The Esperance Historical Society & Museum Our Next Meeting Tues. Nov. 19th, 7:30 P.M. Location: Esperance-Sloansville United Methodist Church Education building, Tiffany Community Room, US 20 Esperance,NY 12066 Program: The History of the Esperance Presbyterian (Old Stone) Church Speaker: Rev. Bert Mayne Hostess: Lois Gruner Mark your calendars we will be dedicating the New Chapel Library on June 7th, 2014 at 2PM. We need volunteers to work on this library dedication committee please contact Verelyn Robertson or John Van Derwerken if you are willing to serve. The exterior siding and handicap ramp are being installed currently. Thanks to Kirt Feuz and Carmine Petracca for getting this part completed. The siding will require a second coat of paint. The items left to complete include the trim around the inside door. The interior is mostly complete with carpet installed and bookshelves hung from the walls, ceiling fixtures, table and chairs. A larger flat screen TV , dvd player and amplification system have yet to be installed and/or purchased. October 23, 2013 Esperance Museum and Historical Society Board Meeting Attendees: Ken Jones, Kirt Feuz, John VanDerwerken, Edie Barlough, Verelyn Robertson, Sandy Farah Board discussed getting plaques to acknowledge donors. Donor categories would include Gold Level (donations over $1,000), Silver Level (donations over $100) and Bronze Level (donations $25 - $100). All donations at any level will be acknowledged (possibly on paper). Reports for the library cataloging and organizing volunteers: Next work day: Wednesday at 1 PM , NOVEMBER 20 The books are making their way from the boxes to the shelves. We will need some volunteers this winter to data enter the book catalog information so users may locate the reference book they need to review. Contact Laurel or Ken 875-6854 if you can help or know of someone who would assist. Thanks. Thanks to the Village of Esperance Mayor Miller and Trustees the belfry on the Museum has been repaired and in time to protect it from another winter. We are very grateful to the Village for helping to preserve this historic building. If you have been waiting to make a contribution now would be a great time to do so. Donations are tax deductible. Checks can be made out to the Esperance Historical Society and mailed to Box 55, Esperance, NY 12066. Some may remember our program by John Taibi on the Railroad from Duanesburg to Oneonta. The hard cover picture Book is Roads, Rivers and Rails. I have one copy left at 40% off the list price. If you are interested please e-mail me at [email protected] or call 875-6854. His second volume I believe is out now or very soon. To volunteer to assist a flood survivor you can show up at the Schoharie Reformed Church on Route 30 for an assignment. Contact the Esperance Methodist Church if food is needed from the pantry and for counseling as there are many still suffering the after affects of losing their home. Concert Series Esperance Band Concerts & Ice Cream Socials are tentatively scheduled to be at the Gazebo on Church St. in 2014 Wed. July 30, August 13th & 27th from 7-9 P.M. Membership Renewals expire in August please mail your annual dues of $9.00 for regular and $5.00 for seniors Citizens to Box 55 Esperance, NY 12066 or better yet pay them in person at the November 19th meeting. You do not need to be a member to attend the meetings. Please invite a friend and encourage your neighbors to join as well, meetings are free and the public is encouraged to attend. Membership is $25. for small business patrons. We are cutting it close to keep the heat on this winter at the Museum we can use all of the donations you care to make to help preserve the artifacts in the Museum. Thanks to all those who have renewed and made special donations to help us get through the heating season! Please encourage your friends and neighbors to ATTEND! Volunteers needed: We still need a Secretary to take the minutes at our regular monthly meetings, Sandy has volunteered to be a Sect. at our board meeting. Please feel free to step forward if you can assist. We also need a volunteer to set up our sign in front of the Methodist Education Building for each monthly meeting of the Society. We will make the letters available to ease the process with the new recruit! Our Officers for 2013-2014 are: John R. Van Derwerken, President Crickit Rockwell, Vice President Kirt Feuz, Treasurer Sandy Farah, Board of Directors Sect. The Esperance Museum now has a FaceBook page. Please go to Facebook and search under Esperance Historical Museum and become a Fan and like us. We have pictures of the Chapel project and other albums such as the G.A.R. Grave Marking Service for William E. Rockwell. New Old Civil War Biography The Society now has for sale for $12.50 the autobiographical book The Blue and the Gray 1904 by William T. Levey republished under the name The Civil War Memoir of William T. Levey in 2008 edited by William F. Howard with a foreword by Lincoln scholar and author Harold Holzer. Levey was a local man from Duanesburg who served in the 134th NY Infantry and tented with such locals as Jay Rockwell. He also mentions William A. Rockwell whom we had a marker celebration for at the Esperance Cemetery last year. The small paperback has been enhanced with added photos of members of the 134th including the Brown brothers from Esperance. We have a limited quantity of these and hope to have an author signing near when the library opens. You can request a copy by e-mailing me at [email protected]. As you know we have re-published the New 1856 Atlas of Schoharie County. This version is 12X12 instead of 11X11 and has been selling well at the same price of $15.00. We have been selling Gus LaMonicas illustrated booklet on the humorous version of Schoharie County History and we have a few left. In speaking with the editors wife Ann Hendrix their Schoharie home was damaged in the flood and the inventory of Guss books were also destroyed in the flood. His 11 paintings that make up the book are for sale as a group and it would be nice if they could be purchased locally and displayed. In the 1856 Atlas all the homes and business are identified on the map as well as census information, number of churches, Agricultural statistics pictures from 1856 of several historic homes and the Old Stone Fort. It is important since some of the features are not on the 1866 atlas when the R.R. came through. Did you know there was a toll ferry across the Schoharie Creek near the present Sloansville Valley cemetery in 1856? It also shows plank roads with lines on the road depicting the planks. We will have a map of each of the 16 towns plus several of the hamlets and villages including Esperance,Sloansville,Schoharie, Cobleskill,Sharon Springs, Richmondville, Charlotteville, Breakabeen, Gallupville, Patchin Hollow and others. Genealogy Corner Hi Ken, I was reviewing my emails and found this one. The Hicks Tabor mentioned was probably Hicks Jr. Do you have any information on Hicks and Elisabeths parents? Hope all is going well with you. Chip chipblack@msn History Happenings Sarah C. Stevens, Fellow, AIC of Zephyr Preservation Studio, LLC and Sandy Farah have been working on preserving our textile collection and protecting the clothing on display. The Esperance Witch is currently the next clothing display to be cleaned up and progress is being made throughout the museum area. In addition Sarah will create a replica of the circa 1887 Firemans dress uniform shirt. This should allow us to display a fully dressed fireman form that period. Sarah will also provide inforamtion on grants and registrations of the Musem to continue to improve on preserving our textile collection. Kurt Pelton of Sloansville is putting together a promotional piece for the County and has asked for a write up and photos of the Musuem. I would really appreciate all members and friends of the Society who have been eye witnesses to the 2011 Schoharie Creek Flood to record their remembrances in writing or other media and provide a copy to me for future historians to use and possibly to publish what happened in our town during this historic and yet tragic event. I am also looking for photographs of buildings and streets taken before August of 2011 that were taken of buildings later destroyed in the flood. I created a slide show for the Museum this year and have received many photos from one of the visitors to the Middleburgh 300th celebration but would like more of the Priddle Camp Road, Steuben Street, Junction Road, Route 30A and US 20 where homes were destroyed or torn down. Elaine Cooper Editor of the Schoharie County Historical Review with other writers has published a new book on the history of floods in the Schoharie Valley. Copies may be purchased at the Old Stone Fort in Schoharie and in addition to historic floods it includes interviews of Esperance People recalling the previous and current floods and their impact. She can be reached at 868-2546 or [email protected]. You can purchase the book on floods at the Old Stone Fort. New Volume 3 of Remembering the Town of Duanesburg created by a group of Duanesburg area residents. For further information please contact Pat Van Buren at 895-2632. NEWS FROM THE SCHOHARIE RIVER CENTER IN BURTONVILLE The River Center is working to complete a new science addition to their building and recently dedicated a new lean to done as an Eagle Scout project on their property. We note with sadness the passing of Dave Remling a long time active supporter of the River Center and its programs. To learn more about EST or for more information on upcoming events contact: SchoharieRiverCenter@juno George Landis Arboretum landisarboretum.org/calendar.html 6935The Landis Arboretum, 174 Lape Road, Esperance, NYarboretum Esperance Beautification Comm. Thank you for the flowers in the barrels around the Village!
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 02:05:22 +0000
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