News

March 9, 2015 Report

Michael, the college intern, continues to work with the Walker archives. 

The new historical marker for Rural Cemetery has arrived and will be placed and dedicated at the site in May 2015.

The 2015 program for the OTHS begins March 18 6:30 pm with a presentation by Reuel Todd of the Todd Cider and Vinegar Mill in Oswego Center.

Granddaughter of George King a merchant in Fruit Valley has given some family paper items and pictures for the archives

George DeMass
Historian

Michael Heagerty, a junior at SUNY Oswego, is the intern for the Spring. He will earn 3 credits on completion of the term. He is presently cataloging and indexing the Dr. Mary Walker archives on a spread sheet, available for research.

The historical marker for Rural Cemetery will be delivered in about three weeks. A program for its placement will be held in early May 2015.

The book, TOWN OF OSWEGO, is still selling, especially at river’s end book store.

OSWEGO TOWN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The 2015 season of meetings will begin March 18 Wednesday 6:30 pm with Sheriff Todd presenting Todd’s Cider and Vinegar Mill.
The program brochure will be available by March 1.

LOCAL HISTORY ON TAP will begin Tuesday, March 3, 7pm at GS Steamers Bar and Grill. The topic will be OSWEGO AND THE HOLOCAUST. The program is a time for discussion about the topic.

The Veterans Day program was held Sat. and was well attended including four WW II veterans. The next and last event for 2014 will be the Open House, Sat. Dec. 6 12- 2pm The Concinnity singers will be singing carols

2015 meetings and events will begin in March.

As Town Historian. I am working on the following:

Ecumenical Memorial Service for the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s death this will be held in Oswego City.

A seminar on women’s and social justice issues in conjunction with SUNY Oswego to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Dr. Walker receiving the Medal of Honor. 

A program LOCAL HISTORY ON TAP at a local bar possibly at Alex’s

The Town Historian attended the one day seminar sponsored by the Northern Region of the NYS Historical Assoc. on May 2 in Hogansburg, NY. The seminar dealt with pests that get into archives and making archives to local teachers for classroom activities. 

The Pomeroy foundation has awarded a grant of $1050 to the Town Historical Society for an historical marker to be placed at Oswego Town Rural Cemetery stating that it is the resting place for two Medal of Honor recipients, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker and James Lee. 

The Arcadia book TOWN OF OSWEGO will be ready for proof reading by the first week of June and will be published Aug. 11. 

The May meeting of OTHS will be Wed. May 21, 6:30 pm. The program will be on the Perry Inn on top of Perry Hill and will be presented by present residents, Dr. and Mrs. Michael Nupuf.
The house is two hundred years old this year, 2014.

The annual Memorial Day service will be held at Oswego Town Rural Monday MAY 26th 10 AM the national day of memorial. 
Special honor and attention will be given to Medal of Honor recipient James Lee of the Kearsage and Alabama battle occurring 150 years ago this June

The Town Historian attended the one day seminar sponsored by the Northern Region of the NYS Historical Assoc. on May 2 in Hogansburg, NY. The seminar dealt with pests that get into archives and making archives to local teachers for classroom activities. 

The Pomeroy foundation has awarded a grant of $1050 to the Town Historical Society for an historical marker to be placed at Oswego Town Rural Cemetery stating that it is the resting place for two Medal of Honor recipients, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker and James Lee. 

The Arcadia book TOWN OF OSWEGO will be ready for proof reading by the first week of June and will be published Aug. 11. 

The May meeting of OTHS will be Wed. May 21, 6:30 pm. The program will be on the Perry Inn on top of Perry Hill and will be presented by present residents, Dr. and Mrs. Michael Nupuf.
The house is two hundred years old this year, 2014.

The annual Memorial Day service will be held at Oswego Town Rural Monday MAY 26th 10 AM the national day of memorial. 
Special honor and attention will be given to Medal of Honor recipient James Lee of the Kearsage and Alabama battle occurring 150 years ago this June

Accessions: two hymn books of Frank L. Simmons of S W. Oswego a contemporary book on AVON, INC. a postcard picture of Cobblestone Schoolhouse, southside view Old Home Day costume by Carolyn Leach Dennis and her grandmother, Mrs. Sheldon’s coat.

A grant has been requested from the Pomeroy Foundation for an historical marker for Rural Cemetery, informing the public of the resting place of two Medal of Honor recipients.

Accessions: Diary of Silas E. Parsons of the 147th. NYV He was a ressient of Oswego City and died in the war. A gift of John Tubbs of Seattle, WA

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN NEW YORK 1926 from Dr. Isabel K. Hart’s library.

Two hats—a derby belonging to Myron Stanley of S W Oswego.

a top hat belonging to Charles Simmons of S W Oswego

a John Zagame for Assemblyman campaign button

March 19 wed. 6:30 pm the first Oswego Town Historical Society meeting will be held. The topic will be AN EVENING WITH MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER JAMES LEE. The Society calendar of the year will be ready for distribution March 1.

There is a new display in the Town Hall entrance commemorating the 215th .anniversary of the death of President Washington and the 205th. birthday of President Lincoln.

The Arcadia book on the Town of Oswego will be ready for proofreading in May andwill be released in the summer.

Friday, Feb. 21, marks the 95th. anniversary of Dr. Mary’s death.

The town historian just returned from the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge TN where he officiated at the annual Titanic Remembrance Service- a service of remembrance for all aboard Titanic, staff, crew and passengers’ all of who are gone now.

Acquisition:
From the Leighton’s various articles on Dr. Mary and two letters of Charles Gray of Oswego Town who went in the Civil War and never returned home. Also the letter from the chaplain to Mr. Gray telling of his son’s death.

The annual cemetery walk is this Sat. at 6″30 pm. 
Three of the graves visited will be of three Oswego Town boys in the Civil War who never returned alive. Brief excerpts of their letter home will be read at the grave sites. The walk will conclude in candle

The Town Historian visited Gettysburg on the 150th anniversary of the battle and laid wreaths at the 147th NYV Oswego monument on behalf of the County and the Walker-Spencer Tent Daughters of Union Veterans July 1.

The annual Town Ice Cream Social sponsored by the Town Historical Society will be held this Wed. July 10 at 6:30. Ice Cream is given by Rudy’s.
The Shortslef brothers of Sterling will provide the entertainment.

Memorial Day service was held on the national Memorial Day The Rev. Richard Sivers was the main speaker. He spoke of a local town resident serving in the Civil War, a great uncle George Bradway. George was killed in a battle in Hartsville, Mo in 1863 and his body returned to Oswego Town where he rests. Sivers’s remarks were based on letters that George wrote home. 

A long overdue thanks to the Highway Dept. esp. Jeremy Wilcox for the painting of the historical marker at the site of Dr. Mary’s house on Bunker Hill.

Acquisitions:
Bible from dr. Mary’s estate ( a gift from Tom and Shirley Worden of Wash. state) that the Dr. obtained from the Lacy mansion after the battle of Fredericksburg in 1862. The mansion was converted into a hospital for Union soldiers where she worked. Mary wrote in the Bible how she obtained it. 

An item from the Place estate–Minutes of the California Lyceum a debate club consisting of residents of the California Rd. now Co. Rt. 20. James Lee, a Medal of Honor recipient, was the secretary of this group 1866.

The June meeting of the Historical Society will be at the home of George DeMass, 199 DeMass Rd. 6 pm. It will be a picnic meeting and the discussion will center on the past residents of the road. 

Monday, July 1 at Gettysburg, Pa. in connection with the 150th. anniversary of the battle, the Town Historian will conduct a wreath laying ceremony at the Oswego County monument of the 147th. NYV. the ceremony will be at 11 am and the public is invited. 

The Historical Society. has purchased a digital frame in which the pictures of the town’s living veterans will be placed and on display in the entrance of the Town Hall.