by Old Mentz | Aug 27, 2017 | Anita Messina, June Pultz, June Seamans, Port Byron, Port Byron Historical Society
By Anita MessinaAn expert Sudoku player, skilled at crossword puzzles and an eager listener to books on tape, June’s brain waves keep on a-tumbling. “Now don’t make me sound like Wonder Woman,” she warns when learning that her personal history was about to be...
by Old Mentz | Apr 29, 2017 | Anita Messina, Leona Dove, Leona Morningstar, Port Byron, Port Byron Historical Society
Leona Morningstar DoveBy Anita MessinaI was born April 8, 1915 in Athens, Pennsylvania. Now I live here near my daughter.My two earliest memories were playing house and baking a real cake in a toy cake pan. Another memory I have is when my sister Marian was taken for...
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 | 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 16, 2014 | Harvey C Ware, Historical Society of Port Byron, Main Street Garage, Port Byron, Port Byron Historical Society
The caption for this photo says; “Harvey C. Ware, Main Street, PB”. Below, the ad is from 1915.Checking the papers, a couple articles are found that state that H.C. Ware and Nicholas Goss were the owners in 1915. But by 1920, Fred Clark is mentioned as the...
by Old Mentz | Apr 13, 2013 | Erie Canal, Harry King, Historical Society of Port Byron, Lock 52 Historical Society, Mentz, Port Byron, Port Byron Historical Society, Richard King
This time, I am featuring a letter I found in the files. It is a great look back at the village and what was going on in the Erie Canal times. This letter was written by the Rev. Harry King to his brother Richard T. King, who many will recall was the publisher of the...
