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...

The Smith and Ross Jug- A Tale of Two Lives

Sometimes the most simple of objects can lead us down a interesting path. I recently received a photo of a earthenware jug from our friends at the Canal Society of New York State with the stamp; “Smith and Ross- Port Byron Dealers in Dry Goods- Groceries- Crockery-...