February 12, 1944 Interlaken to Dedicate New Roll of Honor

The formal dedication of the Service Honor Roll placed last fall on the Library lawn will take place this coming Saturday night, February 12. The ceremony, which will be brief, will begin at 8:45 and close promptly at 9 o'clock. The tentative order of procedure will be as follows:

Chorus Singing -America.

Invocation-Rev. K. E. Arnold

Salute to the Flag-Under auspices of the American Legion.

Remarks- Supervisor John R. VanLiew.

Brief Address- Mayor Marion C. Slaght.

Chorus Singing- The Star-Spangled Banner.

If the Towns of Covert and Lodi have met their quota in the Fourth War Loan drive by 9 P. M., the ceremony will be followed by the ringing of the local church bells and sounding of the siren. If more time is needed the bells will ring and siren will sound later in the evening. Let’s get behind our boys with the Fourth War Loan drive. In what better fashion can we celebrate Lincoln's Birthday? [Interlaken Review Feb 11, 1944, item in the Blauvelt WWII scrapbook, Interlaken Historical Society Collections]

As part of the follow-up report, it was noted that the roll had 140 names. Also, the goal for the Fourth War Loan drive had been achieved.

In 1944 Miss Elizabeth Egan sent a Christmas Card to her brothers, each card had several pictures from around Interlaken. One of those photos was a close up of the Honor Roll.
Interlaken Historical Society Collection 

Photo of the Roll of Honor with the Library in the background.
Blauvelt World War II Scrapbook
Interlaken Historical Society Collections

Years later the honor roll was removed from the Library lawn. 

Through the efforts of a number of people, a new honor roll was placed in front of the Town of Covert Town Hall a few years ago. 

 To see an alphabetical list of the names click here. Transcribed by the author from M.L.Patterson 

Dewitt’s Diary 1941--1944 

Wednesday February 12, 1941 

Went down to see dad. He is very weak but tried to talk to me. Drove up to Ithaca to Farmers Week and wood chopping contest. Temperature 40 at 6 o’clock. [Feb 13, 1941 Dad passed away this morning at 12:30.]

Thursday February 12, 1942 

Clear and zero this morning. Try for fox hunting with Bunny Haviland. Started foxes in Black Woods.

Friday February 12, 1943

Went out fox hunting some this morning and helped W this afternoon. [Willard]

Saturday February 12, 1944 

Working at the meat [They had butchered hogs a few days earlier.]

DBN note: with their son serving overseas, I would suspect that Dewitt and Edna attended the dedication, but without his noting it we can’t be sure. 

February 11, 1891 Fire Destroys Gambee Hotel

The December 30, 1880, fire destroyed much of Main Street in an overnight blaze. Eleven years later, in February 1891, Farmer Village had settled into the many new brick buildings which fronted on Main Street following that fire. The headlines from the February 14, 1891, Farmer Review sums up the situation following the hue and cry of “Fire” from the previous Tuesday evening [February 11].

The fire, discovered about 7:15 in the evening, first appeared on the roof of the Gambee House. The newspaper report notes that “Farmer Hall was nearly full of men awaiting election returns, and they were soon on the scene, some attempting to stay the flames, others removing property to a place of safety.” The article goes on to describe the fury of the fire, the attempts made by many people to both control the fire and the methods used to prevent other buildings from burning.

Within 30 minutes of being discovered, “the house was a fire from cellar up and had communicated to Dr. A.M. Mann’s wooden block on the south…nearly all the contents of this building were carried out.” Four businesses were housed in that wooden block building: George Mosher’s harness shop, J.D. Wiggins’ jewelry store, M. Chandler’s paint shop and W. L. Witt’s blacksmith shop.

The next building south was W. E. Peterson’s residence. The volunteers covered the north side of the house with carpets and hoped the space between the Mann block and the house would help stop the fire. It was a hard-fought battle, and at one time appeared lost. Several men “stuck to the peak and fought for all they were worth and gained control again, saving not only the house but the rest of the buildings.” When the damage amounts were tallied it was noted that Mr. “Peterson’s damage is fully covered by insurance. The adjusters were here yesterday and settled with him.”

As shown in the picture taken the day after, carpets were also used to save the buildings on the North side of the hotel. “While all the hard work was going on south, the men on the north had their hands full to save Collver’s barber shop and hotel barn.”

Aftermath of the American House/Gambee Hotel Fire. Looking west toward Main Street.
The building behind the group and chimney is today the Hinman Memorial Library.
Interlaken Historical Society photo #144

An on-going debate prior to this 1891 fire was the need for a fire department and firefighting equipment. The second paragraph of the article makes the only reference to this lack, but it makes the point, loud and clear “Had there been even an apology for a fire engine there isn’t a question but the flames could have been extinguished here.” The new fire department was organized and equipped within weeks of the Gambee House fire. And that organization made the difference in both 1916 and 1939. [See April 16 for the 1916 Weager Warehouse Fire]

Forty-eight years later, on February 16, 1939, the story was quite different, although the fire destroyed the M. S. Wiggins building. The following report is taken from the Interlaken Review February 24, 1939.

“M.S. Wiggins’ Building Nearly Ruined by Fire.” This fire “broke out shortly after four o’clock last Thursday afternoon, February 16.” The blaze, at the Wiggins store and gas station, [formerly the Hotel Robinson] started near the boiler in the basement and spread so rapidly that the building, an old landmark, seemed doomed. The three-story structure was filled with smoke and no attempt could be made to remove anything from the first-floor business places or the living quarters on the second floor.” The residences on the second floor were empty, and Dr. Thompson left his second-floor dental offices through the front window to the porch and down a ladder to Main Street.

The Hotel Robinson being torn down in the days after the fire.
Interlaken Historical Society photo #1922

Mutual aid from Trumansburg and Ovid fire companies arrived and at one time seven streams of water were being poured into the building. The fire was the first real test of the village water system, and “unquestionably, without an unlimited supply of water the building would have burned to the ground and adjoining structures probably would have been destroyed.” The fire fighters were hampered therefore not by a lack of water, but by the cold weather. “…ice forming on ladders, making climbing very hazardous. The roof, covered with snow and ice, helped to keep the flames in, but also made treacherous footing for firemen working there.” 

Snow on the surrounding areas is visible in the picture above taken the day after from the Saddlery building across the street.

      

Two photos of the fire trucks lined up on Main Street during the fire
Interlaken Historical Society collection.

Dr. Thompson in front of  M. Wiggins new gas station, built on the site of the former Hotel Robinson.
Interlaken Historical Society Photo #1505

The Gambee House was rebuilt on the site, and operated as the Goodman House until it too was torn down in 1986, which, of course will be its own Snippet from the Past, June 23^rd.

Dewitt’s Diary February 11, 1926

The road is badly filled up with snow. 

The weather is down to about zero for the last few days. 

Blowing and snowing from the north today.

Dewitt would record the February 16^th fire on Friday, February 17, 1939: Cold and west wind today, the roads drifting some. The old hotel used by M. Wiggins was gutted by fire. 

February 10, 1850 The Universalist Church

Over the course of the year there will be Snippet items for most of the Covert churches. Today, we look at the Universalist Church which stood on Main Street, near the Reformed Church. Wayne Morrison in his volume Town of Covert, Seneca County, NY Early History & etc.. gives a very detailed history of the church, the building, and the eventual loss of the building by fire.

The First Universalist Church and Society of Farmer Village was formed on February 10, 1850, with forty-two members. It was the only society of this denomination to be organized in Seneca County.

Photo from Morrison’s volume, page 85

The first pastor was the Rev. Harvey Boughton, who preached the sermon of dedication in February, 1853, and remained with the society for eleven years. Mr. Morrison notes that after Rev. Boughton left in 1861, the church was supplied by Rev. Lydia Jenkins, Rev. P. H. Batterson, Rev. Dolphus Skinner and Rev. M Whitney until 1874. Rev. C. C. Richardson then occupied the pulpit for a year. Following Rev. Richardson, Rev. O. M. Hilton of Auburn’s Universalist Church lead services, and then it was in the care of the District Secretary of the New York Universalist Ministerial Convention. After which time services were discontinued.

The wooden church building was built in 1852 by Thomas G. Fritts and cost $2,500. On August 14, 1896, George C. Torbert purchased the building for $350. The Farmer Review, Saturday, July 24, 1897 commented on the building and its former lot, “…Torbert has moved it away and converted it into a bean elevator, and its site is occupied by the handsome house now [being] built for A. V. Minor.”

As part of the sale, the trustees reserved the right to remove the bell, pulpit, lamps and carpet. The Farmer Review, August 29, 1896 notes: “The trustees gave the old bell to the fire company and it will be put up at the engine house and used as a fire alarm. It is of cast steel and made in 1859. There are two cracks in it which give it a tone that is not likely to be mistaken for any other bell. There was considerable speculation as to its weight—all the way from 600 to a ton. The scales told the story at 1,540 pounds.”

1900 post card, Main Street Interlaken Historical Society photo #96

The Fire Bell is in front of the first fire house, now 8377 Main Street. The bell, which first called members to services and then rang for fire emergencies eventually went to one of the scrap drives during World War II.

Saturday evening, July 23, 1904, after being moved from its Main Street location, and given several improvements, the end came when the building burned, “reduced to a charred mass of ruins.” 

You are encouraged to read Mr. Morrison’s article in total, page 84 and 87. Many old family names are noted among the members and leaders within the church.

Dewitt’s Diary 1949, 1950

Thursday, February 10, 1949 Cloudy and temperature 20. Working in the woods. The sky looked like snow this afternoon. Went to town this afternoon and got some feed ground. Big circle around the moon tonight.

Friday, February 10, 1950 Mostly clear and temperature is 25. Working on chair. Drove down to the foot of the lake for a ride. It was a beautiful day. Temperature 40 most of the day and clear. There was a little ice on the foot of the lake but not thick enough for safety.

See Snippet January 13 for more on the fire house.

See Snippet January 29 for more on the Scrap Drives. 

February 8, 1864 A Civil War Diary

A change of focus from the winter weather and local happenings.

During the American Civil War a number of young men from the Town of Covert enlisted if various units. John L. Ryno was a member of Co. C 126^th NY Volunteers and the 3^rd Brigade Band, 3^rd Division, 2^nd Army Corps. The Interlaken Historical Society has copies of his diaries from 1862, 1863 and 1864.

A few days in February 1864.

February 6, 1864

Order came this AM to move promptly at 7. The Band got ready to go but General Owen said we need not go. Heavy skirmishing was going on all day until 5 P.M. when the Rebels made a charge on our Division and drove them across the river. Corp Chestnut of Co C was killed by a shell. Lieut Sheats of Headquarters’ Staff was wounded in the breast during the charge. Frank Rappleye started for home on a 10 day furlough this A.M. It has rained nearly all day.

John Ryno and Samuel Stone
detail from 1910 Civil War Veterans Memorial Day photograph
taken at Lake View Cemetery, Interlaken Historical Society photo #203

February 7, 1864

Warm and pleasant this A.M. Heavy firing was heard about 10 A.M. in direction of Raccoon Ford. Our Brigade returned to camp this P.M. feeling first rate. Co. C did not lose but one man killed. Received a letter from Annie last night.

February 8, 1864

All quiet in Front today. The troops have all returned to camp. Andrew Chestnut was buried this afternoon. He was killed by a bursting shell. It entered his right breast passing through his heart and coming out at the left hip.

February 9, 1864

Played for guard mounting at the usual time this A.M. Eugene [Holton] got his barrel this afternoon. It had some dried fruit, a pair of socks, and dried beef in it.

Dewitt’s Diary Saturday, February 8, 1964

Temperature 20, clear. Snow squalls and periods of sunshine all day. More like March weather.

We did some carpenter work in the house.

Took Lena Hiltbrand down a half bushel of potatoes.

Drove to Lodi after some plywood. [On February 6^th Dewitt noted he was building a tea table, which would be the carpenter work he refers to.]

Snow blowing, high of 25 today.

Clear temperature 20 tonight.

February 5, 1968 Remembering the Elm Trees

What do you remember of the loss of the Elm trees that lined the streets and filled the wood lots?

 

While hard to tell which are Elm trees, many lined the streets of Interlaken.
 Photo of North Main Street. Interlaken Historical Society photo #715

A search for “elm tree(s),” "Interlaken" and “Dutch Elm disease,” at www.fultonhistory.com resulted in several references.

One of the earliest was in a report from the Interlaken village board meeting, October 1969. “Bids were received for removing the big elm tree on the library lawn. Low bid of $250 was received from a Mr. Wood of Valois.”

The April 23, 1970 Interlaken Review included a picture and caption “Three members of the Order of the Arrow planted the last of 120 maples transplanted from Chestnut Ridge to Camp Barton by various units, in the attempt to replace elms removed because of the Dutch Elm Disease. Scout troops that have been involved include Troop 35 of Bethel Grove, Troop 2 of Congregational Church in Ithaca, Troop 22 of Jacksonville, Troop 13 of Trumansburg, Troop 19 of Belle Sherman in Ithaca and Troop 33 of Lodi.”

Grace Hiltbrand in her weekly column in 1972 commented on the continuing loss of the elm trees. “Have you thought lately of the graceful beauty inherent in some of the large and stately elm trees left to the village? Ride down Railroad Avenue’s middle block and appreciate two elms. There are few other elm giants still standing, but how we miss the gorgeous elms which used to be so common hereabouts!” [Interlaken Review June 22, 1972]

In 1977 she would again comment when one tree was removed from Main Street. “Another of Interlaken’s landmarks has gone with the removal Saturday of perhaps Interlaken’s last of the king elm trees. A victim of the Dutch elm disease. It has stood on the property at Main and Orchard Street.” [Interlaken Review June 22, 1977]

Dewitt would comment several times in his diary about the elm trees. Monday,

December 2, 1968, Temperature 40, Cloudy all day. Wind in the Southwest and some rain at 3 o’clock this afternoon. Went down to the lake to look for deer this morning.

Cut dead elm and working it up until it rained us off at 3 o’clock. Took Tim out for coon this evening. No coons out and he chased a fox for a mile on the bare ground.

The elms dying all over this area. In my woods they are about all dead. They fall down in two years. A Big job of taking them down in towns and cities over the country.

They were taking down a big one in town yesterday near the Baptist Church on Main Street.

Two more older photos

Main Street taken from in front of “the old Interlaken High School,” which would place the camera
north of the Interlaken Reformed Church looking North.
Interlaken Historical Society photo #1176

West Avenue with its many stately trees in the early 1900s.
 Interlaken Historical Society photo #413

Dewitt’s Diary: Monday February 5, 1968 

Temperature 25 cloudy Northwest wind. We got the chain saw and cut a dead elm. Cut a load of chunks from the top.

Most of the elms in the woods are dead or dying from elm beetles and Dutch elm disease.

Mom washed. High of 32 today. Clearing tonight.

Mild predicted and no snow for the next five days.

Friday February 4, 1972 Winter Weather

Winter weather in our area can begin in November and run until April. In February 1972 Dewitt records both electrical power outages and later in the month a multi-day storm that shut down much of the area. 

Dewitt’s Diary:

Friday, February 4, 1972

Two to three inches of new snow and blowing a gale this morning.

Our electric power went off at 3:40 this morning and never came on until 12:50 today.

The visibility was bad all day by blowing snow.

Wind from southwest makes it hard to keep house warm.

The wildest day of the winter.

Blowing and colder tonight. Snow plows running. About the first this winter, I guess.

Front of Dewitt's Bassett Road home
Dewitt's photograph album
 Interlaken Historical Society Collection

Saturday February 19, 1972

Temperature 30. The first big snow of the winter. Strong wind from the Northeast and very heavy snow, much blowing. Everything at a standstill tonight. Nothing on this road only snowmobiles since 11 o’clock this morning. I would say one foot of snow.

This is a very big storm all over the northeast.

Very poor visibility because of snowing and blowing. Not snowing so much tonight.

Sunday, February 20, 1972

Temperature 7. Very high winds and no visibility, and we are buried with snowbanks. Had a hard time getting to the barn. Three to four feet in barn yard all over. 18” of snow reported in Western NY. No snow plows running.

We had much new snow last night, but it does not appear to be snowing this morning. Only blowing snow.

Sun out just a very little. Temperature 10 at 2:30 this afternoon and gale winds.

Near zero tonight, wind down some. Roads in bad shape in the county.

Shoveled off some of the house where the snow melted and leaked a little. Snow not blowing so bad this evening.

Monday, February 21, 1972

Temperature 2. Warming up. We shoveled off the house over the front porch. Also over the dining room and south porch where it was three feet deep in places.

Windbreak and farm yard.
Note the top of a wagon wheel above the snow
Dewitt's photograph album
 Interlaken Historical Society Collection

There are some very big snow banks around the back of the barn.

Temperature in the 30s this afternoon.

Tuesday, February 22, 1972

Temperature 10. Cloudy and some snowflakes falling. Blowing all day.

We had Herb White dig out my driveway with tractor and scoop. Herb White lives 1 ½ mile south of here.

On a personal note, I recall the February 1972 storm as I was at college and had gone with a group of friends to attend a wedding. We ended up snowed in for the whole weekend and didn’t get back to college until Monday evening.

Share your memories of this storm or others in the comments.

February 2, 1821 The Bottles of Dr. John O. Hill

The goal of today’s snippet is to share from the collections of the Historical Society. In 2010 Joe Baldwin, long-time Trumansburg resident and local historian, gave the Historical Society several bottles which belonged to Dr. John O. Hill, and an article he and James Wagner had written about Dr. Hill and the bottles. The society also had in its collection lecture tickets from Dr. Hill.

Several of the Dr. Hill bottles on display at the Interlaken Historical Society Museum.

What makes these bottles unique is the raised letters on them noting “Dr. Hill's,” “Farmer, NY” and the type or title of the medicine.

Dr. Hill's 

Cabvinative Cordial

Farmer, N.Y.

In the article, they note that Dr. Hill was not a “medicine vender of the period [who] merely borrowed the title doctor.” Dr. Hill had his medical degree. Later in the article they note, “In 1869, Hill, began a series of lectures in villages in Northern New York. In 1870-71, Hill...continued to visit small villages... If the reader is beginning to form an image of Dr. Hill standing on a show wagon with a bottle of bitters in one hand and a tambourine in the other, this image is apparently false. All evidence available would indicate that this man was a dedicated and talented surgeon.”

          

Lecture tiecket for Dr. Hill's Gentleman's Lecture

The back of the Gentlemen's Lecture ticket, offering consultation
 "upon all diseases requiring medical treatment."

One of  several other tickets to Dr. Hill's lectures.
Interlaken Historical Society Collection

Dr. Hill died July 24, 1875 in Ithaca where he had a second office, his other being in the village. He would take the train from Farmer [now Interlaken] to Ithaca, and return later in the day. On that day, after greeting his daughter and her husband who were arriving for a visit, he went to Ithaca as usual. The newspaper articles differ on exactly how the accident happened, but Dr. Hill drank either water, or quinine from a container that had earlier contained strychnine. Had the antidote been provided to him, the tragedy might have been averted. As it was, Dr. Hill died shortly afterwards.

Dr. Hill was born February 2, 1821, in Delaware County, NY, the son of Isaac I. and Clarisa Hill. He married Mary E. Taft and she survived him, along with three of their four children. Marian I. Hill died 1 September 1869 age 16, Alice Hill married Albert N. Avery, Dr. Arthur Rensselaer Hill married Mary R. Mann, and Frances Adele Hill married Daniel M. Kellogg. The widow along with Dr. Arthur Hill and family and Frances and Daniel Kellogg lived in Farmer/Interlaken. The younger Dr. Hill had his residence and office, in a separate building, on Cayuga Street.

I would invite you to visit the Museum either during normal open hours in the summer or arrange a visit to look at the bottles, the lecture tickets and read the complete article. The Historical Society is especially grateful to Joe Baldwin for this gift, which I might add, he visits at least once a year.

Dewitt’s Diary: Wednesday, February 2, 1921

Cold south wind today. Drew a load of bean down to father’s. Smoked the hams some today. Edna is practicing on her piano today. She likes it very much. Drew in the last sorghum* and corn stalks today. Prospects for some snow today.

Many banks being robbed in and around the cities. The safe at the National Bank at Trumansburg was blown open last summer and $6,000 in money and liberty bonds taken. No trace of them were found.

* SORGHUM, a genus of grasses belonging to the tribe Andropogoneae, and including one of the most important tropical grains, Sorghum vulgare, great millet, Indian millet or Guinea corn. It is a strong grass, growing to a height of from 4 to 8 or even 16 ft.; the leaves are sheathing, solitary, and about 2 in. broad and 2½ ft. in length; the panicles are contracted and dense, and the grains, which are enclosed in husks and protected by awns, are round, hard, smooth, shining, brownish-red, and somewhat larger than mustard seeds. The plant is cultivated in various parts of India and other countries of Asia, in the United States, and in the south of Europe. Its culms and leaves afford excellent fodder for cattle; and the grain, of which the yield in favorable situations is upwards of a hundredfold, is used for the same purposes as maize, rice, corn and other cereals. Encyclopedia Britannica 1911 [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Sorghum]