January 13th, 2015

Rochester's Patent Medicine Men

By: Don Hall

GREECE HISTORICAL SOCIETY and MUSEUM

The Corinthian

Tuesday January 13th 7:00 p.m. Greece Public Library

In the late 19th century, Rochester was the third largest producer in the
U.S. of patent medicines, the forerunners of today's over-the-counter
medications. See the products, where they were made, the people who
produced them and the places that they lived. Did the
medicines work? Well, they did a great job of improving
the lives of the men who produced them.
Don Hall has presented talks from coast to coast at such places as the
Smithsonian Institution and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Don has also
written extensively for publications such as the Maine Antique Digest, Art & Antiques,
Style 1900, Antique Review, and the Journal of the American Art Pottery Association.
He is also a guide at Mt. Hope Cemetery.

Volume 36, Issue 1

Jan.Feb. 2015

In Every Issue:

Points of Interest:

Presidents Message

Programs

Board of Trustees

Calendar

Historians File

Volunteers and More

Contact Us

Tours & Education

February 10th, 2015

February 10th 7:00 p.m. Greece Public Library
Political Equality League
Sisters in the Cause of Equality: The Rochester Political Equality Club
By: Christine Ridarsky
Mary Anthony lived in the shadow of her more famous sister, suffragist Susan B.
Anthony, and yet the role she and numerous lesser known women from
Rochester and Monroe County played in the womens rights movement was
crucial to its success. This talk will explore the history of the
Rochester Political Equality Club and introduce you to some of
the local women who put their boots to the ground to keep
suffrage at the forefront in Rochester and New York State
while Susan B and other national leaders toured the country.
Christine L. Ridarsky is the Rochester City Historian and
Historical Services Consultant for the Rochester Public Library.
She is the editor of Rochester History journal and co-editor of

Susan B. Anthony and the Struggle for Equal Rights.

"President's Message"

Museum Events

On a cold and rainy Friday, October

31st, Supervisor Bill Reilich hosted an
unveiling ceremony for the newest
historic marker in the Town of Greece
commemorating the history of Paddy
Hill School. This ceremony was the
culmination of several years of research
and work by members of the Greece
Historical Society.

Museum and Museum Shop hours:

Sunday 1:30 - 4p.m.
GHS office hours: Mon-Wed 9:30 a.m.-Noon
Museum and Museum Shop also open office hours.
January 13th Greece Library 7pm
Monthly Program
(See page 1)

In 2004, while preparing a story about Paddy Hill School, it

was discovered that Common School District #5 had
originally purchased land at the southwest corner of what is
now Mt. Read Blvd and Latta Road in 1839 for a school.
After many years promoting a sign commemorating the
school's history, we found the William G. Pomeroy
Foundation in Syracuse, whose mission is to fund historic
markers in New York State. To secure the grant we used
source documents to verify all information and received
permission from the School District. We choose the
wording and color scheme for the sign. The funding was
awarded and the sign was ordered from Catskill Castings in
Bloomville, NY. Working with the school district, a
location was chosen, a utility stake out was scheduled and
the maintenance crew at the school district installed and
painted the pole. Coordination was then made with the
superintendent of Greece Central School District and the
Town Supervisor for an official unveiling which was
organized by Deputy Town Supervisor Michelle Marini.

January 15th Community Center 7pm

Annual Member Meeting

(See below)

January 18th Greece Museum 2pm

Sunday program
(See page 6)

January 18th Greece Museum

New Exhibit: The History of Uncle Sam
February 10th Greece Library 7pm
Monthly Program
(See page 1)

February 15th Greece Museum 2pm

Sunday program
(See page 6)

I would personally like to thank: the William G. Pomeroy

Foundation for providing the funds; Kathy Graupman,
former principal of Paddy Hill School for encouraging this
project; Tom Cesario, MCDOT for providing the Right of
Way maps of the area; Alan Mueller, Town Historian at the
Greece Historical Society for finding the original 1823
school records; the staff at the Monroe County Clerk's
Office, for their help in locating the 1839 deed; Barbara
Deane-Williams, superintendent of GCSD for her support
and granting permission to place the sign; Jody Button &
the maintenance crew at GCSD, for preparing the site and
installing the sign; Deputy Town Supervisor Michelle
Marini, for organizing the event; Supervisor Bill Reilich,
for hosting the ceremony and students from Paddy Hill
School for their participation.

Annual Member Meeting

Thursday January 15th, 2015, 7:00 pm
Greece Community & Senior Center, activity room D

We will present the 2014 annual report, vote on a

slate of trustees, recognize our volunteers,
announce our plans for 2015 and listen to our
member's suggestions.
The slate of candidates, as approved by the
Nominating Committee and Board of Trustees,
follows:

The Greece Historical Society is proud to have presented

this historic marker as a gift to the Greece Central School
District as a testament to their long commitment to
education in the Town of Greece.

Terms ending December 31, 2017:

William Sauers, Sandy Peck, John Wallenhorst ,
Pamela OSullivan
Term ending December 31, 2016: Cynthia Shevlin
Term ending December 31, 2015: Paula Smith

Bill Sauers, President

Learn more about our newest trustee, Pamela O'Sullivan,

on page 4.
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THANK YOU to the BUSINESSES

that have SUPPORTED the
Greece Historical Society

Our Museum Community

Upcoming Events
Mar 10 "Abandoned: Untold Stories of NY's Orphan
Asylums" by Michael Keene
Apr 14 Philanthropy with a Purpose: a Look at What
Eastman Supported" by Kathy Connor
May 12 Where Have You Gone Joe DiMaggio" by Bill
Simons a program of the NY Council for the Humanities

Fleming Point
Greece Chamber of Commerce*
JackCin Tax Service*
Legacy at Park Crescent*
Long Pond Auto Body*
Long Pond Family Restaurant
Mark DeNeve*
Mark IV Enterprises
Mel's Diner
North Ridge Glass*
Northwest Savings Bank (Long Pond Rd)
Party Productions*
Special T Cakes & Desserts
The Signery
The Villages at Unity*
Tim Horton's (Long Pond Rd)
Tops Friendly Markets (Mt Read Blvd)
Ultimate Interiors*
Vay-Schleich & Meeson Funeral &
Cremation Chapels*
Wegman Food Markets (Latta Rd)

Pay your GHS Membership Dues On-Line

PayPal is now available for
membership dues and donations.
Save postage by going to our web
site, www.greecehistoricalsociety.net
and clicking Membership.

Preserving Heritage
with
Historic Markers

(* denotes Business Member)

Our newest historic marker in the Town of Greece,
commemorating the history of Paddy School was unveiled
Oct 31st. It was funded by the William G. Pomeroy
Foundation of Syracuse. The foundation strongly believes
that historic markers play an important role in local historic
preservation.
Their historic marker program commemorates historic
people, places or things within the time frame of 1740-1914
by awarding grants to install historic markers. The Pomeroy
Foundation also funds programs specifically related to
blood cancers.
As of April 2014 they have funded almost 200 Historic
Markers in 42 New York counties! The participation and
enthusiasm for this program has proven that communities
want to preserve their local history.
Locally, the Pomeroy Foundation has also funded a marker
for the Latta House at Lake Ave and Latta Rd. That sign will
be placed in front of the house this coming spring.
The Greece Historical Society is grateful to have the
opportunity to work with the William G. Pomeroy
Foundation and thank them for their generosity. We look
forward to pursuing other opportunities for future local
historic markers.
3

Barns of Greece exhibit was HUUUGE !

This exhibit was created by GHS member Jane
Grant. It was the culmination of a four year
project interviewing farm families and
photographing their barns. The exhibit included
35 panels describing over 60 barns and the
families that own them. Also included was a
display by GHS member Don Newcomb of barn
construction tools. Well over 200 guests visited
the exhibit.
It was the most
successful exhibit of
the year.

Museum Shop

Officers & Board of Trustees

President:
Vice President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Executive Director:
Honorary Trustee:
Trustees:

Many of you are familiar with our museum gift

shop. We offer books about local history, Greece
items such as t-shirts, coffee mugs, and historical
blankets, as well as collectable items. Our
Museum Shop is a friendly little place to browse
through our unique items. Please stop by and say
hello when you visit our Museum.
Our volunteers are here to help. Visit us soon.
Wendy Peeck, Museum Shop Coordinator
Museum Shop hours: Sun 1:30-4:00, Mon-Wed 9:30-12

**New Membership Renewal Date**

The Greece Historical Society would like to announce a revised
membership renewal policy which will make it easier for our
members and our volunteers who keep the records. Beginning in
2015, all memberships will now be due on May 1st.
This may inconvenience some for a short time but will eventually
make it easier for us manage and hopefully eliminate errors. To
ease the burden for those whose membership is about to expire,
we have decided that beginning this month any paid renewals
between November 2014 and May 2015 will be extended to
May 2016.

Committee Chairs::
Building
Grounds
Historian Office
Membership
Museum
Museum Shop
Newsletter
Programs
Publicity
Registrar
Tours, Education

Bill Sauers
Paula Smith
Sandy Peck
Elizabeth Tudisco
Needed
Don Newcomb
Ruth Curchoe
Sandy Peck
Gregg Redmond
Bill Sauers
Thomas Sawnor
Cyndie Shevlin
Paula Smith
Elizabeth Tudisco
Jack Wallenhorst
Needed
Bill Peeck
Alan Mueller
Maureen Whalen
Viola White
Wendy Peeck
Cyndie Shevlin
Bill Sauers
Marge Zercie
Lee Strauss
Kathie Firkins
Linda Evans

If your renewal date is in this period and you want to throw in a

little extra, it would be greatly appreciated. Your membership
and donations are tax deductible.
Please Remember
Continued from pg2:

Pamela O'Sullivan, Head of

The Greece Historical Society in your tax

and estate planning. We are a non-profit
organization supported by your
*gifts and endowments.

Integrated Public Services at Drake Memorial Library,

The College at Brockport, since April 2008, obtained
her MLS from the SUNY Buffalo. Pamela is a member
of the SUNY Librarians Association and the Jane
Austen Society of North America. She is a regular
reviewer for Library Journal. Previous to joining the
staff at Drake Library, Pamela was a public librarian
for over two decades. She is also a professional
storyteller.

We sincerely appreciate
your donations.
*Tax deductible per (Section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code

Pamela currently shares her home in Greece with her husband, Tim,
daughter Joanna, five cats and two dogs. A native Rochesterian, she
enjoys wine tours, watching her daughter race for Aquinas High School,
reading cozy mysteries and playing hidden clue games on-line.
4

For newsletter input only, please contact:

corintheditor@yahoo.com

Cyndie Shevlin, Editor

This newsletter is published bi-monthly by the editor
for the Greece Historical Society and Museum.

Tours and Education

Tours
One of the most interesting, fun and rewarding tours that I did was in October for a group with whom
Jane Grant works to teach English to non-speaking immigrants. See more below.

Education
We held our 4th Native American Day on Saturday, November 8th. This year our event was held at the
Greece Community Center. It was well attended by approximately 85 people and, by far, one of our
most successful programs. With donations from Jack & Jeri Heller's 50th Wedding Anniversary we were
able to have Mr. Perry Ground. Mr. Ground is the Native American Resource person with the Rochester
City School District. He told stories with drama and special effects. Also on hand was Mr. George
Hamell an Archeologist with the Rochester Museum and Science Center. He had several artifacts with
him, some especially from the Town of Greece and to finish out the program, Mrs. Freida Schultz told
about growing up on a reservation. Thank you, Jack & Jeri for your generosity.
A big thank you to the following for their support and help with this
program: Lee Strauss, Linda Evans, Maureen Whalen, Joe Vitello and a special
thank you to Bill Sauers who is always on hand to lend a hand where needed.

Kathie Firkins, Tour Director/Education Consultant

Approximately 85 adults and children turned out to explore Native American

culture our 4th annual Native American Day. Held at the Greece Community
and Senior Center on November 8, 2014, the two hour event was filled with
facts, artifacts and stories about Native Americans and their culture.

English Tutoring Program Visits Our Museum

The November 5th guest register at the museum looked
like a roster of United Nations members!
Visitors hailed from a dozen different nations on four
continents. They are participants in a voluntary English
tutoring program which meets at the Maplewood library.
When the volunteer organizer of the program, Carolyn
Argus, visited our museum to see the barn exhibit, she
was impressed by the displays in the exhibit hall, and a
tour was quickly arranged. Kathie Firkins handled the
surprise appearance of over 35 persons with poise and
good humor. Attendees included toddlers and senior
citizens, and Kathie was able to engage all with her
knowledge and sensitivity. A big thank-you goes to the volunteers who rearranged their calendars to
make this visit possible.
5

More at the Museum

The Greece Historical Society
is proud to have presented
this historic marker as a gift
to the Greece Central School
District as a testament to
their long commitment to
education in the Town of
Greece.

Volunteers Needed
Whether you are a member of the Society or not, we are always looking for folks in the community who are
willing to give a few hours of their time to help the Society in the following areas: Gardening, Special
exhibit creation, Docent - Museum Guides, Museum Gift shop - inventory, Miscellaneous help always
needed. Let us know what you'd like to do!
Please help! We are especially in need of Sunday docents.
For information or to volunteer a few hours of your time, please call: 225-7221.

Sunday Programs at the Museum

Sunday January 18, 2:00 p.m. at the Greece Museum: Oberammergau, Germany Travelogue by Bill Sauers
While on three separate military assignments between 2005 and 2007, Bill spent a total of 11 weeks in this
southern Bavarian village, famous for its frescoed buildings and Passion Play. Although working most every
week day, there was plenty of time to explore the village, valley and mountain peaks and surrounding
areas, including the City of Munich and Innsbruck, King Ludwig's castles and the Austrian Alps. Join us for
this exciting travel program.
Sunday February 15, 2:00 p.m. at the Greece Museum: The Biography of a Neighborhood and a City: Lake
Ave., and Rochester, N.Y. circa 1880; 1920; and 1980 to the Present by Tom Sawnor

World War II Veterans Oral History Project

Volunteer Maureen Whalen is working on an oral history project, interviewing veterans of World War II, in
conjunction with an exhibit that will open in May marking the 70 th anniversary of the end of that war. She
is looking for veterans to interview. If you are a veteran or know a veteran who would be willing to have
an interview recorded please contact her at 581-9164. She is also looking for volunteers to help type
transcripts of the interviews as well as type up a list of Greece residents who served during World War II
and whose names appear on the Town of Greece Veterans Memorial.
6

From the Historians File

Keeping Greece roads clear in the 20th century
Winter snows prior to the early 1900s weren't a problem for the Greece highway dept. There was no
highway department, as such, and they had no snow moving equipment. There might have been a few
farmers who contracted with their team of horses to pull fairly large rollers to pack down the road snow
for a path to allow various types of sleighs on the main roads. The first "improved road" in Greece was a
section of North Greece Rd. from the hamlet known as "Jenkins Corner" at Latta Rd. to about a half mile
north and the "Hojack" (R.W.&O.) railroad and station in 1903. Shipments could be received there from
Canada and the west and from eastern New York State and Rochester.
By 1909 the town board appointed the first highway superintendent and retired the numerous
"Pathmasters" who had been the overseers of Greeces various main roads. The town board minutes of
1919 make the first mention of snow removal in the budget. Four thousand dollars were to be allotted
for snow removal. Little by little, during the 1920s, early town trucks would have added snow plow
equipment for winter, to keep the main highways free of snow. The increasing use of automobiles had
become more reliable and those adventuresome drivers could now keep their vehicles on the road with
the aid of chains on their tires, rather than being stored on blocks until spring.
The town highway department soon outgrew the several small buildings that housed their
equipment behind the town hall on Ridge Rd. In1935 land was bought and developed on property
formerly owned by Emmett Cooper, (long time highway superintendent) on Long Pond Rd., north of
Latta Rd. A much expanded department operates from that spot to the present time.

Photos, data supplied by

Alan Mueller, Greece
Historian's Office. If you
have any information on
our photos, call Alan at
663-1706.

Greece Historical Society

Greece Museum
595 Long Pond Road
P.O. Box 16249
Rochester NY 14616-0249

Non-Profit Org.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Rochester NY
Permit #1188

Return Service Requested

Your donations and memberships help keep our Museum open. Thank you for your support.

CONTACT US
GHS Office: 585-225-7221
Email: greecehistoricalsociety@yahoo.com
Website: www.greecehistoricalsociety.net
Historians Office: greece.historian@frontiernet.net
Corinthian Editor: corintheditor@yahoo.com

Your tax deductible membership in the Greece Historical Society is

available at several levels. To join, renew, upgrade your membership or
to donate a gift, fill out and mail the form below or bring it to our next
program meeting. To pay via PayPal, visit our website at
www.greecehistoricalsociety.net
When you receive your renewal letter, please consider upgrading.

Membership Application

GREECE HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM

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Memberships are tax deductible. Please pay online via PayPal or make check payable and mail to :

Greece Historical Society P.O. Box 16249 Rochester NY 14616-0249

You will receive your membership card and receipt by return mail.
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