Dear Susan, et all, I promised that I'd fill in some of the blanks in your message and add a few comments to update you on some of the Lewiston landmarks. ----- Original Message ----- From: <SPrimeMD@aol.com> To: <NYNIAGAR-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2000 5:51 PM Subject: 50s & 60s Memories . . . my dad was an industrial builder when we moved to Lewiston in 1956 > from Lake county OH, just as the contractors began the basic preparation for > the building of the huge power plant along the river. Oh what a huge project that was! The result is that the whole face of the earth along the Niagara River was changed forever and the power plant is now called the New York Power Authority. > > It was a wonderful time to be in Lewiston, as it had not changed from the > sleepy little town along the river, whose main street was lined with trees > and McDonalds was no place ot be found & we still stopped at the old post > office to claim our mail. I've got some good news and some bad news here. The village of Lewiston is still pretty much of a sleepy little town and Center Street is still lined with trees. But do you remember the old Frontier House, one of the oldest buildings in Lewiston that named many of the glorious historical figures who were guests in that hotel? The good news is that it's still there on Center Street; the bad news is that it's now a McDonalds. Don't fret too much, though. McDonalds was very careful to maintain its historical significance and it's still an almost-intact historical landmark. > My memories are of a warm and welcoming community . . . Peach Festivals Oh, the Festival continues! Everyone around here still enjoys the Peach Festival that's held in September a week after Youngstown's Field Day. >carry-outs at the fish & chips shop, That would have been Hansen's Fish Market, gone a number of years ago. Pity. It was the BEST! > Hibbards beef on kimmelwick sandwiches Now that's a switch! In my memories and even today, Hibbards was always noted for being a frozen custard stand. The best frozen custard in the whole world. It's still there and the Hibbard family still runs it. Now beef on kummelweck--or Beef on Weck--is something so very unique to Western New York. The kummelweck roll is crispy on the outside and is covered with caraway (kummel) seeds and rock salt. It's sliced like a hamburger roll and then the cut side is dipped into the au jus of roasted beef and then a number of slices of thinly sliced roast beef is put on it. A jar of horseradish is always put on the table to go with it. > I recall after-school hours spent > sledding down the hill at 3rd going towards Center St near the public school > as the dark descended on early winter nights Oh my, that has to be the steepest tiny little hill we still have around these parts--with the exception of the huge Lewiston Hill. >sneaking down the > hillside behind DeChantal Hall to reach the riverbank. DeChantal was a Catholic residence of the Oblates of St. Francis until recently. I believe that before that it was a private residence. It's still a magnificent large stone "mansion" sort of place right on the Niagara River and is now the Niagara Frontier Bible Church. >cold summer swims > in the lake which was only achieved after surviving the walk along the > painfully rocky bottomed shoreline, Oh, Lordy, Lake Ontario is still as cold as it ever was and its shoreline and beaches haven't lost one single stone! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! > My > classmates at school included Betty Fermoyle, Kate Murphy, Maureen Toohey, > Tom Napier, Pat Hyla, Bob Lucas Now those names are still familiar names around here. I went to Niagara Falls High School with two Fermoyle boys and I know that one of Lewiston's mayors was a Fermoyle. In fact I understand that he was Betty's father. But more than that, a more recent mayor of Lewiston was Marilyn Toohey, Maureen's mother! Note: that information was given to me this evening by Alan Johnson of Lewiston. He graduated from Lewiston-Porter School in 1962 and he remembers Pat Hyla also. Alan is probably the most knowledgable historian that Lewiston has had in many a year. > I appreciate you all for sharing with us, > Susan McMackin Reynolds > in Lewes Delaware Thanks Susan for saying that. I want to share everything that I have and that I remember with people who will appreciate it for what it's worth. But without such words of thanks, such information would quickly dry up. vee