by Old Mentz | Feb 5, 2017 | Anita Messina, Hellen Davies, Lock 52 Historical Society, Port Byron
Tribute to Hellen DaviesAnita MessinaSome folks give and then they give some more. Such a rare community patron is Hellen Davies, historian, benefactor, researcher, perpetual teacher, a person with unbridled curiosity and amazement for all things past and present.It’s...
by Old Mentz | Jan 30, 2017 | Anita Messina, Blake's Pharmacy, Helen Lauckarn, Port Byron
Helen Lauckarn by Anita Messina Helen Lauckarn and her husband Paul moved to Port Byron in 1951. Paul found employment at Columbia Rope Company, and they rented the upstairs apartment in one of the two houses located on the plot now used by Savannah bank. From...
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...