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January Programs & Winter Museum Closure

by Pat Worboys

The Greece Historical Society is pleased to announce two special programs taking place in January 2026, along with an important reminder about our annual winter closure.

📚 A Contemporary History of the Town of Greece

Tuesday, January 13, 2026 | 7:00 p.m.
Greece Public Library

Former Greece Supervisor Don Riley will discuss the process of writing a new book on the modern history of the Town of Greece, covering the period from 1960 to the present. His presentation will explore the role of community organizations and draw on interviews with local community leaders. Audience input and discussion will be welcomed.

This program is offered by the Greece Historical Society in cooperation with the Greece Public Library.

Reservations are required:
👉 https://greecepl.librarycalendar.com/event/greece-historical-society-42185
📞 Or call 585-225-8954

🏛️ Greece Historical Society Annual Meeting

Thursday, January 15, 2026 | 7:00 p.m.
Paddy Hill School, 1801 Latta Road

Our Annual Meeting is open to all members and will include:

  • Distribution of the 2025 Annual Report
  • A photo montage highlighting Society activities from the past year
  • A look ahead at plans for the coming year
  • A financial report presented by Treasurer Bill Peeck
  • Election of trustees

Trustees currently seeking re-election are Pam O’Sullivan and Rob Cunningham.
New trustee candidates are Penny Cherney and John Gilbert.
Trustees serve three-year terms.

Following the meeting, attendees are invited to enjoy a tour of Paddy Hill School. All members are encouraged to attend.

❄️ Winter Museum Closure

Please note that the Greece Historical Society & Museum will be closed from January through March for our annual winter break. We will reopen in the spring with new exhibits and programs. We will still have office hours on Mondays by appointment only. We are also willing to open up if you want to pick up a copy of the Pioneer Families of The Town of Greece Volume II, but do call ahead to the museum to arrange the pick up.

We look forward to seeing you at our January events and welcoming you back to the museum soon!

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Pioneer Families of Greece, New York — Volume 2 Now Available

by Marie Poinan and Jo Ann Ward Synder

The Greece Historical Society is proud to announce the publication of The Pioneers of Greece, Volume 2. Authored by GHS volunteers, Marie Poinan and Jo Ann Ward Snyder, this new volume has 238 pages and is chock full of family stories and more than 1150 photographs and maps. As with the first volume, all proceeds from this book go to support the Greece Historical Society.

Buy On Amazon

Available Now

Pioneer Families of the Town of Greece - Vol. 2
Pioneer Families of the Town of Greece – Vol. 2
Buy in Our Gift Shop

Starting December 18, 2025

The book is now available to order for Christmas delivery on Amazon. We expect that our first order of 25 books will be delivered on December 18. The gift shop will be selling the book for $39, including tax. Shipping costs will be an additional $5.00.

Although the museum is closed in January and February, you will be able to pick up the books you order, on any Monday during business hours  10:00 a.m. until noon.

Pioneer family certificates will be available to our contributing families when the museum re-opens in March.

The book’s authors spent four years interviewing and researching in order to accurately portray these pioneer families and produce a volume full of local history and genealogy that is a must-have for your book collection.

Included in this volume are the following 50 pioneer families: Allen, Andrews, Beattie, Beck, Benedict, Blackwell, Bonesteel, Buckman, Budd, Burger, Burns, Michael, Button, Cason, Clarke, Coffey, Combs, Cottrell/Pike, Davis/T. Mitchell, Defendorf, English, Estes, Faker, Fall, Frisbee, Glass, Hadlock, Hannahs, Hickox, Hincher, Hopper, Justice, Keene, Marchant, McShea, Meech, Phelps, Rowley, Ruggles, Sage, Sharpe/George Quinn, Vick, Weitz, Whelehan/John Quinn, Wietz, Williams and Worboys.

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Evolving Our Gift Shop: A Step into the Future of Museum Retail

by Pat Worboys

The Greece Historical Society & Museum is excited to share an important modernization in how we serve our visitors. Our gift shop is evolving to a modern Point-of-Sale (POS) system, designed to make every transaction smoother, faster, and more secure. More details to come January.

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Craft Show Saturday

by Pat Worboys

🎨 Join us Saturday, October 25, 2025 for a Craft Show at the Greece Historical Society & Museum
🕙 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
📍 595 Long Pond Road, Greece, NY 14612 greecehistoricalsociety.org

Get ready for a delightful autumn day of handmade treasures and local charm! Our craft show will feature a wonderful lineup of vendors offering unique, handcrafted items you’ll love to give — or keep! Vendors include:

  • Diane Gilbert
  • Diane Rivoli
  • Kim Covert
  • Sue Power
  • Linda Johnson
  • Mary Natalello
  • Lisa Manioci
  • Wendy Peeck
  • Lift Bridge Church Group

Whether you’re looking for one-of-a-kind décor, artisan gifts, seasonal crafts, or something special for yourself, you’ll find it here.
Bring a friend, come explore local creativity, and support our community and the mission of the Greece Historical Society—an all-volunteer nonprofit committed to preserving local history.

✨ Why come?

  • Discover handmade goods from talented local artisans
  • Find early gifts for holidays or treat yourself
  • Enjoy a cozy, friendly setting at a charming historic venue
  • Support the efforts of the Historical Society in maintaining the past for our future

📝 Details to remember:

  • Free to attend (unless otherwise noted)
  • Plenty of parking on site overflow parking will be at the Greece Town Hall
  • You’ll be inside or under cover, so weather won’t spoil the fun
  • Come anytime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

We can’t wait to see you there — spread the word and bring someone who loves artisan crafts as much as you do! 🎁

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Greece Historical Society’s Passport of South Greece on the Erie Canal Now Available

by Gina M. DiBella

The Erie Canal is celebrating the bicentennial of its completion this year. Cities, towns and villages across the 360-mile route are planning activities to recognize this milestone. The Greece Historical Society is joining the celebration this summer with a few activities of its own. One activity that you can get started on right now is a self-guided “passport” of key locations in town that were associated with the canal.

A Heritage Trail Passport: South Greece on the Erie Canal, created by the GHS Erie Canal Bicentennial Committee, gives you a peek at Greece canal history with 29 stops in South Greece. The 24-page booklet has space available to check off each site and note the date you saw it.

Please Note: Most of these sites are private and not open to the public, but you are welcome to view them from the road or canal trail.

You can pick up a Passport at the gift shop in the Greece Museum, 595 Long Pond Road, on Sundays from 1:30 PM to 4 PM, or at any of the Greece Historical Society’s upcoming Erie Canal 200 events in August and September. Once you complete your passport, return to the Greece Museum to be entered into a drawing for a one-year membership to the Greece Historical Society.

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2025 “Sweet Sensations” Annual Strawberry & Dessert Tasting Fundraiser

by Greece Museum

Date And Time:

Monday, June 16, 2025
4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Location:

Greece Town Hall Pavilion
3 Vince Tofany Blvd, Greece, NY 14612

Directions to the Pavilion
Directions to venue using Google Maps

Admission:

Adults: $10.00 (13 and over)

Kids: $ 5.00 (6-12)


FREE for 5 & Under – No Ticket Needed

FREE PARKING

The Admission includes

Strawberry Short Cake and other dessert samples from

Dessert Samplings from The following vendors

Great American Dinner
Great American Dinner
Soulistic Sweets
Special T Cakes & Desserts
LAKE ONTARIO WINERY - NEW
Mayer’s Cider Mill & Lake Ontario Winery & Vineyards

Starlight Breads and Bakes

Barton’s Parkside Hots

Hots, Burgers, Sausages, etc. will be available for purchase.

ALL WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

Music for the event is provided by:

Tones Entertainment

Other Activities include:

  • Children Activities
  • Grease Paint Alley Clowns
  • Community Displays
  • There will be Door Prizes
  • “Pick A Prize” Raffle
  • A Square Dance demonstration at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

A Square Dance demonstration at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. by The Western New York Federation of Square and Round Dancers

Western New York Federation of Square and Round Dancers
A Square Dance demonstration at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
A Square Dance demonstration at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Grease Paint Alley Clowns
Grease Paint Alley Clowns

Face-Paintings, Balloon Animals

Thank you to the Sponsors of the 2025 Strawberry & Dessert Tastings Festival

Help us promote our event by posting our event ad at your workplace or business. Thank You

2025-Strawberry-Fest-FlyerDownload
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How to Watch the Sunday Bridge Talk On YouTube

by Pat Worboys

The Program on The Rochester Main Street Bridge will be available on our YouTube Channel. This is for those who want to watch it. You can tune in if you can’t attend in person. Also, on our homepage, the first slide is a placeholder for the live stream. This will change to the live feed from the museum. The feed will go live at 1:30. This timing ensures all the audio and video equipment is set. It also makes sure the stream is stable. The program itself will start at 2 pm. If you join via the live stream, feel free to engage us in chat. If you have questions for Geoffrey Zeiner to answer during the live stream, please put them in the chat. We will be curating a list of questions from the chat room and the event attendees in the room.

History of Rochester’s Main Street Bridge Live Stream

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The 2nd annual Warren C. Crandell Memorial Scholarship entry period is now open!

by Greece Museum

🎓 Calling All Greece High School Seniors! 📜

The Greece Historical Society is proud to announce the Warren C. Crandell Memorial Scholarship! This $2,000 scholarship honors Warren C. Crandell’s passion for history and education and will support a motivated student planning to study history or education at a two- or four-year college.

📝 How to Apply:
✔ Be a graduating high school senior from the Town of Greece
✔ Plan to major or minor in history or education
✔ Submit an application, transcript, letter of recommendation, and a 500-750 word historical essay about the Town of Greece

📅 Deadline: Last Monday in March
📩 Apply today! More details & application: Warren C. Crandell Memorial Scholarship

Help us continue Warren’s legacy by sharing this opportunity with deserving students! 🙌

#GreeceHistoricalSociety #ScholarshipOpportunity #WarrenCrandellScholarship #FutureHistorians #EducationMatters

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Volunteer of the Year 2024

by Greece Museum

Sandy Peck

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.

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A Brief History of Wegmans by Gary Harris

by Pat Worboys

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

A Brief History of Wegmans by Gary Harris.
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Roc The DAY! 2024 With Greece Historical Society

by Pat Worboys

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

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Unleash Your Potential: Shape the Future of the Greece Historical Society!

by Pat Worboys

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!

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A Farewell to Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Fetter

by William Sauers

Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Fetter

Born: 1922

Died: 2024

Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Fetter 1922-2024
Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Fetter

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
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 One1 racing at Watkins Glen. She was much appreciated for her devotion and skill and probably knew many of the drivers and race organizers.

Betty with friend Helen Sereno at Watkins Glen International Photo courtesy International Racing Research Ctr.

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.

Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Fetter
  1. Formula One1 ran at Watkins Glen International from 1961 until 1980 ↩︎
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Play Ball Exhibit

by Pat Worboys

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.

Bicentennial Snapshot No 28 - Jerome A Combs The Baseball player
Bicentennial Snapshot No 28 – Jerome A Combs The Baseball player

Also, check out this snapshot: Bicentennial Snapshot # 28 – Jerome Combs, The Cobblestone Baseball Catcher

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.

Hometown Sports Heroes of Greece NY

Baseball jerseys with significant Town of Greece baseball history

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BICENTENNIAL SNAPSHOT COLLECTION ON DVD

by Pat Worboys
Bicentennial Snapshot Logo

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.

Bicentennial Snapshot DVD Cover
GHS Bicentennial Snapshot Collection On DVD
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GHS AWARDED FOR EXCELLENCE IN PROMOTING LOCAL HISTORY

by Pat Worboys

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.

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