by Old Mentz | Aug 11, 2019 | Uncategorized
By Anita Messina The Denmans, Genevieve Mae, her husband Charles and their daughter Cheryl Mae were moving to their new home at the farmstead owned by Charles’ parents, D Lulu and Jesse Denman. The pick-up truck was full to overflow with their possessions....
by Old Mentz | Aug 11, 2019 | Uncategorized
(Note that this will be the Citizen Column for August 18th.) It has been a bit since we had a historical society update and there has been a lot going on. The image I have chosen is an mid nineteen-teens postcard view of the cemetery and the Soldiers Monument. Things...
by Old Mentz | Jul 13, 2019 | Uncategorized
In the April 1947 issue of Ebony magazine you will find a very nice photo of downtown Port Byron. It seems an odd place to find such an outstanding photo as Ebony was, and is, a magazine for the African-American market. I would never have seen this photo except that I...
by Old Mentz | Jun 15, 2019 | Uncategorized
At 3:48pm, on Monday the 14th of November, 1910, Port Byron became the “best lighted village in the state.” It was likely not too bold a claim, as it was the latest village in the state to have installed street lights, eighty in total. Although the village had been...
by Old Mentz | May 4, 2019 | Uncategorized
By Anita Messina John Seamans, nine years old, finished the last of his cold cereal, listening. He listened for a nearby screen door to fling open and slam shut. That was his signal that the first of the Pine Street kids was on his bike and headed for the cemetery for...