by Old Mentz | Jan 29, 2017 | Anita Messina, Delvin Wilt, Port Byron, Ted Wilt, Wilt's Mill
TED WILT’S RECOLLECTIONS by Anita Messina Ted Wilt lives in a white house on a pristine lot on Green Street here in Port Byron. He and his wife Lola have lived there for most of their 70-year marriage. The large lot once held an old mill that had been in the family...
by Old Mentz | Aug 29, 2015 | Fred Thrush, Interurban railroad, motels, Octagon Cabins, Port Byron, Port Byron Historical Society, Rochester Syracuse and Eastern
Way back in 2014, I wrote a short post about the Octagon Cabins. These were small waiting rooms that were built for flag stops along the Rochester, Syracuse and Eastern. The “bible” of all study on the RS&E, written by Gordon and McFarlane, describes...
by Old Mentz | May 31, 2015 | aerial views, Port Byron
Before the invention of the airplane, someone wanting a “birdseye” view of the village had to climb to the top of a nearby hill and hope for an open view. We have posted some of these birdseye views in prior post. After planes became available, it was...
by Old Mentz | Apr 8, 2015 | canal enlargement, downtown, Erie Canal, Historical Society of Port Byron, Lock 52 Historical Society, Port Byron
In the 1850’s, a battle of wills ensued in Port Byron over the route of the canal that led to great harm in the business district of the village. What is odd is that this battle seemed to be waged by local landowners with the support of State engineers. In the 1931...
by Old Mentz | Mar 29, 2015 | Aholiab Buck, Beach's Mill, Bucksville, E.H. Kerns, George Perkins, Historical Society of Port Byron, John Beach, Port Byron, Port Byron Historical Society
While writing about John Beach and his Mill, I was reminded of the stories that credit Beach with changing the name of the village from Bucksville to Port Byron. Over the years, many people have chimed in on this fascinating story, the latest was as late as 2012, when...
by Old Mentz | Mar 27, 2015 | Beach's Mill, grain mill, John Beach, John Harvey Beach, Port Byron
A 1839 portrait of John Harvey Beach. Beach’s Mill (1830-1857) Port Byron Anyone who has picked up any history of Port Byron has seen the description of Beach’s Mill; “In 1828, Mr. Beach settled in the place, purchased the water power on the Outlet, and built a...
by Old Mentz | Mar 25, 2015 | Uncategorized
One of the largest remains of our village past can be found south of Port Byron, running up the valley of the Owasco Outlet. It is the old Beach Millrace, a two mile long power canal that carried water from Hayden to the village. Built in 1830 by John Beach, it...
by Old Mentz | Dec 7, 2014 | Cayuga County, downtown, Mentz, Port Byron
The downtown of Port Byron has certainly had its up and downs. The old photographs and postcards show stores, restaurants, and garages, and all the needs to serve the local population. But it is safe to say that prior to 1920, the local stores were well patronized as...
by Old Mentz | Nov 3, 2014 | Fred Thrush, Interurban railroad, Octagon Cabins, Port Byron, Rochester Syracuse and Eastern, Sam Harnden
These photos have been kicking around for a long time, but I never tire of looking at them. Thanks go to Bill Hecht for cleaning them up. In case you don’t recognize these, they are the waiting rooms from the old Rochester, Syracuse and Eastern Interurban...
by Old Mentz | Oct 21, 2014 | Chuttey, downtown, Harvey C Ware, map, Mentz, Port Byron
Some times in history we get to say Wow! and Huh! at the same time. Some times a artifact will answer a question and also create more questions. Here is a great example. Mike Chuttey was born in Centralia PA in 1905 to Jacob and Mary. Shortly after, the family moved...
