Town of Oswego - Historical Society

Historical Society

Officers of the Oswego Town Historical Society

President: George DeMass

Vice President: Tom Czerow

Treasurer: Theresa Cooper

Trustee: Margaret Mahaney

Trustee: Douglas Malone

Trustee: Justin White

Publicity: Carol Haynes

Historian's Report

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.

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.

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 2011 DATES & EVENTS
Job Title	Name
February 19th Saturday 10:30 am	ROADS, HILLS AND VALLEYS IN OSWEGO TOWN
March 19th Saturday 10:00 am	THE CITY POOR HOUSE Justin White, Oswego County Historian
April 6th Wednesday 6:00 pm	Walking down memory lane: a Pictorial journey of California & West Lake Roads
May 18th Wednesday 6:00 pm	150 YEARS AFTER THE CIVIL WAR
May 30th Monday 10:00 am	MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE AT RURAL CEMETERY
June 15th Wednesday 6:00 pm	ARCHIVE DAY Bring a memento to share
July 12th Tuesday 6:00pm	ICE CREAM SOCIAL MEXICO BRASS
September 10th Saturday 10:00 am	RURAL CEMETERY WALK
September 21st Wednesday 6:00 pm	SUNY OSWEGO-150 YEARS!
October 15th Saturday 10:00 am	CHURCHES OF OSWEGO TOWN
November 12th Saturday 10:00 am	VETERANS’ DAY PROGRAM
November 19th Saturday 10:00 am	DAIRY AND MUCK FARMING IN OSWEGO TOWN
December 2nd Friday 5:30 pm	CHRISTMAS PARTY

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 Theresa Cooper.
Office Phone: 343-2586 or Email: records@twcny.rr.com