Old Mentz Heritage Center

The Old Mentz Heritage Center is the historical society for the towns of Mentz and Montezuma, and the village of Port Byron, NY

The Howard House in 1880

There are times when you look at history and never see it. For years I have seen the photograph shown above at the Pine Street house. It is a large photo about the size of a old style wall calendar. However it is very faded and I have only given it a quick glance or...

North Port Byron

It would be safe to say that June 1, 1853, would have been a momentous day in Port Byron. It was on that date that the New York Central Railroad began service along their direct route which connected Rochester and Syracuse. This new route between the two cities...

Mentz’s One-Room Schoolhouses

The idea that schooling was for everyone, and not just the wealthy, dates back to the beginning of the country. In 1787, Alexander Hamilton spoke about the need for the common school, and this was echoed by Governor George Clinton, that everyone should have access to...

1909 – The Slack’s 60th Wedding Anniversary

On Monday June 28, Mr. and Mrs. Herrick C. Slack, celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage, which occurred at Savannah, N.Y., June 28, 1849. They were married by Rev. David Ferris, then pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church in that village. Both Mr....

St Paul’s Episcopal Church (1851-1932)

Being the husband of a good and true Episcopalian, I have always had a soft spot for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Port Byron. The church was long gone before I ever came to town, but the few photos of it show a very attractive, yet small Victorian Shingle style...

Annual Newsletter and Update

If you ever wonder what it is we do at Lock 52 Historical Society, here is a recap and overview. [pdf-embedder url=”https://portbyronhistorical.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/lock-52-newsletter-2020.pdf”]

The History of Newspapers in Port Byron, NY

When a genealogist or researcher needs to find information about their subject, they will typically turn to the old newspapers. In the old days, before computers and the internet, this meant a trip to the library and visually scanning each paper for a mention or a...

A Wrapup from our Cemetery Tour

On October 26, the Lock 52 Historical Society held a tour of selected graves in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. We had a very nice and interested crowd and we thank everyone who showned up. We look forward to doing more of these. We visited the grave of John Spaulding who...