You haven't lived until you have made a road trip with three adults, a ten-year-old and a teenager that lasts for 8 hours. It's a lot like making sausage - you don't really know what it will be like until you're doing it, and it can be really messy.
We made a family trip to Chincoteague Island in Virginia last month and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. We toured the wildlife Refuge at Assateague, which is a lot like our neighboring Seneca County's Montezuma Wildlife Refuge but larger, and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. We saw wild horses, egrets, herons, ibises, Seka (a type of elk) and some of the biggest mosquitoes and flies you can imagine.
Chincoteague is all about their ponies, largely due to Marguerite Henry's series of books beginning with Misty of Chincoteague, and some truly awesome seafood. We went to an indoor pony show one night and as a historian it was interesting to see that one wall had a mural depicting the Spanish galleons breaking up and the ponies swimming to shore, which is the story of how the ponies came to live there. Another wall held the family tree of Misty of Chincoteague. History is evident everywhere we look!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Scipio for Tourists
One of the official duties of a municipal historian is to promote tourism. Scipio has a lot to recommend it to travelers, and I was pleased to hear that the Cayuga County Tourism Office is considering a booklet for various tourist-rich locations that gives a few details about our towns.
I thought it would be interesting to post a portion of my submission here on the blog:
Scipio, named for the Roman General, was formed as Township number 12 of the Military Tract on February 6, 1796. Our earliest settlers had arrived about 1790. Nestled snugly in the heart of the Finger Lakes region, our town’s eastern border is Owasco Lake, one of the loveliest Finger Lakes of central New York State.
A drive along State Route 38 on the west side of Owasco Lake from Auburn to Moravia takes less than half an hour and will show you some of the prettiest scenery in central NY, particularly in leaf-peeping season. Deer, turkey, songbirds and other wildlife are easy to spot on a leisurely drive or bike ride along our byways.
Our cemeteries are the final resting place for over 45 Revolutionary War veterans. Scipio also had 156 known Union veterans of the Civil War; approximately 10% of her population at that time; many of whom rest alongside their Revolutionary comrades.
Several of our buildings and structures are on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, including the entire Hamlet of Sherwood where free men and women of European and African descent lived in harmony in the early 1800’s. The Underground Railroad was also very active in Scipio, particularly in Sherwood where several Quakers and like-thinking people actively assisted the freedom seekers. The women's suffrage movement so often associated with neighboring Seneca Falls had its proponents here in Scipio as well.
The Town of Scipio remains a unique mix of farmers, independent businesses, lakefront users and short-distance commuters who enjoy a greener, more country style of life over that of the city. Visit her on the web at http://co.cayuga.ny.us/scipio/.
I thought it would be interesting to post a portion of my submission here on the blog:
Scipio, named for the Roman General, was formed as Township number 12 of the Military Tract on February 6, 1796. Our earliest settlers had arrived about 1790. Nestled snugly in the heart of the Finger Lakes region, our town’s eastern border is Owasco Lake, one of the loveliest Finger Lakes of central New York State.
A drive along State Route 38 on the west side of Owasco Lake from Auburn to Moravia takes less than half an hour and will show you some of the prettiest scenery in central NY, particularly in leaf-peeping season. Deer, turkey, songbirds and other wildlife are easy to spot on a leisurely drive or bike ride along our byways.
Our cemeteries are the final resting place for over 45 Revolutionary War veterans. Scipio also had 156 known Union veterans of the Civil War; approximately 10% of her population at that time; many of whom rest alongside their Revolutionary comrades.
Several of our buildings and structures are on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, including the entire Hamlet of Sherwood where free men and women of European and African descent lived in harmony in the early 1800’s. The Underground Railroad was also very active in Scipio, particularly in Sherwood where several Quakers and like-thinking people actively assisted the freedom seekers. The women's suffrage movement so often associated with neighboring Seneca Falls had its proponents here in Scipio as well.
The Town of Scipio remains a unique mix of farmers, independent businesses, lakefront users and short-distance commuters who enjoy a greener, more country style of life over that of the city. Visit her on the web at http://co.cayuga.ny.us/scipio/.
Revisiting Lucinda the Mountain Mourner
If you look back through this blog, you will find a series of posts about Lucinda the Mountain Mourner. A sad story with a heavy moral, when written it most likely did not contain “just the facts” but was styled in such a way as to present the story in a light favorable to the female protagonist.
This series of posts has generated a lot of discussion, and discussion is a healthy thing. It provides an opportunity to be open-minded; to look at something from a different angle and maybe gain some previously missed insight into the way people thought and interacted in a previous era.
History is full of examples of the healthy exchange of opinion and information, and hindsight is a wonderful tool. It allows us to add to our knowledge and sometimes to understand another point of view even if we do not agree with it. It is important however not to stray from the subject so far that we are no longer engaged in presenting and interpreting information. There is always a back story, and that is what is fascinating about our history.
This series of posts has generated a lot of discussion, and discussion is a healthy thing. It provides an opportunity to be open-minded; to look at something from a different angle and maybe gain some previously missed insight into the way people thought and interacted in a previous era.
History is full of examples of the healthy exchange of opinion and information, and hindsight is a wonderful tool. It allows us to add to our knowledge and sometimes to understand another point of view even if we do not agree with it. It is important however not to stray from the subject so far that we are no longer engaged in presenting and interpreting information. There is always a back story, and that is what is fascinating about our history.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Vacation Time
School is almost over for this year, and it is time for vacation! This year, we are going to drive to the Ocean City area with the grandchildren, and take some day trips nearby. I am hoping to spend an afternoon at Jamestown, a place that fascinated me from the first time I read about the disappearance of the entire town.
There are also a lot of Civil War sites in Virginia. I have been looking on a website: www.civilwartraveler.com for some routes to take. Several Scipio men fought in battles in Virginia. The 44th NY went through the Peninsula Campaign, and that was waged mainly in Virginia. I look forward to telling you all about some of the Civil War information I find and memorials I see.
Yesterday was the dedication of the new Veteran’s Memorial Park in Auburn, Cayuga County, NY. There were at least 200 folks there, many spending time before and after the ceremony walking the path lined with memorials to each war, from the Revolutionary War to the Iraqi War. If you are in the area, it is a beautiful park and well worth a stroll some sunny afternoon.
Wherever you vacation, take a few minutes to look for the monuments and parks. I'd love to hear about your favorite spot!
There are also a lot of Civil War sites in Virginia. I have been looking on a website: www.civilwartraveler.com for some routes to take. Several Scipio men fought in battles in Virginia. The 44th NY went through the Peninsula Campaign, and that was waged mainly in Virginia. I look forward to telling you all about some of the Civil War information I find and memorials I see.
Yesterday was the dedication of the new Veteran’s Memorial Park in Auburn, Cayuga County, NY. There were at least 200 folks there, many spending time before and after the ceremony walking the path lined with memorials to each war, from the Revolutionary War to the Iraqi War. If you are in the area, it is a beautiful park and well worth a stroll some sunny afternoon.
Wherever you vacation, take a few minutes to look for the monuments and parks. I'd love to hear about your favorite spot!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Ebenezer Cheever in the Revolutionary War
Decoration Day, or Memorial Day as we now call it, is a day set aside to remember very ordinary heroes; our neighbors, our friends, the farmer down the road and all those who put aside their own needs for a time or forever for their country. Sometimes volunteering and sometimes not; injured, slain or returning in good health - what these men and women have in common is their sacrifice for others.
I have been working on compiling additional information on those from Scipio who served in any war and last week spent some time looking at the pension applications for Revolutionary War veterans. Today I’d like to write about Ebenezer Cheever, born in Connecticut and buried in Scipio NY. I would have enjoyed a conversation with him about his service!
Ebenezer was a privateer. Born in Lebanon, Connecticut in 1763, he enlisted in New London in September of 1780 when he was barely 17 years old, on board the privateer ship Randolph commanded by Nicholas Fosdick and was out to sea for 2 months. During that time the Randolph engaged in a battle with the British privateer ship Hibernia, which they won and so took the Hibernia as a prize.
In 1781, Ebenezer enlisted on the ship Young Crommel of ten Grives ( a name I’m not sure I am spelling correctly). They took a British privateer ship this time as well, one mounting ten 4-pounders and one 12.
1782 finds Eb serving on the privateer The Randolph. The crew was taken by the British frigate Vestall. Ebenezer was on board the Vestall as a prisoner for about 2 weeks, then put on a transport ship for another 2 weeks, detained a few days in another transfer then spent six or so months as prisoner on the Jersey prison ship.
Besides the sea, Ebenezer served on land with the Connecticut state troops for about another 9 months spent primarily in helping to build forts. He was taken another time by British Ship of War Gallatee after a running fight of 10 or 12 hours and spent another 3 months on a prison ship. What stories he must have had to tell!
After the war ended, Ebenezer lived for 4 years in Vermont, for 5 years in Montgomery County NY then spent some time in Saratoga County, NY. From there, Eb moved to Cato NY for 5 years then to Scipio about 1815 where he continued to live when he gave his sworn statement in 1833. For his service, Ebenezer was given $30.00 yearly pension. In 1841, he died in Scipio and was buried in the Cornwell Cemetery on State Route 34, leaving behind his widow Jerisha Cheever.
Just an ordinary man, a farmer in central NY, Ebenezer served his country as so many more continue to do today. My hat is off to you all.
I have been working on compiling additional information on those from Scipio who served in any war and last week spent some time looking at the pension applications for Revolutionary War veterans. Today I’d like to write about Ebenezer Cheever, born in Connecticut and buried in Scipio NY. I would have enjoyed a conversation with him about his service!
Ebenezer was a privateer. Born in Lebanon, Connecticut in 1763, he enlisted in New London in September of 1780 when he was barely 17 years old, on board the privateer ship Randolph commanded by Nicholas Fosdick and was out to sea for 2 months. During that time the Randolph engaged in a battle with the British privateer ship Hibernia, which they won and so took the Hibernia as a prize.
In 1781, Ebenezer enlisted on the ship Young Crommel of ten Grives ( a name I’m not sure I am spelling correctly). They took a British privateer ship this time as well, one mounting ten 4-pounders and one 12.
1782 finds Eb serving on the privateer The Randolph. The crew was taken by the British frigate Vestall. Ebenezer was on board the Vestall as a prisoner for about 2 weeks, then put on a transport ship for another 2 weeks, detained a few days in another transfer then spent six or so months as prisoner on the Jersey prison ship.
Besides the sea, Ebenezer served on land with the Connecticut state troops for about another 9 months spent primarily in helping to build forts. He was taken another time by British Ship of War Gallatee after a running fight of 10 or 12 hours and spent another 3 months on a prison ship. What stories he must have had to tell!
After the war ended, Ebenezer lived for 4 years in Vermont, for 5 years in Montgomery County NY then spent some time in Saratoga County, NY. From there, Eb moved to Cato NY for 5 years then to Scipio about 1815 where he continued to live when he gave his sworn statement in 1833. For his service, Ebenezer was given $30.00 yearly pension. In 1841, he died in Scipio and was buried in the Cornwell Cemetery on State Route 34, leaving behind his widow Jerisha Cheever.
Just an ordinary man, a farmer in central NY, Ebenezer served his country as so many more continue to do today. My hat is off to you all.
Visiting Scipio - Then and Now
Without fail when I hear from someone who is seeking information about their ancestors, they also want to know more about where they lived. What was it like? Did they have a log cabin, or a stick built home? What were the roads like and how did you find your way from place to place? Were there bears? Wolves?
Often, maps provide our best picture of the area and conditions at a given point in time, especially of transportation routes for the movement ever westward. Occasionally, local Historians or newspapers add some detail to that picture. I found one such article in an 1877 edition of the Auburn Journal.
The article describes the summer of 1825 in Scipio. 1825 was 26 years after Scipio was set off from Onondaga County, and 8 years before Ledyard and Venice were set off from Scipio. On a lot just east of Scipioville, where today Center Road leads us to Scipio Center, the news article states that a large number of Onondaga Indians set up an encampment.
During that summer they traded with Scipio’s early settlers by exchanging their handmade moccasins, brooms, baskets, and beadwork for farmer’s produce such as flour, butter, meal, lard, meat, vegetables etc.
When it became time to leave, the Indians simply cut down a large elm tree and made it into a canoe. Two neighboring farmers drew the canoe to Cayuga Lake, a distance of about 5 miles, with their teams of four horses.
The Indians launched it down Cayuga Lake; rowing until eventually they entered the Seneca River and moved on.
Often, maps provide our best picture of the area and conditions at a given point in time, especially of transportation routes for the movement ever westward. Occasionally, local Historians or newspapers add some detail to that picture. I found one such article in an 1877 edition of the Auburn Journal.
The article describes the summer of 1825 in Scipio. 1825 was 26 years after Scipio was set off from Onondaga County, and 8 years before Ledyard and Venice were set off from Scipio. On a lot just east of Scipioville, where today Center Road leads us to Scipio Center, the news article states that a large number of Onondaga Indians set up an encampment.
During that summer they traded with Scipio’s early settlers by exchanging their handmade moccasins, brooms, baskets, and beadwork for farmer’s produce such as flour, butter, meal, lard, meat, vegetables etc.
When it became time to leave, the Indians simply cut down a large elm tree and made it into a canoe. Two neighboring farmers drew the canoe to Cayuga Lake, a distance of about 5 miles, with their teams of four horses.
The Indians launched it down Cayuga Lake; rowing until eventually they entered the Seneca River and moved on.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Going to the Movies
I don't believe that Scipio ever had a theater. Her residents mostly went (and continue to go) to nearby Auburn, NY for that type of entertainment. My favorite place was Schine's Theater with it's planetary theme. Our choice of theaters has changed, but Auburn still supplies the product!
I went to see the new Star Trek movie last week with another "Trekkie" friend. Neither of us was sure that Star Trek without William Shatner as James T. Kirk would make the grade, but like gawkers at a natural disaster we couldn't resist going to see for ourselves.
And what you might ask does this have to do with a history blog? Well, in my opinion, this movie was a historian's view of the Star Trek crew. Where did they grow up? Who were their parents? How and where did they each meet? Were they friends right away? What was their childhood like and perhaps most importantly when did they learn to trust each other enough to follow Kirk and blast those Romulans out of the sky?
We are all influenced by our past, and the person we become is largely due to the customs and rules we were brought up to follow. This is the same whether we are looking back at our history as a country since the Revolution in 1776, or looking forward towards a Star Date in Kirk's Captain's Log.
Live long and prosper.
I went to see the new Star Trek movie last week with another "Trekkie" friend. Neither of us was sure that Star Trek without William Shatner as James T. Kirk would make the grade, but like gawkers at a natural disaster we couldn't resist going to see for ourselves.
And what you might ask does this have to do with a history blog? Well, in my opinion, this movie was a historian's view of the Star Trek crew. Where did they grow up? Who were their parents? How and where did they each meet? Were they friends right away? What was their childhood like and perhaps most importantly when did they learn to trust each other enough to follow Kirk and blast those Romulans out of the sky?
We are all influenced by our past, and the person we become is largely due to the customs and rules we were brought up to follow. This is the same whether we are looking back at our history as a country since the Revolution in 1776, or looking forward towards a Star Date in Kirk's Captain's Log.
Live long and prosper.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
