Hope everyone who is a member has received their copy of the Corinthian in the mail. Some of the things in this issue of the January Corinthian are the following:
Tuesday, February 11, She Unsung, Women in Rochester History
Tuesday, March 11, to be announced
Tuesday, April 8, Before Jackie: The Negro Leagues and the American Dream
Tuesday, May 13, History of Holy Cross Church
Please check our Facebook page prior to any event for unanticipated changes.
Our Tuesday Program for January will be on A Brief History of Wegmans Presented by Gary Harris. Reservations are recommended. Because of the anticipated attendance, the program will be held at Arcadia High School auditorium, 120 Island Cottage Road.
Thursday, January 16, 2025, 7:00 p.m. GCSD Transportation Center, 1790 Latta Road
At our annual meeting, you can receive a copy of our 2024 Annual Report. You can also view a photo montage of our activities from 2024. Additionally, you can hear about our future plans. Our treasurer Bill Peeck will give a financial report and an election of trustees will be conducted. Trustees serve a term of three years. Those currently seeking re-election are Bill Peeck, Deborah Whitt and Bridget O’Toole. Deborah Cole Myers will be seeking election to fill the position currently held by Ruth Curchoe. All GHS members are invited to attend.
A Message from the Society’s President’s
This month’s message is about the impact of social media and the web. They have changed how we engage with our members. They have also changed how we interact with the community. Also, this coming year we will look at replacing our 35-year-old furnace in the collections storage area. As well as other upgrades to improve the Museum experience for future generations.
Maureen Whalen wrote a piece on The Fight Against Polio
2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the completion of the Erie Canal. Watch for events throughout the area commemorating this event. These include the Seneca Chief reproduction boat. It was built by the Buffalo Maritime Center. The boat will make stops in Monroe County in September. If you want more information on the Seneca Chief and its trip, visit their Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief page. Check out the Buffalo Maritime Center website for more details.
“She Unsung” February 11
Our Tuesday evening program on February 11, will feature Chandra McKenzi and Ann Coon. They will tell stories about a unique set of diverse women. These women made a commitment to others and produced a legacy of influence and leadership in the community. Their contributions have since become “unsung.”
Each year we select one individual as “Volunteer of the Year.” This year we recognize a long-time member and volunteer Sandy Peck.
Left Bill Sauers, Middle Sandy Peck, Right Bill Peeck
Sandy Peck is a member of the Board of Trustees, is on the Society’s Finance and Audit Committees, and she also volunteers in the Gift Shop. As she is the second volunteer on the finance team, it allows us to maintain separation of duties between the person recording the deposits in the finance system and the person counting money received by GHS and depositing it in the bank. As a member of the Audit Committee, she greatly assisted that committee in conducting the 2023 internal audit in February of 2024. Sandy is the main person processing bank deposits on a periodic basis.
Always responsive in getting the deposits in quickly at the end of the month and monitoring any buildup in volume of financial transactions, she facilitates mid-month or weekly deposits during the membership drive to keep cash on hand to a minimum and to maximize the interest income on our accounts. She volunteers in the gift shop at least once a month or more if necessary and contributes ideas on items to sell with the gift shop manager. Sandy also regularly volunteers to head up ticket sales for the Strawberry Festival and other fundraising events.
Our Annual Membership Meeting is Thursday, January 16, 2025, 7:00 p.m. at GCSD Transportation Center, at 1790 Latta Road. At the annual meeting, you can receive a copy of our 2024 Annual Report. You can also view a photo montage of our activities from 2024. Additionally, you will hear about our future plans.
Our treasurer Bill Peeck will give a financial report and an election of trustees will be conducted.
Trustees serve a term of three years. Those currently seeking re-election are Bill Peeck, Deborah Whitt, and Bridget O’Toole. Deborah Cole Myers will be seeking election to fill the position currently held by Ruth Curchoe. All GHS members are invited to attend. Below is each board member and a brief bio about them.
Bill Peeck Bill Peeck brings a distinguished background in finance, engineering, and management to his role as Treasurer of the Greece Historical Society, a position he has held since 2015. A retired U.S. Army Finance Officer and former Business Analyst for Eastman Kodak Company, Bill holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MS in Systems Management, reflecting his strong analytical and organizational expertise.
Deborah Whitt Deborah Whitt is a dedicated community leader and longtime resident of Greece, where she has owned and operated a successful State Farm Insurance agency for over 40 years. Passionate about preserving the rich history of all ethnic groups, Deborah is committed to ensuring their significant contributions to the community are recognized and celebrated.
Bridget O’Toole Bridget O’Toole brings a wealth of expertise as an environmental, land use, and municipal attorney with Heath & O’Toole PLLC. With a Bachelor of Science in American History, she combines her professional acumen with a deep appreciation for historical perspectives, drawing inspiration from her family’s rich tradition of amateur historians.
Deborah Cole Myers Deborah Cole Myers has deep family roots in Greece, where she grew up and chose to return as her permanent home seven years ago. With a career spanning over 40 years, she brings extensive leadership experience, including 12 years at Eastman Kodak Company and over 30 years as a third-party insurance administrator, retiring as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Her strong ties to the community and professional expertise make her a valuable member of the board.
On January 14th at 7 p.m., the Greece Historical Society will host its Second Tuesday of the Month History Talks at the Greece Arcadia Auditorium. This one will cover Wegmans Food Markets’ origins in Rochester, New York. It will also discuss its growth through the early 20th century. Additionally, it will cover its expansion beyond Rochester, the greater Rochester area, and Upstate New York. The Speaker will be Gary Harris, the Historical Asset Coordinator for Wegmans. Due to the possibility of this program’s large turnout, we ask that you reserve your seats early. The cut-off for reserving your tickets to the event will be at noon on January 14th.
This is the map of where to park, enter, and attend the program. A Section V game is set to tip off at 7:15 pm in the gym at the school. Please plan on arriving early to get a parking spot closest to the building. Note the Green Box is the Auditorium. Red Arrows indicate the two doors you will be able to enter. The Blue Information symbol marks where our registration table will be for the event.
Parking and Entrance map to the Arcadia High School Auditorium
Please reserve your tickets. The ticket reservation is live. Click the Read More button on the embedded post to reserve your tickets via the ticket engine. You can also call 585-225-7221 or email greecehistoricalsociety@yahoo.com
Are you ready to make a difference in your community? Please mark your calendars for December 3, 2024, because it’s time to ROC the Day with the Greater Rochester community! This 24-hour event is all about coming together. We encourage giving back to our region. We need YOU to join us in making a real impact.
At the Greece Historical Society & Museum, we are dedicated to preserving and celebrating our area’s rich history. Participate in ROC the Day on December 3rd. You can help support our mission. This ensures that future generations can continue to learn about our past.
This Donate button sends you to our Roc The Day Page for the Organization
Join us in supporting our community and ROC the Day on December 3, 2024. Whether you donate your time, money, or resources, every contribution makes a difference. Together, we can make a real impact right here in the Greater Rochester region.
So, what are you waiting for? Mark your calendars, spread the word, and get ready to ROC the Day with the Greece Historical Society & Museum. So on December 3rd, let’s come together and make a difference. See you there!
Any amount you donate today will help the Society’s Mission. Its mission is to preserve the History of the Town of Greece.
This Donate button sends you to our Roc The Day Page for the Organization
Are you ready to make a difference? As a volunteer with the Greece Historical Society, you have the power to influence how we connect our community with the rich tapestry of our shared history. This is your moment to step up and unleash your potential! We are excited to announce a series of regular meetings designed to reinvigorate our Society, discuss what has been lost, and brainstorm new, innovative ideas that can propel us into the future. It’s time to rally together, share our voices, and cultivate a space where history thrives!
On July 10 we lost one of our long-time members and volunteer, Betty Fetter. Betty passed away peacefully at the age of 102. She was born in Rochester, graduated from Charlotte High School, and was a proud resident of the Town of Greece for decades. Betty was a longtime employee of Eastman Kodak who also volunteered at the Greece Historical Society, the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse, and the Greece Public Library. She was a life member and former officer of the Rochester Lapidary Society and was a member of Greece Baptist Church. Throughout her life Betty touched many lives with her kindness, zest for life, and love of local history. We agree with her obituary “Betty was a marvel, living independently to age 100, and she served as a wonderful example of a life well-lived.” She enjoyed traveling, especially to the Adirondack Mountains with family.
Here at GHS, Betty was our volunteer registrar, coming every Monday to sort through and catalog our collection. Before the days of computers that meant handwritten entries in the registry and typing catalogue cards. She also attended training seminars on collection care and the duties of a registrar. She would be seen attending nearly every program and event held by us and would join a group of fellow volunteers every Monday for lunch.
Betty at Greece Historical Society
Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse from the Rochester Public Library Historical Division
Betty was at the Charlotte Genesee Lighthouse almost every Tuesday reviewing many documents and filing them and then met others at a restaurant where she shared local history. In later years a bus would drive her to and take her home from her volunteer duties and lunch outings.
When Secondhand Prose, operated by the Friends of the Greece Public Library, opened in a small room just inside the library entrance, Betty was a volunteer almost from the beginning. She helped sort donated books twice a month. She participated in their twice-yearly sales at the Greece Town Mall, on location at the library, or at sorting areas. She was always a cheerful and willing helper whether sorting or selling books.
Because of her community volunteerism, she received the Greece Historical Society Volunteer of the Year award in 2011 and a certificate of Merit from Senator Joe Robach in 2012.
However, with her tendency to downplay her own accomplishments, Betty had another highly significant volunteer “career,” about which few apparently knew. For nearly 25 years she was on the Race Communications Committee at Watkins Glen, performing vital services for the race organizers, in those glorious years of Formula One (from 1961 until 1980) racing at Watkins Glen. She was much appreciated for her devotion and skill and probably knew many of the drivers and race organizers. She may have met drivers like Geoffrey Eli Bodine, Brett Bodine, and Todd Bodine, from Chemung, New York and she was there from inception of “Six Hours at The Glen” in 1968 and would run until 1981, helping with the “Six Hours at The Glen” endurance race featured top drivers such as Mario Andretti, Jacky Ickx, Pedro Rodríguez, and Derek Bell.
Betty was the sole grandchild of Rochester residents John Kannewischer, a German-born tailor, and his wife, whose six children continued to live in Rochester/Greece their entire lives (1880s-1980s). A remarkable and extensive archive of Kannewischer family memorabilia was preserved by Betty and will be donated to the University of Rochester’s Rush Rhees Library Department of Rare Books, Special Collections and Preservation. Our April 2024 program by Cynthia Howk on the family was based on these materials.
Thank you, Betty, for your service to the community. We will all miss you.
On display at the Museum are artifacts from the game’s beginnings in the early 1800s to a jersey from the champion 2023 Greece Post American Legion team. Started on March 10, 2024, and runs till the end of the year.
Town of Greece resident Joe Territo, a co-founder and past President of the Rochester Baseball Historical Society is curating the exhibit. He also serves as the official team photographer for the Rochester Red Wings.
Little is known about baseball playing during the very early days of the sport in the Town of Greece. Accounts of organized games are extremely rare. Most of the town was farmland during the 19th century. It is likely that the children of hard-working farmers played the game more often than their parents. Back then, the game would not have included gloves because baseball was played barehanded during most of the 1800s. It is also likely that these youngsters played an early form of the game called town ball. Bases could have consisted of various objects including stones or even tall stakes driven into the ground that players had to touch to be counted as safe. Farm tools, such as ax handles, were commonly converted into bats, and balls were handmade from tightly wound twine or yarn wrapped in cloth or leather.
As Greece grew in population with farmlands becoming housing tracts and the town evolving into a vibrant suburb of Rochester, organized baseball became commonplace. Businesses such as the Hotel DeMay and the Dutch Mill sponsored youth teams and men’s softball teams. Visitors will also learn that a semi-pro team called the Town of Greece home and was very popular during the early part of the 20th century.
If you want to learn about some of our local hometown athletes who have gone on to the pro level or just had some records set at local high schools besides Jerome A Combs, then get yourself a copy of our publication written by Marie Villone Poinan the late Tom Sawnor.
The Greece Historical Society proudly announces a scholarship in honor of Warren C. Crandell. The scholarship is to a highly motivated, graduating high school senior from the Town of Greece. This student must plan to further their education as a History or Education major or minor. They can do this at a two- or four-year college or university. The number of scholarships vary annually.
AWARD:
$2,000.00 is payable directly to the student for college expenses. These include tuition, fees, books, room, and board. There are other costs associated with higher education. Awards will be given in two installments: first, $1,000.00 upon proof of registration or letter of acceptance with a two-year or four-year college or university. In addition, the final high school report card with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher must be submitted to the Greece Historical Society. Second, $1,000.00 upon the submission of the first-semester report card with a grade point average of no less than 2.75 to the Greece Historical Society. Estimated delivery dates: July 1 and January 1.
From March 2022 through March 2023, in celebration of our town’s bicentennial, the Greece Historical Society produced 54 multimedia podcasts called Bicentennial Snapshots. Each snapshot, averaging five to 10 minutes, explored a different aspect of Greece’s history.
Even though all of them are available on our website, the complete series of Bicentennial Snapshots is also available on a set of four DVDs for $15.00. Click on the Buy Now button below to order your DVD set of our Bicentennial Snapshots.
We are thrilled and honored to announce that on September 20th, 2022 the Association of Public Historians of New York, along with the New York State Museum, presented to the Greece Historical Society its 2022 Award for Excellence in Promoting Local History.
The Association of Public Historians of New York State is a professional organization that represents the 1,600+ government-appointed historians in the state.
We are incredibly proud of all our volunteers, who are directly responsible for our receiving this honor.
Besides maintaining our museum with permanent and changing exhibits and presenting a popular lecture series. the Greece Historical Society has published books and stories, produced videos, provided speakers to local organizations, digitized local newspapers, erected historical markers, and conducted cultural resource surveys of local architects like The Thomas W. Boyde, Jr. Project.
Most recently, in celebration of the town’s bicentennial, GHS volunteers researched and published stories of pioneer families of Greece and produced fifty-four 5 to 10 minute videos highlighting various aspects of the Town of Greece’s history. The bicentennial videos can be found on the left side of our homepage in the section labeled Bicentennial Snapshots.
Our Tuesday Programs can be found under GHS Program Archives. The Archives section is being transformed into a unique experience that will make it easier to see articles from our newsletter, view snapshots, and learn about Greece landmarks. We also plan to add parts of our digital kiosk to the website over time.
The Greece Historical Society (GHS) is sponsoring a Cultural Resource Survey of The Architecture of Thomas W. Boyde, Jr., Rochester’s first African American architect. The project is funded by grants from the Rochester Area Community Foundation, the Preservation League of New York State/New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), and individual donations.
Thomas Boyde 1930 NY Architects Office cropped to headshot
Thomas W. Boyde, Jr. was a prolific designer of Mid-Century Modern homes and businesses, but also did significant work designing buildings for economically disadvantaged communities. The survey will help identify Boyde’s built work which spans across Western New York, including several houses in the town of Greece, and bring new appreciation to the work of this supremely talented architect who left a remarkable legacy in the greater Rochester area.
The project team includes: Christopher Brandt, architect at Bero Architecture PLLC; Jeffrey A. “Free” Harris, independent historian and historic preservation consultant from Hampton, VA; Katie Eggers Comeau, former architectural historian at Bero; Gina M. DiBella, preservation consultant from Greece; Jenna Huizinga, Brighton Historian’s Office intern and SUNY Geneseo student; and Alexis Rivers, research assistant.
While conducting research, the project team discovered additional drawings, correspondence, and interviews that went beyond the original scope of the project. They are now working to raise additional funds to include this new information and complete the project.
Rendering of Private Home in Penfield – RMSC
Please consider making a contribution to further the research on Mr. Boyde. Click Boyde Project to make a donation.
For more information on Thomas W. Boyde, Jr. and some of the work the project team has already completed, read this AIA Rochester article or view the Thomas W. Boyde, Jr. presentation recorded by the Greece Historical Society on April 12, 2022.
This book is researched and written by Marie Villone Poinan, and JoAnn Ward Snyder, and honors the families who settled in the area before 1872. It contains vignettes, photos, and input from current family members that highlight each family’s contribution to the town.
The following families are featured in Volume 1: Baker, Beaty, Bemish/Lane/Wilder, Britton, Captain, John Burns, Terry Burns, Butts, Carpenter/Toal, Cole/Kenyon, Denise, Eddy, Farnan, Fetzner, Joseph and Patrick Fleming, Robert Fleming, Goodwin, Hogan, Janes, Johnson, Kirk, Latta, Lay, Lowden, Mitchell, Mura, Nash, Newcomb, O’Neil, Perrin, Preston, James, Reilly, Reniff, Shearman, Speer/Carroll, Thorpe, Tiernan/McGee, Upton, Veeder, Veness, Volkmar.
(Available on Amazon, and in museum gift shop, or by visiting our gift shop in the museum during our regular office hours.)
Pioneer Families of the Town of Greece – Vol. 2 (Expected to be available in Late 2023)
This book researched and written by Marie Villone Poinan and Jo Ann Ward Snyder, honors the families who settled in the area before 1872. It contains vignettes, photos, and input from current family members that highlight each family’s contribution to the town.
This second volume will honor families who settled in the area before 1872 but were not included in Volume 1.
Below are the families that will probably be featured in Volume 2 depending on family approvals and signatures to allow the families to appear in the book:
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