HH Fall-Winter 2015

VOL. 28 NO.
$5.00 FALL/WINTER 2015
ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS
VOL. 28 NO. 2
$5.00 FALL/WINTER 2015
ON THE COVER
DEPARTMENTS
Development:
Medal Breakfast Recap

Planned Giving
Inside OHA
Hotel Syracuse Grand Re-Opening
Premier of documentary Beneath the Surface
Sknoh Great Law of Peace Center

donation from Schenectady
Archival
Eagle Scouts Project

Gift Gallery
OHA Gift Gallery Holiday Catalog
Education
Carolers
ON THE COVER
Durston Building painting, by Adelaide Morris Gardner
Curatorial
Volunteer Spotlight Amy Perez
IN THIS ISSUE
3
Cosmos Pizza: A Slice of
Syracuse History
by Gina A. Stankivitz
11
Who Done It?
by Dennis A. Connors
9
The Red Book
by Dick Case
15
Elizabeth Bacon Custer
by Dick Case
OHA History Highlights Fall/Winter 2015 1
18
The King and Marcellus
by Dick Case
OHA Staff
Gregg Tripoli, Executive Director
Daniel Connors, General Manager, Sknoh Great

Law of Peace Center
Dennis Connors, Curator of History
Karen Cooney, Support Services Administrator
Thomas Hunter, Curator of Collections
Sarah Kozma, Research Specialist
Lynne Pascale, Director of Development
Scott Peal, Education Associate
Michael Piscitell, Director of Finance
Pamela Priest, Archivist / Research Center Manager
Renee Ross, Gift Gallery Manager
Jon Zella, Development Associate
21
Crown Woolen Mills
by Gina Stankivitz
23
Westlake Conservators
40th Anniversary
by Thomas Hunter
OHA Board of Directors 2015-2016

Lee DeAmicis, President
Louis J. Steigerwald, III, Vice President
David Murray, M.D., Secretary
Raymond V. Grimaldi, CPA, Treasurer
Charles Baracco, CPA, Assistant Treasurer
Nancy Bottar
Lorraine Branham
Nancy Collins
George Curry
Bea Gonzales
Marilyn Higgins
Daniel D. Lent
Glynn Matthews, CEM
John T. McCann, Esq.
Walter Miller
Diane Miron
Tara Ross, JD
Michael Stancyzk, Esq. James Stoddard, Jr.
Honorary Directors
Hon. Joanie Mahoney
29
A Life in Art: Highlights of
Women Artists in OHAs
Collection
by Thomas Hunter
33
Andrew Boyd
by Dick Case
Hon. Stephanie Miner

37
Wartime Memories
by Robert W. Conroy, M.D.
Volume 28, No. 2
www.cnyhistory.org
41
OHA Resources Help
Onondaga County
School Teachers
by Dennis Connors
2015 Onondaga Historical Association

321 Montgomery Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
All Rights Reserved.
Official magazine of OHA. Subscription is available as a benefit
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Onondaga Historical Association is chartered by the Board of
Regents of the University of the State of New York. Its programs
are supported, in part, by funds provided by Onondaga County, the
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Onondaga Historical Association has engaged Dupli for the design
and printing of this magazine. Editing / Proofreading by Gregg
Tripoli, and Pamela A. F. Priest; Project Management / Compilation
by Pamela A. F. Priest.
44
The Prosperity Company
Goes to War
by Thomas Hunter
49
Ogie Ogilthorpe
by Jon Zella
No part of this periodical may be reproduced without the consent of the

publisher. Onondaga Historical Association assumes no responsibility
for unsolicited manuscripts.
cnyhistory.org
karen.cooney@cnyhistory.org
All images in this newsletter are from OHA collections,

unless otherwise noted.
Cosmos Pizza: A Slice of Syracuse History
By Gina Stankivitz
osmos Pizza, a Marshall Street landmark for over

fifty years, closed its doors in the summer of 2014.
Generations of Syracuse University alumni, sports
fans, local residents and visitors alike have fond memories
of the venerable eatery on the SU hill. Cosmos was one of
the longest operating establishments on Marshall Street. The
popular restaurant held widespread appeal with its New York
style pizza, traditional diner fare, retro dcor, reasonable
prices and friendly staff. Known first as the Cosmo Pizza
Shop, and later as Cosmos Pizza and Grill, but affectionately
referred to by many as just Cosmos, the restaurant had a
unique atmosphere, and its reputation extended beyond the
Syracuse University community. Many
parts of the Cosmos experience, including
the iconic jukeboxes at every table, gave
the restaurant a comforting appeal that was
welcoming not only to college students,
but to patrons of all ages and walks of life.
The restaurant had its beginnings as
part of the Cosmopolitan, which was for
many years operated by members of the
Panarites family. Located at 101 Marshall
Street, at the corner of Crouse Avenue, the
eatery, known popularly as the Cosmo,
opened in the 1920s, serving Syracuse
University students as well as other local clientele. In 1959,

Demosthenes Demo Stathis, Sr. and his brother-in-law,
George Cannellos leased a small space that had been part
of the Cosmo Restaurant in order to open a pizza shop, and
the Cosmo Pizza Shop was born. The original Cosmo Pizza
Shop had a counter at the front of the shop, but not enough
square footage for a dining room, so it specialized in takeout
and delivery service.
Stathis and Cannellos had previously operated a pizza
concession stand at Suburban Park, the amusement park
in Manlius. They learned the art of New York style pizza featuring a hand tossed, thin crust - from
the family who operated Suburban Park,
and were originally from the New York
City area. Both Stathis and Cannellos
were veterans of World War II. Stathis
served as a medic and was captured at
the Battle of Hurtgen Forest in Germany,
remaining a prisoner until the end of the
war. He was a recipient of two Purple
Hearts. Cannellos served as a sergeant
in the Army Air Corps.
Cosmos Pizza & Grills

jukebox in 2014
When the Cosmo Pizza Shop opened,

Stathis, who was an accountant, was in

exterior in 2014
The Cosmo from the

1937 Onondagan
interior of The Cosmo
Restaurant on the
corner of South Crouse
and Marshall Street
Courtesy of University
Archives, Syracuse
University Libraries
George Cannellos - Courtesy

of the Cannellos Family
Meet Uncle George Ad

interior in 2014
Cosmos order ticket
charge of the restaurants bookkeeping, while Cannellos

served as manager. Cannellos had been a mechanic, running
his own automobile service station prior to getting into
the restaurant business. Throughout its history, Cosmos
continued to be owned and operated by members of the
Stathis and Cannellos families.
The Cosmo Pizza Shop occupied its original space in the
Cosmo Restaurant building from 1959 to 1963. In April,
1963, the pizza shop moved to 143 Marshall Street, just down
the block from its previous location, into a space formerly
occupied by the Dutch Haven Restaurant. Cosmo Pizza Shop
celebrated its opening in the new location on April 15, 1963.
An advertisement in the April 12, 1963 issue of the Daily
Orange, Syracuse Universitys student newspaper, alerted
patrons to the new address, announcing that breakfast would
be available at 7:00 a.m. on opening day.
The new Cosmo Pizza Shop location was a much larger
space, which offered an opportunity for many improvements
to be made. More counter space was available, along
Cosmos logo
A dining area that was added

when Cosmos expanded in
the 1990s
with new booth seating and two large pizza ovens. These
improvements enabled faster, more efficient service for both
patrons dining in the restaurant and those ordering delivery
service. New items were also added to the menu, including
charcoal broiled hamburgers and corned beef sandwiches.
Patrons could watch their food being prepared, whether
seated at the counter or in one of the colorful booths that
featured jukeboxes playing the popular songs of the day.
Hand painted and lettered signs and menu boards by local
sign painter Fred Tulloch featured the available menu items.
In the earlier years of the restaurant, these were used in place
of individually printed menus.
Just two weeks after the restaurant opened in its new facility
at 143 Marshall Street, misfortune struck. Fire damaged
the pizza shop and four neighboring businesses, including
Leons Dry Cleaners, The Hill Book Stall, Lowes One
Stop Laundry and Mannys Hill Smoke Shop. The fire
originated at Cosmos and was first noticed around 12:45
p.m. by employee George Ellis, who saw sparks and embers
falling from the restaurants drop ceiling. The blaze was
Early Cosmos Signs
George Tossing Pizza - Courtesy of the Cannellos Family

to get through. Although extinguished by 2:15 p.m., the fire
caused considerable damage to the restaurant and adjacent
shops.
Fire at Cosmos in 1963, just two weeks after they opened

in their new location
fought by thirty-five Syracuse city firefighters, who used
over a dozen hoses, and had to cut more than twenty holes
in the roof to successfully stop the flames from spreading.
Firefighters efforts were impeded by cars parked on both
sides of Marshall Street, making it difficult for their trucks
An account in the April 30, 1963 edition of the Syracuse Post

Standard noted that as firemen were cleaning up in Cosmos,
the phone rang. A student was calling to inquire about getting
a pizza delivered, about which a fireman responded, Yes,
maam. But Im afraid it will be slightly overdone. The
fire department determined that an overheated ventilator at
the rear of the pizza shop was the cause of the blaze. It was
also noted that there were no fire walls or stops between
the adjoining businesses, which contributed to the fires
spread. It would take a few weeks for Cosmos and the other
businesses affected to reopen. Despite the early setback of
the fire, the restaurant would thrive and become one of the
most popular eateries in the Syracuse University area.
Businesses in the Marshall Street area have always catered
to the needs of college students, and Cosmos was no
1962 ad for Cosmos that

appeared in the Daily
Orange. This is from the first
location, before they moved
to 143 Marshall Street
1968 Onondagan yearbook of the area called The Beach on

Marshall Street, with Cosmos in the background. - Courtesy
of University Archives, Syracuse University Libraries
exception. When the pizza shop opened, dining options for
students on campus were somewhat limited in comparison to
todays offerings, and students often ventured off campus to
satisfy their appetites. The home style cooking and friendly
atmosphere at Cosmos were especially appealing to students.
Over the years, the menu offerings at Cosmos continued
to expand to suit the needs of patrons. Pizza, that ever
present staple of the college student diet, of course remained
popular, and by 1977 the restaurant was selling around
1,500 pizzas per week, according to George Cannellos in
an interview with the Daily Orange. At that time, about half
of the restaurants sales were for delivery orders, to the S.U.
campus and surrounding area.
Patrons could eat all three meals at Cosmos, and breakfast
was offered all day. Breakfast offerings included over a
dozen types of omelets as well as pancakes, French toast
and other favorites. Hot and cold sandwiches, subs, salads,
burgers, chicken, steak, fish, pasta and other hot meals were
also available. Chicken wings, another perennial favorite
of the college community, were added to the menu in 1994.
Throughout its history, the restaurant offered extended hours,
so that even late night patrons could enjoy their favorite meal.
One very popular Cosmos treat was the Toasted Honey
Bun, or THB as it was affectionately called. The THB
THB
Cosmos refrigerator magnet
Ad from the Daily Orange

that ran on Cosmos
opening day in their new
location, April 15, 1963
Cosmos 1980 Ad Daily Orange
consisted of a local bakery honey bun that was sliced

horizontally, buttered and grilled. The popular THB
Sundae included vanilla ice cream and hot fudge. The
dish even garnered national attention in 2013, when it was
a finalist in the Food Networks Cooking Channels Best
College Eats bracket challenge. The contest honored the
best dishes from thirty-two different restaurants located
near college campuses. The THB was so popular that after
Cosmos closed in 2014, nearby Varsity Pizza, on South
Crouse Avenue, began offering its own version, thus
enabling a bit of Cosmos tradition to live on.
Cosmos was a family owned and operated business, but
George Cannellos was truly the face of the restaurant,
and called the unofficial Mayor of Marshall Street.
He was a Syracuse native, born in the Hospital of the
Good Shepherd, a building which later became Syracuse
Universitys Huntington Hall, located right across Marshall
Street from Cosmos. He could often be seen in the front of
the restaurant, tossing dough into the air, making pizzas,
selling slices and chatting with customers, many of whom
were regulars he greeted by name. Passersby on the street
could witness his pizza tossing skills through the restaurants
large front windows. In a 1972 article in the Syracuse New
Times, Janice Belkaoui noted that George is probably the
only Greek in town who has perfected the art of the pizza
George Putting Sauce on Pizza Courtesy of the Cannellos Family
George with Employee - Courtesy of

the Cannellos Family
George with Pizza - Courtesy of the

Cannellos Family
Cosmos Daily Orange Comic Strip

toss in the true Italian manner. No matter how high he
tossed the dough, he never lost a pie. He worked long hours
at the pizza shop, often around 90 hours a week until 1990,
when he considered himself semi-retired and worked 50
hours a week.
George Cannellos was a Syracuse University alumnus, and
a loyal fan of S.U. sports. He proudly wore his S.U. hat as
he worked at Cosmos. He and his wife Corinne were season
ticket holders for Syracuse University football and basketball
and could be seen cheering on the teams at the Carrier Dome
during games. On summer weekends, when the restaurant
was closed, he could be found boating, waterskiing or
drag racing his 1968 Dodge Charger at ESTA Safety Park
Dragstrip in Cicero, a pastime he enjoyed into his eighties.
He continued to work regularly at Cosmos until just before
his passing in January, 2013 at age 87.
In addition to members of the Stathis and Cannellos families,
many Syracuse University students worked at Cosmos
through the years. Steve Rubell graduated from S.U. in 1965

and went on to open New York Citys notorious discotheque,
Studio 54, in 1977. During his college days, Rubell worked
part-time at Cosmos as a delivery supervisor.
The success of Cosmos over the years brought new
opportunities for growth and expansion. From 1971 to
1975, there was a second Cosmos location at 4717 Onondaga
Boulevard, in Western Lights Plaza in Syracuse. This
location was exclusively for takeout and delivery service.
The site is now home to DiBellos Restaurant.
In 1994, Cosmos received permission from the Syracuse
Common Council to expand its Marshall Street location
into the space previously occupied by Leons Tailor Shop
next door. The expansion allowed for a new, larger kitchen
to be built as well as a new seating area and a wheelchair
accessible restroom on the first level of the restaurant. The
additional restroom provided an alternative to navigating
the steps down to the restaurants basement in order to make
Though additions and improvements were made through

the years, Cosmos always managed to stay true to its roots,
retaining its unique atmosphere and appearance that had
drawn patrons since the beginning and that set it apart from
other eateries in the Marshall Street area. Both new and long
term customers enjoyed a classic pizza shop that also featured
home style diner cooking, reasonable prices, friendly staff,
efficient service and the experience of being in the hub of
activity on the S.U. hill. It was a successful business formula
that kept patrons coming back year after year.
George Through Window Courtesy of the

Cannellos Family
George In Memory Courtesy of the

Cannellos Family
use of the facilities. In addition, relocating the kitchen to

the new space allowed the former kitchen space to become
available for additional booth seating. Jukeboxes were added
to each of the new tables, in keeping with the dcor of the
older portion of the restaurant.
Businesses in the Marshall Street area come and go, but

Cosmos Pizza endured for well over fifty years. This success
is truly a testament to the pride and work ethic of the families
involved in its operation, as well as the loyalty of employees
and customers through the years. With the passing of the
restaurants founders - George Cannellos in 2013, and Demo
Stathis, Sr. in 2014 - and the closing of the restaurant in
2014, an important chapter in the history of the Syracuse
community has drawn to a close. Memories, however, will
remain strong for those who found Cosmos to be a home
away from home on Marshall Street. n
Planned Giving Steps to the Future
We want to make sure that the history of Central New York continues to touch the lives
of generations to come. Please consider leaving a bequest to OHA in your will. Making a
bequest is a simple process of consultation with your attorney or financial advisor. Types
of bequests to OHA can include gifts of securities, trusts, retirement assets, life insurance,
cash, or a percentage of your estate. For more information,
contact Lynne Pascale, Director of Development
at (315) 428-1864, ext. 314.
The RED BOOK

By Dick Case
City Life, by Joe Beamish, from Syracuse HeraldAmerican, May 9, 1954
Cover of The Cook Book, by Joe Beamish
found the little red book years ago at a house sale. Its
a treasure.
Smoker, in 1972. She died in 1998 at the age of 99 (her

mother, Mary Harper made it to 108).
The book is The Cook Book, by Joe Beamish. It was

published in 1927. Its an unpaged collection of humorous
poems by Joe, who was a colleague of mine in my early
days as a cub reporter on the Syracuse Herald-Journal
newspaper.
Joe Beamishs Cook Book carried a tipped-in typed

poem Joe wrote as a tribute to Little Abbie Bigelow.
Although the printed version of the book calls the author
Joe Beamish he signed it to Abbie with his given name,
Johnny Cook.
My copy of the book is special in another way: It was Joes

1927 Christmas gift to his friend Abbie Bigelow. For more
than 47 years, Abbie, and her husband Payne Biggie
Bigelow, ran the Hill Bookstall on Marshall Street. The
shop was a landmark of the University Hill neighborhood.
These are samples from Joes poem to Abbie:
Its lectures and book-signing events attracted several

important authors to 146 Marshall Street. Among them we
count Ernest Hemingway, Carl Sandburg, cartoonist Walt
Kelly (Pogo), Dizzy Gillespie, Christopher Marley and
Edgar Lee Masters.
Both of the Bigelows were Syracuse University graduates.
Payne died in 1965 while on a trip with his wife to Japan.
Abbie sold the store, which later became University
Little Abbie Bigelow, You energetic mite: The only thing

I got agin you, Is, you urged me on to write. . . . And
P.S. (This nearly cost my life!!) I meant if Biggie leaves
you, To run off with my wife.
This verse was used as a title page sampler of what The
Cook Book had to offer: Some of it is overcooked/ And
some is underdone./ Some of it is serious/ And some of it
is fun.
John Cook became Joe Beamish while he was a student at
Syracuse University. He started writing a series of letters to
the Orange Peel, the student humor magazine, using the pen
column for the Syracuse Herald

American, called In the Open.
He had a commentary program on
WSYR for a time. His column in the
Syracuse Herald-Journal lately was
shortened to City Life and it gave
John the chance to create a number of
mythical characters, such as Gogey
Bince, a practice modern editors
likely would not approve of. He raced
sail boats and was a licensed airplane
pilot. He also performed on stage as
a ventriloquist, with a puppet named
Orton Q. Haydigger.
name Joe. According to his friend

A. Brohmann Roth, who wrote Johns
obituary for the Syracuse HeraldJournal, a fraternity brother added
Beamish to the nom de plume, also
during his student days. He married
a fellow student, Doris Stillman Cook,
whom he nicknamed Matches,
according to Roth because of her
ability to match colors.
Around the house, Doris was Dorry.
John got into journalism, by Roths

account, by writing a weekly column,
In later life, John turned a hand to
Out Amber Way, for The Postpainting watercolors.
Standard around a vacation home the
Cooks had on Otisco Lake. He left
The Post-Standard during World War
Little Abbie Bigelow,
The Cooks had a vacation retreat near
Williamstown, in Oswego County,
II, to work for the local USO, where
from The Cook Book.
which appeared often in his columns.
Doris Cook also worked. He returned
It was called Orton Hollow, and sat close to the West
to journalism in 1945, writing a column, that eventually ran
Branch River. The camp burned in 1956 and was rebuilt.
six days a week, City and Country Life, in the Syracuse
After his death, the State of New York created a Joe
Herald-Journal.
Beamish Orton Hollow State Forest, a preserve of 505
acres in the Williamstown area.
John Cook was a man of many talents. He was an avid
hunter and fisherman and wrote a weekly sportsmans
John died in a Syracuse hospital in 1970 of two heart attacks
after being admitted for hernia surgery. His last Syracuse
Herald American column was published May 13, 1970,
three days after his death. The column of gossip, birthdays
and lost pets was revived in the Syracuse Herald-Journal
by Bro Roth, an assistant city editor at the newspaper,
minus Johns made-up characters, and later still by a veteran
reporter, Joe Ganley.
Doris Cook, aka Matches, died in 2002 at the age of 99.
She once remarked of her husband, Hes a good Joe. n
City and Country Life, by Joe Beamish, from Syracuse

Herald-Journal, November 24, 1969
Joe Beamishs widow Doris Matches Cook, William A.

Hicks and W. Goetz look at the Joe Beamish Orton Hollow
State Forest sign. Joe Beamish, inset photo, taken just before
his death in 1970.
WHO DONE IT?

By Dennis Connors
Daguerreotype by George N. Barnard, c. June 1, 1854, of Salina Street and the

Erie Canal. This is believed to be the earliest photograph of Syracuse, taken in
1854 from Hanover Square, facing northwest into Clinton Street. Salina Street,
the citys main street, is ramped up to meet a stationary bridge over the Erie
Canal. The steeple of the First Baptist Church is visible in the distance.
hese three words are commonly used to identify

some sort of criminal mystery; usually a murder.
In this case, however, it began with a search for
the creator of an early Syracuse building an individual,
who, unfortunately, still remains an unsolved mystery at
this point. It is, however, a tale that shows how historical
research can lead one down interesting side trips.
The tale begins with a photograph, and not just any
photograph. It is believed to be the earliest photographic
image of Syracuse, probably taken in 1854. It was
employed here recently at the museum in an exhibit title
panel. I had seen the image several times before, but in
this enlarged version, I was struck by the towering church
steeple in the distance. Its height dominates the 3 and
4-story buildings that cluster around Clinton and Hanover
Squares. By comparison, it would seem to indicate that the
steeple rose to a lofty point at least three to four times their
height; something around 10 to 12 stories or well over 100
feet! Who would build such a bold architectural monument
in a city that was just a few years past its village days?
It also appears in an 1852 birds eye view of the city,
drawn from a perspective atop todays University Hill.
Part of the 1852 birds eye view of Syracuse, showing the

First Baptist Church steeple.
The engraving looks northwest, with Onondaga Lake in
the distance and a young, vibrant city spread out before it.
The tallest structures depicted are a number of churches.
Although exaggerated by the artist, their steeples were
the tallest structures at the time, in an age before elevators
allowed for taller commercial buildings. Of all the churches
depicted in the 1852 engraving, this same church steeple
from the 1854 photograph is the tallest.
A quick check into our research files confirmed that it was
the home of Syracuses First Baptist Church, then situated on
Genesee Street, a few hundred feet west of Clinton Square.
The mystery begins with the fact that there appears to be
no other surviving photos of the building. Why? Another
look into the research files documents that it burned, pretty
much to the ground, in 1859. There were not many photos
of downtown taken before 1860.
A little more digging, however, turned up an engraving of
the church, published in Ormsbys Syracuse City Directory
for 1853-54. Sure enough, there again is that impressive
multi-storied steeple. It sits atop a classic Greek Revival
structure, complete with a temple form portico supported by
what appear to be Corinthian-styled columns. The delicate,
tall lines of the steeple and the balustrade around the roof
line are evocative of earlier Federal style detailing. In fact,
it is the steeple that draws ones attention. In the 18th century,
distinctive steeples helped to locate a church in the tightly
packed city streets of cities like London, and their differing
designs served to identify one church from another.
A London church structure that exerted much influence on
the design of church steeples in early 19th century America
First Baptist Church engraving, from Ormsbys Syracuse

City Directory for 1853-54.
was that of St. Martin-in-the-Fields on Trafalgar Square,
completed in 1726. Its architect, James Gibbs, published
his design in a widely circulated book on architecture. In
his introduction Gibbs stated that his book would be of
use to such Gentlemen as might be concerned in Building,
especially in the remote parts of the Country, where little
or no assistance for Designs can be procured. Because
the growing cities in the remote American colonies were
in need of new houses of worship, Gibbss published
designs became a popular source for builders of churches
particularly his plans, elevations, and cross sections for
Saint Martin. Hence, nearly every major colonial American
city received one or more churches inspired by Gibbss
plates of Saint Martin.
Syracuses First Baptist Church was the style building that
one would expect to find in a classic New England town,
on the village square. A good, similar example is the First
Baptist Church in Providence, Rhode Island (1774-75). Its
breathtaking steeple was reportedly the first of its kind on
an American Baptist church, and reflects Gibbss published
steeple designs. This Providence steeple established the
precedent throughout the country for Baptist churches to be
adorned with such classical confections.
Another striking adaptation of Saint

Martins design is Center Church on
the New Haven Green in Connecticut.
Built during 1812-15, its design was
supplied by architect Asher Benjamin of
Boston. Its overall appearance also bears
a marked similarity to the towering First
Baptist in Syracuse. Benjamin greatly
influenced nineteenth century American
architecture, also disseminating his ideas
through the publication of builders
handbooks and articles.
Benjamin, himself, had died in 1845, 3
years before Syracuses Baptists began
considering an architect, but his designs
would have been familiar to other
architects practicing at the time.
$10 by Onondaga County for services

estimating the expense of building a
penitentiary, (probably the one built on
the North Side in 1850.)
In 1851, Hayden was advertising in
the Syracuse Standard that he had
opened an architectural office and
offered his services in the erection
of Domestic, Civic, Ecclesiastical and
Monumental Buildings. The 1851-52
city directory carries a full page ad for
Hayden, illustrating the then fashionable
residential image of a picturesque Gothic
style home.
Center Church on the New
Haven Green in Connecticut
Not surprisingly, I was intrigued to ferret out the name of

the architect/builder responsible for this stunning version in
Syracuse. In all of OHAs various files on the history of the
First Baptist Church (now worshiping in a modern building
out on Seneca Turnpike, near the Nob Hill Apartments)
there is no mention of the architect. Conversations with
members of First Baptist, led to their examination of old
minutes. The only architect mentioned from that era was
Elijah T. Hayden, but as the designer for the Second Baptist
Church. The mystery deepens. Where was the Second
Baptist Church and what became of that? So, side trip.
The congregation of First Baptist, which had organized
in 1821, was growing by the 1840s, as was the village of
Syracuse, fueled by its position on the Erie Canal and its
expanding, money making salt industry. The residential
area of the village was moving east and south of the canal.
Some members of First Baptist thought it would advance
the faith by starting a second Baptist church south of
the canal and on the East side of downtown. In 1846, 40
members of first Baptist were allowed to form a second
congregation. By 1850, they had enough support to start
construction of Second Baptist Church, just east of Fayette
Park, on East Genesee Street. They selected local architect
Elijah T. Hayden.
Hayden (1809-1901) was from Massachusetts where he
began his practice of architecture. An 1827 Greek Revival
house in Greenfield, Massachusetts is attributed to him.
At age 18, he likely was not a trained architect, but one
who had apprenticed as a builder. It appears he came to
Syracuse shortly thereafter, perhaps around 1831.
In 1849, he was awarded a prize at the Onondaga County
Fair for the display of a nine foot high Grecian Corinthian
Column with a capital of cast iron. In 1849, he was paid
Hayden is credited with designing

a number of religious structures in
Syracuse around this time, including the
first Temple Concord. His most famous work, however,
might be the Greek Revival mansion he designed on James
Street for Syracuses second mayor, Elias Leavenworth.
So, if Hayden designed the Second Baptist Church on East
Genesee, which was under construction in 1850, might he
also have been the architect for the grander First Baptist
Church that had been built during 1848-49? No record
seems to have survived, neither in the church archives nor
in OHAs files. The only hint is that the church minutes
of 1848 mention that the pastor had secured a proposal
from a Boston architect, but that other proposals were also
being submitted.
Boston certainly had a number of architects, well versed
in religious structures at that time, including Asher
Benjamins designs. Even Syracuses Mr. Hayden,
originally from Massachusetts, probably had some of
Benjamins books. We may not currently know the name
of the particular architect, or maybe even just the builder,
who formulated the specific design of Syracuses 1849 First
Baptist Church, but it is not a stretch to say that noted early
American architect Asher Benjamin greatly influenced its
design. More research will be needed if we are to discover
the culprit.
I use the word culprit because its seems, as dramatic as this
mysterious architects steeple appears to us two centuries
later, it soon became a source of financial and emotional
troubles for the members of First Baptist.
Right from the beginning, the overall cost of building the
1849 church put the congregation deep into debt, which
they struggled with for years, especially as maintenance
issues soon surfaced. It turned out that a poor shingling job
had been done on the roof (probably wood shake shingles).
It had to be replaced within a very short

time with a new one of tin.
in seven days. Hayden left, distinctly

feeling that free speech did not extend
into the South if you opposed slavery.
Then, there was the steeple itself. It

reportedly was so lofty that it swayed in
the wind, making nearby neighbors in
their homes somewhat nervous during a
stiff breeze. The church elders had metal
rods run up from the foundation into
the steeple in an unsuccessful attempt
to stiffen it. Finally, they decided to
remove the top 50 feet and capped off
the stub.
Upon returning to Syracuse, a large

public meeting was held in city hall,
presided over by mayor Lyman Stevens,
to welcome Hayden back and offer their
support. It also provided an opportunity
for the abolitionists in Syracuse to
pass several resolutions condemning
Southern slavery.
Hayden seems not to have been very

The concluding troubles for the
active in architectural practice upon
congregation and its ambitious church
returning to Syracuse.
The 1868
occurred on August 23, 1859. Embers
E. T. Haydens ad from the 1851directory, however, does list him in the
from a burning building across the street
52 Syracuse City Directory
carpentry business. He briefly tried
landed on the church and set it ablaze.
his hand as a fruit grower on Beech
The wood steeple probably made good fuel for the fire.
Street, as recorded in the 1870 census. It was about that
Syracuse firemen at the time were all volunteers, with fairly
time, however, that he found what may have been steadier
primitive equipment. Their relatively short ladders were no
work as a fire appraiser for insurance companies. The great
match for the burning steeple and roof. By morning, the
Chicago Fire of 1871 provided him with much work and
congregation was the owner of ashes and brick rubble.
may have been the event that brought him into the insurance
business as an adjuster.
They would soon re-build another edifice, however, on the
West Genesee site in 1860. Later, they merged with their
Hayden died in 1901. Unfortunately, all of his known
offspring congregation (Second Baptist, who had changed
architectural work in Syracuse appears to have been
their name to Central Baptist and built a newer church
demolished.
on what is now Columbus Circle.) That newer Central
Baptist Church was demolished and replaced with what
As to the original Who Done It?mystery I still dont
stands on the Circle today commonly called the Mizpah
have the answer as to the specific architect/builder of
Tower and unfortunately, long empty.
Syracuses 1849 First Baptist Church. Yet, we now know
the significant influence that Asher Benjamin, one of
And what of our Mr. Hayden? Certainly he might have
Americas most important early architects had on the
been one of the first individuals to call himself an architect
building. Plus, we also are aware of a Syracusans brave
in Syracuse. During the 1850s in Syracuse, however, it
stand for honesty, freedom and free speech in a hostile and
was not unusual for citizens to also have strong opinions
increasingly dangerous setting.
on the institution of slavery in the United States. It would
get Elijah into some trouble. Advised to move temporarily
to a warmer climate for his wifes health, Hayden secured
a commission in 1854 to design a house in a place called
Quincy, Florida, just west of Tallahassee. The client also
offered him a job running his mill there.
Hayden accepted and had been living in Quincy about
eight months when word began to circulate that he was an
abolitionist. Hayden had not been an active abolitionist
in Syracuse, but held the opinion that slavery in America
should be ended, and certainly not extended. That position
brought about a public inquiry in Quincy, where Hayden
was asked to state his opinions on slavery. He did, honestly,
as he thought it was his free right to do in America.
However, enough citizens were offended by his statements
against slavery that the town officially ordered him to leave
Leavenworth Mansion on James Street (no longer standing),

a Greek Revival mansion designed by Hayden for Mayor
Elias Leavenworth.
Elizabeth Bacon Custer

by Dick Case
lizabeth Bacon Custer, the widow of the famed

general, had family connections in Onondaga County.
She spent summers during her girlhood with kin at Howlett

Hill, in the Town of Camillus. She was known in the family
as Libbie.
Libbies father was Daniel Bacon, who was born in
Onondaga County. Daniel moved to the Michigan Territory
in 1822. His father was Leonard, who was described in
some histories as a skillful physician and prosperous
farmer. The Bacon family home, built by Leonard, was on
one of the corners of the area now called Kellys Corners, at
Howlett Hill and Cedarvale Roads. The house, last owned
by the Clift family, was torn down in 1978.
The Little Big Horn booklet continues On weekends and

vacations Libbie returned to Howlett Hill to be with her
family, alternating her time between the Cases and the
Sabins and attending the Presbyterian Church on Howlett
Hill Road. The cemetery dates from the beginning of the
church and contains the graves of Libbies great grandfather,
grandfather, grandmother and her aunts and uncles.
For a time, Libbie was enrolled in the Young Ladies Institute
in Auburn. In 1859, she returned to Monroe and reenrolled
in the Boyd Seminary, where she graduated valedictorian
three years later.
Libbie met George Armstrong Custer the boy general
with the golden locks in 1862 while he was on leave from
West Point. For him, it was love at first sight, according
to the Little Big Horn Association account.
Daniel settled in Monroe, Michigan and first taught school

there. In later life, Daniel was a successful circuit court
judge. Daniel and his wife, Eleanor, had Elizabeth Clift
Bacon in 1842. Eleanor died in 1854, when Libbie was 12
years old.
Daniel kept in contact with his father and three sisters
in Onondaga County after he left Howlett Hill. Sister
Miriam married John Case; Eliza married E. Dennison
Sabin. They lived close to one another, and their father,
Leonard, at Howlett Hill. John Case was the son of Giles,
a Revolutionary War veteran . Giles Case immigrated from
Connecticut and settled in Onondaga about 1803. Giles and
his family spent their first few months in the settlement with
the family of Thomas Robinson, another Revolutionary
War veteran, who arrived a few years earlier. Later, Cases
married Robinsons, and Robinsons married Cases.
John Case built the handsome home where Libbie stayed
between 1815 and 1820. It sits today just west of the church
at Howlett Hill, on Howlett Hill Road. In its early days,
the little settlement was called Casetown; the name was
changed to Howlett Hill, when a post office was established,
about 1835. The namesake was Parley Howlett, an early
settler.
A booklet published in 1986 for a meeting here of the
Little Big Horn Association, states Since Libbie was
already well acquainted with her aunts, uncles and cousins
in Howlett Hill, Daniel (her father) made arrangements to
have her live with them. (She is referred to one account
as the ward of a gentleman named Case of Howlett Hill.)
George Armstrong Custer and Elizabeth Bacon Custer.

Courtesy of the Town of Onondaga Historical Society
Were told Daniel Bacon at first opposed the friendship
with a blacksmiths son from Ohio but came around when
Autie,as he was known, became a Civil War hero and
was promoted to brigadier general.
Libbie and her general were married in Monroes
Presbyterian Church in February 1864 and immediately left
for a honeymoon trip to Central New York. Descriptions of
portions of the couples visit to Howlett Hill appear in the
book, The Custer Story, by Marquerite Merington (1950)

who described herself as Libbie Custers closest friend.
Merington quoted an 1864 letter from Daniel Bacon to his
nieces which says the Custers were met at Camillus by my
brother-in-law Sabin. At his house (which once stood on
Kasson Road) they were called on by all lineal descendants
and many others. Here I judge they had more than a gay
time, for my nephew George, who is acquainted with the
arts better than business, used fiddle and bow; Mr. and Mrs.
Sabin opening the dance.
In a second letter, from Libbie to her father, she described
that night at Howlett Hill: In the evening, we all danced in
the kitchen (of the Sabin house) to Georges music, and I
had to sit right down on the floor to laugh to see Uncle Den
and Aunt Eliza dance their old-fashioned way, it was too
amusing to see them bouncing up and down
From the earliest days of their marriage, during the Civil War,
Libbie and Autie lived together in military encampments
whenever possible. It is infinitely worse to be left behind,
a prey to all horrors of imagining what may be happening to
one we love, Libbie wrote in a letter quoted on the Kansas
Historical Society website.
Libbie joined her husband in the field whenever it was
reasonable to do so. During the years Autie was assigned
to Fort Riley, Kansas, according to the Kansas website,
Libbie encountered prairie fires, an earthquake, mutiny by
soldiers at Fort Riley and a cholera epidemic.
The Custers left Kansas in 1871 and returned to the plains
in 1873 when he was ordered to duty at Fort Lincoln in
the Dakota Territory. Three years later, during a disastrous
campaign against the Sioux Indians, George Armstrong
Custer died in the so-called Battle of the Little Big Horn.
An elderly Elizabeth, seen just below to the left President

Taft, attends the unveiling of the Custer statue in Monroe,
Michigan, in 1910. Courtesy of Monroe County Community
College database of historic photographs.
Libbie did not learn of her husbands death until three weeks
after the fight in which Custer led some 700 members of the
Seventh Cavalry against thousands of Native Americans.
The Seventh lost 268 dead and 55 injured.
Elizabeth Custer was a widow for 57 years after whats
commonly called Custers Last Stand. She lived on her
meager government pension and proceeds of her books.
She devoted herself to protecting and defending her
husbands reputation. She shaped the publics memory
of her dead spouse through lectures, magazine articles
and books. She had homes in Westchester County and
on Park Avenue in New York City. She died in New
George and Libbie Custer in their home at Fort Lincoln,
Dakota Territory, ca. 1874-1876. Courtesy Beinecke Rare
Book Manuscript Library, Yale University.
to us. At home, a cow on the street, no matter how gentle

she might be, was more terrifying than any animal pictured
in Jungle books of that day. But our cow, as we quickly
called her, allows approaches from both sides with our little
pails Cousin Bronson the youngest was left the dangerous
approach between the hind legs where he had to dodge
the swishing of a rather nervous tail Dear Aunt Mary
received the offering of the little pails as if the question of
churning the next day was assured.
The statue in its original location at Washington and First

Street in 1910.
York a few days before her 91st birthday and was buried
at West Point next to her husband.
Libbie was invited to a Case-Robinson family reunion
at Howlett Hill in 1927, but declined because of failing
health. Her letter to the Happy Children of Howlett Hill
was read at the reunion and remains in the Robinson family.
This is the text:
When I was a motherless and lonely little girl my father
took me on vacation time from boarding school in our
Michigan home to Howlett Hill Onondaga County where
his sisters lived Aunt Mary and Uncle John Case, Aunt
Eliza and Uncle Denison Sabin
As I look back and recall Uncle Johns home it seemed
very near the railway Station at Camillus and doubtless
most convenient to what seemed to an endless number of
people coming and going to that house of open doors
Uncle John old bachelor as he had been when he married
was so indulgent to us one especial joy was when he
went to greet friends at the Station. . . . The stage coach,
as it looked to us, was used only occasionally and to us
was so impressive. It had large springs and seemed to sway
wonderfully from side to side, but what seemed to us to
give it an air of royalty was that the steps let down and were
folded when not in use It was such a ceremonial affair to
me that I saw kings and queens mounting and dismounting
- But the Steep Camillus hill took all sense of grandeur
out of me and I buried myself in dear Aunt Marys seven
breadths of petticoats and held my breath until she said
laughingly you can come out now Libbie, your life is Saved
again!
Uncle John quite a old bachelor when he married, was
so patient with us at milking time and we were allowed
to join in what, to us, was a exciting hour an old cow
whose day of usefulness was on the wane was turned over
Another delight was the pony father sent from Michigan

over which and under which we scrambled or tumbled as
the case might be and on which Cousin Bronson as a little
lad gained his first equestrian success and also mastered
the seat in the saddle which can hardly be acquired too
young - and when he as a lad and an orphan went West the
bucking broncho which is usually the first test to which a
pioneer is subjected, could not unseat him, having learned
his lesson on the pony and farm horses. In staking out a
claim it meant eternal vigilance to keep it and a life almost
constantly in the Saddle
And I owe much to that little pony so intelligent and
tolerant that father sent us from Michigan for I was
taught to keep my seat in the saddle when so young at
Howlett Hill. Afterwards, on the frontier marching beside
my husband on our army horses at the head of the regiment
over the trackless plains I was able to keep my seat in the
saddle for hours on the march and prepared to keep it if
there came an attack from our foe the Indians.
not that I had attained to any

perfection
of character, but to those
who were working for it I was told
the door was always open.
I love to think of the cemetery on Howlett Hill. There was

no dread in going there We children carried flowers for
the graves of those who had no kin to remember them. The
gentle way in which those whose dead lay there came with
flowers and talking with those about them of their feeling
of surety of the meeting again in the hereafter I had little
assurance of a heaven awaiting me before I joined my kin
on Howlett Hill not that I had attained to any perfection
of character, but to those who were working for it I was told
the door was always open.
To all of you for whom I feel real Kinship I send greetings
and regrets that I cannot be with you except in spirit.
Elizabeth B. Custer n
The King and Marcellus

by Dick Case
he King and I, the Rogers and Hammerstein

musical currently wowing audiences in New York
City (and winning a Tony award), has a connection
to Onondaga County; to the village of Marcellus.
Dan Beach Bradley was born in Marcellus. He spent 38
years as a medical missionary to Siam, when Mongkut,
the king depicted in the musical, sat on the throne.
Rev. Dr. Dan

Beach Bradley,
c1865
Courtesy of
Oberlin College
Archives
His father, Judge Dan Bradley, a minister, teacher,

jurist and agriculturalist, was one of the first two
permanent settlers of Marcellus village, in 1795.
Dan Beach Bradley was born in 1804 to Dan and Eunice
Beach Bradley. His mother died giving birth to Dan.
He grew up on his fathers farm at the south side of the
village, an area which later became Marcellus Park. The
farm house where they lived, on South Street, still stands.
One of the owners of the home, Kate and Stephen Webb,
were fascinated by its history. Kate Webb wrote an account
of Dan Beach Bradley and his life in the royal household in
Siam, which she left at the Onondaga Historical Association.
Kate Webb began her history by saying that Dan

Bradley was the first American medical missionary.
She explained he was moved by a religious revival that
swept Marcellus in the 1820s and studied medicine in
Boston and at New York University as a means of spreading
Christian principles while easing the pains of the pagans.
He practiced obstetrics in New York and in June 1834,
married Emilie Royce of Clinton. In July, the newlyweds
sailed for the barbarous splendors of Siam under the auspices
of the American Board of Christian Foreign Missionaries.
Dan Bradleys
House in
Marcellus,
Courtesy of
Library of
Congress, Prints
& Photographs
Division, NY,34MARC.2-1.
Dan Bradley and his family were in Siam (now Thailand)

for a total of 38 years. The missionarys wife, Emelie lived
10 hard years in Siam. She bore five children; three of them
survived at her death in 1845. Meanwhile, Dan Bradley was
consistently at odds with his mission sponsors. In 1847, he
resigned from the American Missionaries and was forced to
take a three-year break from Bangkok to raise money to support
his work in Siam and marry a new wife, Sarah Blachly, a music
teacher. By 1851, Sarah would be tutoring the royal princesses
inside palace walls, the first Westerner allowed to do this.
Dan Bradley didnt win many converts to Western religion

but he did succeed as a doctor and a missionary who
became close to the king. Their friendship was born after
Dans treatment cured Mongkut. The missionary was
almost always associated in the royal family. They met
when Mongkut still was a prince; he became king in 1851.
The king respected knowledge and apparently saw Dan
Bradley as an educated man he could trust. (Besides, he pointed
out, they were both born in the same year.) The pair were
frequently seen with their noses poked into the same book.
The grave of Dan

Beach Bradley in the
Bangkok Protestant
Cemetery
Dan Bradley is credited with

performing the first surgery in
Siam, removing a cancerous
tumor from the body of a slave.
Afterwards, he became highly
sought after for medical advice
to the royal court, where he was
called on for medical information
for years. One of his challenges
was finding a vaccination for the
smallpox virus, which devastated
the country and took the life of
one of Bradleys own children. He
adopted the inoculation technique
developed in England successfully
and then was called upon to
vaccinate children of the royal
court, as well as natives and slaves.
The king often called Dan Bradley in to translate his

messages into correct English. He seemed to be fascinated
by Bradleys printing press, which the missionary
introduced to Siam. With royal approval, he founded the
first newspaper in Siam, the Bangkok Recorder, published
monthly. Dan Bradley created boarding schools for the
native children and advised the royal court on education.
Anna went to Siam some 27

years after Dan Bradley, who
was said to have high regard for
her perseverance as she was not
treated with respect by the natives.
Dan Bradley took but one leave
during his 38 years in Siam. He
spent some of that time in Marcellus,
where he lectured villagers on Siam
and wandered across his fathers old
Anna and the King
farm. He wrote: We went up the hill
of Siam book cover.
east of the creek and looked down
upon the beautiful valley that once
composed our farm. Thoughts unutterable crowded into
my mind as I went down to the bank and listened to the music
of its incessant murmuring. . . . It is the same music that I
heard in my childhood and every stone seemed the same.
Dan Bradley didnt like the idea of Mongkuts 40
odd wives and told him so. The King confessed
to the missionary that polygamy was a sin but he
excused himself in it because of the power of custom.
King Mongkut died of a fever in 1868. Dan Bradley
regarded the king as the father of young Siam,
the life and soul of the many improvements that
have been made since the beginning of his reign.
Dan Bradley died in Bangkok in 1873 at the age of 69.
According to his wishes, he was buried in Bangkok Protestant
Cemetery. He left a widow and seven children.
In 1981, Bangkok Christian Hospital began construction of
a new 13-story building named in Bradleys honor. It opened
in 1987. n
He is credited with translating the Old Testament into Siamese

and published the first Siamese dictionary. Throughout his
time in the country, according to one biography, he was
constantly found singing hymns, reading the Bible and in
prayer. He argued for equality.
The musical, The King and I, was based on a novel, Anna
and the King of Siam, by Margaret Landon, published in 1944
and drawn from two memoirs by Anna Leonowens, a British
widow and teacher who taught the Siamese royal children and
the kings wives from 1862 to 1868. Anna did not get along
well with Mongkut, who once called her a difficult woman.
Main entrance of the Bangkok Christian Hospital
EAGLE SCOUTS
PROJECT by Pamela Priest
n the weekend of March 14 and 15 of this year, the

OHA archives hosted an Eagle Scout Project. Collyn
Conrad has an interest in history, especially World
War I, and he approached OHA to help him create a project
on his journey to becoming an Eagle Scout. His interest
in World War I fit with our need to inventory our various
World War I archives in preparation for OHAs exhibition
on the war in April of 2017. Collyns proposal was to create
Collyn (left) Nathan Mascari, Peter Herodes, Patrick

Barrett, and Dan Casey
Collyn Conrad and his sister Caitlyn Conrad

container lists and scan photographs for these collections.
The project was so well prepared by Collyn that OHAs
archivist did not have to lift a finger, except to answer
a question here and there. Collyn had 30 people that
logged 211 hours over the two days. Not only did they
finish the World War I collection inventory and scanning,
they asked for more to do. Among other collections,
they were able to get through OHAs Smith Corona
typewriter collection, which needed a container list.
We thank Collyn and his volunteers for achieving
and exceeding their goals with this project.
Collyn taking a box out of OHAs archives

OHA encourages Eagle Scouts and other groups to come
forward with their ideas to help us, so we can continue to
process the amazing collections of the Richard and Carolyn
Wright Research Center at OHA for the benefit of everyone.
Dana Mascari, Peter Sylvester, Caitlyn Conrad, Laura
Knaflewski, and Terry Knaflewski
The best part of all, Collyn is now an Eagle Scout.

Congratulations to Collyn and his family! n
by Dick Case
here had been woolen mills in the village of Marcellus

since about 1812. Nine Mile Creek furnished the
power. For more than 60 years, Crown Mills Co. was
the principal life of the village, furnishing hundreds of jobs
for villagers, including many Scottish and Irish immigrants,
at two mills.
The Crown Mills corporation was created in the 1880s
with the merger of two earlier companies. The upper mill,
under Chester Moses, had supplied a great deal of cloth
to Union armies during the Civil War and to the British
Army in World War I. The mills card, dye and spin cloth.
Ownership of Crown Mills passed to Edward Moir, who had
immigrated to Marcellus from Scotland; he recruited skilled
workers from his homeland. The village of Galashiels, where
Moir was born, was the site of several textile mills, which
flourished into the 1880s.
Moir came to Marcellus from jobs in the woolen industry
in Canada. He was considered an
authority on wool processing and
manufacturing, as well as tariff
legislation. Moir brought Robert
Welsh from Galashiels and installed
him as manager and designer at the
Lower Mill. In 1896 Welsh eventually
returned with his family to Scotland,
where he died in 1909. In 1910, Moir
brought Welshs wife, Mary, and her
children back to Marcellus, where her
sons, James and Harry, were given
management positions at Crown Mills.
Lithograph of Crown Mills in 1847.

to know Jimmys sisters, Sarah and Agnes, who lived in the
family home next to the Upper Mill. The Moir place was
directly across, at Orange and Maple Streets. Jimmy got to
be dyer at the Lower Mill.
With the influx of workers, a need for housing arose in
Marcellus. The Moses family, when
they owned the mills, built eight
houses on Limerick Street, across Nine
Mile Creek from the Upper Mill. The
Moirs put up houses on East Maple,
northern Limerick and on Scotch Hill,
near the Lower Mill. What had been
an apple orchard, on Orchard Street,
was added to the village and additional
mill houses were erected, along
with a boarding house of 30 rooms to
accommodate single men.
Roberts brother, William Welsh, had

a woolen mill in Elgin, in the north of
Scotland.
Jimmy Welsh and his family lived
across the street from the Cases, when
I was growing up in Marcellus. I got
Grand Ball Dance Program for the

Employees of the Crown Mills
My grandfather, Willis Case, worked at

the Upper Mill, which was only a short
walk from his home on Orange Street.
Crown Mills made a variety of carded
woolen materials wool or yarn
blended from natural or synthetic
fibers from raw materials imported
from Australia, New Zealand, several
Crown Mills Mailing Label.

Courtesy of Marcellus Historical Society.
Crown Mills also had a close association with teasels grown
in the Marcellus area. Teasels, a type of thistle, are used to
card wool.
My neighbor next door was Mary Woods, who was born in
Scotland in 1908. Her parents, Elizabeth and James Stalker,
came to America partly through the efforts of Edward Moir.
James, a carpenter, worked at the mills for a time, then he
switched over to Solvay Process Co. Mary was high on
Edward Moir, father of Crown Mills. All of this, she once
told me,springs from Mr. Moir.
Crown Mills label from 1890.
Courtesy of the Marcellus Historical Society.
South American nations as well as Canada and the United
States. The woolen materials were used in a variety of mens
and womens wears. Goods were sold to such firms as Hart,
Shaffner and Marx and Best & Co. The wool arrived at the
plants already scoured. Small lots were dyed in open tubs,
while larger lots went into enclosed metal vats, resembling
pressure cookers.
Toward the end of production, The Marcellus Observer
newspaper reported that mills and offices employed about
175 people all local residents. Everybody worked in the
mill here. When you grew up, you had a job, Sarah Welsh,
Roberts daughter, told me in 1994.
One of the Mills last employees was Agnes Welsh, daughter
of Roberts son, Jimmy, my neighbor. Agnes ran the offices
of the mills.
Other of the Scot families in Marcellus included the
Rutherfords, Malcolms, Stalkers, Dawsons, Hornes,
Watherstons, Armstrongs, Adamses, MacKenzies and
Dunlaps. In the village, we woke to the 6 a.m. call-to-work
bell and set our watches to the noon whistles from the mills.
James McNair, bookkeeper at Crown Mills, was another

of Edward Moirs imports from Scotland. He immigrated
in 1911, already schooled in the bookkeeping systems of
the great woolen mills of Scotland, McNair once told
The Syracuse Herald in an interview published in 1931. He
served two terms as president, or mayor, of Marcellus village.
Sarah Welsh was the stay-at-home member of the Welsh
clan who didnt work at the mills, although her sister Agnes
worked as a secretary and bookkeeper at Crown Mills. Sarah
wrote poetry most of her life. Her friends had a small book
of her poems, Sights and Sounds, published in 1994.
In 1935, Joseph Adams wrote in The Syracuse Post-Standard
that cloth made at Crown Mills furnish comfort the length
and breadth of the land, but especially to the village of
Marcellus, with whose history they are closely interwoven
and whose destiny is literally woven by the looms of the
two plants.
The Upper Mill closed in 1955; the Lower Mill in 1961,
clearing the boards of an industry that made Marcellus hum.
The Upper Mill was dismantled, brick by brick, and replaced
with condominiums and a new village library. The Lower
Mill had stores for awhile but is slowly falling down. Only
the mill office, at the end of Maple Street, remains. Its been
turned into a private home. n
West Lake Conservators By Thomas Hunter

Preserving Artwork for Forty Years!
ack in May 1975, Susan Blakney had just completed

an apprenticeship at William Fraser Lowes
conservation studio in London, England. She had
apprenticed under Frasers guidance since 1969. Lowe,
a Fellow in the International Institute for Conservation of
Historic and Artistic Works, trained Susan in all aspects of
practical painting conservation. Now that she had acquired
usable skills in painting conservation, how would she
make good use of her knowledge? At her sister Margies
suggestion, Susan moved to Skaneateles and founded West
Lake Conservators (WLC) with Margie as her first apprentice.
Why Skaneateles? The sisters were fourth generation natives
of the area and it made sense to come back to protect and
save the plentiful tangible history of Central New York.
The nascent business first client was the John D. Barrow
Art Gallery located in the Skaneateles Library. Originally
opened in 1900 by the artist to display his paintings, 78
years later, many of Barrows paintings had fallen into

disrepair, with paint literally falling off the canvases. Susan
donated her time and materials to conserve one of Barrows
paintings as a vehicle for demonstrating her conservation
skills and as a fund-raising mechanism. With the single
conserved painting in hand, West Lake and the Barrow
Gallery launched Borrow A Barrow to raise additional
funds to begin conserving the rest of the collection. After
a Condition Survey of the entire collection, the initial
campaign featured an exhibit of several paintings in poor
condition that illustrated to donors the dire preservation need
of the artwork. Once conserved, and insured, donors were
allowed to borrow paintings for their homes or offices and
help promote the cause. As more paintings were repaired
and displayed around the Skaneateles community, awareness
of Barrow and his artistic work increased. Ten years after
the beginning of the sizeable project, Susan presented a
paper on her work to the general assembly of the American
Susan Blakney (l) and Margaret Sutton (r) in the John D. Barrow Gallery at the Skaneateles Library
Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works

(AIC). Well received by fellow AIC members, Susans
paper was published and her work was recognized as a
significant contribution to repairing the works of an eminent
American artist.
Since its founding as a paintings conservation lab WLC
has grown into a mixed specialty lab, with divisions
treating paper, photographs, textiles, painted objects and
site specific murals. The staff of 11 is a professional team
capable of caring for a wide variery of art, artifacts and
memorabilia. As a member of AIC for the past forty years,
Susan has worked to develop an ever enlarging network
of professional conservators. Conferring with each other
on skills, techniques, and materials, American conservators
have been able to stay apprised of new information that
keeps them on the cutting edge of artwork conservation.
Within the professional network of AIC, Susan has created
positive national and international reputations for West Lake
Conservators and continually strives to maintain them. WLC
has held several national and international workshops for
professional colleagues.
Susan also is a member of AICs Rapid Response Team for
Cultural Institutions and was one of the first trained responders
to save artwork damaged by natural and man-made disasters.
As part of a team to salvage damaged artwork, she was
deployed to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina in 2005,
after Hurricane Ike to the devastated Galveston Texas area in
2008, and to Haiti after an earthquake struck there in 2010.
In addition to these immense catastrophes, WLC routinely
addresses lesser disasters in residences and businesses.
West Lake Conservators has several special conservation
interests. In the 1980s, WLC began a large research project
investigating and experimenting with lining, or in some
cases, relining paintings. Conservators developed a negative
pressure cold lining treatment for contemporary paintings in
place of the previous hot vacuum lining that conservators
had used for many years. West Lake was first to hold
workshops to educate conservators on the use of BEVA; a
new type of adhesive developed in the early 1990s by the
late Gustave Berger, an internationally renowned conservator
who published extensively on conservation materials and
techniques. After the success of the workshops held at West
Lake, Berger traveled around the world promoting his BEVA

adhesive. WLC also developed a special lining for oversized
paintings and used it to conserve a 15 x 17 mural painting
at Cornell University. Other mural projects followed, and to
date, West Lake has conserved fifteen mural paintings, one
of them measuring 12 x 23!
One very special project for West Lake Conservators was
conserving the painting, Judith with the Head of Holofernes,
painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder in 1525. The painting
is in the art collection of Syracuse University. Conserving
this rare, old master painting is one of West Lakes most
memorable projects and is featured on the cover of the
companys promotional brochure. Another version of the
painting is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of
Art in NYC.
Along with an interest in preserving oversized paintings,
West Lake also conserves large, painted theater curtains.
Usually painted with water soluble paints, WLC staff invites
volunteers who own the curtains to assist when handling and
conserving these large objects. Other varied conservation
projects include preserving silk braidings made by a
member of the 19th century utopian Oneida Community,
carousel paintings from the Flying Horse carousel on
Marthas Vineyard, and the sporting art collection owned
by Remington Arms in Ilion, NY. West Lakes client list
is quite impressive: the Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute
in Utica, the Rockwell Museum in Corning, the John
Wehle Gallery at the Genesee Country Village Museum in
Mumford, the Seward House in Auburn, Syracuse University
Art Collection, Cornell and Rochester Universities, the
Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, and the InterMuseum
Conservation Association in Oberlin, Ohio.
OHA also has benefited from conservation surveys of its
artwork by West Lake Conservators, as well as conservation
work conducted on specific paintings. Through the years,
West Lake has conserved several paintings including a
landscape titled, Indian Hill, Onondaga Reservation by
John D. Barrow, a portrait of Moses Dewitt Burnet that
is now gracing the second floor hallway of the Century
Club on James St. and a painting of the eminent American
portraitist, Charles Loring Elliott, visiting the studio of
another distinguished Syracuse artist, Sanford Thayer.
In addition to conservation laboratory work, WLC regularly

conducts lectures and educational outreach programs.
Educating the public on preserving artwork held by private
and public repositories is a great way for people to learn
about the consequences of losing personal or community
artwork. Discovering how to mitigate deterioration before
it needs conservation treatment is an important lesson for
everyone.
West Lake Conservators also trains budding conservators
with its internship program. Capable entry level students
accepted into the program learn a variety of practical
conservation and business skills. Having these practical
skills allows these students to gain an advantage over others
when applying to very competitive conservation schools. At
least four former West Lake interns now operate their own
private conservation laboratories. WLCs paper division
began in January 1998, when a former intern returned to join
the business after graduating from a conservation program.
Today, WLC has two paper conservators, one of whom
specializes in photographs, and who graduated from the
Eastman House Advanced Fellowship program.
aspiring object and paper conservators. Susan knows it will

take a large building, hard work, and a substantial financial
commitment to fulfill this dream. But isnt preserving and
saving our tangible national history worth investing in?
According to Susan Blakney, the conservation business
is not a lucrative endeavor, but a labor of love requiring
continual education and keeping apprised of new technology.
Although a very competitive profession, conservators, like
the vast majority of non-profit organizations, are constantly
looking for the next project that will sustain the business
for a bit longer. Central New Yorks artwork has benefited
from having a highly professional and ethical conservation
lab that provides quality results right in our own backyard.
Having WLC remain in business for many years to come
will certainly be beneficial to preserving Central New Yorks
irreplaceable artwork.
OHA congratulates West Lake Conservators for celebrating
its first forty years and looks forward to working with these
gifted conservators for the next forty years as well. n
WLC approaches its workload with a team strategy and the

conservation lab offers a diversity of specialties. Susan and
Margie, along with Margies husband, John Sutton, have
been the mainstay of the business. They are augmented by
a team of experts that includes: Ted Solum (frame / mural
conservator), Chiara Kuhns (painting conservator), Regina
Middleton (textile technician), Luisa Cassella (photograph
conservator), Moya Dumville (paper conservator), and
Abbott Nixon (technician/intern). The conservators are
aided in their work by Michael Farrell, the business manager,
and Shelley Andrade, the assistant office manager. Each
of these West Lake employees has years of experience and
expertise in their respective fields.
Looking toward the next forty years, a dream of Susan
Blakneys is to create a historic preservation and arts center
in Skaneateles. Susan would like to pass the business on to a
group of enthusiastic conservators who would also maintain a
viable business plan for the future. This umbrella organization
would become a hub for professional conservators whose
specialties would embody the best knowledge and techniques
the field has to offer, along with being a training center for
Syracuse China
Youll find a wide selection of vintage Syracuse China
at the OHA Gift Gallery. Whether adding to an already
existing collection or looking for a new conversation
piece, youre sure to find something that will suit every
taste. One-of- a-kind approved sample plates ($12.00)
are very popular items. We also carry a wide variety
of historic china, including rare plates, bowls, cups,
production guide plates and more. Our small color
standard plates ($12 with Syracuse China back stamp,
$10 without back stamp) can serve a multitude of
purposes, such as holders for jewelry, tea bags or other
small items.
Typewriter Jewelry
Syracuse was once known as the Typewriter City. Our
unique jewelry pays tribute to our history by featuring
vintage typewriter keys in a variety of configurations.
Our selection includes rings ($15), earrings ($45),
bracelets ($60-$100), necklaces ($60-$84), broaches,
cufflinks ($50) and tie bars ($20).
Syracuse China Jewelry
Made from colorful fragments of vintage Syracuse
China, our unique, custom-made pendant and bib
necklaces make stunning accessories. We offer several
designs of pendants ($32-$80) and two to five piece
bibs ($50-$136).
Childrens Items
At OHA, youll find something for even the youngest of
history enthusiasts. Our Future History Maker infant
rompers ($13.99) make a great gift. We carry a variety
of childrens books, historic puzzles ($19.99), games
and toys. We carry several titles by acclaimed childrens
book author Eric Carle, who was born in Syracuse
($5.99-$34.99). Young artists will be delighted to color
their very own miniature version of the Childrens
Stories mural that once hung in the Childrens Room
at Syracuses downtown Carnegie Library ($11.99,
includes colored pencils). The original mural, painted
by Margaret Huntington Watkeys Boehner, can now be
found in OHAs Gift Gallery.
Cathedral Candles
Syracuses Cathedral Candle Company has been in
operation since 1897, owned and operated by several
generations of the Steigerwald family. The company
specializes in high quality candles made for use in
churches around the world, including the Vatican.
Available exclusively at OHA, these red or white 14 inch
twist taper candles are handmade using 19th century
equipment and are of excellent quality and value ($12
per box of 4).
OHA Gift Gallery Catalog

By Renee Ross
Mug
Enjoy a historic view with your morning coffee! Our
exclusive mug, the first in our Transportation Series,
recalls the days when trains traveled through the streets
of Syracuse ($10).
Growler
Our growler commemorates former Syracuse mayor
Thomas Ryans brewery, which produced several
beverages, including the popular Onondaga Lager.
Each growler ($18.99) comes with a coupon for a free
fill-up at Syracuses Empire Brewing Company.
Italian Wine Glasses and Carafes

Our Italian wine glasses and carafes feature unique floral
designs from the Syracuse China archives, which are
now housed at OHA. They are made by Fishs Eddy, a
popular New York City purveyor of fine tableware. Each
glass has its own distinct pattern ($36 for a set of six
glasses) and is nicely complemented by our carafe ($14).
Ties
Make a historic statement with one of our silk ties! Our exclusive designs include the Franklin automobile, portraits
of Syracuse mayors and a vintage city map ($49.99).
Silk Scarves
These beautiful scarves feature iconic images from
Syracuse China and are the perfect accessory! Make
a fashion statement with one of our three distinctive
designs ($49.99).
Salt Bag
Our popular Syracuse Salt Bag
is a great souvenir of the
Salt City ($1.99).
Postcards and Notecards
Our popular postcards and notecards feature images
from the OHA archives and are available exclusively in
our Gift Gallery. Themes include Hotel Syracuse, Betty
Munro watercolors, Syracuse China designs, Keck
stained glass, George N. Barnard photographs, the Civil
War, railroad history, Syracuse bowling, Italian heritage,
historic views of Syracuse, and vintage brewery and
typewriter advertisements ($1.00-$6.00).
Vintage Syracuse Brewery T-Shir ts

and Sweatshir ts
Syracuse boasts a rich brewing history, and our exclusive
t-shirts pay homage to some of the most iconic local
breweries and beverages. Available in both mens and
womens styles, these shirts are unique, original, and
a great value ($14.99). Our design for Bartels Crown
Beer is also available as a hooded sweatshirt ($42.00).
Mary Elizabeths Chocolates

Mary Elizabeths Chocolates are made by Lune
Chocolat of Manlius, using Mary Elizabeth Evans
Sharpes original recipes. These all natural, handmade
chocolates are sure to please even the most discerning
palate. We offer these delicious chocolates in boxes of
four ($8) or eight ($16).
Books
Looking for a great book on local history or something
by a local author? Look no further than the OHA Gift
Gallery! Our diverse selection includes books on a wide
variety of topics with local appeal, including fascinating
biographies, profusely illustrated coffee table books,
general histories, cookbooks, travel guides, childrens
books and so much more!
Puzzles
Our 672 piece puzzles feature images from OHAs
collection and are sure to bring hours of enjoyment to
puzzle enthusiasts of all ages ($19.99).
Congress Beer Towel and Tray
Congress Beer was one of the most popular brews
produced by Syracuses Haberle Brewing Company.
Pay tribute to this iconic local beverage with a Congress
dish towel ($12.99) and reproduction tray ($18.99).
Made by Fishs Eddy of New York City, these retroinspired items are sure to be conversation starters.
Prints and Posters

Looking for a historic image to decorate your walls?
We offer a selection of Syracuse patent prints, featuring
iconic Syracuse inventions such as the Brannock
device. These large scale prints are available, made
to order, in two sizes: twenty by twenty-four inches
and twenty-four by thirty-six inches ($10.00). Framed
prints are also available at an additional cost ($35.00
- $45.00). We also carry posters featuring the historic
Iron Pier Resort, which was located on the south shore
of Onondaga Lake and was in business from 1890 to
1907. This full color poster was reproduced in a limited
edition from the original advertising lithograph ($24.95).
Christmas Ornament
The fifth ornament in our collectible glass ornament
series features the New York Central Railroad station
on Erie Blvd. ($10.00).
Christmas Cards
Add a bit of flair to your holiday correspondence! Design
your own custom Christmas cards using historic images
from OHAs collection! Sets of 20 Cards are $20.00,
and pricing includes optional inside text plus matching
envelopes in white or cream.
A Life in Art: Highlights

of Women Artists in
OHAs Collection
by Erica Jensen, M.A.
Museum Studies &
M.A. Art History,
Syracuse University
hy an exhibition of art at a history museum?

History museums are not often associated with
art, but most, if not almost all, have numerous
works of art in their collections. OHA has approximately
1,500 works of art in total, with about 300 by women. OHA
typically collects works that feature people, places, or events
that have historical significance to Onondaga County. The
works in this exhibition are an example of this, depicting
a nineteenth century abolitionist, a building designed by a
well-known local architect, and a noted nineteenth century
violinist. Yet the importance of works of art can extend
beyond the documentation of a specific person or building.
They can also be viewed as a window into the time period
during which they were created. Though not all historic
art is a photographic representation of people, buildings,
landscapes, or objects (and is often not intended to be), it can
still give us a sense of how people lived, what clothes they
wore, how they worked, what they valued, what industries
thrived, and more.
Art is also as much a part of history as any other human
endeavor, like industry, social norms, government, etc., and
the artistic output of a particular society at a particular time
can contribute to our understanding of it. For example,
countries and individuals often used art as a public
relations tool. Napoleon Bonaparte was famously depicted
on a horse rearing up on its hind legs, but in the painting
he does not lean forward and cling to the horse to avoid
falling off, as most anyone would do. Instead he is shown
sitting calmly on the horse with his hand in the air pointing
up the mountainside upon which his horse stands. In this
and other ways, the artist, Jacques-Louise David, portrays
Napoleon as a hero in complete control, a man worthy of
following into battle and confidently leading a nation and
an empire. In contrast to the patronage of a leader, if the
main purchasers of art in a country were individuals, it may
reveal a vibrant middle class, such as when the Dutch artist
Johannes Vermeer painted the Girl with the Pearl Earring
in the 17th century. Though the nature of a society can be

discovered in multiple ways, the artistic life of a society
adds additional information and contributes to creating a
complete picture of a nation or moment in time.
The history of a society can be delved into even more deeply
through art. Paintings, prints, and sculpture often reflect
concerns or ideas of the time in which they were created,
whether they are social, political, scientific, religious,
philosophical, psychological, and so forth, as well as, of
course, ideas about art itself. Leonardo da Vinci dissected
bodies in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, and drew
what he observed. He is now often considered as being
the first to explore various aspects of anatomy and other
related fields. John Singer Sargent painted a high society
woman with a strap of her dress hanging down her arm
in the late nineteenth century. The scandal that occurred
after its display reveals social mores of the time concerning
womens sexuality. Though visually this painting is
exceedingly tame today, at the time the slipped strap
indicted that this married women would be open to sexual
advances. The painting was also ridiculed and scorned, and
the womans reputation never recovered.
The painting American Gothic, painted by Grant Wood in
1930, depicting a woman and a man holding a pitchfork
in front of a Carpenter Gothic style house, reflects a time
in the early twentieth century when the United States was
trying to define itself, particularly differentiating itself from
Europe. The couple also appears to be sternly defending
their home at a time when many Americans were losing
theirs during the Depression. This image still holds
meaning for us generations later, as it has been frequently
copied with alterations up through the present day. Many
embrace it because it embodies something that at least white
Americans identify as uniquely American, the imagined
simplicity of a farm life, the straight forward rules of our
Puritan beginnings and the benefits of hard work.
Why an exhibition of women artists?

Why is it important for a history museum to focus on
women and the art of women? In a time when women are
running for President of the United States, we may seem a
long way from a past in which women couldnt even vote,
much less be considered for the highest office in the land.
But a female president is a glass ceiling that has not yet
been shattered and gender inequality still exists in other
aspects of our society. Though women obtained the same
opportunities for education in art as men more than a century
ago, discrimination and social pressure has limited their
participation in a male-dominated art world. In the early
twenty-first century women make up just under 50% of art
school attendees, but in some of the countrys largest modern
and contemporary art museum collections, they make up
4 to 25% of the total number of artworks, depending on
the institution. In commercial contemporary art galleries,
estimates are that women make up about 30% of artists
represented. These numbers obviously demonstrate that a
gap exists between the opportunities women have and the
way they are perceived in the art world. Looking at women
artists from the past and highlighting their achievements
enables us to understand from where this gap came. The
story of women and art is not over; the fight by women
artists to be a part of the art world is not just in the past, but
is still a part of the present. This exhibition will explore
what some local womens experiences were as artists, as
well as how they fit into the overall experience of American
womens artistic endeavors and social roles.
of the first academies to admit women, the Pennsylvania

Academy of Art in Philadelphia, initially only allowed
women to study the casts an hour a day three days a week.
In both America and Europe an essential part of training
in art was to draw both figure sculptures and live models.
Womens access to the same training as men evolved over
the century, with additional classes and opportunities being
added gradually. Over the decades, women were no longer
segregated and studied the casts in the same classes as men
(with figs leaves on the casts), participated in anatomy
lectures, copied paintings in the academy galleries, and
attended art history classes. Yet women could not attend
life drawing classes that featured live models. After some
female students (including Mary Cassatt, who later became
part of the Impressionist circle of artists in France) created
their own life drawing class, the school finally organized
one for women in 1868. However, akin to the sculptures of
men, the live male models had to wear loincloths.
Despite these increased opportunities, Europe continued
to be the place to go to further an artistic career, though
any formal training opportunities in Europe, such as art
academies, were only offered to men. Established artists
often took on pupils, and many women continued or began
their studies that way
Also, as the artwork in the exhibition is predominantly, if

not entirely, created by white women, the exhibition will
only speak about their experiences as artists. Though
the experiences of women of color would have some
similarities, their story, in many ways, is a different one.
This method is how Gifford received her training. Arriving

in Florence in 1872, she studied under the American
sculptor Hiram Powers. Gifford created a marble bust of
Reverend Samuel J. May, who was an advocate of the civil
rights of African Americans and women in mid-nineteenth
century Syracuse. This bust is likely the same one which
is in OHAs exhibition. Gifford created a second bust
to exhibit at the Centennial International Exhibition in
1876 put on by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
Isabella Gifford
Like many artists, male and female, in the late nineteenth
century, Syracuse native Isabella Gifford traveled to
Europe to study art. Though the United States had some
art academies, artists considered the best training to be in
Europe with its museums containing artworks spanning
centuries. Some of the art museums we know today in this
country were only just being founded and had not acquired
all of the collections that they have today (the Metropolitan
Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
were both founded in 1870). A common component of art
training of the time was to copy old master paintings and
sculpture. Art academies typically only had casts of ancient
Greek and Roman sculpture and paintings of moderate
quality for budding artists to study. In addition, professional
training for female artists was limited in these schools. One
Bust of Samuel J. May, by Isabella Gifford
Considered Americas first Worlds Fair, both the arts and

industries of the United States and other countries were on
display. Giffords bust of May was awarded one of only
four certificates of excellence given to American sculptors
at the Exhibition. A marble bust of May is currently located
in the church where he was pastor for over twenty years
(now called the May Memorial Unitarian Universalist
Society), so likely it is the work that was presented at the
fair. In 1874 Gifford had begun preparatory work on a bust
of Franz Liszt, the pianist and composer, but falling ill, she
was unable to create any sculpture again. Passing away in
1889, this bust and a plaster cast at the Cornell University
library are the only remaining legacies of a promising artist.
Anna Olmsted
Though today women are not directors of many of the
museums that have the highest attendance, the biggest
budgets, or the highest pay, in 2012, 57% of museums in
the United States were led by women. In contrast, in 1931,
the appointment of Anna Wetherill Olmsted as director of
the Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts (which later became the
Everson Museum of Art) was very controversial. Many
people were against her appointment simply based on her
gender, but others felt that she was unqualified. Yet as the
third director of the institution, Olmsted was no different
than her predecessors in her qualifications. Like them, she
did not have experience as a curator, but was involved in
the Syracuse art world. Born in Syracuse, Olmsted trained
in painting at Syracuse University from 1907-1911. It was
probably during this time that she painted a portrait of her
grandfather Mayer Wetherill, a sketchy, Impressionistic
portrait which is included in OHAs exhibition. From 1923
to 1945 she was an art critic for the Syracuse Post-Standard
(and then for the Syracuse Herald-American). Olmsted
was appointed assistant director of the museum in 1929,
and then promoted to the directorship after the death of
director Fernando Carter.
Her role in the history of Syracuse does not end with this
appointment. In 1934 she was appointed the chairwoman
of the Central New York committee of the Public Works
of Art Project (one of President Roosevelts New Deal
programs to improve the economy during the Depression),
and Roosevelt appointed her as delegate to the International
Exposition in Paris in 1937. Olmsteds most influential
legacy, though, was the initiation and promotion of the
Ceramic National exhibitions. Begun in 1932, this event
was initially an annual, then biannual, juried exhibition
of contemporary American artists working in ceramics.
At the time of the first one, a New York state ceramics
exhibition existed, as well as an international one, but
not a national one. The importance of this exhibition
Mayer Wetherill portrait, by Anna Olmsted

is multi-fold. The exhibition contributed to a changing
perception of the potential of ceramics to be art rather
than being used only for practical purposes. Though many
ceramic artists, like Adelaide Robineau, created vessels,
many artists also explored the sculptural qualities of the
medium. That Syracuse became a focus for ceramics is not
surprising, as Syracuse was one of three major locations
of industrial ceramic production in the United States in
the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Eventually
the local industry was dominated by the Onondaga Pottery
Company (later renamed Syracuse China). In addition,
nearby Alfred University was one of the leading schools
in the country teaching ceramics, and Syracuse University
had taught ceramics since the foundation of its school of
fine arts in 1873.
Despite her controversial beginning, by the late 1930s,
Olmsted was a popular figure both locally and regionally,
and nationally she was known for her promotion of
American ceramics. As the Syracuse Herald-American
stated, The Syracuse Museum is Miss Olmsted. By the
1950s Olmsteds name was considered synonymous with
the Ceramic National, and the great appeal and prestige of
American ceramics overseas in that decade was attributed to
its influence. One commentator considered the exhibition
as having put Syracuse on the map artistically.
Adelaide Morris
In 1931 the New York Sun profiled two women, highlighting
them as the only female draftsmen contributing to the
construction of subway lines in New York City. At the
profiled by the Syracuse-Herald as being a member of five

art groups. One of these was the Syracuse Printmakers,
a group that was founded in the 1930s. This decade and
the following one marked a vibrant era of printmaking in
the United States. Printmaking groups began appearing
all over the country in both small and large cities. Many
of these groups, including Syracuse, were encouraged by
well-known artists of the time, such as John Taylor Arms
and Rockwell Kent, who would give demonstration talks
around the country, encouraging existing artists, such as
architects or painters to try this different medium.
peak of work on the subway, they were the only women

working with 1,700 men. One of these women, Adelaide
Morris, was apparently undaunted by the disparity in
gender distribution. In an interview in the New York Sun
in 1941 she wondered why more women didnt apply for
a job in drafting, stating that they would be taken by your
fellow-workers - all men - at their own value. Morris also
worked as an artist, which the journalist of the earlier article
considered a remarkable fact. From subways to works
of art is a far cry. Most people would hardly put them in
the same sentence. Morris worked on subways and other
projects for the city for twenty-one years. In contrast to the
social pressures and expectations of the time that women
not work after marriage, many of her employment years
were after she married fellow artist, Fred Gardner.
The subject of many of Morris prints as well as her

paintings in her early artistic career was buildings. She
did a series of works of buildings in Brooklyn Heights, her
neighborhood in New York City, and she focused on many
older buildings in Syracuse and Onondaga County after she
moved to the area. From 1942 to 1959 OHA hosted annual
exhibitions, inviting local artists to portray the history of
the area. Many of OHAs works by women come from this
time period. The painting by Morris in OHAs exhibition
may have also been inspired by these exhibitions. It depicts
the Durston Building, which was designed by Archimedes
Russell, a professor of architecture at Syracuse University
in the late nineteenth century. Many of the most iconic
buildings in Syracuse, such as Crouse College at Syracuse
University, were designed by him. Unfortunately the
Durston Building no longer exists, but Morris work is a
record of what Syracuse used to look like, imbued with the
spirit and artistic perspective of the painter. This painting
and the other artworks in OHAs exhibition of women artists
are tributes to the areas talented people and a reflection of
the rich artistic life of Syracuse and Onondaga County.
With little formal training, Morris began exhibiting her

paintings in the late 1920s. She did study with two famous
artists, John Sloan and Harry Sternberg, at the Art Students
League, an art school in New York City. However, one
newspaper categorized her time with Sloan as simply
being some criticisms. Regardless, she became a regular
at the exhibitions of the Society of Independent Artists, at
one point in the late 1930s having to turn down an offer to
be the director of the society due to other obligations. She
was a member of at least two art galleries, and was invited
to show one of her paintings in the Carnegie International
Art Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1932. Morris left New
York City in 1941 when she retired with her husband to
Jamesville, just outside of Syracuse.
OHA recently received funding from the Greater Hudson

Heritage Network to repair and frame one of the paintings
scheduled to appear in the exhibition. OHA was one of only
seventeen recipients across New York State, and the only
cultural organization in Onondaga County, to be awarded
this competitive conservation grant. West Lake Conservators in Skaneateles is repairing and framing the painting,
Landscape with a Stag by Charlotte Huntley Brigham, c.
1890. Brigham hailed from an old pioneer family and her
husband, John, was jailed for two days for his involvement
in the Jerry Rescue, a slave liberation in Syracuse in October 1851 that defied the Fugitive Slave Law. A painting of
the Onondaga Arsenal by Charlottes daughter, Adele Cynthia Brigham, will be on display as well.
The artistic life of Syracuse was very active in the 1940s

and 1950s. There were multiple art organizations that
regularly put on art exhibits. Both Morris and her husband
became prominent members of these groups and exhibited
regularly. At one point Morris had a one woman show as
part of a series of the Onondaga Art Guild and she was
The exhibition, A Life in Art: Highlights of Women Artists

in OHAs Collection, opened on September 9th and closes
on June 5, 2016. Visitors may reflect on the artwork created
by these women artists during regular museum hours:
Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday, 10-4 and Saturday &
Sunday, 11-4. n
Durston Building, by Adelaide Morris Gardner
Andrew Boyd
T
By Dick Case
here are pieces of the Abraham Lincoln story scattered

across America. Some touched down in Syracuse.
The President was shot April 14, 1865 while attending a

performance at Fords Theater in Washington, D.C.
The Syracuse connection was through Andrew Boyd, the
Irish-born street directory king who died here in 1905 at
age 69. Boyd was hailed for his indefatigable labors as a
collector of Lincoln souvenirs.
Andrew Boyd settled in Syracuse after the Civil War and his
family has lived here since then. His father was a sergeant
in the Irish Army. Andrew was born in the Dublin barracks
during the summer of 1836. He was an infant when the
family moved to Canada. In 1851, the young immigrant
passed into New York State and began working as an office
boy on Wall Street.
Andrew had two heroes: Abraham Lincoln and his
older brother, William Henry Boyd, a Civil War officer
(commander of the so-called Lincoln Brigade) and
founder of a publishing company specializing in street
directories. William Henry tutored his brother in the
directory business. By 1854, Andrew was knocking on
doors in New York City, looking
for ads and information. Andrew
said it was, from (my brother's)
lips I first learned how to make a
directory.
William Henry went to war and
became a famous general, while
his brother tended to the business
which earned him a reputation for
completeness and reliability.
Andrew published his first
directory in Albany in 1857. His
last was in Syracuse, in 1899.
William Henry died in 1887.
In 1888, Andrew published a
memorial to him in his directories,
lauding my brother as a military
man and a publisher of stature.
Cover from Boyds Duplex Directory of

Syracuse, 1899
Title Page from Boyds Duplex

Directory of Syracuse, 1899
Andrew Boyds reputation as a

collector of Lincoln materials
was boundless. He was praised
in an article from The PostStandard newspaper article of
Tribute to General William Henry Boyd from Boyds

Directory of Syracuse, 1888, pg. 18

1899, about the sale of some of his collection to the Library
of Congress, for his indefatigable labors as a collector of
Lincoln souvenirs. Another article in the Sunday Herald of
Syracuse in 1901 said After the Presidents assassination,
Mr. Boyd took upon himself the loving task of making a
collection of everything relating to the man. His bounty,
gathered in a search of the entire country, included items
from the room in the Peterson house, where Lincoln died,
to books, engravings, badges and other Lincoln items.

He advertised in the Syracuse Journal for everything and

anything no matter how trifling connected with Mr.
Lincoln.
In 1869, Boyd announced publication of a Lincoln
bibliography a complete catalog of books, pamphlets,
portraits, cards, songs, badges, metals a compilation of
Lincoln materials praised to this day. In 1944, the Lincoln
Herald, a quarterly of Lincolniana, published an article
about the collections of two Lincoln buffs, What Andrew
Boyd and Charles Henry Hart did for Abraham Lincoln,
by F. Lauriston Bullard, which explored the work of the
two collectors in detail. The article cited a collection of 37
letters from Boyd to Hart, 1867 to 1870, which the author
found in the Huntington Library in California.
Lincoln Bibliography, by Andrew Boyd
Syracuse Herald, February 10, 1901

Andrew Boyd sold a piece of his Lincoln inventory to the
Library of Congress in 1873 for $1,000. The lot included
1,500 books, pamphlets, medals, handbills, tokens, etc.
Boyd kept his hobby going. In that same year, he bought
Lincolns deathbed, straw tick and mattress, for $100.
These items later became part of the Lincoln materials at
the Chicago Historical Society.
In 1961, as a young reporter for the Herald Journal American,
I was sent to a yellow house in the Westcott neighborhood
to interview Boyds granddaughter, Mrs. Leon Burt.
Marguerite Burt kept the last of Andrew Boyds Lincoln
collection in a paper bag. My story about Boyd, published
in the Herald American in February 1961, included this
inventory of the bags content, each one labeled:
Piece of the coat worn by Lincoln the night he
was killed.
Piece of cloth used to stop the blood from
Lincolns wound.
Piece of crepe from the door of the house where
Lincoln died.
Feather from the pillow Lincoln died on.
Fringe from the curtain that caught Booths
spur as he leaped from the presidents box.
Pieces of wood from the Lincoln assassins
hanging scaffolds.
Piece of the coat President Lincoln was wearing at the time

he was assassinated.
In 1997, I received a letter from Richard Tucker of WinstonSalem, North Carolina, who identified himself as the great
grandson of Andrew Boyd. He said hed grown up in the
house where I interviewed Marguerite Burt, his aunt. He
explained he had the objects I saw come out of the paper
bag, which he said his family wanted to hold on to.
At the time of his death in 1905, Andrew Boyd lived at 833
South Beech Street, Syracuse.
Lincolns death was part of a conspiracy, in which Secretary
of State William Seward of Auburn was wounded.
Lincolns killer, actor John Wilkes Booth, a member of
a prominent 19th century theatrical family, escaped on
horseback into Virginia. Booth died April 26, 1865, shot
by a Union soldier in a barn near Port Royal, where he was
hiding when it was set ablaze. Booth was identified as a
Confederate sympathizer and Lincoln hater. Eight other
conspirators were tried and convicted; four were hanged. n
Inside OHA: News and Updates
or Onondaga Historical Association, 2015 has

been a year of firsts, along with some fun and
engaging additions to our online presence.
In April of this year, OHA launched its first ever online

fundraiser to celebrate its 152nd birthday. We werent
sure how our audience would react, but our followers
and supporters came through, as they always do, to help
us reach, and exceed, our goal. We want to thank those
who continue to support OHA and thank our donors who
contributed for the first time. Your investment will ensure
future generations are able to learn about our countys history.
OHA launched a membership drive from the beginning
of May to the end of June, bringing our overall numbers
to a record high. So, whether you have been a member
for six months or 15 years, we want to thank you for
your support; you are the backbone of our organization.
OHA also hosted its first rock show at the opening of Salt
City Rock: The History of Rock n Roll in Syracuse. The
talented Syracuse punk band The Flashcubes, who started
playing in the area in the late 1970s, headlined a night
filled with nostalgia about the rock n roll scenes heyday.
The exhibit, sponsors by Dinosaur BBQ, Resurrected
Tattoo, and World of Beer brought back members of
bands like The Trend, the Tear Jerkers, and The Poptarts
along with local music historian Ron Gersbacher.
Good morning, Mr. Tin Man. Lookin Good.
In social media news, OHA is now on Instagram - @

onondagahisassn. Follow us there to get a behind
the scenes look at our organization or to view
parts of our enormous photo and 3-D collection.
But waittheres more! OHA has also re-launched
its blog with a new address: www.onondagahisassn.
wordpress.com. What started out as a blog dedicated to
Onondaga Countys Civil War soldiers and their diaries now
encompasses all of Onondaga Countys history. With stories
from our past to daily Today in History posts and photos,
theres even more fresh content to keep up with everyday.
Whats trending online? Our staff creates new content for
our online outlets every day, but sometimes, a story or a
photo strikes a chord with our audience. It may bring back
memories of their childhood, a friend or family member,
or simply remind them of the old sights and sounds of
Onondaga County. Here are our top-two online posts from
the spring of 2015. n
A marquee sign from circa 1940 was uncovered

by Hotel Syracuse staff.
marine in
ese Sub
ptured Japan
ca
a
t
ec
sp
in
me to
e 7, 1943
Thousands ca
Syracuse, Jun
Keep em
Flying
Recruitin
g Poster
Civil
Wartime Memories
Defe
nse I
nsign
ia
by Robert W. Conroy, M.D
grew up in Syracuse, New York during WWII. It was a

special time in our nations history and a unique era for
a little boy to experience. I was born in 1938 and turned
seven just after the War ended in 1945. We certainly were
not near the front lines or in the path of enemy bombers,
rockets, or artillery. Ground troops never invaded our
community and we didnt starve during those years. Yet,
all of us knew we were at war and did our part to keep our
nation safe. I have many recollections of that time and can
still experience the intense emotions associated with those
memories. My feelings were powerful.
My mother emphasized patriotism. When we heard military

planes ying over our house, my mother would join me in
our little back yard. The two of us would look skyward and
wave with a wave as big as our arms would allow, shouting,
Keep Em Flying. It was an inspirational rallying cry
coined by Lt. Col. Harold N. Gilbert in 1941 to encourage
recruiting for the Army Air Corps. I thought every pilot
could see and hear us as they ew over. As I shouted with
the loudest voice I could muster, I felt a sense of pride
and patriotism swell in my heart. These were our planes,
and our boys, and they were going to win the War for us.
Keep Em Flying! When story time came, I frequently
asked my mother to read me the 1942 edition of Airplane
Andy, by Sanford Tousey or Today We Fly published in the
same year by Margaret Friskey and Lucia Patton. I wanted
to y and help with the War effort. Both books featured
youngsters who were offered a chance to y in airplanes,

an uncommon treat in those days.
I believed that smashing cans would help us win the war.
I felt a sense of duty as my mother asked me to smash
the food cans we carefully saved. We just knew our cans
would be used for making tanks and ships and all those
war materials made out of metal. After each meal in which
canned food was served, my mother would take off the
label, clean the can carefully, use the manually operated
can opener to take off the other end, and I would get to
smash it to save space. We kept a box in our food pantry to
save those cans. When we got enough, we would take them
to the store where they would be recycled. It was clear in
my young mind that guns were made directly from these
cans and I was doing my part. I felt very proud to do it. My
mother also saved all fat and grease and turned that in as
well. We all knew this was to make soap for the boys, to
keep them clean and comfortable.
We didnt mind the food rationing. We didnt like it, but
we all knew the food had to go to the boys overseas who
were ghting for us. There was a real sense of linkage
with our ghting men. Bacon was the food we missed the
most. Before the war, every Sunday, my mom would make
bacon and eggs, a real treat and a welcome relief from my
usual Kelloggs PEP cereal. However, when meat rationing
started, we had to forego the bacon. Sometimes we could
A Can of WWII
SPAM with the Emergency Label
A Box of Kelloggs PEP

& PEP Pins.
rationed and my dad had a C gas sticker, the most liberal,

because he had to travel for a living. The car owner was
required to enter his/her profession on the sticker to justify
the need for more gas. Farmers were able to get more gas
too. Dad was very concerned about tires, however, which
were very hard to obtain and didnt last very long. One
mistake I regret to this day was leaving my little garden
rake in the driveway. Coming home one day, my dad ran
over it and severely damaged a precious tire. I have to
commend my dad for his understanding of a little boys
mistake. I felt so bad about it and remember it to this day.
Gas Rationing Stickers. My dad had a C. Note the
profession had to be listed on the C sticker.
substitute SPAM, a processed canned ham which became a
WWII favorite. It could be fried like bacon and the product
remains popular even today.
I did love my bowl of Kelloggs PEP cereal, sprinkled with
a small amount of rationed sugar, then drenched with whole
milk. We had to shake the quart bottles to homogenize
the cream which went to the top. In addition, each box of
PEP had a PEP Pin inside. In 1943, there were military
squadron buttons and later comic characters including my
favorite, Superman.
I had a nice collection of PEP Pins which unfortunately
have disappeared like so many of my childhood treasures.
They currently fetch big money in the collectors markets.
This generation likely would not recognize the comic
characters all familiar to us in those days.
My dad was forty-one when the War broke out and was
too old to serve. As a fteen year old, he served during
WWI, helping out at the draft board. He made his living as
a salesman and traveled New York State. Gas was strictly
We bought war bond stamps at school and pasted them in a

little book. When we got enough, we could buy a Series E
War Bond. Kate Smith, one of my mothers favorite singers,
performed to raise money for war bonds.
I remember well the fear I experienced during the War.
A Japanese miniature submarine went aground at Pearl
Harbor. It was put on the back of a truck and on a railroad
at car and moved from city to city to sell war bonds to
support the War effort. My parents took my sister and me to
see it. We went to a rail siding in downtown Syracuse and
I remember lots of people waiting, so many that we had to
stand in line. After a long wait, we nally were at the ramp
and walking slowly up. Much to my horror, when I looked
in the porthole, there were two Japanese sailors inside
(mannequins of course) manning the controls. I can still
remember my surprise and fear looking into that porthole.
War was scary.
I was also frightened when the Nazis landed saboteurs on
Long Island. A submerged U-Boat penetrated our coast,
surfaced, and the saboteurs paddled ashore in rubber boats.
My mother read me the story of this daring landing and I
knew enough about geography to realize Long Island was
in our State of New York.
People inspecting the captured Japanese Submarine in Syracuse,

June 7, 1943
We had air raid drills conducted by our Civil Defense
Wardens. Each block had a warden with a helmet and
arm badge, with prominent red, white, and blue colors.
During a night drill, we were required to black out our
windows. No light could appear from the window when the
Civil Defense Warden came by. It was scary sitting in the
darkened room with my mother assuring us this was only
a test. I never remember any special curtains, but rather we
used our ordinary curtains and blinds. I felt secure, feeling
every warden and every soldier or sailor was my friend and
would help me if assistance was needed.
My mother took a Red Cross rst aid training class, which
was quite extensive. She was a very good student and used
her excellent training to assist our family with scrapes,
bruises, and minor illnesses. In case of all out war, she was
ready and trained to assist others.
We had a victory garden and I got to march safely behind
the horses used to plow our garden in the spring. I still
remember the healthy smell of the newly turned earth. It
was fun to look for worms in the turned over soil. My sister
and I helped my dad in the garden and felt very patriotic.
I remember my folks talking about the seriousness of the
War in 1943 and I realized they were worried. There was
War in the Pacic, Europe, and North Africa. Certainly, I
didnt understand all of this but I could sense my parents
concern. It made me concerned too. I wondered if we would
win the War.
Playing soldier was a favorite with all the boys in the
neighborhood. My dad got me an army surplus pup tent
with the names of the soldier occupants written on the side.
I also had a real training helmet and an inoperable rie,
along with a surplus canteen. Playing with my soldier stuff
was very exciting and made me feel like a real warrior. I
cant count the number of enemies I shot and how many
battles I won. My mother let me get navy-ship wall paper
on my bedroom walls and my imagination went wild, as I
Blue Star Flag...A

Family Member In
The Service.
Gold Star Flag....A

Family Member Gave
His/Her Life For Us.
imagined the wall paper battleship and the aircraft carrier

plying the waves and winning the war.
Driving around Syracuse doing errands with my dad, I
would look for the little ags in the windows. A blue star
meant the family had a son, daughter, a father or a mother
serving in the armed forces. A gold star ag meant a family
member had made the supreme sacrice and given his/her
life for our country. It was sad to see those gold star ags
and we felt a deep sense of respect and appreciation for their
sacrice. America was a patriotic nation and appreciated
the service of our veterans.
I remember V-J day on August 14, 1945. When I heard the
news, I ran out of the house and down to Lyndale Avenue.
We lived in Minneapolis then. Horns were blaring as
the cars hurried up and down the Avenue. The War was
nally over. I was almost seven at the time. It took time
for our world to return to normal. G.I.s returned home
to limited housing, but abundant jobs. Americans needed
cars, refrigerators and houses...lots of houses as returning
G.I.s united with wives and sweethearts. Suburbs began
to spring up to meet the housing demand of new families.
It had been a long journey and now at last we were at
peace. It was a special time for me, a period of my life I
will never forget. n
About the Author: Dr. Robert Conroy practiced 26
years at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas and
12 years with the United States Army and the Veterans
Administration. After receiving his Bachelor of Science
degree cum laude from the University of Saint Thomas in
Saint Paul, Minnesota, and his Doctor of Medicine from the
University of Minnesota, he completed psychiatric training
at Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, D.C. Dr.
Conroy is board certied and a diplomat of the American
Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. As a writer, he has
numerous publications to his credit, both in the scientic
and lay press. He and his wife Carolyn enjoy retired life in
Topeka, Kansas.
The 2015 OHA

MEDAL AWARDS
were given at a
BREAKFAST EVENT
June 18
at the
Genesee Grande
Hotel, Syracuse, NY
HONOREES
SPONSORS
St. Josephs
Hospital Health
Center
Our deepest appreciation to the following:
Historian
Cathedral Candle
David Murray, MD
Linda Witherill
Patron
Practice Resources, LLC
St. Josephs Hospital Health Center
Friends
Dupli Envelope & Graphics
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
Hancock Estabrook, LLP
Marilyn Higgins
Tables
Bottar Leone, LLC
Crawford & Stearns
King + King Architects
Patron Tickets
CNY Community Foundation
George Curry
The Bonadio Group
VP for Development
Doug Smith accepting
the award from OHA
Executive Director
Gregg Tripoli.
J. Roy Dodge
Town of LaFayette
Historian, Emeritus.
In recognition of special
individual and
organizational efforts
towards the preservation
of local history.
Crawford & Stearns,

Architects and
Preservation
Planners
Carl Stearns and
Randy Crawford
accepting the medal.
he sights and sounds of the season are back with the

OHA Carolers in their Victorian garb ready to entertain
at your holiday event. The songs that range from the
medieval favorite The Twelve Days of Christmas (done
with a new twist) to traditional carols such as Silent Night,
to Elvis Presleys hit, Blue Christmas. Special audience
participation activities may be included in the festivities.
For more information, please call Scott at

428-1864 x317 at least two weeks prior to your event.
The OHA Carolers: Brian Morey, Susan Barbour, Kate

Huddleston, David Baker and Amanda Hebblewait joined
together to spread the spirit of the Holidays though song.
OHA Resources Help

Onondaga County
School Teachers
he collections of the Onondaga Historical Association

have long provided important resource material for
teaching social studies classes in both area elementary
and high schools. OHA is also the local coordinating
organization for the annual National History Day competition
for students. It offers tours for school groups of the museum
and has an active, in-school out-reach program.
Perhaps less well-known are the teacher training opportunities
that OHA has offered in the recent past, most notably in
partnership with the Onondaga and Madison County BOCES
through the Teaching American History grant program of the
U. S. Department of Education.
Currently, the Syracuse City School District is in the
process of implementing New York States new Common
Core curriculum. Its social studies department wished
to get a head start on providing locally relative content for
its faculty to use in implementing the new standards. This
was especially true for Grade 11 where much U. S. history
is covered.
OHA was approached last year to undertake a contract
with the city school district to develop primary archival
resources from its collection, ones which could be used
to explore a variety of topics for the new curriculums
American history units.
OHA assembled a team from its staff, led by curator of history
Dennis Connors and including education coordinator Scott
Peal, archivist Pam Priest, collections curator Tom Hunter
and research coordinator Sarah Kozma. Key assistance was
also provided from volunteers Amy Perez and Sarah Spencer.
Initial planning meetings were held with the City School
District Supervisor of Social Studies, Nicholas Stamoulacatos,
and Kathleen Argus, a Social Studies teacher assigned to
curriculum development.
Parole for a Captain of a British Supply Ship Captured by

Washingtons Army at New York, 1776 OHA Collection
In covering topics that extended, chronologically, from
Native-European contact in the 17th century to the mid
20th century Cold War, the team scoured through OHAs
massive holdings to locate original documents, letters,
photographs, advertising materials, maps and artifacts that
would help provide a meaningful local perspective on the
history curriculum. Each resource was scanned to create a
digital file. The image was then inserted into a multi-page
white paper that provides an explanation of the item and
its context for the curriculum.
Sample Homemade
Fallout Shelter, 1961
OHA Collection
The scanned documents were indexed to a master DVD that
contains all of the images. The district will use this material
to develop specific lesson plans built around the archival
material. Teachers can project the image in the classroom
and use the lesson plan to make the document illustrate the
curriculum topic.
The concept is that a Syracuse student would be more
engaged with an event, person, business or movement
with local relevance. For example, studying the issue of
Prohibition in the 1920s by examining documents related
to a raid on a speakeasy in downtown Syracuse might be
more effective than using an incident in Chicago or St. Louis.
One good example involved the Core Curriculum topic that

instructed teachers to examine the growth of industries under
the leadership of businessmen such as John D. Rockefeller
and Henry Ford. Neither Rockefeller nor Ford developed
their industries in Syracuse, but one of their most successful
techniques was called vertical integration. This is when a
manufacturer owns or controls all the steps in the production,
from extracting raw materials, shipping them to the plant,
manufacturing the product and distributing it to market.
OHA provided primary documents for this section that
illustrated a similar local story with the Solvay Process
Company. In its manufacture of soda ash near Onondaga
Primary sources ranged from a 1776 Revolutionary War

parole for a British prisoner to an 1850 pamphlet by Camillus
engineer George Geddes on the construction of plank roads,
to a 1961 Department of Defense manual on constructing a
home fallout shelter. There is an original 1902 letter from
H. H. Franklin, Syracuses future car manufacturer, to a
potential business partner. In seeking to have his friend
invest in his company, Franklin offers his projections about
the future impact of the automobile in America.
Other local documents provided by OHA cover Americas
ethnic history, industrialization, slavery, wars, relations
with Native peoples, womens rights, the Great Depression,
and several other topics. In total, over 250 primary source
documents, with explanatory historical context narratives,
were provided to the Syracuse City School District as part
of this extensive project.
The Solvay Process Companys Tully Brine Wells

OHA Collection
Lake, Solvay Process needed both limestone and brine. It

acquired the Split Rock quarry in the Town of Onondaga as
well as drilling brine wells in Tully. Then it built a suspended
cable car line to bring the stone from the Town of Onondaga
and a pipeline to transport the brine from deep in the Tully
Valley, both to its lakeside plant. In the early 20th century,
Solvay Process was not as big as Standard Oil or the Ford
Motor Company, but it was a giant in the field of making
soda ash. And a student in Fowler or Henninger High School
can relate better to places like Onondaga and Tully than he
or she can to the Rouge River or Titusville, Pennsylvania
The depth of OHAs collection proved to be a true resource
even if the curriculum topic seemed a bit outside of Onondaga
County history. In one instance, the curriculum asked
teachers to investigate within the American colonies over
the, attempts to mitigate the conflicts between the British
government and the colonists, conflicts which led to the
Declaration of Independence in 1776. For students today, it
might be a patriotic assumption to consider that the American
colonists came to that declaration quickly and were united
in the Revolution against the British.
OHAs archives, however, contains a letter dated 16 July 1776
from John Alsop, a New York delegate at the Continental
Congress, then meeting in Philadelphia. It is addressed to
his home colonys Provincial Congress in New York City.
Alsop and the other four representatives from New York
had been pressured by men like John Adams to vote for the
Declaration of Independence on July 4. Lacking instructions
from their colony, however, the New York delegation was
forced to abstain a bit of an embarrassment reflected in the
popular Broadway musical, "1776".
Finally, on July 9, New Yorks Provincial Congress
sent word that while lamenting, the cruel
necessity which has rendered the measure
unavoidable, we approve the same,
and will, at the risk of our lives and
fortunes, join with the other Colonies
in supporting it.
New Yorks tardy agreement made
approval of the Declaration of
Independence unanimous among
the 13 colonies. When it was time
to sign the actual Declaration a
few weeks later, however, only
four of New Yorks five delegates
signed it. John Alsop did not. In his
letter of July 16 in the OHA archives,
Alsop relates that he first heard of New
Yorks support when it was read to all
of the Continental Congress by the bodys
president, John Hancock, on July 15. Alsop was
initially offended by not hearing this decision directly from

the leaders of his own New York colony, men who clearly
had been divided about joining the decision to declare for
independence.
Alsop, however, had also long maintained his personal
reluctance to break from Britain. He writes in the OHA
letter that it was, against my Judgment and inclination, as
long as a door was left open for a reconciliation with Great
Britain upon honorable and just terms.
Torn by his obligation as a New York delegate to now
sign the Declaration of Independence, a document that
he believed may result in defeat of the 13 colonies, Alsop
instead tendered his resignation as a delegate in this July 16
letter. When British troops occupied New York later in 1776,
Alsop moved his family to Connecticut until the war ended.
Although disappointed that a reconciliation with Britain had
not occurred, he supported the Revolution, returned to New
York and accepted America as his new country.
As part of the curriculum packet provided by OHA, students
will have a chance to see a high resolution digital image
of Alsops July 16, 1776 letter. In this particular case, the
letter provides both a primary and very personal resource to
analyze the emotional, political and dramatic circumstances
surrounding Americas decision to declare independence
from Britain.
School district staff believes these examples will make
the curriculum more meaningful and connected to local
students. OHA has always maintained that students will
retain more content and be more receptive to the study of
American history when they realize that events that happened
in their own backyards had strong connections
to the heritage of our state, country and even
international affairs, which continue to
impact us today and into the future.
Additionally, OHA curator of history
Dennis Connors has been conducting
a number of training sessions for city
school teachers, producing further
local historical context for teaching
social studies in area schools.
This curriculum resource material
can also be made available to other
school districts through arrangement
with the OHA. Those interested,
should contact OHAs education
coordinator, Scott Peal, at Scott.Peal@
cnyhistory.org n
John Alsop (1724-1794)
LETS HAVE
A GOOD
CLEAN
FIGHT:
Prosperity Company War Workers Cavalcade Float, July 1944
The Prosperity Company Goes to War!

by Thomas Hunter
Before the outbreak of World War II, factories located

in Syracuse and Onondaga County, NY, made shoes,
typewriters, air conditioners, washing machines, and many
other civilian products. Military preparedness was low
on the nations list. However, shortly after the Japanese
bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941, and
the U.S. declared war on Japan and Germany a few days
later, President Franklin Roosevelt set very challenging
goals for many American manufacturers, including, 125,000
airplanes, 120,000 tanks, and 55,000 anti-aircraft guns by
1943. Several local manufacturers answered the Presidents
call for making war material between 1941 & 1945.
Samuel John Braun, born to German immigrants in Illinois,
was keenly interested in becoming a successful entrepreneur
at an early age. After leaving home at 17 in 1873, Braun
opened his own grocery store. He then opened a yeast business
in 1895, which quickly failed due to the perishable nature
of the yeast. Undaunted, Braun established the National
Chemical Company the following year; product inventory
included a non-perishable washing powder suggested by his
wife. After expanding from a package business to bulk sales,
the company began to sell other chemicals, including alkali.
Braun moved the National Chemical Company in 1904 to
Syracuse, then the center of alkali production. He continued
operating the National Chemical Company until 1915, then
established the Prosperity Company to manufacture laundry
pressing machines.
During the 1920s, the Prosperity Company stayed true to
its name and prospered. Their mascot, Mr. I Will Prosper,
promoted personal thrift in the not-so-thrifty decade. Mr.
Prospers philosophy was to prosper by paying close attention
to his clothes. If his clothes were clean and pressed, they

would last longer. If his clothes lasted longer, he would save
money, and thus have more money to make money.
By the late 1920s, the Prosperity Company was one of the
largest makers of steam pressing clothing machines in the
U.S. In March 1929, the company made their 50,000th
laundry pressing machine. It was also their largest machine
built to date, measuring 87 wide.
As the 1920s segued into the next decade, and the Great
Depression, the Prosperity Company stayed in business
and continued to thrive, even opening a distribution center
in NYC. On February 17, 1938, the company founder,
Samuel J. Braun, died at age 81. Along with managing
the successful company, Braun was a lay minister with
the Apostolic Christian Church in Syracuse. Braun had
founded the church in 1914, initially supporting it with
his own money. He traveled to Europe and South America
promoting church activities, contracting and subsequently
recovering from smallpox on one of his trips. Brauns
children continued and expanded their fathers church work
in succeeding decades.
By 1940, the U.S. had begun mobilizing for war without
directly committing its military personnel to combat.
With World War 2 raging in Europe for more than a year,
President Roosevelt declared that the U.S. would begin to
sell war products to Great Britain and Canada. American
isolationists protested against entering a European conflict,
and the concept of selling was later modified to lending
equipment and supplies to European allies. The U.S.
government began to place factory orders for a wide variety
of weapons, ammunition and machinery, including laundry

presses. Anticipating obtaining several lucrative government
contracts, Prosperity rented 30,000 square feet of floor space
in the empty Remington-Rand Typewriter factory on Gifford
Street in Syracuse to store their inventory. At the time the
largest manufacturer of power steam clothing presses, in
1940, Prosperity received $812,341 to make laundry presses
for U.S. army camps. To make the presses, Prosperity had
invested $100,000 in new equipment and added almost 650
new employees. By the end of 1940, Prosperitys government
contracts amounted to over $1 million.
Military contracts were coveted by all local businesses.
Whether or not Syracuse was getting its fair share of military
contracts became a hot topic debated by Syracuses mayoral
candidates in the 1941 election campaign. Local Democrats
criticized the Republican incumbent, and retiring mayor,
Rolland Marvin, for missing the ball by not obtaining
enough contracts for Syracuse factories. Marvin shot back
at his critics by stating that Syracuse had $65,000,000 in
defense contracts, employing 40,000 people at 400 factories,
churning out wartime products such as ammunition, bombs,
landmines, radar equipment, lighting, machine guns, rifles,
even laundry presses. Speaking before the Republican
Partys opening election rally at Lincoln Auditorium inside
Syracuse Central High School in October 1941, a tenacious
Marvin defended the government contract question by
saying, Syracuse has been kept on the map, my friends, by

the intestinal fortitude of its workers in industry, employers
and employees alike. It will keep its place in the front rank
of American industrial cities by the same kind of intestinal
fortitude by industrial vision and enterprise, by honest work
and skillful production not by political preferment. Is this
a forgotten city, a sleeping city, a city that has missed the
ball? No, ladies and gentlemen, this is one of the busiest
cities in America..
Wartime production workers in Syracuse held a Rededication
Day on Thursday, September 28, 1944. Over 44,000 local
workers rededicated themselves to stay on the job making
wartime products until both Germany and Japan were
defeated. The Rededication Day ceremonies included
a luncheon at Hotel Onondaga, afternoon rallies at plants
making wartime products, including the Prosperity
Company, and an evening program at Lincoln Auditorium
inside Syracuse Central High School, attended by about
1,800 workers. The evening program featured comedian
Milton Berle, singers Kitty Carlisle and Jean Dickenson, the
Syracuse Army Air Base Band, military heroes, and speeches
that rallied the workers to stay committed to making products
that would end the war sooner.
In January 1945, the last year of World War II, the Prosperity
Company was still engaged in wartime production and had
Rededication Day Ceremony at the Prosperity Company, September 28, 1944

1,100 employees. Looking forward to the end of the war,

the company announced a plan for expanding its production
facilities. The companys president, Aquila Rufus Braun,
envisioned a future, mechanized America that included
commercial laundry presses. He predicted that the production
floodgates would burst open once wartime production
restrictions were removed, creating a dramatic appeal by
women for labor-saving laundry machines. Surveys showed
that after the war, many women remaining in the workforce,
as well as those returning to work in their homes, would take
their laundry to commercial businesses that would wash, dry,
and press their clothes. Braun also predicted that laundries
would merge with dry cleaning businesses, and he wanted
Prosperity to be prepared to meet that demand.
As Germany surrendered in May 1945, and the U.S.
military turned its attention to defeating the Japanese in
the Pacific War Theater, Prosperity produced and shipped
1,000 compact full-service laundry machines to the South
Pacific islands to quickly wash and dry military uniforms.
Concerned that mold and mildew unleashed by hot, moist
air would degrade uniforms, the portable, skid-mounted,
airborne -laundry machines were designed to quickly wash,
dry and press uniforms for GIs stationed in remote outposts.
Officials boasted that the one-hour service would outclass
the traditional primitive method employed by natives
pounding the wash on a rock beside a running stream.
By September 1945, World War II had ended and Aquila
Braun could begin his plan of filling the world with
mechanized, labor-saving laundry machines.
As the U.S. returned to peacetime civilian activities, opening
new markets for a vast array of American consumer products,
the Prosperity Company finished the 1940s and entered
the 1950s with great optimism. However, Prosperity had
its share of ups and downs during the decade. Aquila
Braun retired as company president in 1953 but remained
chairman of the board. Stockholders accused Braun and his
family of mismanaging company funds during his tenure
and sued for control of the company. In 1955, Prosperity
officials sold control of the company to Ward International
Corporation. John Bouvier, Prosperitys president, stated
that selling a majority control of its stock to Ward would
not only hasten Prosperitys expansion and advancement
in the commercial laundry and dry cleaning industry, but
would also develop water clarification and neutralization
from atomic contamination. Richard Weininger, president
of Ward vowed to keep Prosperity a prosperous concern
in Syracuse. The year 1956 marked Prosperitys 40th
anniversary with its slogan, Life Begins at 40. That same
year, the suing Prosperity stockholders won their case against
members of the Braun family, ending a six year legal battle,

and gaining for them a substantial financial settlement. In
1958, Ward International Corporation, parent company of the
Prosperity Company, was purchased by Isbrandsten Lines,
a NYC shipping business.
In January 1961, an article in the Syracuse Post-Standard
educated local citizens on Prosperitys role as one of
Syracuses oldest businesses and a leading manufacturer
of laundry and dry cleaning machinery throughout the
world. It also informed the public on Prosperitys firsts
designing and making air-operated presses, automatic
controls, and equipment suitable for properly handling
synthetic dry cleaning solvents. Company president, Fred
Courtney, promoted community relations. It is difficult, if
not impossible, to place a dollar value on good corporatecommunity relationsit is not unimportant to us at Prosperity.
There has been much public criticism of absentee ownership
with the feeling that such a company is only interested in
what it can take out of a community rather than in what it can
contribute. Today any company with such a policy will not
in the long run be successful. In April, company officials
assured Prosperity employees and the local community that
the company would remain viable in Syracuse.
Nevertheless, all of that positive rhetoric came to a screeching
halt by June 1, 1961. Niels Gammeltoft, president of Ward
Industries, Inc., announced that the Syracuse plant would
close and operations would move to Portland, Maine. On
June 10th, a group representing 600 Prosperity employees
met to discuss the possibility of forming a new company
to save the local jobs and two million dollars in annual
payroll, to no avail. By June 16th, Fred Courtney stated
that the Syracuse operation became so unprofitable that
a consolidation move became necessary. About 100
employees would remain in Syracuse to operate a new
business, House of Kleen Development Corp, a coin
operated laundry and dry cleaning equipment assembly plant,
established by Ward Industries. The Prosperity Company
closed in the fall of 1961, displacing 500 employees.
The end had finally come for the once flourishing Prosperity
Company and its place in Syracuse business history. Similar
to many other family-owned local businesses, the former
manufacturer of laundry presses had been swallowed by
larger companies and then dissipated.
And yet, the Prosperity Companys rich legacy lives on at
the Onondaga Historical Museum in downtown Syracuse.
OHA acquired pertinent company archival material and
photographs, as well as two salesmans models of laundry
presses. n
Sknoh
Great Law of Peace Center
by Daniel Connors
Sknoh Great Law of Peace Center
ews of the Sknoh Great Law of Peace

Center is spreading, and it hasnt even opened
yet. In June, Robin Schnell, chairperson of the
Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectadys Social
Action Council, reached out to the Center on behalf of
Melissa MacKinnon, the societys Director of Religious
Education, who was retiring from her position. Melissa had
requested that in lieu of a retirement gift the society take up
a collection to benefit the Great Law of Peace Center. The
result was unbelievable. The Unitarian Universalist Society
of Schenectady raised over one thousand dollars which
they promptly donated to the Center. We are incredibly
grateful for this extremely generous contribution. The
funds will be put to good use in the development of the

Great Law of Peace Center as a facility that presents
the Haudenosaunee perspective of its own heritage and
values through the oral history tradition of the Longhouse
according to the Onondaga Nation, the spiritual and
political center (known as the Central Fire) of the
Haudenosaunee Confederacy, consisting of the Mohawk,
Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora Nations.
If you would like to make a contribution to the Great Law
of Peace Center please contact Dan Connors by email at
Daniel.Connors@cnyhistory.org or by phone at (315) 4281864 x319. n
olunteer Amy Perez grew up with a love of history.

A native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Amy spent
many weekends as a child in nearby Williamsburg
(where her parents went to college) exploring the colonial
town and the history of early America. At Dickinson
College she studied Anthropology and went on to obtain
her Masters degree in Museum Education from George
Washington University. She spent 15 years as a professional
museum educator at various historic sites including Mount
Vernon, The Flagler Museum (Palm Beach, FL) and the
Napa Valley Museum (Yountville, CA). In 2011, she and
her husband Simon relocated to Syracuse when he took a
position at Syracuse University. Amy turned her interest to
volunteering and came to OHA three years ago because,
It really was the best fit for me and my interests. I also
like being part of an organization that has its own history
and role in the local community. Amy has been a guide
on several Ghostwalks and has helped with other special

events but primarily works with Curator of Collections
Tom Hunter. She has participated in several projects
including documenting the railroad-related Syracuse
China Collection, conducting historical research and
assisting with grant writing and exhibit installations. Most
recently, Amy completed an inventory of OHAs historic
quilt collection and curated the exhibit Patterns in History:
Vintage Quilts of Onondaga County.
WIN AN ALF JACQUES

HANDMADE
LACROSSE STICK
OHA is raffling off an authentic handmade Alf Jacques lacrosse stick.
You can buy one ticket for $5, or 5 tickets for $20. The drawing is
December 10th.
Alf Jacques, (Turtle Clan) is a member of the Onondaga Nation and is
widely considered to be the greatest living lacrosse stick maker in the
world. He has been making wooden lacrosse sticks for over 50 years. He
learned the stick making process from his father, Lou Jacques. Each stick
takes an average of 8 months to make and there is a long waiting list for
those interested in buying one. He normally sells them for $350 each.
Lacrosse, or in Onondaga Deyhontsigwaehs (they bump hips), is an
important aspect of life for the Haudenosaunee. The game was given to
them as a gift from the Creator so it is a spiritual activity for them. Young
Haudenosaunee children are given lacrosse sticks soon after they are
born and when they die their sticks are buried with them. The wooden
stick holds the spirit of the tree from which it was made. This connects
the person using the stick to Mother Earth.
The authentic Alf Jacques lacrosse stick being raffled.
The Biggest Goon in Hockey Today

The Story of the Real Ogie Ogilthorpe and
Syracuses Slap Shot Connection
By Jon Zella
he cult hockey movie Slap Shot (1977) has a deep

connection with Syracuse and its now historic hockey
team, the Syracuse Blazers. In 1976, Paul Newman
and the cast of Slap Shot filmed parts of the movie
at the Onondaga County War Memorial Arena.
Blazers players, coaches, and management
played roles in the film and even donned
the fictitious Syracuse Bulldog jersey.
Dan Belisle, General Manager of the
Blazers at the time, fought Paul
Newman in one of the movies many
brawls, though Newmans character
Reggie Dunlop appears to get the
better of Belisle. In an interview with
the Post-Standards Sean Kirst, Belisle
described the experience,
be pointed, headed straight for Newman. The two

paired off. Belisle was eventually told to sprawl out
on the ice, with fake blood pouring from his mouth,
while Newman began punching him in a fight
scene that was repeated again and again.
Im lying on my back, and hes sort of sitting
on my chest, and hes pounding me on my
shoulder pads, Belisle said. After a
while, you start to feel that, and then he
[Newman] says, This is hurting my
fingers. Do you think you could move
those shoulder pads?
Director George Roy Hill told

both teams to skate around in
anticipation of a phony brawl. Belisle,
knowing where the cameras would
Many players from the North

American Hockey League (NAHL)
made it into the movie and many more
were depicted in the film. In an interview
during the National Hockey Leagues
Bill Goldie Goldthorpe
Winter Classic in 2008, former NHL tough guy Mike

Milbury said, Some people think Slap Shot was fiction.
Its not. The stories are true, they just changed the names to
protect the innocent.
To further iterate Milburys point, in a book titled, The
Making of Slap Shot: Behind the Scenes of the Greatest
Hockey Movie Ever, author Jonathon Jackson explains the
inspiration for some of the movies characters. Jackson says
the movies writer, Nancy Dowd, used the experiences of
her brother Ned Dowd of the Johnstown Jets to help write
the film. For starters, the Jets served as the inspiration for
the movies fictitious Charlestown Chiefs and, as you may
have guessed, the Jets players inspired those on the Chiefs.
As Jackson explains, many Jets and NAHL players were
quick to point out the movies striking similarity to their own
experiences. Don Hall, the Jets President, says everyone
knew the movie was almost entirely the history of Dick
Roberge, one of most prolific scorers in minor-professional
hockey. It was abouthis life, his divorce, the whole bit.
Dunlops character follows similar tribulations throughout
the film. Roberge also had a minor cameo in the film as a
referee who, coincidentally, throws Dunlop out of a game.
Theres no question however, that the movies Hanson
brothers were based entirely on the Carlson brothers, who
all played for the Jets in the 1970s. From the brawls to the
black rimmed, coke-bottle glasses, the Carlson brothers
were characters even before the filming of Slap Shot, making
it an easy decision to cast the brothers to play themselves.
However, only two of the brothers, Steve and Jeff, were
available to star in the film. The third brother, Jack, was
called up by the World Hockey Associations Edmonton
Oilers just prior to shooting. Jack was replaced by Dave
Hanson, who, not coincidentally, also played for the Jets
and inspired the brothers last name in the film - Hanson.
This leads us to one of the movies most intimidating
characters as well as Syracuses tough-guy connection:
Ogie Ogilthorpe.
Ogie Ogilthorpe was, for all intents and purposes, inspired
by Syracuse Blazers forward Bill Goldie Goldthorpe, one
of the most colorful individuals and most feared enforcers
in hockey during the rough-and-tumble 1970s. Ogie is
played by Nancy Dowds brother, Ned. In an interview
with Allan Maki of Canadas Globe and Mail, Ned disputes
some of the claims that the character was entirely based on
Goldthorpe,
First of all, my character, Ogie Ogilthorpe, was
a compilation of several kinds of people, not Bill
Goldthorpe per se. I knew Bill. Hes quite nice, a lovely
guy. Is Bill Goldthorpe a part of that compilation? Yes.
But to the best of my knowledge, there was never an
Ogie Ogilthorpe
offer made. I think the thing was we couldnt get a hold
of Bill.
Interestingly enough, Bill Goldthorpe has a different side
of that story, which also appeared in the Globe and Mail
interview,
Ned Dowds full of crap. You want to know why I
wasnt in the movie? They thought I was too wild and
Id beat up Paul Newman. Heres what happened:
Newmans brother came and saw us play. I was with
Binghamton. That night, there had been a fight in the
stands in Johnstown and I got charged with assault.
In the dressing room, I had a coke bottle and I was so
angry I threw it at Paul Stewart [a teammate turned
NHL referee] because he wouldnt shut up. The bottle
hit the wall, and at that moment Newmans brother
walked into the room and got Coke all over him. That
was it. They thought I was an undesirable.
Despite Neds comments, its hard to miss the connections,
starting with the names: Goldie Goldthorpe and Ogie
Ogilthorpe. Next, a side-by-side photo comparison of Bill
and Ogie will, well, well let you decide.
So, what made Wild Goldie Goldthorpe such an
interesting person and player that he helped to inspire the
most feared character in the film?
During Goldies rookie season (1973-74, the year the
Blazers won their first of two North American Hockey
League Championships) the Hornepayne, Ontario native

had 25 fighting majors in the 29 games before Christmas of
1973. Despite racking up 285 penalty minutes in 55 regularseason games, by seasons end he managed to collect 20
goals and 26 assists; amazing considering most of the time
he spent in a Blazers sweater was in the penalty box.
Describing his playing, as well as his personal, style, writer
Dorian Geiger said, When Goldthorpe played, his fists did
the talking and his bleach blonde afro had the potential to
make clowns blush. But, it was often his off-ice antics that
led to Goldthorpes legend.
In Slap Shot, while calling out the opening lineup for the
Charleston Chiefs game against the Syracuse Bulldogs,
there is a partial reference, and joke at Goldthorpe expense,
as the announcer calls Ogilthorpes entrance on to the ice,
Oh, gee. Hold the phone. Oh this is an unscheduled
surprise. This young man has had a very trying rookie
season. What with the litigation, the notoriety, his
subsequent deportation to Canada and that countrys
refusal to accept him. Well, thats more than most 21
year olds can handle.
This was inspired by an incident in Green Bay Wisconsin,
when Goldie beat up one of his own teammates. As the rest
of his team left for a game in Canada, Goldie was arrested
and left behind in Green Bay. According to Jacksons book,
Goldthorpe was eventually hauled off to jail and, the next
day, escorted to the border to meet up with his team his
subsequent deportation to Canada. A stretch perhaps, but
its fairly easy to see where the idea may have originated.
Goldthorpe would be arrested 18 more times. This led
to a number of comments about Ogilthorpe in the movie
inspired by Goldthorpes illicit record such as, He is a
criminal element! - The worst goon in hockey today and
For the sake of the game, they oughta throw him in San
Quentin!
The Goldthorpe references in Slap Shot dont end there,
though some are more loosely based than others and with
varying opinions on the subject. For instance, in one scene,
the puck is deflected off a players stick and is sent flying
into the stands. The puck careened so high it hit the arenas
organ player, knocking him out cold. This moment in the
movie is said to be motivated by the time Goldie was sent to
the penalty box, which infuriated him. Goldie was so mad
he picked up a water bottle to throw at an opposing player,
only it slipped, knocking out the nearby penalty announcer.
During Goldthorpes infamous rookie season, Bob Costas,
a Syracuse University alum, became the play-by-play
announcer for the Syracuse Blazers after the previous
Paul Newman
announcer got a job in Cincinnati and recommended Costas.
He had no hockey broadcasting experience and explains
how he got the job,
[the team] didnt have that much time to be choosey;
A) they only had a week and, B) they were only paying
30 dollars a game so they were going to be looking for
a young, local guy and I kind of finessed my way into
the job.
Costas has talked about his time with the team on multiple
occasions and, more specifically, his interactions with
Goldthorpe. Costas recalled a few stories, explaining how
he wasnt exactly one of Goldies favorite people, which
was highlighted by one particular incident on a road trip.
During the 1970s, especially in minor hockey leagues
across North America, professional athletes often traveled
by team bus. On one trip, Goldthorpe saw Costas reading
the newspaper and ripped it up in front of him. Costas
responded with, Dont be jealous, Goldie. Ill teach you
to read. As the story goes, Goldthorpes teammates were
the only thing that stood between him and Costas.
Despite the continued recognition that Slap Shot stars
like Jeff and Steve Carlson receive from the film, Bill
Goldthorpe never received much recognition. However, the
folk-lore and stories live on. According to the same Globe
and Mail interview, A friend of Goldies came up with the
idea of recognizing his past by designing a t-shirt. On the
front is a picture of a big-haired, angry Goldthorpe and on
the back, a list of 18 cities and dates topped by the words,
The Bill Goldthorpe North American Jail Tour. Rumor
has it, Goldthorpe loved the shirt so much he began selling
them and donating the money to charity. n
TWO VERY EXCITING UPCOMING EVENTS

The Grand Re-Opening of the Hotel Syracuse
NING
RACUSE
SY
GRA
PE
HOTE
L
WATCH FOR THE DATES, TIMES, AND INFORMATION
ND RE
-O
Color Rendering of Hotel Syracuse, 1924
Syracuses iconic historic hotel is currently undergoing a major

restoration. The very first opportunity for the public to book
rooms and see the entire hotel, including the Grand Ballroom
and the Persian Terrace will be this Grand Re-Opening to
benefit the Onondaga Historical Association.
Hotel Syracuse Lobby
Hotel Syracuse Grand Ballroom
The Premiere of Beneath the Surface,

OHAs full-length documentary on the history of Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake has been a crucial part of our local, national, and international history for centuries.
From the birthplace of the Haudenosaunee Great Law of Peace over a thousand years ago to
once again becoming a center of economic development activity today, this film will, for the first
time, tell the whole history of the lake.
Naming of Eel Clan
Salt Workers
Crowd at White City, c1905
DIRECTIONS TO OHA:
Getting to OHA is easy just follow the directions and map, below:
From 690 Westbound: Take Townsend St. exit.
Turn left at bottom of ramp. Go to

4 light (Fayette St.) and turn right onto Fayette St. Go to 2nd light (Montgomery St.) and turn
left onto Montgomery St. OHA is halfway down the block on the left at
321 Montgomery St.
th
From 690 Eastbound:
Take West St. exit. At first light after

off-ramp (intersection with Fayette St.) turn left onto Fayette St. Go to 5th
light (intersection with Montgomery St.) and turn right onto Montgomery
St. OHA is halfway down the block on the left at 321 Montgomery St.
From 81 Southbound: Take Clinton St. exit. Travel south on

Clinton Street until 6th light at Fayette St. Turn left onto Fayette St. Go to
the 3rd light and turn right onto Montgomery St. OHA is halfway down the
block on the left at 321 Montgomery St.
From 81 Northbound: Take Adams St. exit. Travel north on
Almond Street until 5th light at Fayette St. Turn left onto Fayette St. Go to
the 4th light and turn left onto Montgomery St. OHA is halfway down the
block on the left at 321 Montgomery St.
PARKING NEAR OHA:
We recommend parking in the garage

on the corner of Fayette Street and Montgomery Street. The entrance is on
Fayette Street, between State Street and Montgomery Street.
OHA Hours
History Museum and Gift Gallery
Other parking facilities are marked on the map, and there is, of course,
metered parking available on surface streets.
NON-MEMBERS are also welcome to visit our research center

(for a fee of $7.00 per visit) when it is open to the public on Wednesdays-
Wed-Fri 10am-4pm
Sat-Sun 11am-4pm
Research Center
Wed-Fri 10am-2pm
Sat 11am-3:30pm
Fridays 10am-2pm and on Saturdays 11am-3:30pm to find more local stories
OHA WISH LIST
Old manual typewriters with metal keys Flat screen TVs (32 or larger)
New or used power or hand tools
We are looking for new or used items with current or recent technology. For used
items we ask that they have a reasonable useful life remaining. Donations of items
themselves or contributions toward the purchase of these items will be appreciated.
VOLUNTEERS APPEAL
Many thanks to Paychex for providing top

quality in-kind payroll and payroll
tax services to OHA.
Find Onondaga Historical Association on:
Gift Gallery Volunteers Needed! Were looking for great volunteers or staff to run
our gift shop for a few hours or more each week from 10-4 W-F and 11-4 Sat-Sun.
Archival Volunteers Needed! Were looking for great volunteers, who know how to
type, to help with our archival processing.
If youre interested in volunteering, please let us know! 315-428-1864 ext 324.
To download our volunteer application, please visit our website at cnyhistory.org.
E-Mail Addresses Needed In order to keep up to date with OHAs current events,
please send us your email address and we will add you to our distribution lists. We do
not inundate our members with emails. Periodically you will receive an update when
we add items to our calendar of events. We love to see our members at all of our events!
Raise money for the Onondaga Historical

Association by using GoodSearch and GoodShop.
GoodSearch.com is a Yahoo-powered search

engine that donates half its advertising revenue
(approximately a penny per search) to the
charities its users designate. GoodShop.com
donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to the
Onondaga Historical Association.
Go to goodsearch.com and enter Onondaga
Historical Association (Syracuse, NY) as the
charity you want to support.
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Syracuse, NY
Permit No. 30
www.cnyhistory.org
Onondaga Historical Association

321 Montgomery Street
Syracuse, New York 13202-2098
315.428.1864
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VOL. 28 NO.

$5.00 FALL/WINTER 2015

ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS

$5.00 FALL/WINTER 2015

Medal Breakfast Recap

Eagle Scouts Project

OHA History Highlights Fall/Winter 2015 1

OHA Board of Directors 2015-2016

Hon. Stephanie Miner

Volume 28, No. 2

2015 Onondaga Historical Association

No part of this periodical may be reproduced without the consent of the

All images in this newsletter are from OHA collections,

Cosmos Pizza: A Slice of Syracuse History

osmos Pizza, a Marshall Street landmark for over

University students as well as other local clientele. In 1959,

Cosmos Pizza & Grills

When the Cosmo Pizza Shop opened,

Cosmos Pizza & Grills

The Cosmo from the

George Cannellos - Courtesy

Meet Uncle George Ad

Cosmos Pizza & Grills

Cosmos order ticket

charge of the restaurants bookkeeping, while Cannellos

A dining area that was added

OHA History Highlights Fall/Winter 2015 4

Early Cosmos Signs

George Tossing Pizza - Courtesy of the Cannellos Family

Fire at Cosmos in 1963, just two weeks after they opened

An account in the April 30, 1963 edition of the Syracuse Post

OHA History Highlights Fall/Winter 2015 5

1962 ad for Cosmos that

1968 Onondagan yearbook of the area called The Beach on

Cosmos refrigerator magnet

Ad from the Daily Orange

Cosmos 1980 Ad Daily Orange

consisted of a local bakery honey bun that was sliced

OHA History Highlights Fall/Winter 2015 6

George Putting Sauce on Pizza Courtesy of the Cannellos Family

George with Employee - Courtesy of

George with Pizza - Courtesy of the

Cosmos Daily Orange Comic Strip

through the years. Steve Rubell graduated from S.U. in 1965

OHA History Highlights Fall/Winter 2015 7

Though additions and improvements were made through

George Through Window Courtesy of the

George In Memory Courtesy of the

use of the facilities. In addition, relocating the kitchen to

Businesses in the Marshall Street area come and go, but

Planned Giving Steps to the Future

OHA History Highlights Fall/Winter 2015 8

The RED BOOK

City Life, by Joe Beamish, from Syracuse HeraldAmerican, May 9, 1954

Cover of The Cook Book, by Joe Beamish

Smoker, in 1972. She died in 1998 at the age of 99 (her

The book is The Cook Book, by Joe Beamish. It was

Joe Beamishs Cook Book carried a tipped-in typed

My copy of the book is special in another way: It was Joes

These are samples from Joes poem to Abbie:

Its lectures and book-signing events attracted several

Little Abbie Bigelow, You energetic mite: The only thing

OHA History Highlights Fall/Winter 2015 9

column for the Syracuse Herald