Progressive Batavian January 4-1878 MARRIED. HOUSEKNECHT-McALPINE.--At the residence of Mr. John McAlpine, Nov. 15th, 1877, by Rev. E.J. Cook, Mr. Simpson H. Houseknecht, and Miss Anna McAlpine, all of Alabama. SEARLES-BRAINARD.--At the residence of Mr. John Stocking, Barre, N.Y., Dec. 27th, by Rev. Charles Putnam, of Byron, Mr. Horace Searls[sic], of Byron, and Miss Anna Brainard, of Barre. submitted by Linda Web-Page Editor for Bethany BETHANY: Its Past and Present ~ Bethany Town Page http://www.arkwebshost.com/family/bluebird/TownOfBethany.shtml Contributor for the BUFFALO and Western NYS Website: www.buffalonian.com ~ History Through Newspapers

The Rev Schaeffer, noted below, baptized me...I remember him from going the Presbyterian Church with my grandfather (Will Cavanaugh) who was an usher there ----- Original Message ----- From: "Any Phillips" <anyphillips@hotmail.com> To: <NYGENESE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2003 5:36 AM Subject: [NYGENESE] Scott L. Stevens obit Bethany, NY > Obituary found for Scott Stevens, unknown newspaper. > > BETHANY PEACE JUSTICE SUCCUMBS IN HOSPITAL > > EAST BETHANY -- Justice of the Peace Scott L. STEVENS, 76, of the Telephone > Rd., Bethany, died at 11:55 p. m. Saturday (Jan. 16, 1954) at Genesee > Memorial Hospital, Batavia. He had been in poor health for six years and > seriously ill for 3 1/2 months. > > Mr. STEVENS was born in Bethany Oct. 15, 1877, a son of the late Frank H. > and A. Estelle HARDING STEVENS, and lived in that community all his life. > He was first elected justice of the peace in 1937, and was in his 17th year > in that office having been re-elected in November. He was a member and past > trustee of the East Bethany Presbyterian Church, a member and past master of > Bethany Grange and a member of Batavia Lodge 475 F & AM. > > Mr. STEVENS and his wife, the former Mabelle A. ROGERS, observed their 50th > wedding anniversary Nov. 12. > > Surviving, besides his wife, are a brother, Dean D. STEVENS, of Oakfield; > three sisters, Mrs. Charles A. MCCUMBER of 22 Walker Pl., Mrs. Annette > NORTON of 16 Vine St. and Mrs. Ernest PHILLIPS of Pavilion, and several > nieces and nephews. > > Funeral services will be from the H. E. Turner Mortuary at 2 p. m., > Wednesday with the Rev. Walter C. SCHAEFFER, pastor of the East Bethany > Presbyterian Church, officiating. Interment will be in East Bethany > Cemetery. Friends may call at the mortuary. Masonic memorial services will > be conducted there at 7:30 p. m. Tuesday. > *********** > > > Notes from contributor: > > "Mrs. Ernest PHILLIPS of Pavilion" is Mary STEVENS. They had one son, > Wallace Gilbert PHILLIPS, born March 3, 1917. > > Dean STEVENS married Ernest PHILLIPS' sister, Eva (or Leola, depending on > the source) and had three daughters, Esther, Bernice, Francis, and one son, > Owen. > > Ernest and Eva/Leola are the son and daughter of John and Evey PHILLIPS. > They also had Frank, William McKinley, Edson, Earl, Belle/Flora, Anna, and > Blanche PHILLIPS. > > I have more information on the Phillips side but no more on the the Stevens. > > Sarah Phillips Eglin > > _________________________________________________________________ > Cell phone 'switch' rules are taking effect - find out more here. > http://special.msn.com/msnbc/consumeradvocate.armx > > > ==== NYGENESE Mailing List ==== > Genesee GenWeb has many Resources > Check it out!! > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nygenese > >

Obituary found for Scott Stevens, unknown newspaper. BETHANY PEACE JUSTICE SUCCUMBS IN HOSPITAL EAST BETHANY -- Justice of the Peace Scott L. STEVENS, 76, of the Telephone Rd., Bethany, died at 11:55 p. m. Saturday (Jan. 16, 1954) at Genesee Memorial Hospital, Batavia. He had been in poor health for six years and seriously ill for 3 1/2 months. Mr. STEVENS was born in Bethany Oct. 15, 1877, a son of the late Frank H. and A. Estelle HARDING STEVENS, and lived in that community all his life. He was first elected justice of the peace in 1937, and was in his 17th year in that office having been re-elected in November. He was a member and past trustee of the East Bethany Presbyterian Church, a member and past master of Bethany Grange and a member of Batavia Lodge 475 F & AM. Mr. STEVENS and his wife, the former Mabelle A. ROGERS, observed their 50th wedding anniversary Nov. 12. Surviving, besides his wife, are a brother, Dean D. STEVENS, of Oakfield; three sisters, Mrs. Charles A. MCCUMBER of 22 Walker Pl., Mrs. Annette NORTON of 16 Vine St. and Mrs. Ernest PHILLIPS of Pavilion, and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be from the H. E. Turner Mortuary at 2 p. m., Wednesday with the Rev. Walter C. SCHAEFFER, pastor of the East Bethany Presbyterian Church, officiating. Interment will be in East Bethany Cemetery. Friends may call at the mortuary. Masonic memorial services will be conducted there at 7:30 p. m. Tuesday. *********** Notes from contributor: "Mrs. Ernest PHILLIPS of Pavilion" is Mary STEVENS. They had one son, Wallace Gilbert PHILLIPS, born March 3, 1917. Dean STEVENS married Ernest PHILLIPS' sister, Eva (or Leola, depending on the source) and had three daughters, Esther, Bernice, Francis, and one son, Owen. Ernest and Eva/Leola are the son and daughter of John and Evey PHILLIPS. They also had Frank, William McKinley, Edson, Earl, Belle/Flora, Anna, and Blanche PHILLIPS. I have more information on the Phillips side but no more on the the Stevens. Sarah Phillips Eglin _________________________________________________________________ Cell phone ‘switch’ rules are taking effect — find out more here. http://special.msn.com/msnbc/consumeradvocate.armx

Dear List, If you haven't seen the Bethany webpage lately, you're missing out on something-- New info has been posted, along with photos of Bethany residents and the community (with more photos coming later this week!) ~ I hope you'll visit soon! Linda Web-Page Editor for Bethany BETHANY: Its Past and Present ~ Bethany Town Page http://www.arkwebshost.com/family/bluebird/TownOfBethany.shtml

Hi all, Obituary Central http://www.obitcentral.com and Obituary Links Page http://www.obitlinkspage.com has added the Genesee County Obituary Search Engine at http://www.obitcentral.com/obitsearch/counties/ny-genesee.htm This search engine has obits from the LeRoy newspaper from October 2000 to December 2003. Other research tools: Marriage Search Engines http://www.genlookups.com/marriages/ GenLookups.com http://www.genlookups.com Surname Search Utility http://surnames.obitlinkspage.com Bill

Due to the large size of the message, you are requested to visit this link instead to read what had been added to USGenWeb Archives jointly with SAMPUBCO or independently and linked: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/GEN-NYS/2003-12/1070559757 The USGenWeb Archives is located: New York http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ny/nyfiles.htm Pennsylvania http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/pa/pafiles.htm Ohio http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/oh/ohfiles.htm If you have will records hidden away in your files, please bring them out, transcribe and submit to the USGenWeb Archives for others who may be looking for something to break down their brick walls. W. David Samuelsen SAMPUBCO

Just thought you all might be interested that the the New York State Correctional History Society is featuring "Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch" at its website. You can read excerpts from the book chapter by chapter. If you've never been to their website you will find it pretty interesting. Its all about the NY state prison systems history, and features some of its most famous criminals then and recent, and the history of the various prisons. The link to Polly is at the top of the home page. Quite an honor for Ellen & I for them to feature us. Enjoy! http://www.correctionhistory.org/index.html ===== Cindy Amrhein Historian/Abstractor Town of Alabama Historian Genesee Co., NY ********************** Historian's Page - Alabama, NY http://www.rootsweb.com/~nycalaba/ APHNYS (The Association of Public Historians of New York State) http://www.tier.net/~aphnys/ You can easily ascertain whether the occupant drinks bitters in the morning and whiskey with his dinner, or pure water and nothing else � If he drinks bitters you will find his garden full of weeds.�� James Wadsworth 1791 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree

Hi all, I found a photo in my grandfather's attic in Alexander, NY that included his father, George Valentine PHILLIPS. But it was not labeled and he had no idea who else was in it. Through the internet (God bless the internet!) I found a distant relative now also living in California with the same photo - labeled! It was a Sunday School Class taught by Harry WOOLF. Somebody can correct me on this but I believe he was the pastor at the West Bethany Baptist Church? I am dating the photo sometime before 1905, as my great-grandfather doesn't appear to have married yet. It is definitely before 1910. The way the photo is labeled is a little screwy - it doesn't really follow in a straight line across each time. Benjamin NICHOLS, Allen LADD, George Valentine PHILLIPS, Will MCCUMBER, Will NOTT Della NICHOLS, Alice GRANT, Lee NOTT, Dora CHAPMAN, Mary RAYMOND, May BALDWIN PHILLIPS, Henry PHILLIPS Alice PEGLAS, Fred STEVENS, Maude STEVENS, Harry WOOLF, Mary CACNER, Clara CACNER Annette STEVENS, Alice MCCUMBER, Cora CHAPMAN, Mary STEVENS, Maude PHILLIPS, Persis CHAPMAN Cora RAYMOND, Ella MAYNE (or Ella MAINE) I also have a family photo of Harry WOOLF, a photo of Mrs. WOOLF with Clara PHILLIPS, photos of Allen LADD, Benjamin NICHOLS, Will NOTT, Scott STEVENS (related to Fred, Mary etc.) Ella MAYNE, and Maude and George PHILLIPS. I believe I have two photos of Clara Cacner, but they are not labeled and you would need to verify that for yourself. I have geneaological info on STEVENS, PHILLIPS, and NOTT. I am not sure if I can include the photo itself as an attachment to this list, but if anyone is interested in a digital copy of the photo, (or the other information) please email me or reply to this list and I will send it to you. Sarah Phillips Eglin _________________________________________________________________ Gift-shop online from the comfort of home at MSN Shopping! No crowds, free parking. http://shopping.msn.com

Hi Jill, Usually a cemetery becomes abandoned when there no longer is enough money to keep it up, due to the fact that all the residents families have either died off or moved too far away or the funds for it's upkeep haven't been invested properly. Usuallly thecare of it reverts to the town where it is located, even if it is on private property if it was a public cemetery. Some cemeteries were family cemetery and I'm not too sure about that. The law in NY states that after it reverts to the care of the town all that is required is that it is mown twice a season. I visited one in Allegany Co. that according to the man who lived next door, the town mowed 2 days in a row every summer and their obligation was fulfilled. Hope this helps, Marsha ----- Original Message ----- From: jjsnick <jjsnick@ncweb.com> To: <NYGENESE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2003 3:08 PM Subject: [NYGENESE] Abandoned Cemeteries > Hello. > > I was wondering what it means when a cemetery is abandoned in New York State? Why does a cemetery become abandoned? Does the state or the county/township/village have control? What if the cemetery is on private land? Is the care of the cemetery up to the relatives of the people buried there if a cemetery is abandoned? > > Thanks! > > Jill > > > ==== NYGENESE Mailing List ==== > Genesee GenWeb has many Resources > Check it out!! > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nygenese > >

Hello. I was wondering what it means when a cemetery is abandoned in New York State? Why does a cemetery become abandoned? Does the state or the county/township/village have control? What if the cemetery is on private land? Is the care of the cemetery up to the relatives of the people buried there if a cemetery is abandoned? Thanks! Jill

Dear History Keepers and Friends, It has been a pleasure to get to know all of you, and to have the time together this year in learning about Bethany's past, along with taking on the issues of the present, with the vote over the present Town Hall building. I am so pleased to know there are so many who are interested in Bethany and are eager to do more for our our "little town" today, while maintaining and preserving our past. No History Keepers meeting is set until February 2004; it is a busy time of year, with the holidays approaching, along with the onset of winter. In February, we can almost hear spring calling at our door (or, more realistically---we need something to do so cabin fever doesn't get us down!!). I am hoping to have a couple new projects finished by that time, to tell you about! An e-mail will be sent in January, advising everyone of the next scheduled meeting date. If you have anything to post to the web-site (photos, articles, etc.), please e-mail and let me know; if there is anything that you think would be a good addition to the site, please let me know so I can try to locate the material; and please forward the website (link, below) onto your friends, so they can become more aware of all the happenings in Bethany's History. The display boards remain at the Rolling Hills Country Mall (Carriage Village), in Bethany, if you or any of your friends/family would want to see any of the photos/info. Meanwhile, please be as active as you can in our local government; send any info you may have about Bethany that you would like to see posted on our Bethany Town Web-Page; and enjoy the beauty of the seasons, the peace of the holidays, and may the new year come to you with bright hopes and happiness to last you throughout the year. Linda Web-Page Editor for Bethany BETHANY: Its Past and Present ~ Bethany Town Page http://www.arkwebshost.com/family/bluebird/TownOfBethany.shtml

hi ~ If you haven't visited the Bethany Web-page lately, I hope you will take an opportunity soon to do so- While it still has a long way to go, it is developing... I hope you will enjoy what has been posted, and that you will return often to see the changes and additions being made. If you have any info/material or photos of Bethany that you would be willing to share, please let me know - I would be glad to have more to include on our town's site! : )Linda Web-Page Editor for Bethany BETHANY: Its Past and Present ~ Bethany Town Page http://www.arkwebshost.com/family/bluebird/TownOfBethany.shtml

Am willing to do Chicago IL Tribune obit lookups in trade for obit lookups that I need. I need obit lookups for the following Adams, Mary Chapin d) 02/16/1892 in NY-LeRoy, Genessee Co PLEASE EMAIL ME PRIVATELY AT BALLHAWK12@ATT.NET Jim Dlask 4538 N Avers Chicago IL 60625

Subject: Bethany Town Hall Hello, Bethany History Keepers! Many of you know that on Election Day, Tues., Nov. 4th, there was the Proposition on the Ballot, to vote yes or no in regard to the town "purchasing and renovating the present Bethany Volunteer Fire Department Community Building" to enable them to move out of the present Town Hall and transfer their offices and the court room to a new building. You probably already know that the Propostion was passed, the town board receiving the approval from voters to purchase the rec. hall building and renovate it for use of the town offices. It was by a slim margin that their Proposition passed: 177 to 169 ~ It has been said that is the largest number of total votes on any referendum proposed in the town's history. As you can see by the votes, the proposal was passed by so narrow a margin of voters, (only 8 votes!) that the town board most surely should realize that they do not have the majority of the townspeople backing them on this issue. It shows it is more like, 50-50. The Daily News read: "The proposition faced challenge from historical preservationists who wanted the town to stay in the current Town Hall, which was built in 1832."* ~ While this fact is true, it also misses the point that another solid reason that we ("the preservationists") and many other citizens wanted the town offices to stay in the present Town Hall site is due to obvious maintainance and upkeep. The town will now be in charge of maintaining two buildings---that is, if they retain ownership of the Town Hall. They have a proposal to buy the building (the public has not been told yet as to whom this person/business is who has the desire to make this purchase, nor has any information been given as to the dollar amount proposed, and most importantly, no information has been made public that the building was put up for sale!) Other results from the election include: "All positions were uncontested. Supervisor John Hollwedel received 236 votes; board members Walter Wenhold and Joyce Fleming received 236 and 262 respectively; clerk Debbie Douglas had 275; highway superintendent Roy Hersee had 295, Justice William Shea had 262 and tax collector Norma Bower received 208 votes." * * quoted from: The Daily News, Batavia, November 5-2003, p.A-7; Genesee County, by Paul Mrozek, Scott DeSmit, and Roger Muehlig There are still many unanwered questions; the issue of what exactly will be done with the Town Hall remains unknown. Also, the feedback from local citizens is that the fire department was not in 100% agreement with the decision to sell the building to the town. I have been told that the vote occurred with the members who were in attendance at a meeting, but which not all members were present. What all this means--History Keepers of Bethany, and all of you with an interest in our area--what this means is that we must continue to attend town board meetings, or at least contact someone who has been to the meeting and learn what went on--in other words, our interest should not wane, our actions should not whither, our voices should not be stilled. Replacing the Town Hall Offices with another building is not the only thing this was truly all about---it was also about what local government can do when citizens of the community are not aware of issues going on, or do not come forward and have their presence be known and let their voices be heard, and do not practice their democratic privilege of voting---because then, those that hold office can use their "power" to make all the decisions, because "those who voted, put them in that office, and therefore, they have the power to run things as they see fit." It then no longer becomes a true government of the people, by the people, and for the people. We have all been guilty of these errors; we have busy schedules, we have jobs and families; we want to get home after a busy day and enjoy relaxing in the comfort of our homes. One thing this election has shown the people of Bethany, however, is that we are interested in our town and what is going on; we do appreciate the value of the historic parts of our community; and I do believe that most people do want to pass along to our future generations what our Bethany pioneers and settlers and all those who have lived in Bethany over the past 200 years worked for -- history is a "hot topic" in many ways right now--many are searching their family genealogies, or the history of the family home, or the background of the land they live upon, or details about the architecture of the homes around them. Don't let anyone tell you that "Bethany has nothing going for it" (I was told this--but have never believed it)-- Bethany is rich in history, and still retains a lot of its charm in its buildings, its picturesque countryside, and most of all, in its citizens. Numerous families have lived in this town for generations; roads and byways have names of these people. Maybe we no longer have the postal office at Linden, or the dozen school buildings that once dotted the roadways, nor do we see the vast apple orchards that succumbed to nature, years ago.... But---what is in Bethany is worth saving, holding onto, and preserving. The Old County Home has been opened up into a mall of shoppes, yet still retains a sense of what that building once was: a home and refuge for the poor, the ill and even the unwanted. You can drive down any roadway in Bethany and view lands that many would be eager to live on, or view from their front window; our area is rich in farmland but also in vast scenic rolling hills of beauty. The Bethany Air Park is being renovated for use, out on Bethany Center road. Our Fire Department is always there, responding in time of need by volunteers who often do their job with little or no thanks. And now, if things do go as we were told, there should be a portion of the Town Hall to be used by the town historian as the Bethany Historical Museum -- a place where we can truly preserve what we want future citizens to know about their past. It's too soon to tell yet, exactly how this will be worked out, but it is not too early to start thinking about what you would like to contribute to such a museum--perhaps you have letters or newspaper clippings from your grandfather, photos, or family articles such as a wedding dress or a farm tool passed down to you, or documents such as marriage licenses, land deeds, letterhead stationery or receipts from former businesses of the town, or any item that has significance because it is a part of Bethany in some particular way. We should focus now on what we can do to bring Bethany to the standard our forebears would find satisfaction in, and that we ourselves feel pride in, and a way that we can be an inspiration to those of years ahead. Please do not feel discouraged; we may have lost a battle, but we should not feel defeated ~ there is still much to do ~ perhaps, even, the battle is not lost completely--the fire dept. needs to confirm the sale of the rec. hall before any of this can take place. If you know of anyone associated with the fire dept., perhaps they can help us in seeing how they truly stand on this issue, and if there should be any way in which we may be able to be of help to them. Whatever happens, we are still a community: a group of people sharing common interests. Personally, I want to say a huge thank-you to all who worked so extremely hard in the days before Election Day - to May, for composing a superb flyer, 'Vote NO!' - pointing out the facts and helpful info about retaining our Town Hall (which was produced in 'response' to the town-board-oriented flyer that urged residents to vote Yes for a new building, and included info not completely accurate in regard to pricing of renovations, etc.), to Donna, for delivering flyers and then even xeroxing more copies and going out again and again, to Lynda, a supporter from Texas, who owns property and resides in Bethany for part of the year, to Terri, for her willingness to distribute flyers at her East Bethany General Store, & her presentation of architectural drawings for another slant on how to renovate the present building to enlarge areas, which she showed at the public meeting, & which even tho ignored by the town board, we are indebted to her time and commitment and obvious love for preservation, to those who spoke up at the public meeting two weeks ago, I'm sorry I don't know your names, but I thank you for your support, to Scot DeSmit, for his articles in the Daily News, writing of our hopes and reasons for retaining the Town Hall, -and- a very special thank you, to Jane, for all her legal-ease assistance & know-how, her eagerness, her attendance at the board meetings, for going to Office Max to xerox flyers when she could have stayed home on a rainy day, and her solid commitment from the very beginning, Thank you, everyone! Let's keep in touch ~ and -please!- if you have anything to post on the Bethany Town Page Website, e-mail and let me know! No article is too small ~ all information is important--it could be just what someone else is looking forward to reading! Linda Web-Page Editor for Bethany BETHANY: Its Past and Present ~ Bethany Town Page http://www.arkwebshost.com/family/bluebird/TownOfBethany.shtml Contributor for the BUFFALO and Western NYS Website: www.buffalonian.com ~ History Through Newspapers

My 2g grandfather, Simeon Cole and family were in Genesee Co. NY for several years before 1830. I've been searching for years for the identity of his parents. He was born in NY state in 1801 and in 1822 married Nancy Wakley in NY state. She is believed to have been from Potter Co. PA. By 1830, they had children Henry (1824), John (1825), Elizabeth (1827) and Gordon (1828). The family moved to Genesee from Allegany Co. NY about 1830 and then back to Allegany Co. in about 1835 and to Potter Co. PA about 1837. After several more moves, they landed permanently in Jones Co. IA.

That debate has been going on in Alabama as well the last couple years, no decision reached one way or another, but they at least had some public meetings. Wonder if you could get something in Mondays Batavia Daily if you could get a letter to them early enough? Like fax your letter to them early in the AM? Cindy Linda/Don <donlinda@mybizz.net> wrote:Hello, Fellow Bethany History Keepers! I realize that all of you do not live in Bethany--but, I am writing to all of you, to appeal to your interest in Bethany. Please pass this along to anyone you may know who lives in Bethany; take it to your work-place, print it off and give to your friends, family. Many of you may already know that on Election Day, Tues., Nov. 4th, there will be a Proposition on the Ballot, to vote yes or no in regard to the town "purchasing and renovating the present Bethany Volunteer Fire Department Community Building." A well-designed, colorful flyer was mailed out to Bethany Residents a few days ago (by whom it does not state, neither is it known at whose expense this was sent out--was it sent by a citizen of Bethany ? [the return address is shown as Paul Road], but no name or group is acknowledged as distributing it---or was this at taxpayers' expense??) Last year, at a town board meeting, architects presented floor plans for a new Town Hall building at the cost of approx. $800,000; the board declined their proposal, stating it was too expensive. Unbeknownst to many, the Town Board decided upon this action earlier this year : to purchase the Fire Dept. hall and renovate/add to it, for it to become new office space for the town hall offices & court; giving themselves the authority to make the purchase and hire architects to draw up floor plans for renovation of the fire hall into offices, etc.; a committee was then formed to brain-storm ideas on "what to do with the old Town Hall." [comprised of selected town board members and Bethany residents whom they called and requested to come]. This may seem to you as "putting the cart before the horse" - at least it has felt that way to me. How/Why would anyone want to look for someone to take over a building, while that building is still being used and no public informational meeting was held to do otherwise? It seems that the Town Board had already decided upon purchasing the fire dept. building some time ago --then, they went right to the next step, looking for someone to lease/use the Town Hall. They even "offered" it to the Town Historian, for a museum, and a place for meetings (for groups such as the History Keepers, I was told!). Two weeks ago, we were informed by a Town Board member [who attended our October 18th History Keepers meeting], that the Town Board had received "a proposal for purchase of the Town Hall," and that "everyone (presumably both those who want to retain the Town Hall as is and those who want to move out into new office space) would likely be satisfied with who was purchasing it and for what purpose/business (we were not told who the potential buyer(s) was, or the price range.) It seems that this whole situation is lacking for details: When was the Town Hall ever "put up for sale?" In an article of the Daily News of July 23, 2003, Mr. John Hollwedel said that he hopes to find a use for the Town Hall and plans are to lease the building for 'a buck a year.' He is quoted as stating: "there are no plans to sell the building." Why would the Town Board want to take on such a large project without the backing of the community? Well, as they said: "The people of Bethany voted us into this office, so we have the authority to do so." The cost estimates in the flyer mailed out to residents states that renovations to make the present Town Hall a sound structure to continue using was "estimated at upwards of $800,000." This is not true! The feasibility study that was done this summer was quoted at approx. $565,000. There was an informational meeting, open to the public, in August 2001; at that time, the Town Board gave results of a survey that had been sent to residents in regard to issues of renovating the town hall and possible plans for a new post office for the town. I was among about 2 dozen residents who came to that meeting. It was mostly a meeting to hear the Board's outline of plans, and while they did listen to some remarks from the audience, it was not what had been stated to be: "residents will be able to review and discuss the committee's recommendations" (as stated in The Daily News, Aug 2-2001). Why is the present Town Hall building no longer a viable place for the town board and offices? The Town Board would presumably answer this last question by stating that the building is worn out, old and in disrepair. Yet on the other hand, they "say" they will "Preserve it as a historical building"! If this is so, then they would be operating and taking on the upkeep of two buildings--both their "new" location, and the present Town Hall. Contrary to what the town board has presented, the historic Town Hall of Bethany can be continued to be used as an official town hall. [Last year when the board turned down the architects' $800,000 plan for construction of a new building, I asked the architects after the meeting, when we were going to our cars, 'Could this building continued to be used? Would it be possible that it could be renovated and used ?' The answer was a resounding, 'Yes!' ] While the flyer states "Supported by Vol. Fire Dept." and "lifelong residents" - I find that it cannot be 100%, as I heard from fire dept. members at last week's meeting, which showed some division among the group - and knowing some lifelong members of the town who do not support the proposed plan, no one should assume that a majority supports the town's plan. The town wants you to vote yes, "to make use of an existing building [the fire hall] within the town, which presently is not being used to its full potential." - I would like to state that I believe that the same could be said for the present Town Hall building--for one thing, there is a large, beautiful dance-floor room upstairs, with a stage and the original curtain and backstage dressing rooms! That has been sitting empty for many years, its only occupants are the old postoffice boxes and many cane-bottom chairs. We are not saying we don't want progress, nor do we want our town to operate under cramped conditions or with problems such as inoperable bathroom facilities, inadequate electrical wiring, or the lack of proper handicap-accessibility. What we do want is the opportunity to find a solution that can bring our town hall up to standards needed to operate as a town hall needs to do, by retaining what we have there--a historic building that has been a part of the community for over 170 years--we don't have that many historic buildings in Bethany any more. We can't afford to lose this one by turning our back on it ~ Please consider all of this when casting your ballot on Tuesday: Vote NO to the Town Hall Purchase, to tell our town board that we, the people, want to retain and preserve what our forefathers have handed down to us, so that we in turn may pass it onto future generations, who will be grateful for the time we have given and the dedication we have shown. Thank you! Linda Schmidt ==== NYGENESE Mailing List ==== Need to UNsub for vacation or summer?? Forget How to UN sub??? http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/NY/genesee.html Cindy Amrhein Historian/Abstractor Town of Alabama Historian Genesee Co., NY ********************** Historian's Page - Alabama, NY http://www.rootsweb.com/~nycalaba/ APHNYS (The Association of Public Historians of New York State) http://www.tier.net/~aphnys/ --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Exclusive Video Premiere - Britney Spears

Dear List, Do any of you have ancestors or other relatives that served in the 8th NY Heavy Artillery (also known as 129th NY)in the Civil War? What you may or may not know is that this unit was mainly used to guard Washington D.C. and other forts (i.e. Ft. McHenry). It never saw any action, mostly fought boredom and did endless drills. Never, that is, until called into frantic action to support the Union troops at the battle of Cold Harbor. Long story short, this battle was one of the worst Union failures of the war. Union troops lost over 5000 men, and the Confederates only about 1500, thanks to their well-planned trenches. The 8th NY HA is credited with having lost more of its members of any other group. I just returned from touring the Cold Harbor Battlefield today (a birthday gift from my husband) and found there a large and beautiful monument to the men of NY who were wounded and/or died there. I have pictures and can email them to anyone interested. What I am interested in is stories that YOU might have about the 8th or letters home that can help me broaden my understandings of those tragic days. My ggg uncle, Edward A. WHITMAN, was only 20 or 21 when he died there - his first battle and his last. Please write and tell me if you have a relative, have stories/letters, or want a pix of the monument. Thank you.

Hi, I would love to see your photos! My gg uncle, Marshall Norton Cook, served as a First Lieutenant and Captain in Company I, and was wounded in the Battle of Cold Harbor. I visited Fort McHenry in Baltimore in August, and hope to visit the Cold Harbor battleground someday. I am fortunate to have many of his letters home to his family in South Byron. Have you read Wilbur Dunn's amazing 2 volume history of the 8th ("Full Measure of Devotion")? The book contains many soldiers' letters sent during their service. Nancy Cook Painted Post, NY ncook@stny.rr.com ----- Original Message ----- From: <thehopechest.rebecca@att.net> To: <NYGENESE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2003 9:08 PM Subject: [NYGENESE] Civil War Ancestors > Dear List, > > Do any of you have ancestors or other relatives that served in the 8th NY > Heavy Artillery (also known as 129th NY)in the Civil War? What you may or > may not know is that this unit was mainly used to guard Washington D.C. and > other forts (i.e. Ft. McHenry). It never saw any action, mostly fought > boredom and did endless drills. Never, that is, until called into frantic > action to support the Union troops at the battle of Cold Harbor. Long story > short, this battle was one of the worst Union failures of the war. Union > troops lost over 5000 men, and the Confederates only about 1500, thanks to > their well-planned trenches. The 8th NY HA is credited with having lost more > of its members of any other group. > I just returned from touring the Cold Harbor Battlefield today (a birthday > gift from my husband) and found there a large and beautiful monument to the > men of NY who were wounded and/or died there. I have pictures and can email > them to anyone interested. What I am interested in is stories that YOU might > have about the 8th or letters home that can help me broaden my understandings > of those tragic days. My ggg uncle, Edward A. WHITMAN, was only 20 or 21 > when he died there - his first battle and his last. > Please write and tell me if you have a relative, have stories/letters, or > want a pix of the monument. Thank you. > > > ==== NYGENESE Mailing List ==== > Genesee GenWeb has many Resources > Check it out!! > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nygenese >

Hello, Fellow Bethany History Keepers! I realize that all of you do not live in Bethany--but, I am writing to all of you, to appeal to your interest in Bethany. Please pass this along to anyone you may know who lives in Bethany; take it to your work-place, print it off and give to your friends, family. Many of you may already know that on Election Day, Tues., Nov. 4th, there will be a Proposition on the Ballot, to vote yes or no in regard to the town "purchasing and renovating the present Bethany Volunteer Fire Department Community Building." A well-designed, colorful flyer was mailed out to Bethany Residents a few days ago (by whom it does not state, neither is it known at whose expense this was sent out--was it sent by a citizen of Bethany ? [the return address is shown as Paul Road], but no name or group is acknowledged as distributing it---or was this at taxpayers' expense??) Last year, at a town board meeting, architects presented floor plans for a new Town Hall building at the cost of approx. $800,000; the board declined their proposal, stating it was too expensive. Unbeknownst to many, the Town Board decided upon this action earlier this year : to purchase the Fire Dept. hall and renovate/add to it, for it to become new office space for the town hall offices & court; giving themselves the authority to make the purchase and hire architects to draw up floor plans for renovation of the fire hall into offices, etc.; a committee was then formed to brain-storm ideas on "what to do with the old Town Hall." [comprised of selected town board members and Bethany residents whom they called and requested to come]. This may seem to you as "putting the cart before the horse" - at least it has felt that way to me. How/Why would anyone want to look for someone to take over a building, while that building is still being used and no public informational meeting was held to do otherwise? It seems that the Town Board had already decided upon purchasing the fire dept. building some time ago --then, they went right to the next step, looking for someone to lease/use the Town Hall. They even "offered" it to the Town Historian, for a museum, and a place for meetings (for groups such as the History Keepers, I was told!). Two weeks ago, we were informed by a Town Board member [who attended our October 18th History Keepers meeting], that the Town Board had received "a proposal for purchase of the Town Hall," and that "everyone (presumably both those who want to retain the Town Hall as is and those who want to move out into new office space) would likely be satisfied with who was purchasing it and for what purpose/business (we were not told who the potential buyer(s) was, or the price range.) It seems that this whole situation is lacking for details: When was the Town Hall ever "put up for sale?" In an article of the Daily News of July 23, 2003, Mr. John Hollwedel said that he hopes to find a use for the Town Hall and plans are to lease the building for 'a buck a year.' He is quoted as stating: "there are no plans to sell the building." Why would the Town Board want to take on such a large project without the backing of the community? Well, as they said: "The people of Bethany voted us into this office, so we have the authority to do so." The cost estimates in the flyer mailed out to residents states that renovations to make the present Town Hall a sound structure to continue using was "estimated at upwards of $800,000." This is not true! The feasibility study that was done this summer was quoted at approx. $565,000. There was an informational meeting, open to the public, in August 2001; at that time, the Town Board gave results of a survey that had been sent to residents in regard to issues of renovating the town hall and possible plans for a new post office for the town. I was among about 2 dozen residents who came to that meeting. It was mostly a meeting to hear the Board's outline of plans, and while they did listen to some remarks from the audience, it was not what had been stated to be: "residents will be able to review and discuss the committee's recommendations" (as stated in The Daily News, Aug 2-2001). Why is the present Town Hall building no longer a viable place for the town board and offices? The Town Board would presumably answer this last question by stating that the building is worn out, old and in disrepair. Yet on the other hand, they "say" they will "Preserve it as a historical building"! If this is so, then they would be operating and taking on the upkeep of two buildings--both their "new" location, and the present Town Hall. Contrary to what the town board has presented, the historic Town Hall of Bethany can be continued to be used as an official town hall. [Last year when the board turned down the architects' $800,000 plan for construction of a new building, I asked the architects after the meeting, when we were going to our cars, 'Could this building continued to be used? Would it be possible that it could be renovated and used ?' The answer was a resounding, 'Yes!' ] While the flyer states "Supported by Vol. Fire Dept." and "lifelong residents" - I find that it cannot be 100%, as I heard from fire dept. members at last week's meeting, which showed some division among the group - and knowing some lifelong members of the town who do not support the proposed plan, no one should assume that a majority supports the town's plan. The town wants you to vote yes, "to make use of an existing building [the fire hall] within the town, which presently is not being used to its full potential." - I would like to state that I believe that the same could be said for the present Town Hall building--for one thing, there is a large, beautiful dance-floor room upstairs, with a stage and the original curtain and backstage dressing rooms! That has been sitting empty for many years, its only occupants are the old postoffice boxes and many cane-bottom chairs. We are not saying we don't want progress, nor do we want our town to operate under cramped conditions or with problems such as inoperable bathroom facilities, inadequate electrical wiring, or the lack of proper handicap-accessibility. What we do want is the opportunity to find a solution that can bring our town hall up to standards needed to operate as a town hall needs to do, by retaining what we have there--a historic building that has been a part of the community for over 170 years--we don't have that many historic buildings in Bethany any more. We can't afford to lose this one by turning our back on it ~ Please consider all of this when casting your ballot on Tuesday: Vote NO to the Town Hall Purchase, to tell our town board that we, the people, want to retain and preserve what our forefathers have handed down to us, so that we in turn may pass it onto future generations, who will be grateful for the time we have given and the dedication we have shown. Thank you! Linda Schmidt

Linda: I just wanted to say thank you for posting the gleanings from the Batavia newspapers. I discovered other postings in the archives and discovered a little clip on our 4th grt-grandfather, Robert McDonald. It confirmed for us, his whereabouts in April of 1883 and helped us discover his date of death. The newspaper stated he was very ill in April. Since he was elderly we assumed that he may have died shortly after that, and we discovered that he had. This also gives me hope that there may be a write up about his death 11 Nov 1883, and perhaps one on his wife, Nancy who died 14 Feb 1887. Is there the chance that you accept specific requests for lookups? Do the newspapers go back as far as 11 Aug 1877? And I want to thank everyone who has responded about town vs city. All of the postings have added insite and information and is appreciated. You are all great. Diane/Oregon Researching these names in Genesee County so far: Herington/Herrington/Harrington/McDonald/Swift/Bradley/Bunett Jack and Diane Evans jackanddiane@earthlink.net Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.