Historical Wyoming County Jan 1980 - Old Fulton History

PAGE 74 JANUARY 1980
(Village In The Valley Cont.)
Store which was being torn down. Sometime
between 1870 and 1873 he sold the property
to Mrs. Sophia Newman who sold it March
30, 1875 to Johnson's brother in law Belus
Calkins Jr. for $500. Around 1883 a select
school was opened in this house with Hattie
R. Johnson, daughter of John W. and Laura
Calkins Johnson as the teacher. The following
children and young adults were her pupils:
Alice Madden, Nellie Bailey Bean, Harriette
Calkins, Zelma Calkins, Jessie Graham, Donald
Graham, Dena Schaublin, Kate West, Dottie
Tuttle who was blind, Olin Spink and Edward
Madden, III.
The six room cottage now occupied by Miss
Irene Walker was built by George Curry for
Wyman H. Ainsworth during 1878 as his retirement
home but Mr. Ainsworth died before
its completion. The house was then rented
for a number of years until it was sold in
1898 to Miss Welker's parents.
The final stop on our journey through time
in the tiny village in the valley is the present
home of Walter Conrad. The cellar wall was
lain up by John Angle of Bennington around
the middle of the last century for the miller
Othneil Brown. Mrs. Salem Davis owned this
house and here lived her oldest son George
C. Davis who was buried in the front yard
during that tragic day in 1864. It seems this
house saw much of the history of Varysburg
and its people for it was home for one of the
most prominent families who made Varysburg
survive through time.
Varysburg today remains nestled in the valley
of the Tonawanda as it did 174 years ago when
the Vary family settled upon its land. It has
proceded with time but remains a quiet countryside
village with a uniqueness within its history.
Federation News
And Historical Societies
Expressions of appreciation and praise have
been pouring in to the Manpower Office in
Warsaw, which was responsible for the operation
of the CETA funded Wyoming County
Heritage Project.
This was one of the most successful of the
Wyoming County CETA programs, and most
of the museums in the county have greatly
benefited from it. Now, nearly all of the artifacts
held by the various historical societies,
are cataloged in accordance with the AASLH
museum classifications. Museum volunteers
have been instructed how to keep up the system
as more artifacts are acquired.
The larger museums including Attica, Castile,
Middlebury, and Warsaw have been renovated
and in many cases the exhibits have
been given a "new" look, so that they are
more meaningful to the visitors. They should
be in excellent condition for years to come.
The Societies and this office appriciate the
cooperation of the workers, especially with
the exhibits at the Wyoming County Fair during
the past two summers. A special thanks from
all of us to: Angeline Crawford, Carol Grisewood,
Helen Flynn, Paula Shreder, Susie Flint
and Don Darling. Mrs. Crawford, the director,
Miss Grisewood and Don Darling served full
time on the team.
Officers and trustees of the ATTICA HIS-
TORICAL SOCIETY entertained the Heritage
team members at a farewell luncheon held
in November at THE PEWTER ROOM restaurant.
The ladies were presented with corsages.
About twenty-five attended.
The Arcade Historical Society elected officers
at its October annual meeting. Newly
elected officers include Elizabeth Reinhardt,
president, and Llenis Mason, recording secretary.
Officers who were re-elected included
Phoebe Chaffee, treasurer, and Francis Connors,
corresponding secretary. John Morgan
of Pike showed part of his collection of crocks
at the November meeting, and Evelyn Connors
presented a program on antique Christmas
ornaments at the December meeting. The Society
is selling 1980 calendars showing 15 local
photographs of various vintages; profits from
these calendars, as with the 1979 calendars,
go to the Arcade Free Library Building Fund.
They are available from the Society by mail
for $3.00.
Sheldon Historical Society
In September of 1978, we held our first
regularly scheduled meeting of the Township
of Sheldon Historical Society. At that meeting
a board of Trustees was elected, namely:
Jack Roberts, Jean Dominisey, Darwin Almeter,
Betty Reisdorf, Terry Marlin and Lawrence
Victor.
The officers elected were President: Ray
Caryl; Vice President: Curtis Wheeler; Sec.:
Barbara Logel and Treas.: Mary Lou Roberts.
After the elections were completed, the meeting
continued with the presentation of a gavel
in memory of Mrs. Ethel West by the members
of the West family.
At the 1978 October meeting considerable
discussion took place on what we could do to
preserve the two room school house in Strykersville.
The Sheldon Town Board had asked
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