Lindley Presho Historical Society

Dick Riffle-The People of Lindley as I Knew Them 1922-1940

2012-02-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

"We now come to the Ernest Lundgren home. the 3 oldest, Bob,John,and Hugh were good baseball players.Hugh and I played on the Lindley team together. The daughters were Ruth and Gertrude. The latter and I graduated from Lawrenceville High School in the Class of 1934. The summer of 2006, I met Hugh's son -Jim and had a good 2 hour visit with him. He showed me a number of his Indian artifacts he has found on his property. I,also, enjoyed a 2 hour visit with Elmer and Lucia Huels who lived a short distance from Jimmy's. Elmer's artistic skill in glass engraving is beautiful and fascinating."
This ends Dick's memories of those who lived on the south end of River Road-now County Rt.#116 On the next visit with Dick (who will be 94 in May and who still shares Bits of Lindley History by both E-Mail and snail mail), will recall those who lived north of the Lindley bridge.

Thanks Karen (Lundgren ) Ballard for sharing the sketch.

Photo -Reunion At Presho House-(next door to Presho Methodist Church)

2012-02-01T23:52:00.000-05:00

News from Bi- State Press   Lindley,NY April 13,1939 Published by W.Rutty Passmore ( a young house-bound Lindley resident assisted by friends and family)(Kitty)
Three cents a single copy---75 Cents for six months--- $1.45 for 1 year

     ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES OF $135,OOO FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO TOWN ROADS IN STEUBEN
Bath- the Board of Steuben County Supervisors at Bath Monday approved 26 projects of highway work. Such work is in 26 towns and the total estimate for the work is $135,000 to be paid from the WPA funds and county road monies.
Of this amount, Lindley is allowed an estimated $4,000 for the grade and construction of the culverts on 1.28 miles of Church Creek Road.
                   LINDLEY ITEMS
Mrs. Leo Gorges, Mrs. Harlo Harris, Mrs. Harrison B. Toby, Mrs.Samuel Kittel and Mrs. Merle Smith met at the home of Mrs. Hugh Orcutt Tuesday afternoon when they made curtains for the Grange from the material which was purchased recently.

Mr.and Mrs. Donald Riffle are preparing to move into the Grace Kennedy home in this place.

Several of the young men in the vicinity with their musical instruments pleasantly disrupted the quiet of the editor's santorum with several feet-tingling pieces of rhythm which yours truly very much enjoyed.

               PRESHO ITEMS
Mrs. Frank Randall spent Sunday with Mr.and Mrs. Earle Randall of Osceola,Pa.

Faye Randall is ill with the Grippe.

Many Presho people attended the last of the Lenten Services held at the State Theater in Corning,N.Y.

The first meeting of the boys 4-H CLUB . The following were elected:
Advisor- Mr. Lewis Titus
President -Phillip Morse
Vice President-Ammon Titus
Secretary - Loren Morse
Treasurer-Donald Anglehart
News Reporter-Morris Bruce
and Cheer Leader-Daryl Welty

TO THE PEOPLE OF PRESHO
Report has reached our ears that there is a lacking of Presho items. -------
TRUE---I have noticed this myself. There is one way to get more news in, send it in or give it to Morris Bruce. He will see that we get it.We will put in all the news that is possible -not hesitating to add additional pages. We want to serve the public and as the paper is founded on local news,send it in. We thank the people of Presho for their fine cooperation. I remain your servant. EDITOR-BI -STATE EXPRESS. The above applies to Lindley,too,so there!

Ads by Russell's Garage -Lawrenceville,Pa
Traver-Miller-Dye Lawrenceville,Pa
George M. Stuart Lindley,N.Y.
A. Black    Lindley,NY
Others

1816 Diary Photo " Muddy Roads "

2012-01-25T22:31:00.000-05:00

From the files.   Should wait until June to post this,but might forget it by then.

An old newspaper clipping -no date.    June 1916(?)
"IT MIGHT BE A WHOLE LOT WORSE"
    " Snow Three Inches Deep A Hundred Years Ago"
Some  Diary  Records

Snow Every Day of the Week of June 5,1816, according to old Diary in the Le roy Family-
18 Inch Icicles-Vegetation All Dead
    Le Roy June 8- the erratic weather of the present season is causing many persons to wonder if history is going to repeat itself after an interim of 10 years. The year 1816 , as has often been recalled was known as the year without a summer when snow fell every month. While this season there has been no frosts and snow ,the wet weather has had a bad effect on all crops.   (Sounds like Springt 2011- K)
A sample of the weather which prevailed just one hundred years ago is recorded in an old diary of Peter Knapp, the great-grandfather of Mrs. Clifton Phelps of Pavilion, and the following entries for the week corresponding to this are of interest.
   Wednesday,June 5,1816---Cloudy and some rain in the forenoon. Very warm in afternoon ,thunder in the evening with heat lightening.
    Thursday, June 6---Cold and blustery in the forenoon. Snow flying in the afternoon and a severe snow storm in the evening. Very cold night. The night following the ground froze. Ice formed in the wash tub, three quarters of an inch thick and snow coming -looks like winter
   Friday, June 7--- Snow melts as it falls,but continues to fall the greater part of the day.Toward evening, the snow comes pretty fast-looks like a stormy night.

    Saturday, June 8--- Snow three inches deep in the morning and remained on the ground through the day. Froze some last night. Icicles hanging on the eaves of the house 18 inches long.
    Sunday, June 9--- The ground is covered witrh snow this morning. In the afternoon , the sun comes out and the snow is gone by night-though there is a cold wind .People go to meeting today with great coats on.
Corn all killed, leaves on trees all black,vegetation dead and everything has a gloomy appearance.
     According to Wikepedia
This was caused by a combination of a historic low in solar activity during the winter and a volcanic winter event that was a succession of volcanic eruptions - with the eruption of Mt.Tambora in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). the largest eruption in 1300 years.

Lindley Honors Employees for Service

2012-01-16T13:47:00.001-05:00

Apologies for not posting a notice last week about a ceremony that was held last Saturday January 14th. at the Lindley Town Hall.
The purpose of the ceremony was to recognize the long service time of several town employees who resigned in 2011. Rrecognized were - Guy Hill, Assessor Chairman; Pam (Clarkson) Smith, Deputy Town Clerk; Paul Stermer, Councilman; Herb Eldridge and Alan Neal ,Highway Department and Cindy Stermer ,Custodian. Later this year, Dick Johnson ,Highway Superintendent will be honored for his years of service. These employees had service time from 11 to 37 years. About 40 relatives and friends gathered to thank these dedicated and committed people for their services to the Town of Lindley.
Unfortunately, many of those to be honored , were unable to attend . Hopefully,I can post a photo of Guy and Pam who were there as well as a photo of Richard Biggio,Supervisor-2010-2011 and Gerald Simcoe present Supervisor. They presented certificates to those being honored.
If you know or see those who were honored ,let them know you appreciate their efforts and services to the community.

It does take commitment.

More Dick Riffle Memoirs

2012-01-08T20:03:00.000-05:00

More Dick Riffle stories about families that lived on the south end of Lindley River Road now Co.Rt.116.
In April,2011,I copied the story of his Aunt Grace's birthday party at her house.
Up the road ,a short way was the Hugh Hakes place.I will always remember their place because one day I was delivering the GRIT newspaper(often called the "Pennsylvania Liar" because of

the exaggerated stories). Their big German Shepard attacked me and tore some holes in my chest. I screamed and they came running out and called the dog off. My Dad took me to Doc'Long in Lawrenceville and he took a popsicle stick with some green salve on it and put it on my wounds. The pain was worse than the dog bite.
    Beyond the Hakes place lived the Dunning brothers. I don't remember much about them except their chickens were always in the road and getting run over.
      Charlie Hammond's house was next. They had a large family.The ones I knew best were Esther,Marion,Kathryn,and Joyce. Kathryn became my sister-in-law when I married Clara Ruhlman who was sister to John Ruhlman who was Kathryn's husband. She is a widow living in Noosak, Washington near the Canadian border. Esther married Francis Carpenter and lived in the next house near Steamtown Creek.We always referred to it as "Sly Creek" because of the Sly families who lived up stream on the creek.
    Chancey and Fannie (Riffle)were next. Uncle "Chan" was a great story teller. I especially enjoyed his baseball stories.He was an Umpire at one time. He like to recite the poem "Casey At the Bat" with a lot of emphasis.
Next time we meet the Lungren family)

Happy New Year 2012

2011-12-31T15:23:00.000-05:00

Old Postcards

Route U.S 15 Before the days of tractor trailers,water trucks,tour buses,speed limits over 10 miles an hour

As stated on Painted Hills Historical and Genealogical Website

2011-12-28T15:47:00.000-05:00

Col ( Gen ) John Taylor or George Washington Taylor

"Col (Gen) John Taylor moved to Steuben in 1797 {recorded in the 'Centenial History of Bath' }. Having served as commanding officer of the 4th Hunterdon Militia NJ, he like many others found after the war that their debts incurred in supporting their men in the field were called due, and with the loss of value of the Continental currency, were forced to sell everything they owned to pay off the debts. Faced with mounting debts, and left with no more possessions to sell, Col. Taylor left his home and moved north to Steuben with two of his children. Shortly after arriving, he married Mary Miller Lindsley, widow of a fellow NJ Militia officer, and lived in Lindley until her death in 1806. Although his grave or circumstances of his death are unknown, an obituary in the Geneva Gazette of 25 Dec 1811, gives his date of death as 4 Dec 1811 and a location as 'probably in Bath'. The two children who moved to NY with him lived in or near Bath at the time. They were Elizabeth Ann {Taylor} Cameron, wife of Dugald Cameron, agent for the Pultney Estate, and George Washington Taylor who married Elizabeth Christina Clement, grand-daughter of Henry A Townsend. George was a noted merchant, and at least two of his sons, Nathaniel Carr Taylor, and William Boyd Taylor, both of Canisteo followed in his footsteps. George and Elizabeth had 12 children, many of whom are buried in Hillside Cemetery near Canisteo"

* From Kitty Lindley Historian Since becoming Lindley Town Historian ,I have had several queries regarding Col. Taylor and his connection to the Lindsley family. The 1990 Lindley History, makes brief reference to the Lindsley/Taylor marriage and there are deeds showing that Col.Taylor purchased land from the Lindsley descendants. Otherwise-the Lindley Historian's files have little information on this subject and would welcome any input.
After her first husband's death-(Col. Lindsley), Mary kept a tavern in Lindley (site not specifically known). The site of her burial place is, also, not known.

It is interesting to note that the Steuben County Historical Society is named for Col.Taylor's son-in-law Dugard Cameron.

History of Santa's Elves

2011-12-24T17:46:00.000-05:00

Amazing what kind of history you can find through Google Kitty

Elves are known to be tiny, dwarf-like creatures, either male or female, with pointed ears. They are youthful but immortal and have magical powers that can control what you see and experience. Their abodes are said to be underground, in forests, or in springs and wells, but no one really knows about it because they keep their location a secret! It is also believed that on the 6th of January the elves light up their torches and come down from their secret village in the mountain to play in a hidden field to celebrate the last day of Christmas.

But do you know who these elves are? Are they real creatures or just a myth? What is the story behind their origin? What is the secret behind them?

Elves have a fascinating history that is associated with Germanic paganism. Elves are originally seen to be the creation of Germanic paganism who thought them to be the creatures of light who lived in the heavens. Elves have been depicted as male or female, tiny or dwarf-like, youthful and immortal with magical powers. Later they were often referred to as living underground, in forests, springs and wells. Elves generally were magical beings who could control what people see as well as experience. Elves and fairies are also highly associated with the mushroom "Amanita Muscaria", also referred to as "magic mushrooms" not only in art but in Psychedelic experiences.

Centuries ago, in the pagan times, Scandinavian people believed that elves are house gnomes who guarded their homes against evil. If you were good, the elves were good to you, but if you were bad, the mischievous elves would play tricks on you. Although these gnomes mostly were benevolent, they could quickly turn nasty when not properly treated, so it is told. Some of the tricks they enjoyed playing were giving you nightmares by sitting on your head while you were dreaming, tangling your hair as you slept, making your milk turn sour, and stealing your sausages. Folks believed that if they left a bowl of porridge on the doorstep at night, the elves would be happy and not subject them to their ornery antics. Throughout the centuries, they were either loved or loathed. Some people even believed them to be trolls and cannibals. The perception of gnomes largely depended on whether a person was naughty, or nice.

By the mid-1800's the true purpose of the elves was revealed by the Scandinavians. Elves - already a tradition associated with story telling and magic, assumed a new significance in the mid-1800's and their true intention began to be held as nothing else but to help Father Christmas (Santa Claus). This was the handiwork of the popular Scandinavian writers of the day. At this time, elaborate Christmas festivals regained popularity and Scandinavian story writers such as Thile, Toplius, Rydberg sketched the elves' true role in modern life: fairies that are somewhat mischievous, but the true friends and helpers of Father Christmas. It is during this period when the elves began to be referred to as the "Christmas elves", or simply "elves", and not "house gnomes" anymore. Artists such as Hansen and Nystrm completed the picture of elves for us. It is now began to be held that the elves help Santa design and make the wonderful toys and gifts he brings to children. They were said to have other duties as well. Some elves take care of Santa's reindeer and keep his sleigh in good condition, ready to fly through the skies on Christmas Eve. Others help Santa keep his naughty and nice list in order, and some elves guard the secret location of Santa's village. Elves make sudden appearances in the days before Christmas, to keep an eye on each children and see which of them are behaving well and obeying their parents. They are believed to be Santa's secret agents and report their findings back to him. Children who are unkind and misbehave have their names added to the naughty list and may wake up Christmas morning to find their filled with lumps of coal or bundles of twigs!

The elves could be helpful now. Their mischievousness, however, was still evident in the variety of stories told about them. Tales suggested that how you were treated by the elves depended on whether the person was thought to be naughty or nice! Particularly in America, the diminutive, green with pointy ears type are depicted as Santa's helpers making toys in his workshop at the North Pole.

At one stage it was thought that the elves live in Father Christmas' (Santa's) village in North Pole. However, in 1925 it was discovered that there are no reindeer in the North Pole but there are lots in Lapland, Finland. Since reindeers draw the sleigh of Santa Claus, he must be living in an area, where there are large number of these animals available. Since then, it is believed that there is a secret village with a secret passage, somewhere in Lapland, where Santa, his wife and his team of elves live. Nobody has actually seen their village because the passage to it is a secret that is known only to Father Christmas and the elves. But people believe that it is somewhere on the Korvatunturi mountain in the Savukoski county of Lapland, Finland, which is on the Finnish-Russian border.

Some people that Santa employs six elves, while others think that he has nine elf assistants. Others think that there are as many as 13 elves living with Santa to help him. Elves are the children of Gryla and Leppaludi and are very clever. They help Santa to design toys and process requests of children that are sent to them through snail mail or emails. The popular Western names of the Christmas elves helping Santa Claus are:

1. Alabaster Snowball (Administrator of the Naughty & Nice list).
2. Bushy Evergreen (Inventor of the magic toy-making machine).
3. Pepper Minstix (Guardian of the secret of where Father Christmas's village is located).
4. Shinny Upatree (The oldest friend of Santa and the cofounder of the secret village in Lapland).
5. Sugarplum Mary (Head of the Sweat Treats, she is also known as Mary Christmas. She is an assistant to Mrs Claus and helps her in the kitchen).
6. Wunorse Openslae (Designer of Father Christmas's sleigh and responsible for its maintenance. He also looks after the reindeers and it is believed that his reindeers reach speeds faster than Christmas tree lights).

The ancient folklores of Iceland mention elves by the names of Askasleikir, Bjugnakraekir, Faldafeykir, Gattathefur, Giljagaur, Gluggagaegir, Ketkrokur, Kertasnikir, Pottasleikir, Skyrjarmur, Stekkjarstaur, Stufur and Thvorusleikir. Other names of Santa's elves that can be found are Baggalutur, Bjalmans barnid, Bjalminn sjalfur, Bitahaengir, Frodusleikir, Laekjaraegir, Raudur, Redda, Sledda, Steingrimur, Syrjusleikir, Tifill and Tutur.

According to some legends and post-Christian folklore especially in Europe, elves are mischievous pranksters who make special appearances during the lead up to Christmas. For example "Albtraum" is a German word for nightmare which also means "elf dream". Earlier the word meant "elf pressure" as it was believed that nightmares are a result of an elf sitting on the dreamer's head! Elves also were believed to braid people's hair while sleeping, make milk sour and run off with sausages. People of Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway believed that a bowl of porridge left out would prevent elves from playing tricks on people especially during the festive season! Today, elves associated with Christmas are symbols to remind children to be good and not naughty

May Santa and his Merry Band of Elves be good to you this Holiday season

Bill of Rights Day

2011-12-15T20:30:00.000-05:00

Today December 15th is celebrated as Bill of Rights Day

Below is some of the information found in the Wikipedia Encyclopedia .
A google search will give other sites with additional information.
Sometimes it is good to review some of the fundementals associated with our Democracy and the freedoms we enjoy -- thanks to our forefathers efforts.
Kitty

Read now United States Bill of RightsFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search

United States Bill of Rights

United States Bill of Rights

Created September 25, 1789

Ratified December 15, 1791

Location National Archives

Author(s) James Madison

Purpose To set limits on what the government can and cannot do in regard to personal liberties.

The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty and property. They guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and reserve some powers to the states and the public. While originally the amendments applied only to the federal government, most of their provisions have since been held to apply to the states by way of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The amendments were introduced by James Madison to the 1st United States Congress as a series of legislative articles. They were adopted by the House of Representatives on August 21, 1789,[1][2] formally proposed by joint resolution of Congress on September 25, 1789, and came into effect as Constitutional Amendments on December 15, 1791, through the process of ratification by three-fourths of the States. While twelve amendments were passed by Congress, only ten were originally passed by the states. Of the remaining two, one was adopted as the Twenty-seventh Amendment and the other technically remains pending before the states.

Originally, the Bill of Rights included legal protection for land-owning white men only,[3] excluding African Americans[4] and women.[5][6] It took additional Constitutional Amendments and numerous Supreme Court cases to extend the same rights to all U.S. citizens.

The Bill of Rights plays a key role in American law and government, and remains a vital symbol of the freedoms and culture of the nation. One of the first fourteen copies of the Bill of Rights is on public display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Lest We Forget-December 7,1941

2011-12-07T09:38:00.001-05:00

Pearl Harbor December 7th,1941- World War II

A grim reminder on today's Corning Leader front page " I am the only one left"- the story of a local WWII veteran who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor December 7,1941.
He states that" there were 22 known survivors in this area following the end of the war." At the age of 90, he shares his thoughts on the war and why it occurred.
With the large number of WWII Veterans declining on a daily basis, it is important for us to take time to thank them for their sacrifices to preserve our freedoms and to reflect on the causes of that war.
Lindley honors veterans of all wars with a monument in front of the Lindley Town Hall on U.S. Rt.15 and displays photos of local veterans in the Town Hall Meeting Room.
Thank you everyone - military or civilian who work to preserve our freedoms.
Kitty

Lindley Wildlife

2011-12-02T13:21:00.001-05:00

Terri & Rick Bower, residence of Lindley, had a visitor over the summer......

Caton telephone Bill 1926-7

2011-11-26T11:15:00.004-05:00

From the Historian Files

Everything is relative, but imagine having a telephone bill this small.
Click on bill to enlarge .

From An Old Postcard

2011-11-23T22:59:00.002-05:00

From Members of the Lindley-Presho Historical Society

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T23:31:00.008-05:00

The Mayflower dropped anchor at Provincetown, MA

21 November, 1620

Did you know these facts?

102 passengers

65 day journey

The English ship "The Mayflower" was built to transport wine.

37 from Leiden Congregation

William Bradford referred to the Leiden Separatists as "Pilgrims"

2 people died on the trip

Oceanus Hopkins was born at sea

Peregrine White was born when they were off Cape Cod

John Carver was elected First Governor by the pilgrims

Stephen Hopkins was elected Assistant Governor

(Pilgrims reached Plymouth, MA 26 December, 1620)

Mayflower Compact
"plantation covenant" formed after Separatist Church convenant.
(Signed on board the Mayflower)

This agreement was written because the English Separatists,

Puritan Pilgrims believed that some of the non-Separatists, or "Strangers,"

would defy them if they landed in a place other than the land grant they had received

from the London Company. (Their grant was in Virginia.)

The compact became the basis of government in the Plymouth Colony.

In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are
underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James,
by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland,
King, Defender of the Faith, &c. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first
colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; do by these Presents, solemnly and
mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, convenant and combine
ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and
Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof to
enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts,
Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and
convenient for the General good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due
Submission and Obedience.
IN WITNESS whereof we have hereunto subscibed our names at Cape Cod
the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, King
James of England, France and Ireland, the eighteenth, and
of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini, 1620.

Mr. John Carver
Mr.William Bradford
Mr. Stephen Hopkins
Digery Priest
Mr. Edward Winslow
Mr. William Brewster (church leader)
Isaac Allerton
Miles Standish (a professional soldier)
John Alden (a cooper)
John Turner
Francis Eaton
james Chilton
John Craxton
John Billington
Joses Fletcher
John Goodman
Mr. Samuel Fuller
Mr. Christopher Martin
Mr. William Mullins
Mr. William White
Mr. Richard Warren
John Howland
Thomas Williams
Gilbert Winslow
Edmund Margesson
Peter Brown (a carpenter)
Richard Bitteridge
George Soule
Edward Tilly
John Tilly
Francis Cooke
Thomas Rodgers
Thomas Tinker
John Ridgate
Edward Fuller
Richard Clark
Richard Gardiner
Mr. John Allerton
Thomas English
Edward Doten
Edward Liester

Unedited original version:
In ye name of God Amen· We whose names are vnderwriten, the
loyall subjects of our dread soueraigne Lord King James by ye
grace of God, of great Britaine, franc, & Ireland king, defender of
ye faith, &c Haueing vndertaken, for ye glorie of God, and aduancemente of
ye christian ^faith and honour of our king
& countrie, a voyage to plant ye first colonie in
ye Northerne parts of Virginia· doe by these presents solemnly
& mutualy in ye presence of God, and one of another,
couenant, & combine our selues togeather into a ciuill body politick;
for ye our better ordering, & preseruation &
fur=therance of ye ends aforesaid; and by vertue hearof, to
enacte, constitute, and frame shuch just & equall lawes, ordinances,
Acts, constitutions, & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought
most meete & conuenient for ye generall good of ye
colonie: vnto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witnes
wherof we haue herevnder subscribed our names at Cap=Codd ye
·11· of Nouember, in ye year of ye raigne of our
soueraigne Lord king James of England, france, & Ireland ye
eighteenth and of Scotland ye fiftie fourth. Ano: Dom
·1620·

Lindley RR Depot 1904

2011-11-20T21:04:00.007-05:00

When I posted the photos of the Railroad depots in Lindley/Presho, I asked if anyone had information on the depot that was located by the Lindley bridge .

Thanks to Larry Gorges, I think the mystery has been solved. THANKS LARRY

Larry forwarded a copy of an article from The Corning Journal - Wednesday January 18,1904 pg 5. Below is a copy of the attachment that he sent.

" New Station At Lindley "
The New York Central Railroad Company has built a new passenger station at Lindley, about a half mile north of the old station which latter has been abandoned .The giving up of the old station was opposed by some of the most influential ciitizens of the village on the ground that the change of the site would not be so convenient to the people. The matter was taken before the State Railroad Commission ,which decided in favor of the Company ".
The new station was located in back of the "Station" or River Road School at the west end of the Church Creek Road. The depot is now the living room of the Kernan home -having been moved there by Warren and Eleanor Stuart when they built their new home on Church Creek Road. The old school is now a residence (*Kitty)

Also ,in looking for information on blacksmiths, I found the following statement by William Burr in his 1951 History of Lindley.

"All of us who lived 75 years ago remember Hiram Middlebrook's store which once stood where the east road crosses the bridge and the railroad and where the old passenger station once stood. We remember it well because there is where we used to trade eggs for candy. He used to live in the white house on the hill a few rods to the south in a large pine grove in which his mortal remains now rest. All his descendants have gone from Lindley."

I had read this description several times ,but had overlooked the fact that he was describing the "old" depot.

The stones for Mr. Middlebrook and several of his family members are still
in the Pine Grove,but in poor condition)(* Kitty)

Blacksmith Shop Program

2011-11-14T11:57:00.007-05:00

Please join members of the Lindley -Presho Historical Society on Thursday November 17th for this interesting program .
.
Leon Golder will be presenting a program on the Patterson Inn Blacksmith Shop on November 17th ,7 P.M. at the Lindley Town Hall for members of the Lindley-Presho Historical Society. His program will tell the history of the shop that was moved from Beaver Dams,N.Y. to the Corning location.
Mr.Golder is ,also, researching the names of blacksmiths and the location of their shops in the Lindley. Anyone with information pertaining to former blacksmith shops in Lindley is invited to come and share the history of these shops.
The meeting is free ,and open to the public

The photo was taken at Lindley Old Home Day 9-2010 . Left to right are

Larry Orr observing John Fee, Henry Offerman ( Blacksmiths)

Veteran's Day Lights

2011-11-11T16:29:00.004-05:00

Veteran's Day Lights - Park Avenue Corning

Taken 11/11/11 at 1 am

Election Results

2011-11-10T15:28:00.005-05:00

Lindley Election Results:

Gerald Simcoe, Republican, won the town supervisor position with 232 votes.

Megan Thistle, Republican, won the town clerk position with 251 votes.

Patrick Clark, Republican with 209 votes, and
Linda Salyerds, Republican with 168 votes, won the councilman positions.

Harry Pierce, Republican with 225 votes, and a write-in candidate with 22 votes took the assessor positions for the town.

A write-in candidate took the superintendent of highways position with 117 votes, unopposed.

*Write in names will be released on November 21, 2011.

Salute A Veteran Tomorrow

2011-11-10T11:53:00.009-05:00

Reminder -Attend a Veteran's Ceremony tomorrow November 11th, 2011

There will be various activities held at local American Legion and Veteran's of Foreign Wars Posts , the Veteran's facility in Bath and other locations.

The Corning American Legion and Veteran's of Foreign Wars Posts are hosting a ceremony at the Civil War Monument on Park Avenue in Corning at 10:40 and 11:00 AM . (see article Corning Leader 11/10/2011 ). This monument was dedicated 100 years ago - and the two organizations are planning the ceremony to celebrate this anniversary.

Lindley RR Depots from the Historian's files

2011-11-06T21:36:00.006-05:00

This is a clearer photo of the Lawrenceville RR Station and information about the depot in back of the River Road (Station School) . This depot was moved by Warren Stuart and serves as the Living Room of the home on the north side of Church Creek Road and River Road.

Recycling is not new !

Did you know trains from Elmira backed into the Lawrenceville.Pa from Tioga Junction
(Williamson School area ) ?

From an old RR Schedule -there was a depot on the East end of the Lindley bridge. However, I do not have a good photo of this. Does anyone have information on that depot?
Wonder who the men were on the platform of the Presho Station ?

PS. Until 1888, Presho was called Erwin Centre. According to the 1990 Lindley History, Thomas J. Presho became the first RR Station agent there. The area became known as Presho to honor it's public spirited citizen for his efforts.

Dick Riffle Reminisces Abour RR's

2011-11-06T16:41:00.003-05:00

This is from Dick Riffle -age 93 who grew up in Lindley . He now resides in the State of Washington, is still very active and a wonderful source of information about Lindley during the time that he lived here. Many of today's residents will recall his brother- Henry Riffle.

In one of the frequent E-mails that we exchange,I made a comment about how long the trains that run through Lindley have become due to the recent increase in gas drilling business in Tioga/BradfordCounties ,Penna.

I think you will enjoy the reply that he wrote .

You sparked a "memory" when you mentioned the railroad passenger trains. I have a photo of the old Lindley railroad station. Did I ever send that to you ? My Mother used to take me to Corning once in a while on the passenger train. They were coal-burning engines.. Passenger cars were hot inside. No air conditioning except to open a window. I remember a cinder came in the open window one time and got into my eye. It was fortunate that it had cooled off coming through the air.. Mother used to take me on the train to Lawrenceville to visit her sister, my Aunt Bertha Putman. Bill and Dorus Norwood's grandmother with whom they lived used to go along the railroad tracks and pick up the coal that had fallen off the cars loaded with coal. They were very poor but managed to survive. Bill is in the Lindley Baseball team photo. I ran around with Dorus which my Mother did not approve of because he smoked cigarettes from the time he was 10 years old. He did not influence me in that direction. I never smoked until I was 18 and quit at age 21 when I dedicated my life to Christ. Grandma Nowood's income was from a job for the Post Office. She would take the bag of outgoing mail, climb up a short ladder on a post along side of the railroad and hang the bag near the top. When the passenger train came by it slowed a bit and a man on the railroad mail car would snag the bag with a hook and at the same time throw out a bag of Lindley mail which Grandma Norwood would bring to the Post Office. I don't know when they discontinued that method of mail delivery to Lindley. I don't suppose there are any folks around besides me that would remember that method.. I had a compete physical last week and the Doc did not find anything wrong (except my hearing). I wear hearing aids. They are not perfect but I would have a hard time hearing without them.. End of medical report ! Have a great weekend !....Dick..

In response to the comment about the Herrick family and their interest in railroads, yes -they do have a wealth of knowledge from their years of working on local railroads. They do share some of the stories when we do our reminiscing at Historical Society meetings.

Historical Society meetings are free -open to the public- no dues-no officers- just a friendly group who meet to share an interest in history .

Our next meeting is November 17th -7 PM at the Lindley Town Hall. Leon Golder , affiliated with the Patterson Inn in Corning will speaking on the Blacksmith Shop at the Inn .He is interested in information about Lindley blacksmiths ,their names and location of their businesses.

Remember all are welcome to attend and learn more about local history. Who knows, we might even get Alton or Jack Herrick to talk about working on the RR.

Kitty

Meet The Candidates Evening

2011-11-04T11:56:00.006-04:00

On Thursday evening October 27th,2011, The Lindley -Presho Historical Society hosted a program where Town of Lindley voters were invited to meet the men and women seeking election in the town on November 8th,2011.

All 9 of those seeking office were present. Each candidate spoke for a brief time and the audience asked questions after all candidates had had a chance to speak.

Unfortunately,the weather did not co-operate-sending the first snow storm of the Fall season.
However, attendance was great-considering!!!
All in all, it was an interesting and informative evening.

For those who didn't venture out -above are some photos taken that evening .

Opps - the computer always reverses the way I hope to print the pictures-so

Looking at the pictures from bottom to top and left to right -the candidates and offices were :
Photo #3 on bottom
William Peoples,Jr - Steuben County Legislature , Raymond Walch -Steuben County Legislature, Gerald Simcoe- Town of Lindley Supervisor, Megan Thistle -Town of Lindley Town Clerk, Marc E. Stocum -Town of Lindley Highway Superintendent,

Photo #2 Megan, Marc with Patrick Clark-Lindley Town Board, Linda Salyards-Town Board , Fran Tempel-Town Board ,and Harry M. Pierce-Assessor.

The top photo is Fran Tempel with Historical Society members Brenda Criss and Donna Marmuscak who served the refreshments.

Don't forget to cast your vote on Tuesday November 8th ,2011. Remember every vote does count.
Good Luck to all the candidates and may the best man or woman win,,,,,

Many thanks to the candidates and to all who attended.

--Bank Interest

2011-10-30T19:09:00.005-04:00

With all the publicity about banks and Wall Street, thought this Penny Postcard was worth a chuckle or two. Note the label.

What is life without a little humor?
Enjoy

Hard to read the postmark but has a 1 cent stamp -Looks like 1911

Reminder

2011-10-26T19:35:00.005-04:00

Hope Lindley residents will brave the snow showers tomorrow evening - Thursday October 27th 7 P.M. Lindley Town Hall and come out to meet the folks who are running for the Lindley Town offices on November 8th. This not a debate but a chance to actually see the people who are running. Without a school, grocery store or - -even the old Grange as in the "Good Old Days ", our days of knowing the candidates who are running for office have disappeared. Therefore, the L/P Historical Society invites the residents to meet and greet the 9 people who have agreed to introduce themselves to the local voters. Their talks will be brief and the audience will have a chance to ask a few questions after all the candidates have said their few words.
Please join us and meet the people who wish to be your local government representatives.
Hope to see many of you there . Some tasty goodies might even be served.
Kitty

PS - In a few years, this will the view of the Lindley Hamlet from I99. How it will have changed!!!

N.Y.C. Railroad Station Lindley NY

2011-10-24T02:12:00.005-04:00

Found this picture on Facebook

Thank You Rich Martin

Condolences to the Hill Family & Smith Family

2011-10-21T12:10:00.011-04:00

With Deepest Sympathy to

The Hill Family

and

The Smith Family

Neal J. Hill

Neal J. Hill, age 84, of Lindley, NY, passed away peacefully on October 10, 2011, surrounded by his family. He was born on June 17, 1927 to Guy C. and Betsy Finch Hill at the family farmhouse on River Road in Lindley. He married Marguerite VanEtten on June 23, 1950 in Ithaca, NY. They just celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary. Neal attended Lindley Area School and graduated from Northisde High School. He owned and operated the family’s dairy farm, Hill Farm for a lifetime. He drove a school bus for Harris Bus Lines for over 30 years. Neal was a charter member of the Lindley Presho Volunteer Fire Dept. He enjoyed bowling, hunting and attending East Lindley Baptist Church. Neal cherished his family and visiting friends and neighbors on his Gator while delivering cookies. He is survived by his wife: Marguerite; a sister: Alta Drake; children: Terry (Brenda) Hill, Bonnie Schroeder, and Randy (Dee) Hill; grandchildren: Jessica Allison (Patrick), Kelli Schroeder, Brian (Tiffany) Schroeder, Ryan Pruden (Angie), Brittany Hill and Dylan Hill; great-grandchildren: Madelyn Allison, Ava Lamb and Peyton Baker; and many special nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents: Guy and Betsy; his brother: Ivan Hill; and his sisters: Vera Westmiller, Rena Terwilliger, and Luna VanEtten. Family and friends are invited to call at Carpenter-Flint Funeral Home in Addison on Friday, October 14, 2011 from 5:00-7:00PM and Saturday from 10:00-11:00AM with funeral service immediately following at 11:00AM with Rev. Sheldon Roblyer officiating. Burial will be following in Fairview Cemetery in Lindley. In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to East Lindley Baptist Church or Lindley Presho Volunteer Fire Department.

Madeline Smith

Madeline L. Smith, age 91, of Painted Post, NY, died on Friday, September 23, 2011 at Absolut Care at Three Rivers in Painted Post. Born in Corning on March 12, 1920, she was the daughter of the late Judson B. and Grace (Riffle) Kennedy.She is survived by one daughter: Suanne (Jerome) Smith of Summerfield, FL; a son: Robert (Penny) Smith of Mount Dora, FL; grandchildren: Kimberly Kilpatrick of Binghamton, NY, Matthew (Deborah) Smith of Painted Post, Michael (Melisa) Smith of Clayton, NC, Mary Katherine (Todd) Bieloski of Painted Post; great-grandchildren: Colin Kilpatrick, Carter and Kate Smith, Reagan, Kennedy, and Madison Smith, Owen Bieloski; and several nieces and nephews.Madeline was predeceased by her husband, Robert J. Smith, and by friend and companion, Chester E. Randall in 2004.There will be no calling hours. A graveside service will be held at Presho Cemetery in Presho, NY at the convenience of the family.

The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend

He referred to the dates on his tombstone from the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of his birth and spoke of the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered most of all was the dash between
those years.

For that dash represents all the time that he spent alive on earth...

And now only those who loved him know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own;

the cars .... the house... the cash.

What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard ... are there things you'd like to
change?

For you never know how much time is left.

(You could be at "dash mid-range")

If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real,

And always try to understand the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger, and show appreciation more,

And love the people in our lives like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a
smile...

Remembering that this special dash might only last a little
while.

Poem By Linda Ellis

From the Town of Lindley Historian's Files

2011-10-11T21:29:00.004-04:00

For a short time in 1939 and 1940 ,a young man named Rutty Passmore who lived on Morgan Creek Road in the cinder block home published a local newspaper. Most of the items were about the comings and goings of Lindley-Presho and Lawrenceville,Penna residents. Occasionally,he wrote about events occurring in the area. The following is one of these articles. At another time, I will copy his article on the 1940 flood. (Kitty )

Vol. III No.9 Thursday April 4th 1940

100 Years Ago

A weekly feature by W.Rutty Passmore

" I believe that a little over One Hundred Years ago pertaining to past floods would be timely considering last weeks high water.

In the Autumn of 1817, the Tioga Valley had what is known as the Great Pumpkin Flood .
At this time , the valley was scarcely populated and the settlements did not extend out of the rivers flats and when the water overflowed the banks ,it took away nearly all the late crops and produce. The pumpkins which were unusually large and brightly colored that year due to the rich soil of the valley and the extra fine growing season ,were very much in evidence covering the surface of the water as it raced down stream. That is where the flood of 1817 got it's name.

One amusing incident was noted about that flood. One family ,the David Cooks, the second David Cook ,not the first of Lindley which were on higher ground took in two families when the water forced them out. As the water raised ,the farmer took his sheep in his canoe and took them in the house and placed them in the attic of the one story house, the attic being nearly full of corn on the cob,not in a bottle. Soon the water entered the first floor and the families were forced to 'flee" to the attic. Three families, eleven sheep and an attic full of corn were jammed into the small space that normally would be large enough for either alone.

That same home has a sequel in the same inundation. The next day the water lowered and then raised again until the families had to abandon the second story attic,escaping through an attic window to a canoe. The sheep were like wise removed . They spent the night on a hillside a few hundred feet away. During the night 5 large stacks of wheat and oats floated off and went out of sight down the river. Later, they were found down the river in a field on Mulhollen's Island ,every stack right side up and not a shock missing. **

It is interesting to note that one flood following another by a day or so is not something new or of recent origin ,such as last weekend. At least one hundred and twenty-three years ago,it did that. Seems like there is nothing new under the sun ,especially if one looks at history. "

***

** Note from Kitty -( Before the days of combines and corn harvesters,Shocks were bundles of cornstalks or grain standing on end together in a field waitng to be harvested. On rare occasions any more they can be seen in a field of Amish farmers)

*** During all the rain and flooding recently, many local residents expressed their gratitude for the flood control dams in neighboring Tioga County,Penna.

Mark Your Calendars

2011-09-29T13:41:00.005-04:00

Meetings for the Lindley-Presho Historical Society for the months of October and November 2011 are :

MEET THE CANDIDATES

THURSDAY October 27th 7 P.M. Lindley Town Hall

Candidates running for office in the Town Of Lindley have been invited to give a short talk
Free-Public Invited -Especially Town of Lindley Voters.

PATTERSON INN BLACKSMITH SHOP

LEON GOLDER PRESENTING

Thursday November 17,2011 7 P.M. Lindley Town Hall

Powerpoint program on the relocating of the Blacksmith Shop at the Patterson Inn

Looking for locations and owners of Blacksmith Shops in Lindley

Free-open to the public

Barn south of old Lindley Town Hall/Post Office/Grange was a Blacksmith Shop in 1920's.

Constitution Day 9/17/2011

2011-09-18T21:46:00.005-04:00

"Celebrate Constitution Day! "
Yesterday Saturday, September 17th was Constitution Day! The U. S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787 . Constitution Day! Federal law requires public schools to observe that day, but studies show that up to 90 percent of schools ignore the law. This year as we celebrate the 224th anniversary of the Constitution, take time to read this document, study it with your children, and discuss its great principles. And by the way, despite the claims of many secularist writers today, the Constitution is not a Godless document. Many of its clauses directly incorporate religious principles, and Founders who wrote and ratified it specifically acknowledged God in its creation:

It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in it a finger of that Almighty Hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the Revolution. James Madison

For my own part, I sincerely esteem it a system which without the finger of God never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interests. Alexander Hamilton

I beg I may not be understood to infer that our general Convention was Divinely inspired when it formed the new federal Constitution . . . yet I must own [admit] I have so much faith in the general government of the world by Providence that I can hardly conceive a transaction of such momentous importance . . . should be suffered to pass without being in some degree influenced, guided, and governed by that omnipotent, omnipresent, and beneficent Ruler in Whom all inferior spirits live and move and have their being [Acts 17:28]. Benjamin Franklin

I do not believe that the Constitution was the offspring of inspiration, but I am as perfectly satisfied that the Union of the States in its form and adoption is as much the work of a Divine Providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament. Benjamin Rush

Remembering September 11, 2001 10 years Later

2011-09-11T22:20:00.012-04:00

Pictures from today's 911 Rememberance service at the Presho Methodist Church.

The Lindley-Presho Fire Department and First Responders were recognized today for their dedicated services (-whatever or whenever they are needed ) to the Lindley-Presho Community .

In the group photo are several of the 115 Charter Members of the Fire Department organized in 1963- - almost 50 years ago. Unfortunately, only about 30 of the original membership are still living. It was nice to see a few of them present today.

The rest of the group are members of the 2011 Fire Department.

The young man -BenjaminToby is a third generation fire fighter.

Congratulations again for the time and efforts that you spend serving the Town of Lindley residents.

Thank you - members of the Presho Church for the memorial service remembering the victims and families of September 11,2001 and for the hearty brunch that followed.

Condolences

2011-09-08T00:21:00.011-04:00

The Lindley Presho Historical Society

wishes to extend our

Deepest Sympathy to the Family and Friends

Ellen A. Fee

---

The Lord is My Shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:

for Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me:

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies:

thou annoinest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

---

Psalm 23: 1-6

---

www.the-leader.com/deathnotices/x1069113390/Ellen-A-Fee

Lindley Community Church - 75th Anniversary

2011-09-05T20:46:00.022-04:00

You are cordially invited to the

75th Anniversary Celebration of

Lindley Community Church

---

Come out and see old friends

and have some fellowship, fun, and food with us.

---

Activities will begin:

Saturday, September 10th at 3:00 p.m.

with Special Music, a Barbeque, followed by a

Concert by Soloist Bob Koffel

----

Activities will conclude on:

Sunday, September 11th at 10:00 a.m.

Join us for a Concert with the M & M Praise Team -

Martha and Mark Walker,

an Inspirational Sermon By Rev. Ron Head,

and a Fellowship Dinner to follow.

---

It is not necessary to make reservations, but a phone call to

570-827-2513 would be helpful to give us a better idea of

how much food to prepare.

---

If you have any pictures or memories you would like to

share for our Memory Book, please send them to

Mrs. Nancy King at 10186 Tannery Creek Road,

include your name and address on pictures if you

would like them returned.

---

We Hope To See You There!

---

In His Love,

Anniversary Celebration Planning Committee

Lindley-Presho Fire Department to be Honored on Sunday 9/11

2011-09-05T16:27:00.004-04:00

From the Addison Post 9-3-2011

9/11 Anniversary Memorial &
Remembrance Service
The Presho United Methodist Church Invites you to attend a very Special 9/11 Anniversary
Memorial & Remembrance Service at 9:00am, Sunday, September 11, 2011.
We will come together to remember the 9/11 victims, survivors, and the many that
rose in Service in Response to the 9/11 tragedy, including First Responders. We will
honor the members of the Town of Lindley's Fire Department for their Service as our
own First Responders. Catherine Pierce, Town Historian assisted by Sally Orr will
share the history of our Fire Department with photos and stories of their dedicated
service. A special Brunch will be served immediately following the service. All Brunch
donations will be presented to our Fire Department. Hope to see you! Contact Sandy
Hall (523-7236) or Brenda Criss (523-8083) for further information.

Honoring Local Service Members

2011-08-30T10:06:00.001-04:00

WVIN 98.3 FM is recognizing active duty service members from our area each Wednesday at 11:45am. They have asked if I could continue to help the station gather names and information. The requested information is: Rank: Name: High School and year of graduation: Branch of service: Current assignment: Spouse and children's names (if applicable): Parent’s names and where they live: You can drop this form off at the Steuben County Veterans Service Agency, 20 E. Morris St. in Bath or e-mail the information to deniso@co.steuben.ny.us . He will make sure that it gets to WVIN.Thank you,

I Didn't Know That

2011-08-29T21:25:00.003-04:00

If the readers are keeping abreast of Town of Lindley news on the Lindley Town Blog (see link on this site), they are aware of the issue of electing a town official vs one being appointed by the Town Board .
In response to a question that I was asked about voting, I went to the present day form of the Encyclopedia - GOOGLE - for some information. Hopefully, I can copy an interesting fact sheet posted by a Chenango County,NY site. http://www.Co.Chenago.N.Y.USelections/interestingfacts.pdf
Some I remember from high school American History class -(we won't say how many eons ago-)and some was startingly new to me-especially the one vote numbers.
Since this is a local election year in New York State , I hope to pass the facts along so you can impress your friends and relatives with some new facts.

AMERICANS FOUGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO VOTE
Over the years, U.S. citizens have worked hard to extend voting rights to everyone.
1787 - When the Constitution was written, only white men age 21 or older who
owned property could vote.
1807-1843 - During these years, the states changed their rules so that all white men
age 21 and older could vote – not just those who owned property.
1870 - The Civil War led to the 15th Amendment to the Constitution. This
amendment guaranteed the right to vote to all men age 21 and older,
regardless of race or ethnic background.
1920 - The 19th Amendment gave women age 21 and older the right to vote.
1964 - With the 24th Amendment, states could no longer make people pay to
vote in national elections.
1971 - The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18.
Congress and the courts have also ensured that no literacy, language or other tests
can keep citizens from voting. The right to vote is precious – and it deserves to be
used!
HOW IMPORTANT IS ONE VOTE?
1645 – ONE VOTE gave Oliver Cromwell control over England.
1776 – ONE VOTE GAVE America the English language instead of German.
1845 - ONE VOTE brought Texas into the Union.
1849 - ONE VOTE caused Charles I of England to be executed.
1866 - ONE VOTE saved President Andrew Johnson from impeachment.
1875 - ONE VOTE changed France from a monarchy to a Republic.
1876 - ONE VOTE gave Rutherford B. Hayes the Presidency of the U.S.
1923 - ONE VOTE gave Adolf Hitler leadership of the Nazi Party
1941 - ONE VOTE saved Selective Service just weeks before Pearl Harbor.
(The right to vote is a precious gift in the United States. Be sure to use it, so we don’t
lose it!)
Remember to exercise your rights to vote -"Like muscles if you don't use them,you lose them.."

Kitty

Ps This copied well from the original ,but blog has away of changing the sentence structure .I wasn't able to correct it.

Ford Home History -Lawrenceville,Pa

2011-08-25T11:03:00.003-04:00

Larry Gorges found more information on the Mc Coulloch family and the Ford home that was located where the present Brackley/Preston Store in Lawrenceville,Pa. is now located.

The wife's name was Emily (Tharp) McCulloch. Several of the McCulloch family are buried in the Lindsley Burying Ground in Lindley. (See Painted Hills.org ) for a listing .

The contents (which contained many historical documents and items) were bought by the Will's family when the home was sold and the house demolished to make way for the store. I understand that one of the items was Colonel Lindsley's desk which is now in Texas with a member of the Wills family.

I hope this copies so you can read it.

Corning Journal 1888

2011-08-18T14:57:00.006-04:00

Many thanks to Larry Gorges for finding this article and sharing.

Apologies for the bits and pieces but my scanner and computer wouldn't co-operate in scanning the entire article at one time. You will need to click on the article to enlarge and on back to go from one paragraph to the next.
A computer wizard I am not. At my age- consider myself lucky to do this much!!!
Enjoy and note it would appear the original Williamson Road was on the East side of the Tioga River. Lots of interesting 'stuff" here.
Thanks again, Larry

Kitty

1888 Corning Journal

More Uri Mulford History

2011-08-10T10:36:00.005-04:00

Hiram Middlebrook,aged 84 years,died October 5,1880 at his home in Lindley. He had lived in Lindley for about 35 years,was a member of the lumber manufacturing firm of Morgan,More(Moore)& Middlebrook,a farmer, kept a general store and was for many years the Postmaster and was ever zealous in religious work.
Sixteen inches of snow fell March 3d and 4th,1881.
Fires in the forests of southeastern portion of the town of Lindley and the adjacent part of the town of Caton caused the destruction of a large amount of timber on the stump ,and in logs, comsumed stump,brush and rail fences and set a number of houses andd barns on fire-causing their loss.Wood fires also caused heavy losses near Curtis.

Excerpts from Corning and Vicinity by Uri Mulford

2011-08-05T11:46:00.002-04:00

While answering a genealogical query,I found the following items in Uri's book. Chapters 35-64 are labeled . Events in Corning,Marriages from 1855-1921. One chapter is a list of local Civil War Veterans.

Page 436 August 9th,1910 "William C. Campbell,aged 73 years ,died August 10,1910 at his home on East Erie Avenue.He served in the Civil War as a member of Company I 141st New York Volunteer Infantry. He was the great grandson of Col.Eleazer Lindsley,founder of the Lindley colony."
"August 15,1910 James Orr aged 84 years died.He was for many years prominent as a lumberman and farmer of the Town of Lindley,later engaging in business in Painted Post."
Page 441 April 7th,1913 " while assisting to run a portable saw-mill ,on the former Methodist campground at Presho ,Fred Weaver ,age 50 ,fell against a circular saw and his body sawn so he soon died."
(WHERE WAS THE METHODIST CAMPGROUND IN PRESHO LOCATED???_KITTY

Page 473 " At Northside High School ,Tuesday evening June 25,1918" Listed among the graduates were names that I recognized as Lindley residents -- Richard Stowell, Irene S. Riffle

Condolences

2011-07-27T18:35:00.006-04:00

Condolences to the Divens, Naylor, Wagner, and Herrick Families.

The angels are always near those that are grieving.

To whisper to them that their loved ones are safe in the hand of God.

~~Little Angels Instruction Book

E.E. Freeman

Brenda Divens Naylor

www.the-leader.com/obituaries/x898081878/Brenda-Divens-Naylor

Elizabeth S. Wagner

www.the-leader.com/obituaries/x327790175/Elizabeth-S-Wagner

A sampling of the Veteran's Graves Fairview Cemetery

2011-07-15T22:52:00.006-04:00

Above is a sampling of photos of some of the Veteran's graves in Lindley's Fairview Cemetery.

While Tom Loughridge and Dick Pierce located the graves and placed flags by the gravestones, I took photos of the gravestones for the Town Historian's files. Fortunately, Tom who had undertaken the task of placing the flags in recent years had made a map of known Veteran's graves. This made the task somewhat easier,but the writing on many of the older stones is becoming more difficult to read each year. Some of the known Civil War Veteran's graves were not located. Hopefully,by cross referencing the Fairview Cemetery records with the the list of Lindley men who served in the Civil War, some graves will be located. Others are known to be buried in Presho Cemetery, Powers Cemetery in Lawrenceville- perhaps other nearby cemeteries . Undoubtedly, many moved away.

Tom deserves a lot of credit for the time and effort that he has put into honoring the Veteran's by placing flags on the graves. However, there comes a time when someone from the younger generation needs to step forward and" do the job". Since the Town of Lindley is now responsible for the cemetery maintenance , the maps and lists are filed in the Lindley Town Clerk's office.

The Town Historian's files will have the photos and files on many of Lindley's Veterans.

.

Dick Riffle Stories # XI

2011-07-09T20:51:00.006-04:00

For the past several years, I have been posting stories as told by Dick Riffle. Dick who lives in the State of Washington was 93 in May and is writing his memoirs . Not sure, but he may be the oldest living member of the local Riffle family. He still writes interesting E-mails and loves to share stories about growing up in Lindley.

Sometime during the month of July, the Riffle family holds a reunion. The following is one of Dick's stories as he wrote about the families living on Morgan Creek and the present River Road .
If the Riffle family members haven't heard this story, I hope they get a chuckle or two from it. -
(Kitty)

Next was the home of Jerome and Alace (Romane) Riffle ,my Grandparents. After their decease in the 1920's , the home belonged to their daughter Grace and husband Judd Kennedy. They had several children, Jud,Jr. ,Geraldine, Kathryn and twin girls-Madeline and Margaret who were a couple years younger than me. Aunt Grace was a very hospitable lady and many of the Annual Riffle Reunions were held there. (see April 2011 blog) and earlier posts (Kitty )

In about 1928, Aunt Grace put on a birthday party for my Mother. Besides family members, many neighbors were invited. I was 10 years old at that time. All the ladies and girls were in the parlor and all the men were in the kitchen. Aunt Grace had just gone in the parlor to serve the cake to the ladies. I was standing by the kitchen door when I heard a knock . I opened the door and there stood a short man in a business suit and a taller man in some kind of uniform was behind him. The older man said"May we come in? " I said "Sure ,Come in!" Just then ,Aunt Grace returned to the kitchen and seeing the men said"You're just in time ! Come in and have some cake!"
The older man replied"No, Thank you,we will just look around." and they proceeded into the parlor.In a few moments, they returned to the kitchen and said to Aunt Grace- "I think we made a MISTAKE !" She said -" Who are you looking for?" He replied" You are not Mrs.Sousa , are you?"
Aunt Grace and everyone one burst out laughing . " No-she said -she lives up the road about a mile. He then apologized and showed his credentials that he was an FBI man . (Mrs.Sousa was a well known bootlegger" ) Well, everyone thought it was hilarious that my Mother's birthday party had been RAIDED by the "Revenoors " as we called them. Everyone except Mother !! She belonged to the WCTU (Woman's Christian Temperance Union) -an organization sponsored by the Methodist Church.

Lindley Fairview Cemetery

2011-06-30T11:59:00.006-04:00

The photos are in reverse order of what I had planned- Oh well !!

A little history --

During the past several years the Town of Lindley has been in the process of assuming the responsibility of the Fairview Cemetery for a variety of reasons -#1 being the lack of funds by the Cemetery Association to maintain the cemetery and #2 health problems for some of the long time volunteers.

A productive discussion was held at the June Town Board meeting to discuss ways to assist the Town in maintaining the appearance of the Cemetery that would appease some of the lot owners.

As of today -the cemetery has been mowed for the 4th of July -I am assuming by Rudy Jaubik and his landscaping crew who held the mowing contract. The old flags left as guides last fall to assist the volunteers who would put them out in 2011 have been replaced by Tom Loughridge and Dick Pierce. The cemetery looks great as you can tell from the photos.

Many thanks to the mowers for a great job and to Dick and Tom for their hours of volunteer efforts.

Hopefully, some younger folks will soon step forward as volunteers to assist in a joint effort with the Town to maintain one of Lindley's oldest cemeteries ----the permanent residence of some of the members of Lindley's oldest families. .

Lindley-Presho Historical Society Meeting June 23,2011

2011-06-17T10:19:00.004-04:00

Twila O'Dell Steuben County Historian to present a program pertaining to her office

Lindley-Presho
Historical Society
Thursday June 23,2011
7 P.M.
Lindley Town Hall

Twilia O’Dell
Steuben County Historian

"What’s Found in the Steuben County
Historian’s Office"

Hope to see all

Progress Report Rt.15 1953

2011-06-12T21:35:00.006-04:00

These were changes made in 1953 when the highway was moved from present "Lindley Road" along the Tioga River to where it is now in 2011 . One of the reasons given in 1953 -- was to prevent the frequent flooding of the highway. Wouldn't it be interesting to compare the amount of traffic then as compared to June ,2011????

Thank a Veteran- Memorial Day 5/30/2011

2011-05-29T11:53:00.007-04:00

Tioga County, Penna Honor Guard at

Armed Force's Day Ceremony at Lindley, N.Y. Veteran's Monument

May 22nd,2011

Many thanks to all who participated in the ceremony and to those who took time to attend.

Your efforts are appreciated.

2011-05-08T22:55:00.001-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!

Armed Forces Day Ceremony

2011-05-05T18:47:00.004-04:00

-----

On Sunday May 22nd at 2 P.M., The Tioga County, Penna Honor Guard will honor all Military Personnel with an Armed Forces Day ceremony. The ceremony will be held on the lawn of the Lindley Town Hall on U. S. Rt.15. Armed Forces Day was created August 31,1949 for the purpose of honoring Americans serving in the 5 services- Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and the Coast Guard. This is a free event and the public is encouraged to attend and to thank members of the Armed Forces-past and present for their patriotic service in support of our country. Bring a Military Veteran or Friend .

The regular meeting of the Lindley –Presho Historical Society will be held on Thursday May 26th at 7 P.M. at the Lindley Town Hall. Jim Lundgren will present his plans for a Veteran’s Honor Roll for the Town of Lindley residents .He will, also, will have a display of the Indian artifacts that he has collected locally for many years.. The meeting is free and open to the public. Jim's programs are always interesting and informative.

Kitty

Morgan Creek-Watson Creek Road Intersections Lindley,NY

2011-04-25T10:22:00.004-04:00

Local residents are aware of the dangerous traffic situation that exists while traveling the 5 miles on U.S Rt.15 from Presho to the Watson Creek (Green Shingle ) section of the highway -But ---------------
A note to those who must travel U.S.Rt.15 through Lindley -please exercise extreme caution at the Intersections of Rt.15 and Morgan Creek Road and the one at Watson Creek . These have always been dangerous intersections but with the increase in the amount of traffic and speeding after the construction of the 4 lanes around Lawrenceville , they are even more dangerous. The entire business area ( Lindley Post Office, Lindley Town Hall,Lindley Community Church, DOT Offices , Lindley Woodworks and Deming's Garage ) are located near the Morgan Creek Intersection .

Many problems exist in these areas.

1.With the increase in traffic and in the SPEEDING --( as we jokingly used to say) -"No traffic light in Lawrenceville to slow traffic down") , it is becoming increasingly difficult to gain access to Rt.15 and to make turns on either Morgan Creek or Watson Creek Roads .

2. Turning lanes are being used to pass on the right-

3. Traffic coming North from the Pennsylvania section of the highway where the speed limit is posted at 65 miles an hour are ignoring the posted 55 miles an hour speed limit in New York State. (Traffic coming from the Penna. section are traveling at high rates of speed making turning or coming onto Watson Creek Road a dangerous situation. They,also, continue to speed on the straight stretch of road to the Morgan Creek Road area.)

4. Blinker lights at both intersections are ignored

5. With the increase Tractor Trailer traffic, (remember this is a major North-South route for the entire area-especially with I 86 now joining in Painted Post. ) and with the many posts and signs at the Morgan Creek intersection, vision can be limited when attempting to turn south onto Rt. 15.

6 Trucks for the new highway construction and the Lindley Wood Works are making turns at the Morgan Creek intersection-causing traffic to back up or those in a hurry to use the turning lanes for passing.

U.S. Rt.15 is notorious as a scene of frequent accidents-even being labeled as "Death Highway" Area residents are requesting the Highway Departments and Public Officials to find ways to avoid more possible deaths on this road .

So please drive defensively over this road- the life you save maybe your own.Due to NYS fisical problems, we are being advised that Interstate I 99 will not be completed until at least 2015

Interestingly enough from a historical point, this same 6 mile section was the last to be completed in 1922/3 -when the road from being paved with concrete from Buffalo,NY to Washington,DC.

Happy Easter April -24-2011

2011-04-23T20:35:00.004-04:00

Paper White Narcissus

From an Old Postcard

Dick Riffle Part X

2011-04-16T11:12:00.006-04:00

This is a continuation of an article People of Lindley as I Knew Them written by Dick Riffle in 2009. Dick lived in Lindley until his work as a Minister took him to other parts of the country.

He will be 93 in May, lives in the State of Washington and is writing his memoirs. He is sharing many stories and photos which I am adding to the Lindley Historian's files.

Previous articles posted on this blog told stories about the Morgan Creek residents and families near the Lindley bridge. The story today is about a house on County Rt.116 going south from the Lindley bridge.

" Next was the home of Jerome and Alace (Romane) Riffle ,my grandparents. After their decease in the 1920's, the home belonged their daughter Grace and husband Judson Kennedy. They had several children, JudsonJr. , Geraldine, Kathryn and twin girls Madeline and Margaret who were a couple years younger than me. Aunt Grace was a very hospitable lady and many of the Annual " Riffle Reunions" were held there. In about 1928, Aunt Grace put on a birthday party for my Mother. Besides family members, many neighbors were invited. I was 10 years old at the time. All the ladies and girls were in the parlor and all the men and boys in the kitchen. Aunt Grace had just gone in to serve cake to the ladies . I was standing by the kitchen door when I heard a knock. I opened the door and there was a short man in a business suit and a taller man in some kind of uniform was behind him. The older man asked, "May we come in?". I said, "Sure-Come in!" Just then Aunt Grace returned to the kitchen and seeing the men said,"You are just in time! Come in and have some cake!"

The older man replied, " No, thank you. We will just look around." and they proceeded into the parlor. In a few minutes, they returned to the kitchen and said to Aunt Grace ---"I think we have made a MISTAKE !" She said- "Who are you looking for?" He replied you are not Mrs. Sousa, are you?"

Aunt Grace burst out laughing. No, she said , "She lives up the road about a mile." He then apologized and showed his credentials that he was an FBI man. (Mrs. Sousa was a well known bootlegger.) Well!! Everyone thought it was hilarious that my Mother's birthday party had been raided by the "Revenooers" as we called them. Everyone but my Mother!!! She belonged to the WCTU, (Woman's Christian Temperance Union) an organization sponsored by the Methodist Church.

Editor comments- This would have been during Prohibition Days and local lore indicates there was a "Still" operating in the area.

Many of us know the house mentioned as the Kennedy/ Towner house . Wilma Welty (historian in the 1990's) had made notes that this is the oldest frame house in Lindley. For historical purposes, I would like to make positive documentation of this fact. I have asked some of the Riffle descendants and the present owner for more information.

Mr. Riffle stated that Hiram Riffle lived there before and after the Civil War and that his son Jerome was the next owner. Mr.Oberlander was kind enough to check his abstract , but thus far, there is no documentation as to the date when the house was constructed. However, during my research, I did learn more about the house and the families who have lived there

This is a recent photo of the home . Many readers will remember an addition on the right side of the house which was used as an apartment or living quarters for a second family.

Some of the Riffle family members are continuing to help research the history of the home -because it had been owned by many Riffle family members.

From time to time, I will post more of Mr. Riffle's stories about Lindley as he knew it.

Note the cars in 1923-5 photo. Maybe this explains why the Revenooners suspected the house!!!

Volunteer Fireman's Day

2011-04-09T12:09:00.006-04:00

Today as New York State honors Volunteer Fireman, we would like to acknowledge the efforts of the Lindley-Presho Fire Department volunteers and their families.

In January 1963, a group of 60 citizens met at the Old Lindley Town Hall to discuss the possibility of a Lindley-Presho Fire Department. With the typical Town of Lindley "Can Do Attitude", plans for a local Fire Department soon materialized. 360 families over a 36 square mile area would be served by the new association.

By the end of February, officers had been named and the group was awaiting Incorporation papers. Plans were underway to select a site for a fire hall , and to raise money for the building and equipment. By the Fall of 1963, a central location for the Fire Hall had been selected and enough money raised to start the construction and to purchase a used 1947 Fire Truck. The construction of the Fire Hall was completed with volunteer labor from the local residents by the end of the year. Several different means were used to raise the money. To help support the efforts of their volunteer husbands, a Ladies Auxillary was formed.

Today, the Lindley-Presho Fire Department is still serving the community -thanks to the volunteers who give their time and efforts to carry on the vision of the 60 people who met in January 1963. It is interesting to note that some of them are the descendants of the 1963 members-shown above .

Thank you!!!

Color on a Dreary Day

2011-03-31T11:09:00.003-04:00

If you are like I am, you are tired of looking at snow so -- I thought I'd share a touch of color from a corner in our sunroom to help brighten a yucky day -- Enjoy - Orange -Clivia(Amaryllis family), Red- Impatiens, small yellow -Primrose, a Snake Plant, a Shamrock in bloom and a couple artificial "daffydils "and a pink something or other to add color. Can you tell my green thumb is itching for warm days ?

Lindley Memorial Park

2011-03-25T13:53:00.004-04:00

Thanks to donations and proceeds from Old Home Day, a second bench has been purchased for the Lindley Town Hall lawn. "Once weather permits", the new bench will be located on the Post Office side of the lawn. A list of all who helped make this possible has been posted on the bulletin board by the Town Clerk's Office.

Again,--Thank You-- Everyone (I hope no-one's name was missed).

In conjunction with this, the Lindley Town Board has passed a resolution making the lawn a Memorial Park. Also,enough money was raised that a special fund to be used for future beautification needs of the lawn has been established by the Board.

You may have noted that the Memorial Chair for Ammon Titus formerly located at the Lindley-Presho School has been relocated to the Town Hall . Ammon served in various offices of the Town of Lindley for 40 some years; so it seemed appropriate to move the chair to the Memorial Park when the school closed.

Bic Van Duyne and Joe Connelly were enjoying the view from the present bench at the 2010 Armed Forces Day Salute to Lindley Veterans . Someday, without all the Rt.15 traffic , the benches will provide a pleasant place to enjoy the beautiful Lindley scene.

Dick Peer Article on Civil War Monuments

2011-03-21T10:57:00.004-04:00

Reminder- This Thursday-- March 24, 2011, the Lindley Presho Historical Society is presenting a program -- Our Civil War Veterans 7 P.M. At the Lindley Town Hall.
Clayton's Steuben County History names 125 men from Lindley who served. Older Lindley names such as : Col.Morgan (Morgan Creek Road), Riffle, Herrick, Gordon ,Lindsley, Mulford, Seelye, Cook -(Cook's Creek-Tannery Creek) , Westcott,Watson (Watson Creek Road),Tremain,Thurber(Thurber Road-Caton) ,Vastbinder,Wheeler, Harrower, Hovey are just a few .

Descendants of some of these men still live in the area. Are you one of them?
I will have a notebook with names and information on many of these men available for reference . Many of these men are buried in the Lindley-Presho and Lawrenceville Cemeteries .

Those attending the meeting are encouraged to share information on their Civil War ancestors.

Also,of interest is the fact that the Corning monument celebrates 100 years in 2011 . Uri Mulford - descendant of our early Mulford family - was one of the men instrumental in dedicating this and the Painted Post monuments.

Happy St.Patrick's Day

2011-03-16T13:54:00.005-04:00

"May Your Pockets be Heavy and Your Heart Light.
May Good Luck Pursue You Each Morning and Night."
An Irish Blessing

Lindley-Presho Historical Society Meeting 3/24/2011

2011-03-13T12:12:00.005-04:00

The Lindley-Presho Historical Society meetings will resume on March 24th at 7 P.M. at the Lindley Town Hall on Rt. U.S. 15.

In recognition of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War ,the program will be Our Civil War Veterans.

Those attending are encouraged to bring photos, records,memorabilia and stories about their ancestors who served in the war.

The historian's office will have information available on at least 125 men from Lindley who served in the Civil War

Note the date

2011-03-06T11:11:00.006-05:00

I really appreciate the newspaper archives on line from Green Library in Wellsboro, Penna.
They are a great source of information to fill the gaps in Lindley history. As I read this, I had to chuckle not only at the language they used then but at the similarity of the present I99 financing .. just goes to prove history does repeat.
As I look out the window, I think the trusty old Woodchuck's crystal ball failed him this year.

Photos of future I99 were taken from former Glick Road near Presho- Sept 2010

Condolences

2011-03-02T22:44:00.011-05:00

Deepest Sympathy extended to all those that have lost family and friends.

So go free and run with the angels
Dance around the golden clouds
For the Lord has chosen you to be with him
And we should feel nothing but proud
Although he has taken you from us
And our pain a lifetime will last
Your memory will never escape us
But make us glad for the time we did have
Your face will always be hidden
Deep inside our hearts
Each precious moment you gave us
Shall never, ever depart
So go and run free with the angels
As they sing so tenderly
And please be sure to tell them
To take good care of you for me

- Author Unknown

Clayton H. Bronson

www.the-leader.com/deathnotices/x1174963900/Clayton-H-Bronson

Joseph D. Connelly
www.the-leader.com/obituaries/x407381790/Joseph-D-Connolley

Diane K. Wilson
www.the-leader.com/obituaries/x639358594/Diane-Annie-Kay-Wilson

Glenn L. Kollhoff
www.the-leader.com/obituaries/x287446412/Glenn-LeRoy-Kollhoff

James N. Nevins
www.the-leader.com/obituaries/x1922000824/James-N-Nevins

More Dick Peer --Potholes

2011-02-26T12:26:00.004-05:00

Local newspapers and TV stations have been mentioning recent problems with potholes in the local roads.
While sorting newspaper clippings , found this article from April 1992 by Mr.Peer which gives a little history of road construction and problems in the spring. Guess our potholes are mild compared to the earlier roads... Enjoy.
I have a copy of an article from 1922 which tells about the last 5 miles of Rt.15 from Presho to Lawrenceville being paved with concrete. Since it sounds vaguely familiar to the present financing of Rt.15 /I99, I hope to be able to scan that to the blog. History does repeat..

Some Area Gas Drilling History

2011-02-20T20:58:00.004-05:00

I have been organizing some of my newspaper clippings.
For many years, the Leader carried a column written by a local newspaper man- Dick Peer. These columns often pertained to area history. This particular column was in the Leader November 12, 1992 on page 6 c -just in case this clipping doesn't enlarge so that you can read it on the blog.. (The Leader Archives are on microfilm in Corning Library.)
To summarize briefly, the article says 2,ooo workers moved into the area ,about 66 wells were drilled ,2 million acres were leased in Steuben,Schuyler, Chemung ,Yates ,Tioga counties,NY and Bradford ,Tioga and Potter counties of Penna. Three gas lines were laid to carry the gas to other places. The area was booming !!!
But the boom quickly went" bust" By late 1932 , the once productive wells were no longer providing gas in commercial quantities. Using old Yankee ingenuity and resourcefulness, some of the abandoned wells were revived in 1949 and used to store gas.
To quote Mr. Peer -"Each succeeding generation of geologists scans the maps carefully, knowing that this area is on a gas- producing anticline which runs northeast to southwest and that it's a good area for prospecting."
Apparently, there was to be some anticipated drilling at the county landfill near Bath as Mr.Peer wrote the article. He remarked " maybe it could bring in a big one and possibly usher in The Gas Boom of 1992." As to the 1992 Gas Boom, I don't recall hearing about one.
But as the article states, the geologists keep probing and from all indications 80 years later , history has started to repeat with a Gas Boom of 2011 in the area.
Many thanks for Mr.Peer for documenting so many bits and pieces of history for this area.

Hopefully, by clicking on the article, it will enlarge so that you can enjoy all of Mr.Peer's article.

From the Historian's Files Winter 1994

2011-02-16T21:30:00.007-05:00

Am wondering if I should show this!!! Let's hope history doesn't repeat in March 3,2011

Dennis Abbey -Adventure Photos with Dot 1 2011

2011-01-27T16:24:00.003-05:00

This week ,Dennis was able to accompany DOT workers who are taking core samples on the I99 Corridor construction. This is done to insure the build up from last summer's construction is firm enough to continue.

Photos as placed by computer are from top to bottom by #

#5 Snow scene looking east from in back of the Lindley Town Hall

#4. 1900's postcard looking southeast -(note all the tobacco barns )

#3. A pull to the top of the new construction (not my idea of fun)

#2. Core drilling equipment

#1. Core sample

All in a days way for the DOT crew.

Many thanks to Dennis for sharing.

Kitty

Lindley/Presho Senior Citizens Meet

2011-01-16T11:56:00.005-05:00

A few members of the Lindley-Presho Senior Citizens braved the weather last Thursday to meet at the now closed Lindley/Presho School Building- available to community groups as a meeting place at no charge. Although few in number, the group enjoyed some lively discussions and stories as well as a great lunch from the dish to pass menu.

The Senior Citizens meet the second Thursday of each month at noon for lunch and anticipate being able to use the school as a meeting place in the future. The next meeting will be February 10th, 2011 from 12 noon until 3 P.M. at the school building . Those who attend are asked to please bring a dish to pass and their table service.

The program for the February meeting will be an Open House with time after lunch for visiting with old friends, neighbors and new acquaintances. There will be cards and various other games available for those who wish to participate.

Anyone in the area 55 and older is invited to join the group and participate in its activities.

For more information -call one of the members shown in the photo or

Jim Ball,President@ 523-8156.

Invite a friend,bring a neighbor, enjoy lunch provided by Lindley/Presho cooks, and take a break from Winter 2011 Cabin Fever Days.

Second Iron Bridge,Tannery Creek Lindley,Ny

2011-01-07T12:37:00.005-05:00

This old postcard was donated to the Lindley Historian files by Clifford Davis. The postmark on this one is dated Nov.21,???. However,the same postcard in the Harold Pierce postcard collection is dated Jan.17,1916. Was the bridge near the Davis road and how did the road follow the south side of the creek ??? The photo was taken by S.E. Hartman. Does any one have more information?
I recall my Mother saying that there were something like 13/15 bridges on Tannery Creek. ( I should have paid more attention as a child!!!)
I am assuming the first iron bridge was the Lindley hamlet bridge built in 1898. (see older posts )
In the Pierce collection is a photo of the "store and postoffice " (corner of Old Rt.15 and present Morgan Creek Rd.-(see older posts ) postmarked 1910. This was, also, taken by S.E. Hartman .
As usual -I am curious to learn more about the bridge location and S.E.Hartman . Did he have a local photography business ? If so where was it located.
Once again-more questions than answers -but old postcards and photographs can tell us much about the history of the area.
Thank you,Clifford. It is a great addition to the town files.

Happy New Year 2011

2010-12-31T12:00:00.002-05:00

From a 1900's Postcard

West High School Band in London,England Parade

2010-12-31T11:08:00.005-05:00

Good Luck to the West High Band in their performance in the London- England New Year's Day Parade tomorrow -January 1,2011.

Like old the saying about the Postman- "neither snow nor rain nor heat or the gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their rounds"-

They will have weathered gigantic fund raising efforts , the 2010 New York City Blizzard , airport delays, airplane trips across the ocean , London mist , tours of London and tomorrow the parade . This is an incredible learning adventure that they will have experienced and will always remember.

Good work and enjoy your memories, Students. You have earned a big round of applause !!

And to the West High Music Department Faculty, WSH Staff, Community and anyone else involved in helping make the trip possible- Thank You.

Have a safe journey home to West High School and Painted Post, New York

Merry Christmas to All

2010-12-24T22:53:00.005-05:00

Merry Christmas December 2010 and a Happy New Year for 2011

The Lindley Cornet Band 1884 to 1900

2010-12-20T20:59:00.004-05:00

The Lindley Cornet Band
From A Brief History of Lindley and It's Pioneer Families By William Hilton Burr 1951 (Transcribed by Catherine M Pierce - Town of Lindley Historian -12-18-2010 )

"Few still live who remember the Lindley Cornet Band. This organization flourished between the years 1884 and 1900. It was composed of 24 members all of whom lived in Lindley and Erwin Center. (now known as Presho-)
It is difficult today to understand how such a large organization could have been found in the town. But it was. For years, the Band led the Memorial Day parade at Lindley in the forenoon, then at Lawrenceville in the afternoon. We played at Fourth of July celebrations, political parades and picnics in surrounding towns. We were never invited to play before the King and Queen of England, but we traveled about the country as far as Corning, Addison, Wellsboro and Elkland. Our last parade was at Lindley and Lawrenceville May 30th, 1889. Two days later the great June flood came down through the valley, swept away the town hall containing many band instruments which were stored in the town hall. Some of them were later found in the bottom of the river and the bass drum was carried away and found in the wrecked town hall. Some of the band men went away from Lindley. Their places were never filled and the existence of the Band was ended by the flood of 1889.
During the time when the Lindley Band was flourishing, there was a rival Band at Lawrenceville. Rivalry between the two competing bands ran at high tide~ especially on Memorial Day. The Lawrenceville band came to Lindley to march in the Memorial Day parade in the forenoon and the Lindley band marched at the Lawrenceville parade in the afternoon. We had the largest Band, the best uniforms and made the most noise, but I have always had a suspicion that, perhaps the Lawrenceville Band made the best music.
Our Lindley band always marched in columns, four abreast. Ira Lyon and Emmet Carey played tubes, Porter Watson played the B Flat bass, William H. Burr the baritone. In the next column Harry H. Lyon and William Jones played the tenor trombone; William Huggins and Frank Camp, the alto trombones. In the third column Charles E. Bouldt and William Pepper played clarinets, William C. Riffle and Fred Carey played the B and E cornets. In the fourth column William Manley and Andrew Black, George M. Riffle, Marius Manley and Otis Riffle played cornets at times. In the last column came Henry Leavenworth with his bass drum and cymbals and L.G. Gale with is snare drum.
I well remember that the first production that our teacher ventured to let us
play was "Go Tell Old Aunt Abbey That Her Grey Goose is Dead". No one who has been a part of a Band beginners' bedlam with twenty beginners with twenty different instruments of twenty different sounds are trying to play can doubt the reason why Old Aunt Abbey's goose died. Probably she could not stand the racket. "

( If at first you don't succeed ,try and try again-especially when learning to use a new scanner-- Kitty)
Sometimes when reading a person's version of an event,you end with more questions than when you started.
Mr. Burr gives two dates for the end of the band - 1. after the 1889 flood and 2. 1900 in the title of his article.
From the invitation, we know that several gentleman were still part of the band in 1894 and playing at the Town Hall . Was this new Town Hall built after the 1889 flood.? or one built later?
We own the building which was the Town Hall/PostOffice and Grange Hall before the present Town Hall/Post Office opened after the 1972 flood. Our deed leads us to believe our"Old Town Hall " was built in 1897. Which date is correct?
A Google search wasn't very successful in finding a definition of a "Select Dance" One source seemed to indicate a musical selection was chosen before you asked a partner to dance. HMM-Logical???
What kind of dance music was popular in 1894??
William H. Burr, the author. was educated at Alfred University and Cornell. He practiced law in Rochester, then devoted his time to oil interests in Wyoming.He retired from business and at the time he wrote the book resided in Royalstown,Mass. Fortunately, Mrs. Kathryn Loughridge had a copy of of his book which gives considerable information about Lindley before Mr. Burr left for a college education . We are fortunate that a copy of his book still exists.
Unfortunately, however, much of Lindley's history for this time period has been lost . As historian, I am always excited when someone shares records and information about Lindley's history. Thanks to the blog, I am able to share some of this with the readers. I hope you find the stories interesting.
I came across a quote in a Historical pamphlet --Tradition May 1961 that I think explains a need for knowing about our past " I feel strongly that our nation cannot know where it is going unless it uses the guide -lines and guide posts of the past." Richard D.Mudd, M.D.

Dance Invitation -1894

2010-12-17T23:44:00.003-05:00

From Wilma Welty( former Lindley Historian) files. I may have posted this previously, but it is fun to note the information and names. Does anyone know what is considered a "Select Dance " with music by a Cornet Band??
As I was writing this, I remembered reading about the Cornet Band in William Hilton Burr's -1951 Brief History of Lindley and It's Pioneer Families. Hopefully tomorrow ,I can make a copy and print his recollections of the band. It gives us a different perspective of life in Lindley in the late 1880's-to the early 1900's.
Stay tuned!!

Remember to vote

2010-12-15T17:33:00.005-05:00

Don't forget to vote tomorrow at" OLD" Lindley-Presho Elementary School from 7:30 AM to 9 PM .

Every vote counts.

Still no word on petition to NYS Education Commissioner concerning the closing of the Lindley-Presho School.

Amasa Gordon Story

2010-12-05T20:50:00.006-05:00

Recently I had a query about Amasa Gordon who was living in Lindley in the 1860 census. The following article gives insight into the length that historians will go to -to give" the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say.

My thanks to Peg for sharing the story with us. It will go in the Lindley files under Civil War Veterans. If anyone has more information to add to the story, please contact me and I will forward to Peg.

In the 1860 Lindley census,the Gorden family is living in the vicinity of what most of us know as the Don Herrick farm . On the little knoll behind the house is a lone gravestone which bears the name Betsy Welden wife of Harvey Welden -died Oct.23,1879 age 56 years-2 months.

One wonders what happened to the Welden family and especially the girl living with the Gordon family.

Sounds like more genealogical research is needed to complete Amasa's story .

The above photos were taken at the Corning Civil War Monument Ceremony on Park Avenue.-Veteran's Day 2010 .The monument will be 100 years old next year(2011). Each year a candlelite ceremony conducted by the Corning American Legion Post honors area veterans . The luminaries shown are labeled with veteran's names.

Finding Amasa
By Peg Ross, Town of Greene Historian
Recently I wrote about a six-year-old boy, Amasa Gordon, who was placed as a servant in the household of Gaylord Cummins in the Town of Smithville. He was to be there until he was twenty-one years old and be honest and behave kindly to the Cummins family and on their part, Amasa was to be fed, clothed, taught the art of "aggraculture" and to read, write and do arithmetic. This happened in 1820 when the towns in this area were just beginning to be developed. The story generated some interest on what happened to this boy. Did he grow up? One of our daughters who read the story took it upon herself to see if she could find him in later years. Then I entered the search. Finding people is an interesting process with many stumbling blocks as anyone knows who has tried to find ancestors. This is an attempt to put a human face on Amasa Gordon – an attempt that is superficial in that most of the findings aren’t backed by conclusive facts but make good sense. Keep in mind that spelling was not consistent in the 1800s and also that in Census records dates are very often incorrect, off by a few years. The records depended on how well the enumerators wrote the data down and how truthful people were.
I made an error in the spelling of one of the Justices of the Peace that signed the legal indenture document. I read his name as Elisha Ladd but his surname was Sadd. The L and S were written similarly and this is the kind of error that shows up on the Census records also. Elisha Sadd was one of the first settlers in Genegantslet and was an active participant in the local government being a Justice and also Town Clerk from 1810-1815.
Amasa L. Gardon shows up in the 1850 U.S. Federal Census. He is 38 years old, estimated birth to be 1812. He is a farmer living in Caton, Steuben County, New York with a wife, Margaret, 42 years old.
In 1860, Masa L. Gordon is 47, est. birth 1813. He is a day laborer and can neither read nor write (Oh Oh. That part of the bargain with the master wasn’t fulfilled). He now lives in Lindley, Steuben County, New York with his wife Margarett and Julia A. Welden, 6 years old. There is a neighboring family named Welden who have many children and another Welden family with many children on the same Census sheet. It seems likely that Amasa and Margaret took in one of the Welden children to care for her.
At this point I decided to call the Town of Lindley Historian, Catherine Pierce, to see what I could find out. The minute I mentioned Smithville, she said, "We had families who moved here very early from Smithville". She mentioned the names Cram and Gridley specifically. Also the Mersereaus who settled the Guilford area. Perhaps Amasa’s wife was related to one of these families. But I felt I was on the right track knowing that Smithville prompted a quick response from the historian.
I then looked at the website of Lindley and discovered that Amasa L. Gordon was listed as a Civil War veteran from there. He enlisted on 12 Oct 1861 in Corning in the 86th NY Infantry, Co. F. He seemed rather old and I thought perhaps it was a son even though there was not one listed in the Census. I found his age on one of the rosters and he was listed as 42. Then I looked up the names of every Civil War soldier in the Union Army. There was only one Amasa L. Gordon listed in the whole United States. Amasa was not an uncommon name but Amasa L. Gordon seemed to be. He was discharged for a disability in May, 1862. Historian Pierce mentioned that was the end of a typhoid outbreak.
Because next year begins the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, a few words about Amasa’s 86th NY Infantry Regiment is in order. You’ll hear much more about our own 114th Regiment in the near future. The 86th, known as the Steuben Rangers, passed the first winter doing guard duty at or near Washington and was not ordered to the front until Aug. 1862 when it lost 118, killed, wounded and missing at the second Bull Run. It bore a prominent part in the battle of Chancellorsville, was engaged at Brandy Station, and in the thick of the fight at Gettysburg. It won renown as a fighting unit. It was commonly named "the fighting regiment of the Southern Tier." Out of a total of 1,318, the regiment lost 98 killed in action, 73 died from wounds and 153 from other causes – a 25% staggering loss of the regiment.
In 1870, Amzi Gordon, age 56, est. birth 1814, is living in Corning, Steuben County, NY. He is a laborer and cannot write. His wife, Margaret, is 58.
In 1880, L. Amaser Gorton (I’m amazed I found him!), age 64, est. birth 1816, is still living in Corning, Steuben County, NY, with wife Margaret, age 67. Amasa has become younger. There is no job listed except Margaret is a housekeeper as she has been in all the censuses. There is again a neighboring Welden family.
The last entry is pure guesswork and take it as such. As there is no 1890 U.S. Census – it burned – other records have to be searched. I found the following from the Wellsboro Agitator, a newspaper printed in Wellsboro, PA, which is less than 50 miles from Corning on December 2, 1890. "Last Thursday Amasa Gordon, Charles Rightmire and the latter’s son went out hunting rabbits on the hills along Bear Creek near Tioga. A Tioga correspondent says that Gordon was standing on a log with his gun cocked watching for game. When he got down from the log, the gun was discharged, the load tearing through the muscles of his left arm fracturing the bones and severing the arteries." The article goes on in great length about all the procedures. It took a long time to get him to a doctor because only one neighbor had a horse and he lived quite some distance away. He was taken to a doctor’s office where it was decided to amputate his arm just above the elbow. Gordon never rallied from the shock of the injury and died later the same day. He left a young wife totally unprovided for (?). Amasa would have been 76 years old.
Whether this was his death, I don’t know. It fits in many ways but having a young wife does not seem too plausible. But Amasa Gordon was not a common name in Tioga or Steuben Counties.
I hope you have fun searching for someone you’re interested in and as for this search of Amasa L. Gordon, I leave it up to you. Is it believable? I like to think that it is and from humble beginnings he lived a good long life.

Co.Rt 115 Bridge opening ceremony 11/18/2010

2010-11-18T21:16:00.008-05:00

Out with the old - in with the new.

The 1941 bridge over the Cowanesque River between the Town of Lindley ,N.Y. and Lawrenceville,Penna. has been replaced with a new,modern structure .

The Lawrenceville Child Care Center are the first to officially cross the bridge .Will they remember this big event in their lives??

Bridge Opening

2010-11-16T21:13:00.005-05:00

On Thursday November 18th,2010 ,the new bridge on Steuben County Rt.115 (formerly U.S. Rt.15) will be open to traffic in a ceremony at 1 P.M. The old bridge over the Cowanesque River has been replaced with a new modern structure . Gone is the picturesque bridge that endured the 2 lanes of traffic of Rt.15 all these years until Lawrenceville ,Penna. was by passed with the new 4 lanes of traffic on what will be I 99 in the future-(2015?????) . I doubt that it will be missed by the drivers of the big semi trucks who had to negotiate it -side by side.

Local political dignitaries will be present to give speeches and to cut the ribbon. Local residents who have detoured all summer will give a sigh of relief to see the bridge reopened.

Documentation of Several of the Earliest Local Inns.

2010-11-03T21:23:00.002-04:00

History and Genealogy are like putting a puzzle together with several others. Little by little pieces of information are located that help complete the big picture.

According to stories told by my paternal Gt.Aunt ,the home where she lived with her first husband -Ed Shoemaker in East Corning had been an Inn on the Feeder Canal that went from Gibson to Horseheads. Unfortunately, my efforts to document this fact were fruitless until I met the author of following article. Nancy was tracing an inn owned by her ancestors which seemed to be in approximately the same location. Due to her research and diligence ,she was able to locate pieces of information that lead us to believe the inn was owned by both families .

Credit ,also, goes to a member-Sylvia Radford of the Big Flats Historical Society who uncovered more documentation recently. She remembered a query that I had made regarding the inn and located more information in the Big Flats Museum Archives.

It is interesting to note the number of inns and taverns that must have served early travelers in this area. Lindley had one of the first. After Colonel Lindsley's death in 1794, Mrs Lindsley kept an inn locally. One supposes it was a way to supplement her income and the new Williamson Road of 1792 passed by her home. There is only speculation as to the location of her inn. Old histories mention it being on the west side of the river-(Tioga or Cowanesque???) A guess would be the Cowanesque.

More pieces of the puzzle to check on....

I hope you enjoy Nancy's article . Thanks to both her and Sylvia one of my puzzles is nearly complete.

Kitty

Forgotten Inns in the Lands of the Painted Post

As the years pass by, memories of long ago peoples and places often fade away thus being lost to history. Such is true of the very early innkeepers and inns that once were a vital part of the life on the frontier of what was then called "the lands of the painted post".
In the years before and after the construction of Corning, NY’s well-known Benjamin Patterson Inn in 1796, there were several other taverns or inns built and opened for business by such men as David Fuller, Ichabod Patterson, Major Henry McCormick and Joseph Shattuck. Although these establishments fell to the ravages of time it would not be proper to let them be forgotten as each has its own history to tell to people of today.
According to the Early History of Painted Post and The Town of Erwin by Chas. H. Erwin, published in 1917, it is written on page 13, "the first hotel was built of round logs, one and a half stories and containing two rooms, called the Painted Post Hotel or Tavern, early in the spring of 1790 and was located near the north end of the Conhocton Bridge. It was built by David Fuller, who was an agent and tenant of Col. Erwin and for a long time the popular landlord of the hotel." Being situated at the north end of the bridge would, probably, place this early hotel near the present-day Water Street and Hamilton Street intersection in the village of Painted Post, NY.
The History of Steuben County by W. Woodford Clayton also mentions David Fuller as having built the first hotel in the spring of 1790.
Information about another early inn and its keeper in the lands of the painted post can be found in the book History of Ancient Windsor, CT by Henry Reed Stiles. On page 75 Mr. Stiles wrote an interesting genealogy of the Hayden family in which he listed a Jemima Hayden who married in 1785 an Ichabod Patterson, son of Ephraim and Sarah Chandler Patterson of Newington, CT. In 1790 Ichabod and Jemima Patterson moved with his parents to Painted Post, NY where Ichabod later died at age 33 in 1794 or 1796. Mr. Stiles wrote that Ichabod "kept the first tavern at Painted Post (several years before Benjamin Patterson opened his, as noticed in French’s NY Gazetteer, page 624, footnote 7) which she continued to keep some three years after his death." (This first Patterson tavern was reportedly made of logs that had been squared off and was located near where Post Creek joins with the Tioga/Chemung.) The genealogy also reported that Jemima Hayden Patterson was the third white woman in the Painted Post town while her mother-in-law was the second and a Mrs. Calkins being the first. The widow Jemima Patterson married Nehemiah Hubbell who died in Knoxville, NY, now the north side of Corning. The Hubbell Farm may have been the location of this early Patterson inn.
The book, Lives and Legends of the Christmas Tree Ships by Mr. Fred Neuschel, gives us some insight about another early inn in Painted Post township, present-day East Corning. Reference is made on page 66 to a Joseph McCormick who called himself "a child of the frontier" having been raised in the 1790s along the banks of the Tioga, now Chemung, River. Joseph was a son of Major Henry McCormick who was born circa 1736 in County Antrim, Ireland and who had come to America to fight with the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. Major McCormick deserted the British forces in order to fight with the American Army. The Major, several years after the war, opened an inn about 1791 at Painted Post, NY. This inn, described by "a French traveler of noble descent, served rusty bacon and coffee for dinner and provided a bed on which the sheets had already served…for some time." This French visitor also expressed a reluctance "to sleep there even when fully dressed."
In the book "Travels in the Years 1791 and 1792 in Pennsylvania, New York and Vermont by John Lincklaen another reference to the early inn belonging to Major McCormick is made by the notation: "From Newtown Point 12 miles further to Major Henry McCormick’s." Expressing how fertile were the valleys along the Tioga River, Mr. Lincklaen wrote "our host McCormick gathered 60 bushels of Indian corn from one acre." Mr. Lincklaen also wrote "we left the Major to go to Painted Post, 6 miles, thence we traversed the Township No. 2 in the 2nd range of Col. Erwin."
The Life of Timothy Pickering, Vol. II, Page 494, includes another reference to the inn of Major Henry McCormick. "On Tioga River 5 miles below the painted post-6-15-1797- I am now at Major McCormick’s where I have dined and presently shall proceed to the Painted Post." Mr. Pickering negotiated a treaty with the Iroquois known as the Treaty of Painted Post.
From the several descriptions placing Major Henry McCormick’s inn approximately 5 to 7 miles from the painted post along the Tioga, now Chemung, River it appears it was located in the East Corning area probably on the south side of the old road to Big Flats along the river across from present-day Crystal Lanes bowling center and Corning Manor. Henry’s son Joseph also stated he lived near the Steuben/Chemung County line.
After Major McCormick’s death in 1812 his sons Henry Jr. and Jacob Miller McCormick sold the McCormick property to John Shoemaker, a cousin to them through their McDowell and DePuy lines. This transfer occurred before 1825. From Letters of Uncle Jonas Lawrence, page 94, proof is given that the now-Shoemaker Inn was the original McCormick Inn. "About the time of the establishment of the bank of Corning in the year 1839, a company erected a bridge across the Chemung River and canal about three quarters of a mile west of the John Shoemaker or McCormick tavern stand. This bridge connected with a highway that led past the residence of the late Judge Steele, the farm now owned by Mr. Erwin."
The "Old Journal", author unknown, was printed in 1979 by the Big Flats Historical Society’s Newsletters, which were written by Mabel Wood, confirmed a bridge was built across the Chemung River about 3 miles from Corning. The article was from an old scrapbook during the period 1830-1872 and it placed this bridge "nearly opposite the fine country residence of Jonathan Brown, now owned by ____ Smith." H. D. Smith owned this land previous to 1873 or 1874 as found on a map of the area. The Brown/Smith property was situated north of the bridge while the Steele property was situated south of the bridge. The "Old Journal" continued to relate "a half mile farther down the river I came to the celebrated "Shoemaker Stand". This inn, consisting of 2 stories and resembling the Benjamin Patterson Inn, was well-known by the river men of the day. John Shoemaker and his wife Sarah were described as having a "hospitable house" and "plentiful board."
Evidently, by the time of the construction of the Chemung Canal, Mr. Shoemaker had already moved his inn (the original Major McCormick’s inn) from the south side of the road to the north side. Describing what he saw "in passing the Shoemaker Stand", this unknown author wrote "in front of me were the Chemung Canal, Erie Railroad, several lines of telegraph and the Chemung River."
An important piece of local history was lost when the McCormick/Shoemaker Inn was destroyed by fire in the early 1900s. We are fortunate that a photograph of this historic inn still exists and is in the possession of the Town of Lindley, NY Historian, Kitty Pierce.
It must be mentioned that another early settler in the lands of the painted post also built an inn in the general vicinity of the McCormick/Shoemaker Inn. His name was Joseph Shattuck and he erected his place of business in 1809 per the "Gazetteer of the State of New York" by John Homer French. Its location was east of the Gorton Road, outside of Gibson, NY and west of the McCormick/Shoemaker Inn. In 1873 or 1874 the Shattuck property was owned by a Mr. Edger and his establishment was named the "Edger Hotel".
The history of the McCormick family would be incomplete if there was no mention made of Major Henry McCormick’s biography as written in The History of Steuben County, NY by Guy McMaster. He wrote "McCormick was a British soldier and reputed to be the most powerful and expert pugilist in the Army. He deserted during the Revolutionary War and went with Arnold to Quebec. After the failure of the desperate assault on the town, McCormick, with a party of American soldiers, was standing on the ice of the St. Lawrence, when the British approached to make them prisoners. Knowing that a deserter would be hanged if taken, his comrades gathered around him in a huddle, pretending to prepare resistance. The British parlied. (parleyed) In the meantime, McCormick pulled off his shoes for "the ice was a smooth as a bottle" and ran. A shower of bullets rattled around him but he was fortunate as to escape unhurt. Captain Silas Wheeler, of the town of Wheeler, was in that crowd and gives McCormick the credit of extraordinary briskness." Mr. McMaster also wrote "one of the early settlers along the Chemung and Conhocton was Henry McCormick (1793)." (Mr. Lincklaen previously placed Major McCormick’s Inn in Painted Post township by 1791 or 1792.)
Preceding Major Henry McCormick in death was his son Abraham in 1810. Both are presumed buried in the Old Presbyterian Cemetery which was located off West Pulteney Street near Pritchard Avenue. The McCormick family was of Scotch-Irish ancestry and of the Presbyterian faith. The Fridley family, related to the McCormick family by marriage, also buried several of its members in this cemetery. In the late 1950s this cemetery was destroyed when a prominent businessman decided to build an apartment complex adjacent to the cemetery. Readers of a local newspaper were advised of this situation and arrangements were made to disinter the remains of ancestors and to rebury them elsewhere. Many descendants of these pioneers were notified by letter, too, and many took the necessary steps for the removals and reburials. However, not all of the pioneers were removed because many no longer had descendants in the area or their descendants didn’t know of their existence. A church later put in a paved parking lot over many of these early graves covering up any trace of these long ago early settlers in the lands of the painted post. The grave of Major Henry McCormick, Revolutionary War Veteran, may be one of them along with my ancestors, the Sticklers. (A listing of the pioneers buried in the Old Presbyterian Cemetery in Corning can be found on the Painted Hills Genealogy site on the Internet.)
The rich and interesting histories of the early inns, their innkeepers and other pioneers in the lands of the painted post should not be forgotten in these modern times. They have left us a legacy by their struggles to tame a wilderness that we should remember and, for which, we should be grateful.

Nancy Hazen Machuga

PS The photo was in a Leader article on my Gt.Aunt's 9oth birthday. She lived alone in what had been the tenant house of the Shoemaker farm (now Corning Manor) until she was 95 years old.She died in Founders on her 103 rd birthday -August 20th,1971.
.

Larry Orr-Sign Painter of Lindley ,NY leaves his mark on Market St-Corning,NY

2010-10-24T19:07:00.006-04:00

From Corning/ Painted Post Historical Society Newsletter "POSTINGS"

Hawks Signs

The Southside Neighborhood Association initiated a fund drive to restore the Hawks Crystal Glass signs on the upper fronts of the buildings that house Vitrix glass at 77 w. Markets St. and OTB At 85 W. Market St. ,Corning. After a lot of bureaucratic hurdles and delays ,the signs were repainted this summer by Larry Orr(Lindley resident-Kitty) as close to the original colors as possible based on old pictures of the buildings . Check it out if you haven't already done so. Hats off to Peetie and Tom Dimitroff and the Association for preserving this piece of Corning's glass legacy. "

Great job, Larry .We are still waiting to hear your speech!!! When the leaves are gone, I plan to take a photo of the sign again.

Kitty

October Meeting -Lindley-Presho Historical Society

2010-10-20T10:25:00.005-04:00

The program " You Tube History -- Part I -The Founding " for the monthly meeting of the Lindley /Presho Historical Society will be presented by Sally Orr. The meeting will be October 28th -7 P.M. at the Lindley Town Hall on U.S. Rt.15
Sally spent many hours developing an audio/visual program -- a time line of events that created the History of the United States and Lindley . The October program is the first in the series that she originally made to be presented at The Lindley Old Home Day in September but was unable to show due to problems with the lighting. Sally was instrumental in the filming and editing of the video -The Settlement-( Col.Lindsley's arrival in Lindley in 1790) and has a talent for making history come alive. The meetings are free and open to the public .Everyone is invited to come and view Sally's latest creation.

Kitty Pierce

Co. Rt.115 Bridge construction.

2010-10-08T22:26:00.005-04:00

These are photos taken this summer at site of bridge on former US Rt.15 at what was known as the Lawrenceville bridge. The Stermer barns are in the background. When the new section of Rt15 opened between NYS and Penna., Steuben County labelled this section of the old highway as Co.Rt115.

Some of the steel work for the deck is now in place and rumor has it that the bridge will hopefully be done in November ,2010. Not too soon for those who travel this route from Lindley to Lawrenceville.

Condolences to the Gregory A. Knapp Family

2010-09-30T13:50:00.007-04:00

Leader(Corning ,NY) September 29, 2010.

Rochester,NY (Edited) Gregory A. Knapp 52 of York Road West died Friday ,September 24, 2010 at Strong Memorial Hospital. He was plant manager for Friendship Dairy in Friendship. Survivors are his wife Colleen Fitzpatrick Knapp, four children -Patrick, Brenden , Connor and Chelsea . His mother Mary Helen (Stuart) Knapp of Florida ,brother Bruce and 3 sisters- Sandra, Marsha, and Pamela . Rector -Hicks Funeral Home of Geneseo, Services 10 AM Saturday at St.Mary's Church 4 Avon Road, Geneseo NY.

Greg was a Lindley native and the grandson of George and Helen Stuart( both deceased) .

The Stuart and Knapp families were long time residents and business owners in Lindley . Our thoughts are with them at this trying time.
Kitty

Old Home Day

2010-09-25T10:20:00.004-04:00

One of the attractions was the hayride from State Line Camping to the Presho Methodist Church. Thanks Brad- understand people really enjoyed the ride.

Old Home Day

2010-09-24T21:06:00.006-04:00

Apologies to Irene Slater for forgetting to include her in displays for Old Home Day. Thank you, Irene . She brought a good supply of Lego blocks for the children's activities and the children who participated seemed to be having a great time. . Irene had conducted an after school Lego Club at the Lindley /Presho school until it was closed by the Corning Painted Post School District in June,2010. Hopefully, a new meeting place for her group will be found.

Review of Lindley-Presho Old Home Day

2010-09-23T13:54:00.008-04:00

Intended to post something sooner,but think there is an old Pennsylvania Dutch saying that goes something like -"The Faster I go -the Behinder I get" That's a little bit how I feel -trying to keep ahead of Old Man Frost before he claims my garden and flowers.

Old Home Day was a great day-with wonderful weather, good attendance and financially profitable for the Church and the fund raiser for the second bench for the Town Hall lawn and hopefully a maintenance flower/tree, etc fund. It has been suggested that with the monument and benches that this could become a Memorial Park not only for the Veterans, but for remembering other local citizens. Old Rt.15 will be a thing of the past in a couple years and the river and hills in the distance present a wonderful scene.

Lots of thanks to all those who came, to those who volunteered-to those who set up and dismantled the tents., to those who donated items to the raffle/mini auction (Some of these were extraordinary donations ), to those who purchased items ( Thanks for your generous bids) and the people who took time to set up displays (Paul Mortzheim -old tools,John Fee,Henry Offermann-blacksmiths, Jim Lundgren-Indian Artifacts, Harry Pierce -1857 map And let's not forget the cooks and Presho Church members !! Special recognition to Dennis and Delores Smith for hosting Open House at State Line Camping and for loaning the huge tent. Also to the Fire Department drivers who gave up their Saturday to bring the trucks and then were up Sunday AM for a training class. Thanks -you are appreciated for all your volunteer time and efforts to protect us.

Thanks to Jack and Shirley Smith,Donna P. Marmuscak and Dan Pierce who held down the Raffle/auction tent . Who will ever forget Dick Pierce as auctioneer?

Thanks to Dennis Abbey for the great photo coverage , to Martha (Welty) Harder -clown and her balloons-face painting and to Eric Orr for the public address system.

Thanks to the" Schemers"--Sally Orr,Brenda Criss,Brad Drake ( who also furnished the hayless hayride, Fran and Fran(Tempel) Woodring,Jim and Sandy Lundgren,Karen and Dave Ballard,Dennis and Delores,Jack and Shirley Smith and others that we don't know about who provided the surprise of the day. You will always be remembered by Dick and I and our family for your efforts . The roses were lovely and we will treasure the award. Thank you.

Just know there is someone I forgot,so a thank you to all who made this a wonderful day of fun abnd memories

Thank you to the Hawbaker Comapany for the donation to help cover any costs for the day.

Thank you all again - Tonight at Historical Society meeting at the Town Hall -7 p.M.- we will live some of those memories again.

Kitty & Dick Pierce

Will try to post more pictures -another day

Deepest Sympathy

2010-09-19T01:19:00.006-04:00

Extending Deepest Sympathy to

the Colegrove and Harrington Families.

"Heaven is a place nearby, so there's no need to say goodbye."

Robert W. Colegrove

September 12, 2010

www.the-leader.com/deathnotices/x2103125066/Robert-W-Colegrove

Leon M. "Yogi" Harrington

September 11, 2010

www.the-leader.com/obituaries/x907387332/Leon-M-Harrington

Reminder Lindley -Presho Old Home Days 9/18/2010

2010-09-15T23:38:00.004-04:00

Just a reminder to atttend Lindley /Presho Old Home Day on Saturday 9/18/2010

The Committee and State Line Camping have developed some interesting and novel ideas to make this a great day.

This is Lindley's 220 birthday year and 100 years since the 1910 Old Home Days. It's hard to believe all the changes that have occurred-( just look at the hill side on the West side of the river this summer -and the 2 lane bridge last October))))!!! What would the old timers think if they were here.

WETM TV says it will be a gorgeous day weather wise.

So Take time out from Saturday chores to enjoy the festivities , meet old friends and just have a good time.

See you there

2010-09-04T14:01:00.003-04:00

An Old Home Day celebration will be held on the Presho Methodist Church Grounds on Saturday September 18th from 11 AM to 4 PM.
Nearby State Line Camping will be hosting an Open House at the same time. State Line will be having a raffle and other activities. Food will be sold from the church kitchen during the event. Other events for the day will include an operating blacksmith forge.,children's activities , displays of a local Indian artifacts collection , antique tools , and other historical items as well as a demonstration by the Lindley -Presho Fire Department .A raffle and mini auction will add to the festivities .
The event is free and open to the public. Hopefully, many memories of growing up and living in Lindley will be shared.that day.
Hope to see present and former residents at what promises to be a great day for all ages.

Condolenses

2010-09-03T08:22:00.005-04:00

We extend our deepest sympathy to the West Family.

---

There is no pain as great as the memory of joy in present grief -

Aeschylus

---

Thomas West

1962-2010

---

www.the-leader.com/obituaries/x524685194/Thomas-Leroy-West

Mark Your September Calendar

2010-08-26T12:17:00.004-04:00

It's official ::::

Lindley/Presho Old Home Days September 18th ,2010 @ Presho Methodist Church 11AM-4 PM

State Line Camping will have an Open House at the same time.(Thanks,Dennis and Delores for postponing your vacation so two events can be held at the same time.)

Once the program in final stages -will post it here,but there will be demos, displays,music ,clowns (for the young and old) ,food,raffles ,mini auction ,lots more- with time to reminisce about the good ole days !!!!

Steamtown Creek Millstone

2010-08-23T20:12:00.007-04:00

If only objects could tell their story . This is the tale of the millstone as I have heard it.
There is speculation about how the millstone shown in the photos was used.
A number of years ago, it was located on the Tioga River Flats in Lindley near Steamtown Creek. It had apparently been washed up by a flood. Members of the Judson Kennedy family rescued it and had it on their lawn until they moved to California. Arlie and Katherine(Kennedy - a sister to Judson)Loughridge then became owners. After their death,the stone was in the possession of another member of the Loughridge family.
In 2009, the millstone was placed in an auction.Fortunately, a former resident of Lindley recognized the stone and was able to purchase it. While not in it's original location,(as far as we know) the millstone found a home at a Steamtown Creek residence.
Members of the Loughridge family report that their Grandmother remembered seeing the stone used to grind corn on Steamtown Creek.
Where and how it was used -remains a question, but hopefully-- it is almost home again.

Date error in Corning Leader

2010-08-18T09:42:00.002-04:00

Please note the meeting of L/P Historical Society to plan for Old Home Days is tomorrow

Thursday August 19th,2010 7 P.M

not today the 18th as stated in today's Leader

Please pass the word

Lindley-Presho Old Home Days Details

2010-08-16T21:24:00.004-04:00

Please join members of the Lindley-Presho community as they plan the Old Home Days events to be held

September 18th,2010 11AM to 4PM on the Presho Methodist Church Grounds. .

We will be meeting this Thursday August 19th at 7 P.M. at the Lindley Town Hall.

Volunteers will be needed to make this a memorable day in the Town's history.

Hope to see you there.

Sympathy

2010-08-11T18:29:00.007-04:00

Condolences to the Abramson, King, and Titlow Families.

Our community has lost three great men. All will be deeply missed.

Do not stand at my grave and forever weep.

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn's rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush.

I am the swift uplifting rush.

Of quiet bird in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and forever cry.

I am not there. I did not die.

Dave Abramson

July 10, 2010

www.the-leader.com/obituaries/x1876489914/David-J-Abramson

Percy King

August 8, 2010

www.the-leader.com/obituaries/x1028352563/Percy-Francis-King

Peter Titlow

August 7, 2010

www.the-leader.com/obituaries/x1179103198/Peter-Groh-Titlow

Lindley-Presho Old Home Days September 18th ,2010

2010-08-06T20:33:00.005-04:00

Mark your calendars for a day of reminiscing, eating , demonstrations, exhibits and just plain visiting with neighbors.

The event will be hosted by the Lindley-Presho Historical Society with the help of the Presho Methodist Church @ Presho which is providing the space and their well known food.

A meeting is being held August 19th ,2010 7 P.M. @ the Lindley Town Hall to finalize the planning. If you would like to assist in any way, shape or manner, please join us that evening.

We are using the 1910 Old Home Days Postcard (pictured) as our theme.(100 years ago --WOW -how time flies !!!) Back then -they had 3 days of fun , but we are limiting the time to 11AM-4 PM. Hope to see all of you there .Watch here and the news media for more details as we complete them.

Honoring all Area Veterans

2010-08-04T12:21:00.002-04:00

Hopefully, the process of learning how to use a new scanner has been successful.

This is a copy of a poster being distributed by various organizations involved in the event on August 14 th.

Click to enlarge -then 'back' to return to the blog messages

Sounds like a wonderful way to salute those who have sacrificed to preserve our freedoms as we know them.

Hope to see many of you there.

Gazeteer pages 3 and 4

2010-08-02T21:35:00.003-04:00

Local Veteran's Event August 14th ,2010

2010-07-29T10:53:00.003-04:00

A Heads up to Local Veterans

A number of local organizations are joining together to host area Veterans on
August 14th ,2010 fro 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM at Denison Park in Corning.

It is open to all area veterans and their families. ( food,displays information,prizes. )

Watch for details in local news media---- until I figure out how to copy the poster. . Kitty

Town of Lindley pages from Gazeteer pages 1 and 2

2010-07-28T01:08:00.007-04:00

Click on each page to enlarge for better viewing.

I 99 construction from hill above Green Shingles Inn

2010-07-24T13:21:00.006-04:00

These are views from what used to be the Clarence/Pauline Brant and Toby cow pastures in the summer. The underpasses to drive cows under Rt.15 have been obliterated!!!! What a challenge(----) that used to be!!!! One stubborn bossy would decide to stop half way through and thereby hangs the tail.. The good old days!!!-especially after it rained,,,

Note the top of the tractor trailer looking northeast toward Lindley and Morgan Creek Rd.

The hillside in distance is what was the hill above the" narrows ". I hold my breath as I watch the workers maneuver their equipment up and down the roads they make . More daring than I would ever think of being..Hope they have good brakes !!

1898 Bridge Sign

2010-07-16T14:31:00.003-04:00

Thank you to the generous unknown donor for the flowers on the sign on the overlook on the Tioga River by the Co.Rt.73 Bridge in Lindley . In case you missed the posting of the previous article on the blog , Steuben County and Town of Lindley were recently presented with award plaques for the design of the bridge which opened last October. Lindley's plaque is on display in the Town Hall.
We have been given permission by the County to add an Interpretive sign board to the sign post. When finished the additional sign will explain the history behind the 1898 plaque and will include some of the history of former bridges which were located here-and hopefully other bits of the Tioga River history. .
There is public parking by the sign so that visitors can enjoy the view of the river -which is unusual in that it originates near Blossburg, Pennsylvania and flows North into New York State .From Corning,NY , it winds its way east to Waverly,NY via the Chemung River where it joins the Susquehanna River and ends in the Chesapeake Bay on the east coast .
There are many stories connected to the river-one being , this was the route used by the Lindsley group to move over 200 miles from New Jersey to the present town of Lindley in 1790.
If only the River could tell its stories.

Lindley Old Home Days 1910

2010-07-07T10:48:00.004-04:00

As has been mentioned , plans are being made for an Old Home Day in Lindley in September this year. One of the fun parts of the job of historian is finding and saving newspaper articles on Lindley. I came across the attached one recently and hope you can enlarge it enough to make it readable. Enjoy !!

The postcard shown is a copy of the original 1910 Card with the date and logo changed for the 1991 Lindley Heritage Days Celebration .

Kitty

Lindley Tioga River Float Feedback

2010-07-04T22:27:00.003-04:00

If you click on the article ,it should enlarge enough to be readable.