!!!

!In an interview with Fred Thurston in 1953, an article entitled “Montezuma Destiny,” was published in International Harvesters’ Trail Magazine (July 1954). The article tells the story of Fred reminiscing about the first Erie Canal built as he witnessed the next phase of evolution for transportation — the NYS Thruway. Fred was born in Montezuma on April 10, 1872, himself destined to become a canaller. On the day of the interview he looked on as the Thruway was being built — this time a roadway making way through Montezuma’s swampland.!!In 2017, New Yorkers will begin the 200th celebration of the building of the Erie Canal. The Canal Era was a major phase of America's nineteenth century transportation revolution and the Erie Canal became the main artery of the nation. Montezuma’s destiny was to become one of the many towns and villages important to the nation’s growth. The canal construction began on July 4, 1817, in Rome, NY, digging its way toward Montezuma to complete the middle section of the Canal.!!Thurston compared the sharp contrast of trucks and bulldozers having difficulty on that day of the

!interview with that of the first canal with diggers making their way through the muckland. As he sat in his favorite chair at his sister’s store, May (Thurston) Jones (now VFW Post 8137), he recalled his childhood memories of stories told to him by his father, Hiram Thurston. Fred learned from his father of the courage it took canal diggers to plunge themselves waste deep digging their way through the formidable vast swampland. Fred’s father told him stories of how the workers only made 50 to 75 cents a day living in shacks along the ditch being built through the center of town. They endured disease and accidents with many a priest saying Mass over graves. !!Thurston remarked that, “it’s a wonder they ever finished this part of the job, but they did, and went west from here until they tapped the Erie Water.” Thurston’s dad, Hiram, used to repeat the popular saying, “they built the world’s longest canal in the least amount of time with the least experience, for the least money, and for the greatest public benefit.”!!Thurston recalled his younger days when he drove mules towing his father’s boat across state for $20 a month. Years later he went on to become a tugboat captain on the new Barge Canal System. !

Fall-Winter 2016 The Story Teller Montezuma historical society !

MONTEZUMA’S DESTINY!!A FAMILY’S CANAL !LEGACY!CELEBRATED!!!“They built the world’s longest canal in the least amount of time with the least experience, for the least money, and for the greatest public benefit.

”..Hiram Thurston

Fred “Frenchie” Thurston!!!Newsletter Editor:!Cheryl Longyear!Town Historian! !

MONTEZUMA HISTORICAL

SOCIETY PO Box 476

Montezuma, NY 13117

!!This summer descendants converged in the middle of the Canal System in Montezuma, some following the Erie Canal’s route east and west between New York City and Buffalo to join local family members for a reunion. They took a tour along the same towpath now in Montezuma Heritage Park to the Richmond!Aqueduct. Here Fred, as a boy drove the mules pulling his father’s boat on the 894 foot!aqueduct over the Seneca River headed for Buffalo.!!The family gathering was held at the VFW that once sat on the banks of Erie Canal, at the same store Fred recalled from in 1953. This year more stories, photographs, scrapbooks, articles and fond memories flowed passing through family members’ hands and hearts in the VFW hall. They continued to share the legacy of this family’s canal heritage that made Montezuma a booming canal town. !!As John Hogan, author of the article, “Montezuma Destiny,” said, “it’s a long ripple in Erie Canal history to throbbing diesel, the sepia-colored current rolls on.” Men, like Fred Thurston who shared these memories remain a legend between the Ditch’s fabled past and its present link today.” !!Montezuma’s recent completion of the EPF Planning Grant has paved the way for future interpretation of the story Montezuma has to tell like the ones Fred passed on giving visitors a glimpse of how New York’s Canal System transformed from it’s early beginnings to what exists today. New York’s vision is to continue a watered highway into the future that sounds remarkably similar to that of Gov. Dewitt Clinton’s vision for the construction of the Erie Canal!

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!The fact that New York State’sCanal system has been in continuous operation from 1825 until today, longer than any other constructed transportation system on the continent, has always shown New York State’s commitment to the system and continued operation into the future. !!At the New York State Canal Conference held in Auburn in September, Mr. Gil C. Quiniones, President and CEO of the New York Power Authority, spoke that the new merger transferring the operation of the New York Canal System to the NYS Power Authority will offer new opportunities that can only maximize the economic benefits of the Canal System. !!Brian Stratton, Director of New York State Canal Corporation shared his recent video presentation

2016 Thurston Family Reunion seated at the Richmond Aqueduct towpath where ancestors once traveled over on boats on the canal.

shown in Scotland at the World’s Canal Conference in preparation for the 2017 World Canal Conference to be held in Syracuse, September 24 - 28, 2017. It highlights and celebrates the bicentennial of the start of building the Erie Canal. This Conference will bring visitors from all over the world to enjoy and explore Central New York and all we have to offer.!!

Sharon & Carter Dorzbacher, Pleasant- ville, NY, display family memorabilia at the Thurston family reunion, September 2016.

Dawn Jordan is an amazing artist who has lined several of our small town streets with her artwork. Along the Erie Canal route from Macedon to Jordan, you can view Dawn’s work. Her latest creation was a long held dream of mine — to have a mural of the Richmond Aqueduct. That dream came true in September as Dawn joined with several other very accomplished artists around the globe to paint at the 2016 Global Mural Conference and Erie Canal Heritage Expo in Fairport, NY.!!The conference theme, “Preserving Heritage Through Community Art,” shined a spotlight on murals depicting the everyday slices of life and signature events that shaped the rich cultural history along the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.!!Murals have the power to create identities for its citizens, provide a public meeting place for residents and visitors to exchange narratives about their own histories and exhibit the communities’ cultural and historical values. !!!

The Story Teller….Page 3

I was part of the amazing team that served on the Planning Committee. We put in countless volunteer hours to bring the conference to the US this year. The reward was seeing it all come together and to experience a week of witnessing murals come to life. The artists were set up in a tent outside the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa. They were charged with completing their murals within one week.!!To be there and watch them create their magic was an awesome experience. They worked side by side supporting and encouraging one another all during the week. The results were stunning! The Expo was free to the public who visited and interacted with the artists all week long as they painted.!On Friday and Saturday there was an amazing line up of speakers that shared their experiences on topics including mural restoration and upkeep, marketing, working with communities, funding murals and much, much more.!!The Mobile Tour on Friday to Canandaigua for a new mural !!

Richmond Aqueduct: Then and Now by Dawn Jordan awarded Viewer’s Choice Award at 2016 Global Mural Conference

dedication was followed by a trip to Lyons. Dan Ward showed the new documentary film on the Erie Canal: Boom or Bust at the beautifully restored historic Ohmann Theater with more presentations. The day included a tour of eight Lyons murals as a result of Mark DeCracker and Noel Dobbins starting Mural Mania there. A stop was made in Macedon to view Dawn’s mural narrated by historians before arriving at Long View Farm for dinner and additional evening talks. !!Dawn’s mural was awarded the Viewers’ Choice Award. The mural was sponsored by the Montezuma Historical Society for the community depicting the aqueduct’s transition from when built in 1849 to carry the Erie Canal over the Seneca River to what remains today. In preparation for painting, she spent time in her boat on the river drawing her sketches. In January, the mural will travel to Albany along with three others to be on exhibit at the Office of General Services Building. It will be installed next year in the Park just east of the Seneca River bridge south of Route 31.

Lillibit by Lillibit — Dreams do come true !

The idea for a Butterfly Garden came up in one of our Park Design Committee meetings. We were very pleased to see that dream come true this summer. The Montezuma Historical Society Friends of the Park worked with Seneca Park Zoo to layout and plant perennials near the High Street Mural. This was a part of the Zoo’s Beltway program that engages and inspires communities in butterfly conservation. MHS purchased the plants form the Zoo and staff helped us layout and do the planting. They returned to do the release and give a talk on the lifecycle of caterpillars.

The Story Teller….Page 4

A form is included in the newsletter if you are interested in purchasing an engraved brick. Kathy Decker is managing the program, and several bricks have already been purchased. Stan and Dan will work on three more benches over the winter that have already been purchased to install in the gazebo!!There’s a children’s book,

called “Lillibit’s Dream,” that reminds me of almost 200 years ago when Dewitt Clinton’s dream transformed Montezuma into a canal town. It represents the many metamorphosis this site has seen, over the years into a

place now where people can come to rest and be renewed in a beautiful nature setting.!

The Shaw/Decker family donated the gazebo. Volunteers laid a floor and assembled it. We received a donation of bricks from Dan Randolph and Stan Longyear has completed a ten-foot section to help start the walkway that will connect to the Byron Lapp Memorial Trail. To help fund the additional costs for laying the remainder of the walkway, engraved bricks may be purchased to be inserted in the walk. !

Bakers Complete Mentz Church Fence Project

Many long hours were spent at the Mentz Church Cemetery this summer by Paul and Bunny Baker assisting in Installing the new cemetery fence. !

Paul raised $4100 contributed to the Town of Montezuma by supporters to do the project. Timberline Fence Company of Mentz Church Road installed the fence.!

Paul assisted with the installation and built the gates with Bunny by his side giving a hand where ever needed. They also created a new walkway to the front entrance of the church.!!!

Many thanks to those who supported this project with their generous donations. !Paul & Bunny we appreciate all you did to make this dream come true.

!toured the new Port Byron Erie Canal Heritage Park and Brigham Young house before heading for Camillus where Dave and Liz Beebe hosted a lunch and boat tour over the Camillus Aqueduct. On the return stops were made in Jordan and again at the Centerport Aqueduct. !!The sign on The C.L. Churchill Tug read, “Searching for History.” They certainly found it here, and were very impressed with the work volunteers have done to preserve historic sites we are so fortunate to still have in our area. !

!The Montezuma print as well as six other prints were framed and have been hung in the Mentz Church. !

The Story Teller….Page 5!!towpath, 1,300-foot-long timber structure crossed the Seneca River that later was replaced by the Richmond Aqueduct. Cohn came across the Hopkins collection last year while doing research at William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. His trip was made on the tug, The C. L. Churchill coming down the Champlain with Jean Baste

an archaeologist from Canada to draw attention to the 200th anniversary next year of the beginning of construction of the Erie Canal, with events planned annually through 2025. !!On August 17th they docked at Devaney’s in Weedsport, where they were greeted by Jean Baker, Brutus Historian, who gave them a tour of the Old Brutus Historical Museum and Centerport Aqueduct Park. The following day a group set out with Mike Riley to give a tour in Montezuma Heritage Park. We visited the site where Hopkins drew the scene depicted in his 1825 print. Cohn confirmed that several pilings at the river’s edge today were indeed the remains of the original towpath structure. After touring the remaining sites in the Park, he visited the Mentz Church which opened the same year as Hopkins came through!Montezuma in 1825. !!While in the area Art and Jean!

Montezuma Historical Society received an expected visit and gift this year that highlighted the importance of the historic Erie Canal sites in Heritage Park. !!The co-founder of a Vermont history museum, Art Cohn, traveled by tugboat on the canal, stopping at about 30 communities discussing the waterway's effect on the nation's growth in the 19th century. !!His gifts to Montezuma were copies of several pints of artwork done by John Henry Hopkins while he traveled the Erie Canal just days after it officially opened in 1825. Around that time, the Irish-born Hopkins, then a 32-year-old newly ordained clergyman from Pittsburgh, began his own voyage by canalboat from Buffalo to Albany, eventually heading for Manhattan to attend a religious conference.!!The talented artist and architectural illustrator created 37 watercolor and pencil sketches of canal scenes, including one in Montezuma. Hopkins sketch gave a view of the scene where the elevated

MONTEZUMA RECEIVES GIFT — A GLIMPSE OF ITS PAST

The C.L. Churchill — Searching for History

Art Cohn presents 1825 print pictured below to Montezuma Historical Society accepted by Mellony Carner, President & Cheryl Longyear, Town Historian

!Montezuma Aqueduct 5K Run/Walk October 11, 2014

The Story Teller…Page 6

HISTORY PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN THE ECONOMY

History is now being recognized as a catalyst for economic growth. People are drawn to communities that have preserved a strong sense of historical identity and character. Cultural heritage is a demonstrated economic asset and an essential component of any vibrant local economy, providing an infrastructure that attracts talent and enhances business development.!

The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor (NY) generates$307.7 million in economic impact, supports 3,240 jobs and generates $34.9 million in tax revenue according to a 2016 Economic Impact of National Heritage Areas Case Study Analysis. !

Montezuma is fortunate to have rich canal history that can tell the complete story from the canal origins to today’s Canal System. We need to promote the Park as important destination along the canalway corridor. We need your help. Please join or renew your membership for 2017 in support of our efforts. We look forward to serving the community to take advantage of this trend. !

We also need your help in keeping our trails maintained and safe for users. If you could devote some time to helping out, either by serving on our Design Committee or volunteering in the park, please let us know on the enclosed form. !

***!

Happy Holidays !

In 2016, we have been making more of an effort to document volunteer time contributed at meetings, work at the Historic Mentz Church building and cemetery, and in the Park. I knew the numbers would be staggering and they were. This year we have totaled in meetings, the park and at Mentz Church 1198.5 volunteer hours! And, believe me — I know it’s probably even higher, because it’s easy to forget to mark down hours when not getting paid. !

Because our volunteers know the importance of caring about the Town and making it a better place to live, time is given freely, but we can appreciate it not with just a pat on the back, but for the value of what has been invested and contributed to the Town. Even at $15/hour, which is well below the standard measurement for volunteer time, that’s $17,977.50 for just this year!!

If we added in the Montezuma Fire Department and Veterans of Foreign Wars volunteer time, we would soon realize that our small town reaps a huge value for the work done at no charge to taxpayers. It’s easy to take volunteer time for granted, because figures don’t show up in a town budget, but if it were we would see how much we are receiving to benefit the Town. !

Thank you

Volunteers

for Your Gift

to the Town!

VOLUNTEERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE !The bedrock of our stewardship programs is our dedicated and hardworking volunteers. They remain the driving force behind the planning and important “on-the-ground" work that has been accomplished. The most rewarding aspect of a volunteer project is the immediate gratification of a job well done. Many times it takes weeks, months or even years to see accomplishments for their hard work. Whether for the Park design work, building and maintaining trails, fundraising, the preservation of the Historic Mentz Church, our all-volunteer fire department and help for Veterans, the end product isn’t always quick to see. !!I would like to thank the Heritage Park Design Committee members: Mike Riley, Paul & Bunny Baker, Kathy and Jim Decker, Dan Randolph, Tom Fitzsimmons, John Malenick, Stan Longyear, and Nancy Sumner for their contribution to finishing the EPF Planning Grant Heritage Park Project. Month after month since being awarded the project in 2010, we have met to carve out and give input for the plan. We ended up with a plan and the work that has been accomplished thus far that has become a very valuable investment for the Town.!!Beyond the monthly meetings among many projects that have been completed during that time, are eleven trails developed and maintained, a butterfly garden, gazebo, and walkway started, 13 benches built and installed, and a new fence for the Mentz Church cemetery. !

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2017 MEMBERSHIP! ! ! ! ! ! ! Your support is needed to help us continue to preserve, promote, and protect the heritage of our community. We are an independent non-profit educational 501(c)3 organization, which means we are not funded by the Town of Montezuma, county, state or federal taxes. Your membership fee helps us cover operating expenses, matching grants for projects done in Montezuma Heritage Park, minor maintenance on the Mentz Church and programs offered during the year. Thank you for your support!

2017 MEMBERSHIP FORM Name (s): ___________________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________

City: __________________________________ State: _______ Zip: ____________

Telephone: _______________Email: ________________________ ____New or ____Renewing Membership

Our mailing and printing costs keep increasing. Newsletters can now be received via email and posted on our website. We would appreciate adding $2 to your dues if you would like a copy mailed. ___ Yes, please mail the newsletter. !General Membership: Friends of the Montezuma Heritage Park:

___ $10 Individual ___ $25 Business Basic ____$10 Ditch Digger ___ $25 Hoggee

___ $15 Family ___ $50 Business Supporter ____$50 Sal the Mule ___ $100 Lock Tender

___ $50 Supporter ___ Other Donation ____$500 Canaller

_____Yes, I’m interested in Volunteer Opportunities with MHS; please contact me! !The Montezuma Historical Society is a Private 501(c)(3) organization, and your donations and contributions are tax deductible.

The Story Teller…Page 7

Please make checks for above forms payable to !Montezuma Historical Society and mail to: PO Box 476, Montezuma, NY 13117.!

MONTEZUMA HERITAGE !PARK!BRICK !WALKWAY !PROJECT

!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

MONTEZUMA HISTORICAL

SOCIETY PO Box 476

Montezuma, NY 13117 !

PHONE: 315-776-4656 !!

E-MAIL: cml115@tds.net !

WEBSITE: !HTTP://

MONTEZUMAHISTORICALSOCIETY.ORG!! !

VISIT US ON FACEBOOK !!

MONTEZUMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY -

FRIENDS OF MONTEZUMA

HERITAGE PARK

!The Story Teller - Fall - Winter 2016

IN THIS ISSUE

• Montezuma’s Destiny: A Family’s Canal Legacy Celebrated • Richmond Aqueduct: Then and Now — Montezuma’s New Mural • Lillibit by Lillibit — Dreams Do Come True • Baker’s Complete Mentz Church Cemetery Fence Project • 1825 Print Dedicated to Montezuma’s History • Volunteers Making a Difference — Increasing Our Town’s Value One Hour at a Time.

!!!!!Keeping Your Home Town History Alive