Holland Land Office Museum

The War of 1812: The Niagara Frontier and Joseph Ellicott

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Sat, 16 May 2009 17:43:00 -0700

A mere 13 years after the first pioneers came to Western New York, the region was struck with fear as war came to the Holland Purchase. Land sales became difficult in a war zone and the unknown of factor of how long it was going to last and which parts of the Purchase was going to see fighting.

Batavia, as the frontier capital, was a staging point for supplies and troops. Many of the homes in the village, including Joseph Ellicott’s, were turned into makeshift hospitals. Back yards and farmers fields became encampments and settlers donated food and provisions to help the Army.

The period of the War of 1812 is an important era in the region’s history. As we near the bicentennial of the War of 1812, look for many more publications about the momentous event.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/w1812.mp3

HLOM Lecture Series: Lincoln and the Free Soil Movement by Garth Swanson

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:44:00 -0700

On February 25, 2009, Prof. Garth Swanson gave a public lecture at the Holland Land Office Museum titled, Lincoln and the Free Soil Movement.

Mr. Swanson is a Professor of History at Genesee Community College. He put Lincoln in perspective, discussed his views on slavery and dispelled some of the Lincoln myth. He also discussed some of Lincoln’s ties to Western New York.

Mr. Swanson is a very animated speaker. He didn’t need a mic for the lecture, but I was able to convince him to us it so that it could be recorded. He moves his hands a lot, and some of his words may not have been picked up by the microphone. I apologize in advance.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/swanson.mp3

The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #1 Jell-O

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:22:00 -0700

In a LeRoy, New York kitchen in 1897, a carpenter named Pearle B. Wait, while experimenting with fruit flavored products discovered a formula his wife called Jell-O.

Wait sold the formula to another local businessman named Orator T. Woodward for $450 and under the Woodward’s family leadership, Jell-O became America’s Famous Dessert.

Jell-O became a household word and was manufactured in LeRoy until operations were moved to Dover, Delaware in 1964.

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #2 Barber Conable

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:36:00 -0700

Known for his honesty and integrity, Barber Conable started his political career as an organizer with the city of Batavia Republican Party and rose to the top of the political world.

Born in nearby Warsaw, Wyoming County, he moved to Batavia to practice law. He didn't want to hang his shingle in his hometown because his brother was the County Judge and he didn't want to have any conflicts of interest.

After his election to Congress, he became know as the Congressman who wouldn't take a contribution to his campaign fund for more than $50. As a leader on the Ways and Means Committee, he helped write the tax laws of the 1980s.

Following his retirement after 20 years of service in Congress, he returned home to Genesee County. Less than a year later, he was called back to services, this time as the President of the World Bank, a position he held for five years.

After his second retirement, he came home again and became involved in local affairs. Mr. and Mrs. Conable became active in the Holland Purchase Historical Society and other community organizations.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/03wm.mp3

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #3 The Disappearance of William Morgan

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 07:11:00 -0800

In September 1826, a bricklayer from Batavia, New York disappeared. His disappearance caused a national sensation. The Freemasons were blamed for the disappearance because Morgan was a man who wanted to be accepted into the Masons, was rejected and threatened to disclose the rituals of the secret society.

His disappearance led to the formation of the first third political party in American history, the Anti-Masonic Party.

Freemasons claim Morgan jumped on a boat in Lake Ontario and disappeared forever. The Anti-masons claim the Freemasons murdered him by tossing him in the Niagara River.

The important part to remember is the political upheaval caused by the disappearance of one man.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/03wm.mp3

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #4 The Holland Land Company

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:20:00 -0800

The first big business to come to Western New York was a group of six Dutch banking houses that formed a stock holding company called the Holland Land Company.

The Company purchased 3.3 million acres of Western New York forest and through their agent, Joseph Ellicott, built town, villages and cities.

They were the driving force behind the creation of Genesee County and without them, the Western New York landscape could be much different.

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #5 Emory Upton

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Fri, 9 Jan 2009 07:13:00 -0800

During the Civil War, many men from Genesee County answered the call to keep the Union together. In our countdown we've already met two of the County’s Civil War Heroes, Charles Rand (#14) and Ely Parker (#11).

Genesee County’s most famous Civil War soldier was Emory Upton. Upton was born into a farm family in the town of Batavia in 1839. He rose to the rank of Brevet Major General. After the war, he was commandant at the United States Military Academy at West Point, wrote books about strategies and tactics, and toured the world.

He became an expert on military policy and known as one of the reformers of the United States Military and influenced to policies of the United States Army throughout the 20^th Century.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/05eu.mp3

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #6 John Gardner

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:41:00 -0800

John Gardner was a renaissance man. He was comfortable in the dairy barns of Bethany or the townhouses of Manhattan.

Although he lived in the world of academia, he never forgot his rural upbringing. In Bill Kauffman’s book, Dispatches from the Muckdog Gazette, he quotes Gardner saying, “I grew up with farmers, I learned more from farmers than from professors.”

He wrote poetry, plays, operas, but is best known as a novelist. Gardner taught at universities across the country and was the mentor to many writers.

His influence on American literature will go on for a long time and he will always be honored as one of Genesee County’s greatest authors.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/06jg.mp3

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #7 Terry Anderson

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 09:14:00 -0800

Terry Anderson was born in Ohio, spent the early part of his life in Albion, New York and graduated from Batavia High School in 1965.

He was a combat vet in Vietnam, then a journalist for the Associated Press. Anderson was kidnapped by Shiite Muslims in Beirut, Lebanon on March 16, 1985. He was held captive for 2,454 days.

Following is release in 1991, he taught at Columbia University and Ohio State University. He is a co founder of the Vietnam Children Fund, which has built schools and educated tens of thousands of Vietnamese children

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/07ta.mp3

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #8 Batavia Downs

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:20:00 -0800

Thundering horses, bells, whistles, sirens, flashing lights and the screams of excitement. The place in Genesee County where you can get it all is Batavia Downs.

When Batavia Downs opened in the 1940s, horse racing was nothing new in Western New York. Early land developers used horse racing as a way to attract settlers and pioneers.

Harness racing became popular at Batavia Downs and throughout the 1960s the track would draw over a half a million people per year.

As harness racing lost popularity, the track fell on hard times, but today the track is again thriving and busier then ever.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/08bd.mp3

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #9 The Batavia Muckdogs

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Sat, 8 Nov 2008 07:02:00 -0800

Genesee County's only professional sports franchise has been getting a lot of publicity lately. The miracle season of 2008 culminated in the team's first championship in 45 years.

Batavia is one of the charter franchises of the New York - Penn League. In fact, the league was founded in Batavia in 1939 at the Hotel Richmond in downtown Batavia.

Batavia has fielded a team every year in the league except for 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1960, and have won four league championships.

Every summer Geneseeans flock to Dwyer Stadium to cheer for the Muckdogs.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/09bm.mp3

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #10 Dean Richmond

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:15:00 -0700

On March 31, 1804, in Barnard, Vermont, a son was born to Hathaway and Rachel Dean Richmond. The boy, named Dean, was destined to become a powerful businessman who helped influence the way people traveled.

Dean Richmond became a titan of industry and New York State politics. He was a man who knew Abraham Lincoln and, as legend states, was asked to run against Honest Abe in 1864. He allegedly stated, "I want to be the man behind the scenes, not in the front."

He was an early supporter of the use of steel rails on the rail lines. The use of steel rails helped grow the American steel industry.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/10dr.mp3

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #11 Ely Samuel Parker

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:02:00 -0700

Who would have guessed that a boy born on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation in 1829, would grow up to be a great leader both the Native American and white man's world?

Before he was born, his pregnant mother, Elizabeth Parker, had a dream.

It took place in the village of Buffalo. In her dream, it was a snowy winter day. "Suddenly the sky opened, the clouds were swept back by an invisible hand and she beheld a rainbow that reached from the reservation to the Granger farm [Judge Erastus Granger, a former Indian agent. His farm is near where Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo is today], when it was suddenly broken in the middle of the sky. From the lower side of the rainbow were strange pictures, which she recognized as resembling the signs over little shops in Buffalo."

Superstitious, she went to a dream interpreter. He said, "A son will be born to you who will be distinguished among his nation as a peacemaker; he will become a white man as well as an Indian, with great learning; he will be a warrior for the pale faces; he will be a wise white man, but will never desert his Indian people nor 'lay down his horns as a great Iroquois chief'; his name will reach from East to the West - the North to the South, as great among his Indian family and the pale-faces. His sun will rise on Indian land and set on the white man's land. Yet the ancient land of his ancestors will fold him in death."

The dream proved to be great prediction for the life of Ely Parker.

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #12 Darien Lake Theme Park

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Wed, 1 Oct 2008 13:52:00 -0700

In 1960, Buffalo entrepreneur, Paul Snyder, opened a small campground and picnic area in the town of Darien and called it, Snyder’s Darien Lake.

Almost 50 years and millions of visitors later, Darien Lake is Genesee County's favorite theme park.

Its gone through a few name changes, and has added many rides and attractions, but the family fun atmosphere is still there.

I remember my first visit there all those years ago. There was the swimming pool, some water slides, and who can forget Skateboard City.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/12darienlake.mp3

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #13 The Pembroke Driver's Ed Accident

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:49:00 -0700

On June 10, 1987, the community was rocked when a car driven by a drunk driver slammed head on into a driver’s education car from Pembroke Central Schools. The lives of three students and their teacher tragically ended that day.

How Did It Make Genesee County Famous?

The accident was picked up by news agencies around the country, and the tragedy spurred the community into action. People became advocates, and that is one of the ways the community started to heal.

Community members went out and told their story. They told it to the newspapers, on television, on radio and even in front of Congress.

Their advocacy led to changes in New York State laws. The reason New York State Drivers licenses are stamped, “Under 21” is because of the people of Pembroke. They also lobbied successfully to make it a crime to possess alcohol under the legal drinking age and had the blood alcohol content lowered from .10% to .08%.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/13pdea.mp3

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #14 Charles Rand

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:49:00 -0700

On April 15th, 1861, a young man attending a rally at the Eagle Hotel at the corner of Main Street and Court Street in Batavia, heard Abraham Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers.

When asked by an elder of the community, who will be the first volunteer, Charles Rand stepped forward and said, "I will. I will be the first."

A few years later, Rand started a campaign to recognize his claim to fame as the First Union Volunteer of the Civil War.

Listen to his story here http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/14crand.mp3

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HLOM Lecture Series: Forgotten Founder, Drunken Prophet: The Life of Luther Martin

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:44:00 -0700

This podcast was originally recorded on September 9, 2008. The author, Bill Kauffman, spoke to the Holland Purchase Historical Society to promote his new book.

http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/kauffman.mp3

The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #15 Fellows v. Blacksmith / 1857 Treaty with the Seneca, Tonawanda Band

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Sun, 7 Sep 2008 17:28:00 -0700

The only know court case to be heard in front of the United States Supreme Court, it was in the courts for 15 years before the Tonawanda Seneca were giving a clear title to their land forever.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/15fvb.mp3

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HLOM Lecture Series: Book Signing for The Bills Are Due

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Fri, 5 Sep 2008 08:25:00 -0700

HLOM Lecture Series: Book Signing for The Bills Are Due

Attica native, Rob Thompson, wrote a book called The Bills Are Due. The book pays tribute to the generation of Bills players who made them what they are today. Thompson’s interviews of players like Fred Smerlas, Billy Shaw, Joe Ferguson and JD Hill are compelling and fascinating.

On September 4, 2008 Mr. Thompson and former Bill’s great JD Hill were at the Holland Land Office Museum for a book signing. Unfortunately, Mr. Thompson’s talk didn’t record, but we were successful when JD Hill came up and spoke about what it was like to be a NFL player and what he is doing today.

Listen to the podcast Here

http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/billsaredue.mp3

To order the book, call the Museum at (585) 343-4727.

To learn more about JD Hill and what he is doing today, visit www.jdhill.org

The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #16 Massey Harris / Batavia Industrial Center

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:29:00 -0700

Genesee County’s largest factory building sits in the heart of the city of Batavia. After more then 125 years, it is still a place of industry and commerce. When the plant stopped producing farm equipment, a genius idea from a local man started a trend that is copied around the world today.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/16masseyharris.mp3

The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #17 Eddie York

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:12:00 -0700

Batavian, Eddie York, was one of the pilots of the famed Doolittle Raid that bombed Tokyo in April 1942. He spent a year in the Soviet Union before making it back to the United States.

Listen to the podcast here

http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/17york.mp3

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #18 Edward Newton Rowell

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 22:05:00 -0700

A successful business man, sex and murder. This chapter of Genesee County history has it all.

The Story of Edward Newton Rowell, The Rowell Box Company and the Murder of Johnson Lynch.

Listen to the podcast here

http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/18rowell.mp3

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #19 Genesee Community College

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:16:00 -0700

Here is 19! Its everybody's favorite college on the hill!

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/19gcc.mp3

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #20 The Hiscock Site

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:25:00 -0700

Why would anybody dig in a swamp? It's not just a swamp, its the Hiscock Site.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/20bd.mp3

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The Twenty-Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous: #21 The Elba Mucklands

director@hollandlandoffice.com (Holland Land Office Museum) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 07:35:00 -0700

Number 21 in our weekly count down is the soil with the unusual name.

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http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/21elbamuck.mp3

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