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| Officers
of the Oswego Town Historical Society |
President:
George DeMass
Office: 343-4414
Cell: 420-0000
Email
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Vice
President: Tom Czerow |
Treasurer: Vacant |
Trustee: Douglas Malone |
Trustee: Justin White |
Secretary: Margaret Mahaney |
| Publicity:
Carol Haynes |
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March 11, 2013 Report
As Town Historian I will represent the Town at the ceremony for Dr. Mary Walker sponsored by the Medal of Honor Grove this Thurs. March 14, 2013 near Valley Forge, PA.
I will speak at the N. Y . State Library in April for a book review A MEDAL FOR MARY by Polly Craig
Justin White, Co. Historian and I will do a presentation on Dr. Mary at the N Y State Conference for Historians in Syracuse in April
The first meeting 2013 of the Oswego Town Hist. Soc. will be Wed. March 20 6:30 pm It will be an Open House to view the newly compiled volumes on local history and to discover what the Society offers. The 2013 program brochure will be available. |
February 11, 2013 Report
Seven inquiries have come to the Town Historian's desk in the last month---inquires that include Dr. Mary, the amusement park across from Rudy's, burials at Rural Cemetery and info. on Mentro and Russell Streets near the college--roads no longer in existence.
One large acquisition: a chair from Dr. Mary's Bunker Hill home from the auction in the 1920's purchased by Harger Woodworth Sr. and given to the Hist. Society by Harger Woodworth Jr.
A Historical Society program brochure is being produced with topics for the 2013 season.
The first meeting will be Wed. March 20 6:30 pm. It will be an open house to"show off" the compiled archival material for research. Some items of Dr. Jerome Coe a prominent Syracuse physician and Oswego Town Civil War vet will also be on display |
August 13, 2012 Report
Two new books featuring Dr. Mary Walker are now added to our library of books.
A Medal For Dr. Mary donated and written by Polly Craig of Georgia.
Medal of Honor 150 Years of the Courage and Sacrifice; an article on Dr. Mary Walker is featured in this magazine.
Our next historical society event will be a candlelight cemetery walk at Rural Cemetery on Saturday September 8, 2012 at 6 PM, this will be honoring War of 1812 Veterans. |
June 11, 2012 Report
The Memorial Day was very rainy, but 35 attended including 2 World War II Veterans. We had positive comments regarding how nice the cemetery and garage were.
Some personal items of Dr. Mary Walker are on display at Richardson-Bates House.
Tim DeSacia has designed a safety protection guard for in front of the Walker Statue.
I am taking our boxed archived records and putting them in 3 ring binders for ease if anyone is doing research.
Our next historical meeting is June 20th at 6pm, town hall and the topic will be dairy, much and fruit farming in the town. |
March 12, 2012 Report
The Walker statue in front of town hall is geo-cached as well as her grave at Rural Cemetery.
Plans for the dedication are proceeding.
Posters are being made for publicity.
A reception for dignitaries will be held at the
Richardson-Bates House Friday evening 7 pm.
Some of Dr. Walker's personal effects
including the Medal of Honor will be on display.
342 A Bus Shuttle service courtesy of Allen Chase of Chase Enterprises
has been acquired gratis for the event.
The March meeting of the Historical . Society is this Sat.
March 17, 10 am. The topic is
TITANIC--100 YEARS LATER.
A new display 'Houses of Rt. 104 West' is being prepared for the bulletin board.
Some of the pictures show 104 when it was dirt. |
February 13, 2012 Report
Plans for the statue dedication are proceeding on schedule.
Sharon BuMann, the sculptor, has informed us of "patina" problems.
She will remedy that. It is a foundry issue.
The first meeting of the Historical Society will be Sat. February 18th ,
10 am at the Town Hall. Topic of discussion is Nathaniel Laird, the oldest
person to have lived in Oswego Town. He died in 1894 at age 111.
His great-grandson is Norman Simmons of Fruit Valley.
A brochure listing the 2012 events for the Society will be distributed.
Dr. Walker's second book, UNMASKED, is very rare.
Just recently, three copies have appeared on a book site.
I did secure one for my collection and eventually give that to our
Archives here.
I have been invited by the 150th. Anniversary committee of
St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church in Oswego to share at the
three Masses sometime in May about Dr. Walker and the Civil
War.
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January 9, 2012 Report
I will be working with the Town of Minetto Historian Cathy Mulcahey to help us with plans for the 200th anniversary of West Fifth St. Rd in 2013.
The Oswego City Public Library is looking for evidence that Gerritt Smith visited Oswego City. Dr. Mary Walker wrote an article to the Palladium Times in 1907 saying that Mr. Smith visited her father's farm on Bunker Hill in the Town of Oswego when she was a small girl. |
September 12, 2011 Report
The 3rd Annual Cemetery Walk in Oswego Town Rural Cemetery was held Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011 at 10AM. The walk was contained to Old Acre, the oldest part of the cemetery founded in 1820.
19 people and 15 geese joined the tour. This was sponsored by the Oswego Town Historical Society. Four of our oldest members were in attendance Nancy Thompson Ravas, Thelma Campbell Smith, Norman Simmons and Chuck Sabin.
I will be attending a workshop at the Manlius Town Hall Thursday, Sept 15th on digitalizing pictures and records.
The regular September meeting of the Oswego Town Historical Society will be Wed Sept. 21st, 6pm at the Town Hall.
Mr. Tim Nekritz from SUNY Oswego will talk about the early years of the college and its founder, Dr. Edwin Austin Sheldon. |
July 11, 2011 Report
Accessions:
Airplane watch tower guide WWII for tower on Heald Hill from Harger Woodworth
Photos and memorabilia of Dr. Mary Walker from Byron Worden estate given by Ted Sivers
Ice Cream Social in the park Tues. July 12, 2011 6 pm Mexico Brass performing. |
June 13, 2011 Report
The Memorial Day ceremony was well attended with over 88 people in attendance. We had Captain Spears from Fort Drum as our guest speaker. I would like to thank cemetery superintendent John Knopp and his crew for having the cemetery in good shape, it has not been easy with all the rain we have had. We will be putting up the Oswego Town race car driver's pictures again because people have been asking about it. Our next meeting is June 15th at 6:00 PM and we are asking people to bring in historical items to show and tell. |
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April
Dedication of Dr. Mary Walker Monument Postponed
OSWEGO – The Oswego Town Historical Society has publicly planned to
have an April dedication of the statue Dr. Mary Walker, to be placed in
front of the Oswego Town Hall at 2320 County Route 7. The society's board
of trustees was recently notified by sculptor Sharon BuMann that she will
be unable to present a completed monument by the deadline as a result of
unforeseen delays in the project.
"Due to circumstances beyond
our control, I regret to say that the planned dedication for April 30th
has been postponed," said George Demass, Oswego Town Historian and
society trustee. "We are still very excited about the near completion
of this project and it promises to be a memorable day for the town."
After the statue is complete and the site is prepared, a new dedication
date will be set and notices will be sent and the public invited.
"We appreciate the patience and dedication of all of those who have
supported this project," added Demass. "We look forward to presenting
this lasting memorial in honor of Dr. Walker’s and recognizing her
amazing achievements. It will be worth the wait."
For more information, contact the Oswego Town Hall at 343-2586.
Media Contact: Theresa Cooper, 343-2586. |
Oswego Town Historical Society 2012 Dates And Events |
| February 18, Saturday 10 AM |
The Oldest Man In Oswego Town Nathaniel Laird – His Story |
| March 17, Saturday 10 AM |
More On 'Titanic' 100Th Anniversary |
| April 18, Wednesday 6 PM |
Some Things You Didn't Know About Dr. Mary
Preparing For The Dedication |
| May 12, Saturday 10 AM |
Dedication Of The Dr. Mary Walker Statue
Dr. Sharon Harris, Keynote Speaker |
| May 28, Monday 10 AM |
Memorial Day Service
Oswego Town Rural Cemetery |
| June 20, Wednesday 6 PM |
Dairy, Fruit & Muck Farming In Oswego Town |
| July 10, Tuesday 6 PM |
Ice Cream Social |
| September 8, Saturday |
Candlelight Rural Cemetery Walk At Dusk
Graves Of War Of 1812 Veterans |
| September 19, Wednesday 6 PM |
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| October 20, Saturday 10 AM |
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| November 10, Saturday 10 AM |
Veterans' Day Program |
| December 7, Friday 5:30 PM |
Christmas Party |
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The first Town Hall was built on March 30,
1892, next to the Oswego Center United Methodist Church. |
The Town of Oswego, situated in the northwest
comer of the county and lying wholly within the old Military Tract, was
erected from the Hannibal Township in April 1818. Since its inception several
changes have signifcantly altered its size and shape. This geographic surgery
began in 1836 when a small triangular tract of land near the present area
of Minetto was annexed to the Town of Oswego from the Town of Granby. The
next case occurred when the village of Oswego was incorporated as a city
in 1848, thus removing it from the jurisdiction of Oswego Town. Up to this
time the Township of Oswego extended all the way to the Oswego River.
The Township again lost territory when Minetto was formed in the early twentieth
century. The Town of Oswego was originally covered with dense forests with
much heavy timber. In fact, this situation provided the first form of employment
for many sturdy pioneers as there was a growing demand for lumber in the
tiny village at the mouth of the river. Early settlers told of the heavy
forest cover that existed between the village and what is now known as Fruit
Valley.
Soon after the first settlers had settled in, roads were cut leading to
the village but several more years elapsed before passable thoroughfares
were surveyed and opened. The first highway in the town was the road leading
from Oswego up the river through Minetto to Oswego Falls (Fulton), which
was opened in 1811. The Fifth Street Road was laid out by William Moore,
the first surveyor, in 1813. The first bridges were made of logs. Thus,
from these humble beginnings, the thriving Town of Oswego emerged.
Charles V. Groat, Ph.D.
Past Oswego Town Historian |
Mary Edwards
Walker
Above And Beyond
|
Historical Society is embarking on a campaign
to create a lasting memorial in recognition of native citizen Dr. Mary E.
Walker. More than 170 years ago, Dr. Walker was born on the Walker family
farm on Bunker Hill Road in the Town of Oswego. Today she is nationally
recognized as the first and only woman ever awarded the Congressional Medal
of Honor for her heroic services during the American Civil War. Dr. Walker
lived her life in the moment and never stopped her tireless efforts to create
equality and civil rights for women. Although she was a pioneer female physician,
she was mostly known for her crusade in the suffrage movement, dress reform
and social equality for all people.
Dr. Walker was born, raised, lived, died and is buried in the Rural Cemetery
in the Town of Oswego. She was a world traveler, and spent much of her time
in Washington, D.C., fighting for the causes she believed in. However, Oswego
Town was always her home and she never lived away for long from her beloved
farm on Bunker Hill Road. Sadly, the historic family farm burned more than
half a century ago. A New York State historical marker marks the spot. The
Oswego Town Historical Society has conceptualized a plan to create a memorial
in honor of Dr. Walker in front of the new Oswego Town Hall in the near
future.
The Oswego Town Historical Society is asking for your support to create
this lasting commemoration in honor of Dr. Walker. If you have any questions,
ideas or concerns, please contact committee chairperson Theresa Cooper. |
If
interested please contact George DeMass.
Office Phone: 343-4414, Cell: 420-0000, or Email: GDemass@twcny.rr.com |
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