tent #71 of Bridgewater, Oneida County, NY conducted an inspiring dedication service.  Deposited at the grave in this ceremony were tokens of affection, the wreath of evergreen symbolizes undying love for the comrades of war, the single rose signifies purity and the wreath of grapevine represents a symbol for victory.

Photo by Christopher Barclay

Port Byron to honor Civil War Prisoner of War

For Immediate Release:

On Saturday July 30, 2011 at 11 am, a Civil War Sesquicentennial Event will be held at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Port Byron, NY. Historian Dawn Roe will be hosting an “In-Memory” marker dedication ceremony to honor Capt. John W. Lockwood of Co. F, 111th NY Infantry.

Lockwood died as a POW while being boarded for transfer between prison camps and is interred in a mass grave at Salisbury, NC. Roe worked closely with the offices of Senators Charles Schumer and Michael Nozzolio to obtain a military marker to honor the memory of our fallen Captain.

Much about Lockwood’s war experience has been surrounded by mystery, including his burial location. This in part, is due to his family recording his data on the family monument, which is today worn from the fate of time. Post war newspapers reported that Lockwood died while in route to Salisbury prison, while others claimed he died in route to Andersonville. After research of historical documents, we are now able to present a timeline that will answer many questions about his life. Port Byron welcomes everyone as we commemorate his memory; yet at the same time tell his story in more detail than has ever been told before.

Old Occupation Titles

Every once in awhile in census records I see an occupation listed that is not common today.  A good example is a person who lists themselves as a "scavenger".  One would think perhaps this could be an alternate use for a person who may be a junk dealer. 

However, I have found an alternate list for Scottish occupations, which lists a scavenger as a person who was a street sweeper. 

Don't be overly impressed if you see someone listed as a scholar, this lists indicates that would be a child who is attending school, not the graduate of worthy abilities.

It's an interesting read, hope you enjoy the list!

http://www.scotsfamily.com/occupations.htm

Visit from the Late Penny Helzer?

Many of you may recall my predecessor, the late Penny Helzer.  I had the opportunity to briefly work with her.  During the later part of her illness, on occasion I volunteered to answer inquiries on her behalf, until she was feeling well enough to resume her normal duties.

Shortly before she passed, I received the most unusual phone call from her.  She shared with me her plans for her funeral and post ceremonies.  She left very clear directions for her son, one of which was to round up several of her closest friends for a ceremony to release butterflies in her memory.  She asked me if I would do the honor of joining her friends and family for this special task.

I was hardly prepared for such a request but felt this would be the final act of kindness that Penny would ever ask of me, so I was flattered to be in their company.  When the butterflies were released, there was one in particular that fluttered around us, almost as if it was Penny giving her final goodbye.

This week I visited the gas station on my way to work, when I noticed the most beautiful large bodied butterfly, with a color pattern that I don't recall seeing before.  It was clinging to the base of the gas pump.  After paying for my purchase, when I returned to my car, I looked to see if the butterfly was still there.  I found it on the pavement crawling, so I stood and watched to try to assess if it had been injured.  Much to my surprise, it decided to cling to the rim of my car tire.  Then I gently lifted it from the tire, to ensure it was not harmed, and watched as it flew up and away beyond my line of vision.  As I drove away, I had the thought that maybe that was Penny in spirit, sending me a brief hello. 

Penny had the butterflies mail ordered and purchased a variety that was said to be very people friendly.  I'd like to think she was checking in on me.  Perhaps this was an offspring of the butterflies released at her ceremony. 

May the butterfly continue its journey, placing smiles on the faces of everyone it visits.

NSDAR Literacy Promotion Contest

I am deeply honored to share that the program organized in November 2010 to honor the late Pearl Kilmer Wilson's contributions to the "Mail-It" program, has received national recognition by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in their literacy promotion contest.

When the contest was announced we didn't know if the program we held, which focused on the elderly and visually impaired, how it would stack up as compared to other more traditional programs centered on reading involving the youth.  Our program seemed to fit the contest guidelines like a glove, so we decided to give it a try.  I am pleased to report that the program placed as follows:

Contest Results
1st Place  - New York State
1st Place  - North East Division, which includes the States of NY, VT, NH, ME, MA, CT, and RI
2nd Place - National

To fully understand why reading became so important  (page 2) to Pearl, I'd like to share her story:


Pearl as a youngster worked for her family as a mule driver on the Erie Canal.  This was a task traditionally performed by young boys for hire but she always stayed with her family.

She traveled the canal from Rochester to Syracuse and from Syracuse to Albany, following the Hudson river to New York City with her father William. She had a life long fascination over shoes and her days on the canal is likely the reason.  Shoes wore out frequently due to the many miles traveled.  

           c. 1903

Pearl with her sisters

Myrtle, Pearl (center), Georgiana

While it was hard work, Pearl found the traveling to be very exciting.  One of her adventures included a boat accident.  Upon arriving at a lock, they found the lock tender was on a lunch break. A gentleman nearby assured her father he could operate the lock to get them on their way without delay. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned and the boat made contact with the chamber wall.
Pearl laughed, saying she was so scared by the water rushing into the boat, that she jumped onto a small table that was nearby.  She added that by the time her father reached her, the table was floating in the water!

Happy Memorial Day



freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.
ancestry.com/~springport/pictures166
/portbyron/portbyron4web/pages/_P9D9505.htm


Port Byron wishes all of our service men and woman a safe return. 

They are among generations to contribute to the defense of National freedom.  We owe our liberties to the cause. 

May God continue to bless the families of those that have fallen.

Mystery Band Photo Solved

Last year I posted a photo of the Port Byron band from the 1935/37 period.  Today I found the newspaper article that shows this was a photo of an award winning band, taken at Syracuse University.  The photo was cropped but you can see that signature hand rail in the background, so mystery solved.

Also note that Edward Dougherty received special recognition from the brass section!

Mapping of New York State

A new link has been added that contains a digital book by David Y Allen regarding the mapping of the Empire State.

The direct link is:

http://www.dyasites.com/maps/nysbook/Title.htm

Alice Branson Mathis

I thought many of you would appreciate reading the story of Alice Branson Mathis, an African American migrant worker who worked on farms at Port Byron and Red Creek from the 1940's to the 1960's.

The report provides a behind the scene look at her struggles as well as her creativity.  Alice was born at Monticello, Florida on July 2, 1898, her parents dying while in her youth and was raised by her brothers.  By the age of 12, she was employed as a domestic worker. 

While residing at Sanford, Florida she would travel North for crop season.  Miss Alice while being unable to read or write, was able to own a home.  She never had any children and died at Rochester, NY in 1990.

Read her story here:

"Goin' North" by Victoria Sandwick Schmitt