Chemung County Historical Society

Chris Sherwood, The Elmira Telegram, www.elmiratelegram.com

In September 2014 our boys and I were walking from the Steele Memorial Library to the car I noticed something on the sidewalk I hadn’t seen before. At first I thought it might be a marker of some kind left by the city DPW, perhaps a benchmark used by surveyors, but on closer inspection I found the object to be a metal medallion secured to the sidewalk. It was a couple inches in diameter, with a nine pointed star on it. Across the star were the words, “NinePointedStar.com 2010”.

I filed that one away and figured I would look it up online when I had a moment, curious to see what the website with such a clever and unique marketing plan was all about. What I was to find was a mystery that still has me stumped.

The website address took me to the website of an artist in the San Francisco Bay area, Kelly Booth. Most of her website shows her portfolio and background information but it also includes a page where she keeps track of medallions that have been found. Kelly says she has no idea what the medallions mean, didn’t even know they existed until people began e-mailing her about them, saying it was something that was already happening when her site went live in 2012. She says that the first medallion was found in 2010 and they have continued to pop up across the country ever since and on her page includes a list of theories of what they might mean. One theory from a teenager in South Carolina says they could have been placed by aliens marking places deemed worthy of saving should they decide to come back and destroy Earth. Another theory is that they are a musical tribute to heavy metal band, Slipknot, who, prior to the death of their bass player Paul Gray in 2010, came up with a nine pointed star symbol, one for each of their nine band members. Some say the medallions are a way to pay tribute to him.

Other theories include the medallions being a part of a role playing game, a tribute to a popular classic video game, “Myst”, a geocaching game, or there’s some connection to the Baha’i faith, which uses the nine pointed star to represent the nine great religious traditions of the world.

In other words, no one knows for sure.

I contacted the staff at the Steele Library, and no one knew anything about the medallion, which surprised me. So I e-mailed Kelly at her website and asked her if the medallion in Elmira had been reported to her yet. As it turns out, I was the first to contact her about it and ask her some more about the mystery of the medallions. Kelly swore to me it was the truth: She had no idea what they meant, where they came from, or who was behind it all. She told me she found it kind of funny that everyone thought she was behind it. “I wish I did have the time and money to travel all around gluing stars to sidewalks.” But in the end, she said she is just as curious as everyone else about what they mean.

With all apologies to Kelly, I spent several hours doing some background searching. On her site she openly discusses her personal connection with the nine pointed star symbol, and that when traveling she would leave one behind made of sticks or other natural materials, so I wasn’t completely convinced she didn’t know more than she was letting on. I did a search of the site domain which was originally registered in July 2002, although whether Kelly was the original owner or not was unclear. I found it strange that the domain wasn’t actually used for ten years after it was registered but long story short I couldn’t put a connection to Kelly or any of the dates. And it didn’t make sense that one person would travel the country placing them, even for a well traveled person like Kelly. In the end, there was no rhyme or reason to it, no matter how hard I tried to find it. There appears to be no connection or pattern to the medallions as plotted out on Kelly’s map. The only connection with the medallions was that the one I found was that it was in a group of three with human names: Elmira NY, Anthony KS, and Elizabeth NJ.

In the end, I was unable to solve “The Mystery of The Nine Pointed Star”.

In February 2015 I decided to stop by the library to get a book. As was my habit I checked to make sure the medallion was still there and it wasn't. Thinking perhaps I "mis-remembered" its exact location I went to check under a small pile of snow on the sidewalk and noticed a round thing on the pavement next to the curb. Sure enough, it was the medallion, and judging by the scratches on the surface I figured it had been dislodged by a passing snowblower. At the time no one seemed interested in it so I took it home for safekeeping. ( If, as some have joked, the medallions are a portal to the underworld I could be in deep trouble. )

At the I discovered the nine pointed star medallion in Elmira, there were 70 such medallions across the country with two others in New York, one in Olean and one in Tupper Lake. Since then the number has increased to 91.

What do they mean ? I haven’t a clue. To read more about the medallions and the theories behind them go to http://www.ninepointedstar.com/medallions/

by Erin Doane, curator

Embroidery is described as the handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn but it is so much more than that. It is a creative expression and a labor of love for many. The art of embroidery has been around for thousands of years as have the most common stitches - chain stitch, buttonhole or blanket stitch, running stitch, satin stitch, and cross stitch. What most likely began as a way to repair or reinforce clothing has truly become an art form. The complexity and beauty of some embroidered pieces is astonishing yet the craft is still accessible to people of all ages and skill levels.

If you want to see a wonderful collection of works of embroidery, visit the museum for When Needle, Thread, and Fabric Meet: Embroidery by the Chemung Valley Chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. Over 60 pieces of embroidery by ten members of the chapter are on display now through September 30. There will also be a special reception this Thursday, August 20 from 5:00 to 8:00pm where you can meet and speak with some of the embroiderers. This event is free and open to the public.

When Needle, Thread, and Fabric Meet, on display at the
Chemung Valley History Museum through September 30, 2015

The museum has a fairly large collection of embroidered pieces ranging from samplers and other decorative wall hangings to embroidered clothing and accessories. From as early as the mid-18^th century, creating samplers with the alphabet, flowers and other decorative motifs was part of a girl’s education. By the late 19^th century, samplers began changing into decorative, pictorial wall hangings like cross-stitch samplers of today.

Sampler on linen from 1833

Needlepoint sampler on canvas, mid-19^th century

Cross-stitch sampler made by Talitha Botsford

Doing needlework on perforated paper was very popular in the 1870s. Bookmarks and wall hangings with mottoes and biblical sayings were commonly made out of the paper. It was a relatively inexpensive material and sometimes was made with pre-printed patterns.

Embroidered perforated paper bookmark, late 19^th century

Embroidered perforated paper wall hanging, late 19^th century

Embroidery on perforated paper, perhaps made for a box lid, mid-late 19^thcentury

Embroidery is not limited to just purely decorative pieces. Throughout history, and even today, many practical items have been embellished with needle and thread. Household items like bedding and doilies are often embroidered by hand and by machine. Embroidery is also widely seen on clothing and accessories.

Crazy quilt with embroidered decorations, 1900

Embroidered doily, early 20^th century

Keepsake pillowcase with embroidered signatures of
members of Elmira Free Academy class of 1910

Silk fan with painted and embroidered design, 1870

Machine-knit stockings with hand-embroidered design, 1890s

Child’s apron with embroidered flowers, c.1880

Blue chiffon dress with beaded embroidery, 1925

Do you like to embroider? Have you never done it before but want to give it a try? You might want to check out the Chemung Valley Chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America (EGA). The group meets every third Wednesday of the month from September through June at 6:30pm at the Steel Memorial Library in Elmira. The mission of the EGA is to stimulate appreciation for and celebrate the heritage of embroidery by advancing the highest standards of excellence in its practice through education, exhibition, preservation, collection, and research.

by Rachel Dworkin, Archivist

In his book Democracy in America (1835), French writer Alexis De Tocqueville noted that there were more newspapers in America than any other country in the world. The earliest papers in what would eventually be Chemung County were The Telegraph and The Vedette, both published in the Village of Newtown (now Elmira) by opposing political parties in the 1810s. These early papers were relatively short, just four pages long, and were printed on paper made from recycled rags. They were produced on a flat-bed press which could only print one side at a time. Although the names of the local papers changed, for much of the 1800s, Chemung County’s papers were all printed in basically the same way.

Issues of The Telegraph (1816) and The Vedette (1819) published in the Village of Newtown

Then came a technological revolution. In 1843, Richard March Hoe invented the rotary press. In a flat-bed press, single sheets of paper were mechanically pressed against the engraving plates. In a rotary press, a continuous roll of paper ran over an imprinting cylinder. Rather than make a new cylinder for each image, printers used thin metal or papier-mâché moulds called stereotypes wrapped around the cylinder for each new page. A subsequent improvement to the design of the press by Robert Barclay in 1875, allowed pages to be printed double-sided. The new press was called a rotary or web offset printer. Versions of this press are still widely used in the newspaper industry today.

How a rotary offset printer works

Elmira Telegram press, 1902

papier-mâché stereotype from the Elmira Evening Star, 1901

The second major revolution came in the way the type was set. Since the days of Gutenberg, type had been set by hand. The sheer amount of time required for typesetting meant that no daily paper in the world was longer than eight pages. Then, in 1884, the Linotype machine automated the way that type was set. All the operator had to do was type in the special 90-key keyboard and the type would set itself. The process was widely adopted by the newspaper publishing industry and was still in use through the 1960s.

Manual typestters at The Defender, ca. 1900

Typesetters from Star-Gazette on Linotype machines, 1908

Linotype machine, ca. 1900

By Kelli Huggins, Education Coordinator

As the educator here at the museum, I have the fun responsibility of developing new programs. It can be challenging to come up with new ideas so our all of our visitors get to have ever-changing, interactive historical experiences at the museum. In the past year, the staff has been talking a lot about how we can make our family programming less totally kid-centric and more fun for the whole family (parent, grandparents, and guardians want to enjoy themselves in programs, too!). This conversation has led to the creation of several new family programs, most recently, our Museum Detectives series.

Museum Detectives replaced our Museum Mondays summer programming this year. Museum Mondays had been running for years and were still great programs, but I felt they were staring to lose their luster and I was determined to create something fresh. The story of how I came up with Museum Detectives illustrates just how random the programming creation process can be. One day, I was turning the lights off in our education room and I accidentally left our one overhead spotlight on. I was struck by how the lighting looked straight out of a 1940s Film Noir detective movie. I started thinking about how to run with that vibe for a museum program.

Doesn't that look so dramatically film noir?

Then, I remembered these detective puzzles that my parents bought me when I was a kid (they were Highlights’ Top Secret Adventure packs) and how much fun I had solving those clues. And it all came together from there.

Visitors began in the education room “detective agency” where the head detective (me) gave them their case books and list of suspects.

Me as the Carmen Sandiego-esque lead detective

The detectives each received their own case book.

I set up 6 stations around the museum, each with their own puzzle that would help eliminate a “suspect.” The hardest part was coming up with 12 completely different puzzles and games (6 for each program). At this point, I would like to commend my coworkers for their total willingness to commit to a silly idea- in this case one that involved costumes and characters. For each of the programs, The Missing Mammoth Mystery and the Chemung County Caper, they dressed up and gave our visitors the information they needed to solve a clue. At the end, the gumshoes would figure out who committed the crimes.

Archivist Rachel as Officer O'DeLaw in the Chemung County Caper

Curator Erin as Cruella DeFurrier in the Missing Mammoth Mystery

Director Bruce as Bruce Baryshnikov in the Missing Mammoth Mystery

Overall, the programs were a major success. We’ll be looking to do similarly interactive family programming in the future as well. And if anyone ever has any ideas of what type of programming they’d like to see at the museum, feel free to tell me about. You never know where inspiration is going to come from!

A happy gumshoe with his prize for solving the Chemung County Caper.

by Erin Doane, curator

There are so many little conveniences in life that we take for granted. Do you ever give much thought to the zipper? Just imagine how different your life would be without that fastener. Okay, so the difference would probably not be very dramatic – you would have to button your pants and lace your boots – but zippers are spectacularly useful things.

Advertisement for “an interesting Exhibit of the Newest
Fastening Device,” Elmira Star-Gazette, 1929

The ancestor of the modern zipper was developed in the mid-19^th century. In 1851 Elias Howe, inventor of the sewing machine, patented an “Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure.” Howe never tried to market or mass produce his invention but his sewing machine was a great success.

1851 patent for Howe’s Automatic
Continuous Clothing Closure

In 1893, Whitcomb Judson patented a “Clasp Locker” that was similar to Howe’s invention. It was a complicated hook-and-eye fastener used on shoes. Judson and businessman Lewis Walker created the Universal Fastener Company to manufacture Judson’s invention. They debuted the clasp locker at the 1893 World’s Fair. Judson continued to make improvements on his fastening device and received another patent for the “C-curity” fastener.

1893 patent for Judson’s Clasp Locker

Gideon Sundback, an employee of the Universal Fastener Company, is credited with designing the modern zipper. He made improvements on Judson’s C-curity fastener and received a patent for the “Separable Fastener” in 1917.

1917 patent for Sundback’s Separable Fastener

While the zipper as an object is a 19^th century invention, the name zipper did not get applied to it until 1923. That year, the B.F. Goodrich Company started using Sundback’s fastener on its new rubber boots. They called the fastener the “zipper” and the name caught on. Boots and tobacco pouches were the first things on which zippers were widely used.

Goodrich Lo-Zipper advertisement,
Elmira Star-Gazette, 1928

Fire-resistant boot with zipper, late 20^th century

In the 1920s, manufacturers started putting zippers on clothing. One of its earliest uses was on leather jackets. The fastener was also especially popular on children’s clothing because it made it easier to dress squirming children and even let them dress themselves at a younger age. Today zippers are found on all types of products from clothing and shoes to housewares and camping items. What would we do without zippers?

Clothing advertisement, Elmira Star-Gazette, 1929

Child’s dress with zipper, 1955

by Rachel Dworkin, Archivist

Everyone knows that war is serious business, but so, in its own way, is humor. There are a number of competing theories about humor, its mechanisms, and its functions. People frequently use jokes to defray tense social situations, resolve cognitive dissonances, and talk obliquely around difficult issues. During World War I, magazines for both civilians and soldiers relied heavily on humor.

1915 cartoon pokes fun at the rush to marriage among Europe's soldiers.

World War I began in the summer of 1914, but the United States did not enter the fighting until April 6, 1917. From the start, the official policy was that of neutrality, but many people took sides based on familial and economic ties.

As far as many Americans were concerned in 1915, domestic issues were more important than the war.

Towards the start of the war, the British navy established a blockade around German ports to keep them from receiving food and war supplies. They began first turning around and then until President Wilson protested. In retaliation for the blockade, German U-boats began sinking trading and passenger vessels bound for Britain. On May 7, 1915, they sunk the RMS Lusitania, killing 1,198 civilians including 128 Americans. The American public opinion turned sharply against the Germans and after several threats from the president they agreed to stop attacking passenger ships. The resumption of U-boat attacks in 1917 was one of the major reasons for America’s declaration of war.

Traveling by boat meant taking your life in your hands. Hilarious, right?

In October of 1915, President Wilson lifted a ban on loans to the warring nations. He argued that the loans, and the purchases of food stuffs and manufactured goods paid for with the loans, would help bolster the American economy. By the time America entered the war in 1917, its private banks and investment firms had lent $2.25 billion to Britain and France and another $27 million to Germany.

1915 comic poking fun at the Allie's demands for American loans.

Upon entering the war, America drafted 2.8 million men into military service and, by 1918, was sending nearly 10,000 of them were arriving in France daily. In keeping with the British tradition, these soldiers published humorous magazines including Yank Talks and The Gas Attack filled with cartoons, poems, stories, and jokes. Soldiers used them to complain about and poke fun at their food, clothing, NCOs, Officers, and military protocol. In some cases they also drew attention to some of the more ludicrous aspects of their lives in the trenches.

Two American trench magazines, 1918.

British comic by Captain Bruce Bairnsfather

For more information about historical humor, come to this afternoon’s Out to Lunch lecture “Hey, That’s Not Funny” at 12:05pm. You bring your lunch, we’ll bring the cookies and comedy.

By Kelli Huggins, Education Coordinator

When 18^th Amendment and national Prohibition went into effect in 1920 (local prohibition went into effect in Elmira in 1918), brewers scrambled to find new ways to stay in business. Some continued to produce beer illegally, but others found ways to work with the Volstead Act. Under the new law, only “near beer” containing less than 0.5% alcohol could be produced and sold. In fact, the law was so strict that this drink couldn’t even be labeled “near beer,” and instead had to be sold as “cereal beverage.”

Trade card for the Chemung Beverage Co.'s cereal beverage.

In May 1927, the Chemung Beverage Company of Elmira received a permit from the federal prohibition enforcement agency to produce cereal beverage for 4 months. At that time, they were only one of only two breweries in New York State permitted to do so. As part of the permit agreement, federal prohibition agents were to inspect the brewery regularly to make sure all of the near beer met the Volstead standards. The Chemung Beverage Company moved into the old Briggs Brewery building, which had been abandoned for over a year. Employees cleaned up rust and dust for almost two months to make the space operational.

Plans for a Chemung Beverage Company building from several months before they were issued a permit.

The Chemung Beverage Company didn’t stick with the “non-intoxicating beverage” business for long. At 10pm on August 5, 1927, Federal prohibition investigator F.J. Raymond led a raid on the Chemung Beverage Company and discovered employees loading train cars with “high-powered brew.” Employees Ed Kennedy, J. Heisler, Frank Schmalesberg, and Benjamin L. Heyman were arrested along with the owner and permit holder, Frank Teitlebaum . There was an estimated $20,000 worth of beer at plant.

The former Briggs Brewery building as it looked at the time of the Chemung Beverage raid.

In September, the Chemung Beverage Company officially got its cereal beverage permit revoked. In November, prohibition agents disposed of the 63,756 gallons (2,024 barrels of high-test beer and 400 barrels of near beer) seized by dumping it into the sewers. The building was padlocked and guarded.

In the fallout, Teitlebaum and the other men involved received hefty fines. In May of 1928, Roscoe C. Harper, the Prohibition chief for Western New York, and Donald V. Murphy, the Prohibition agent in Elmira, were arrested for conspiracy to violate the National Prohibition Act. Harper was the person who granted the permit to Chemung Beverage Company a year before. The corruption and flouting of the Volstead Act continued in the city (as evidenced by the many subsequent raids of other brewers) until Prohibition was repealed in 1933.

by Erin Doane, Curator

Mosaic of the Parks and Recreation exhibit logo
made from photosof Chemung County Parks.
Created using AndreaMosaic

This summer I took on the challenge of visiting every single park in Chemung County. When I started, I thought there were 72. Along the way I discovered a couple more. In the end, I visited 81 parks. My first park was the Catlin State Forest on June 1. My last one was Linear Park in Horseheads two days ago. In between, I got to see an amazing variety of parks within the county. There are tiny neighborhood parks, expansive wilderness parks, amusement parks, boat launches, and memorial parks. Some are very well-cared-for and much-used while other, frankly, are quite sad. I have my favorites but it was definitely worth visiting every single one. In honor of my epic journey, I've borrowed a song from Geoff Mack and re-written it as so many have done before me.

I've Been Everywhere - Chemung County Parks Edition

I was toting my pack along the Breesport North Chemung road
When along came a family in a Subaru with a camping gear load.
“If you’re goin’ to Park Station, Ma’am with us you can ride.”
And so I climbed into the back and sat with the kids inside.
The dad asked me if I’d seen a park with such natural bounty
And I said, “Listen, I’ve been to every park in Chemung County!”

Chorus:

I’ve been everywhere, man.

Walked the hills out there, man.

I’ve breathed the river air, man.

Parks, I’ve had my share, man.

I’ve been everywhere.

I’ve been to,

Thurston

McKinnon

Nelson

White Wagon

Sullivan

Goodwin

Fawn Acres

Maple Grove

Maple Shade

Hillview

Ernie Davis

Frank A. Rohde

Gardner Road

Blandford

DePrimo

Quatrano

Pirozzolo

Community

Breesport Community

Sullivanville Dam

Marsh Dam

Hoffman Dam

So here I am.

Chorus

I’ve been to,

Mark Twain Riverfront

Mark Twain State Park

Patch Park

Teal Park

Brand Park

Grove Park

Sperr Park

Mill Street Park

Mill Street Pond

Millers Pond

Brick Pond

Hazlett

Clemens Square

Golden Glow Heights

Holding Point

Rails to Trails

Lackawanna Rail Trail

Catharine Valley Trail

It can’t fail.

Chorus

I’ve been to,

Oakridge

Eldridge

Fitch’s Bridge

Ashland Toll Bridge

Bottcher’s Landing

Roger Sterling

Smith Boat Launch

Harris Hill Manor

Wisner

Linear

Draxler

Tanglewood

Plymouth Woods

Catlin Forest

Arnot Forest

Steege Hill

Maple Hill

Harris Hill

Barnes Hill

There’s more still.

Chorus

I’ve been to,

Banfield

Minier Field

Town Hall Fields

Baptist Church Field

Newtown Battlefield

Chapel

Memorial

Pine Circle

Katy Leary

Whitney

Meadowbrook Parkway

Reynolds

Stoddard

McCann

Hathorn

Pulaski

Magee Street

Cypress Street

Sly Street

East Water Street

Gaines Street

Now I’m beat.

I’ve been everywhere, man.
I’ve been everywhere, man.
Walked the hills out there, man.
I’ve breathed the river air, man.
Parks, I’ve had my share, man.
I’ve been everywhere.

If you would like to see photos I took of all the parks visit http://cchsonlineexhibits.wix.com/parks#!photographs/c1vit. There are also links from that page to information on the locations and amenities of each park.

by Rachel Dworkin, archivist

Most people have a pretty good idea of what a 1920s-era flapper looked like, but do you know how a fashionable young man of the period would have looked? Using examples from Sears catalogs, here’s a look at what the well-dressed man of the 1920s was wearing from the top of his hat to the tips of his shoes.

Hats– During the 1920s, no respectable person would be seen out of doors without a hat, and that included men. Different types of men wore different types of hats. Laborers wore the newsboy, professionals wore fedoras or homburgs, and summer sportsmen wore boaters. For more information on men’s hats, check out this blog post for details.

All sorts of hats, 1929

Hair – A man’s hair was to be worn 5” to 7” long and was slicked down and back. The sides and back were kept short. To keep hair in place, not to mention looking glossy, men used hair oils like Hair Silk, Glostora or Brilliantine. While the oils helped keep hair smooth and flat, they often stained hats, pillows, chair backs, and pretty much anything hair came in contact with.

A selection of products to make your hair extra slick

Facial hair – These days the perma-stubble look is in, but in the 1920s, your average young man would have been clean-shaven. A mustache, maybe, but anything more would be pushing it. New technologies like safety razors made shaving a breeze. For more on the history of shaving, check out this blog post.

Ties – The bowtie had been the preferred neckwear of the 1800s, but by the 1920s it was losing ground to the necktie. Bowties, especially in vibrant colors and patterns, remained popular as summer wear, but for the rest of the year the necktie was king. Bright colors and patterns were in, especially stripes. Since most people wore them with three piece suits, ties tended to be short. For formal wear, white bowties remained a must.

I wish this ad was in color

Shirts and Collars – Victorian shirt collars were detached for easy washing and so starched they could stand on their own. The 1920s were a period of transition between this older style and the attached, soft collars we have today.

Note the mix of shirts with and without collars.

A selection of detachable collars, cuff links and garters for keeping up your socks.

Suits – For a gentleman out on the town, a three piece suit was a must. Most older business men tended to wear double-breasted suits with slightly cinched-in waists and hip-length jackets. Fashionable young men preferred the so-called Ivy League or Cake Eater suits which were single-breasted with narrow lapels, longer jackets and very wide pants. Conservative dressers preferred darker, solid colors like Navy blue, black, dark gray or brown. They younger set went in for lighter shades with stripes, chevrons and twills. In the summer, less conservative types might often forgo the vest under the jacket.

Fashionable young Cake Eaters and that one weird kid in a double-breasted suit

Shoes – The lace-up book had been the style for decades. While they remained popular with workers and conservative types, the Oxford shoe became the style of the day. Most were either brown or black, but two-toned shoes became popular in more casual settings.

An assortment of Oxford shoes.

If you’d like to learn more about fashion in the 1920s, be sure to come to today’s Out to Lunch Lecture on life in the 1920s.

By Kelli Huggins, Education Coordinator

George “Cyclone” Williams was a local African-American boxer during the 1910s and 1920s, who billed himself as "Elmira's Sensational Battler." He earned the nickname “Cyclone” for his speed and tenacity. A lightweight, The Buffalo Couriercalled him "a slam-bang fighter, who fights every minute."The Rochester Democrat and Chroniclesaid he "has a bag full of tricks."The Elmira Herald called him "a pocket edition of Jack Dempsey."

Williams' letterhead

During this era, often white boxers wouldn’t fight black boxers. In a 1912 fight in Buffalo, no fighters would go against him. A report stated, “Nobody wanted anything of Williams’ game. Some wouldn't make a match because they drew the color line. Hitherto they had been fighting all shades and all kinds. Others developed sore hands, bum arms, boils, and anything else that sounded good.” Fans showed their support of Williams after he was disqualified from a 1919 fight in Waverly for allegedly hitting below the belt. Williams had out boxed his opponent the entire match. A report said of Williams, “Williams has been a conspicuous figure in the boxing game here and throughout this vicinity for many years. During that time he has earned an unusual reputation as a sportsmanlike fighter. His ring tactics and conduct have always gained him the popularity and confidence of the boxing public.”

Cyclone boxed for 20 years. When he retired, he figured that he’d been through 20 years of fighting with fewer injuries than most fighters, so he owed God for protection. A group of his Elmira friends got money together to send him to Elmira Free Academy, Cook Academy, and then Berkeley Divinity School in New Haven, CT. He was a pastor in several cities and towns, including Elmira, Corning, and Waverly.

He picked up other jobs to support himself while he was a pastor: he was a theater janitor, owned a valet service, and was a steam bath operator and masseur. He briefly ran a newsstand and shoe shine under the Erie Viaduct, about which he joked he ran a business with a million dollar overhead.

Later in life Cyclone reflected on his boxing career and thought that he’d have been world champion if he was white. He claimed that politics kept him out of the matches that he should have been in. He also hated modern boxing because it wasn’t aggressive enough. He said unlike modern fighters, he always fought until the bell rang.

He died of an apparent heart attack in 1958 at age 70. In 2011, author Andrea Davis Pinkney, Williams’ great-granddaughter, wrote the children’s book, Bird in a Box, a fictional story of a black boxer, inspired in part by Williams.

by Erin Doane, curator

Board games have been around since the earliest days of human civilization. By the late 19^th century, families in the United States were seeing an increase in their leisure time and sought new things to do. Companies responded by producing more board games in greater varieties. The Amusing Instructor is a board game invented in 1887 by Joseph H. Beach of Elmira. This educational game includes a game board with a central spinner and two chalk boards and a booklet containing instructions for playing 35 different games that can be adapted to all grades of intelligence.

Joseph H. Beach is first listed in the Elmira City directories in 1878 as a yard keeper at the Elmira Reformatory. By 1880 he was the principal keeper there. It is not certain whether he was still working at the Reformatory when he invented The Amusing Instructor in 1887. By 1889, though, he had gone into real estate as a career. He retired around 1922 and either moved or passed away around 1935. He is no longer listed in the directories at that point.

On the first page of The Amusing Instructor’sinstruction booklet, Beach explains why he chose to create this educational game. In his own words he had, “at various times, had occasion to search through store after store for the purpose of selecting suitable games to present to his young friends, and it has occasionally transpired that after having made careful selections, after patient investigation, he has still felt that he was not quite satisfied with his purchase, for the reason that he had been looking for something that he could not find. He desired to procure games that possessed not only the merit to amuse, but also desired, if possible, to procure games that possessed the additional advantage of imparting useful knowledge; and he ofttimes found himself wondering why persons devising new games had not more frequently had in view, in their construction, the idea of the development of the mind.”

The game board Beach created was designed so that people could play games of letters, words and sentences, games of numbers, and geographical games all on the same board. Children could learn the alphabet, orthography, figures, the locations and sizes of lakes, and many other things playing this game. On the game’s cover there is the claim that “The Amusing Instructor is the most desirable game board in existence.” Several of the 14 reasons for this claim are that the games played afford pleasure by harmless amusement; that useful knowledge is rapidly acquired by persons playing the games; that in many of these games there are elements of the greatest uncertainty; and that the board itself is not cheaply made.

The instruction booklet also includes “A Paradise for Puzzlers” containing puzzles, conundrums, tricks, fortune tellers, etc. If one wanted the correct answers to all the puzzles and explanations of how to do the trick, one only had to send five 2-cent postage stamps to him in the mail. Unfortunately for us, neither of our two copies of The Amusing Instructorcame with the answer key!

Greetings From the War

by Rachel Dworkin, archivist

Right after college I worked in a greeting card store. We liked to claim that we had cards for every occasion, but we really didn’t. Not only didn’t we have cards for married couples with the same birthday (I know, I checked), we didn’t have cards tailored for servicemen and women either. If you want cards like that, you have to buy them on-line from specialty manufacturers.

That was not the case during World War II. Shortly after America’s entry into the war in December 1941, the War Department issued a directive aimed at cutting America’s civilian use of paper by 25%. In response, the greeting card industry, lead by George Burkhardt of Burkhardt-Warner, formed the Greeting Card Association. The Association lobbied hard that greeting cards should be exempted on the grounds that they helped to boost soldiers’ morale. They created programs designed to shill war bonds and stamps, and gave free greeting cards to wounded soldiers so they could contact their families.

Card sent to Herbert Hall upon joining the army in 1942.

The end result was that America during World War II was awash with patriotic greeting cards.

Christmas, 1942

Card companies tailored their birthday, holiday, and other assorted greetings to servicemen and women. While today less than .5% of Americans serve in the military, nearly 12% of the population served in World War II including over 13,000,000 men and 358,074 women. Pretty much everyone had a friend or relative in uniform to write to. Some cards were fairly generic (to a serviceman/woman) while others were targeted towards members of each branch of service. There were 11 different branches of service including Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, WAAC, WAVES, WASP, SPARS, Women’s Marine Corp, Army Nursing Corp, and Navy Nursing Corp.

Christmas Card sent to Seaman Francis Palmer, 1944

Birthday card sent to Captain Helen Booth of the WAACs, ca. 1943

By Kelli Huggins, Education Coordinator

I think that the photograph above is one of the most remarkable pieces in our collection. Yes, I’m serious. While on the surface this photo is a little crass, allow me to explain just how unique this piece is. In other words, this is my attempt to write a mature, thoughtful blog post about one of our most immature collection items.

The photograph is a part of our collection of materials from Charles Whipple, a Horseheads resident. We have his diaries, photographs, and other assorted documents. Tucked in amongst these items is the photograph in question. There are several photographs of these two dogs, showing them around the yard and in the home (and even on the bed). The photos are dated 1948.

This collection is a lovely glimpse at mid-century pet keeping. Candid photos like these give us a better understanding of how our relationships with our pets have changed and stayed the same over time. Like Whipple, people today take pictures of their animals playing, sleeping, or being otherwise adorable.

The dogs look well loved. But still, the first picture is special.

First, it is remarkable that this photograph was even taken. Photographic technology had made great strides in portability and affordability by the 1940s, but film was still a valuable resource. There were families that took few photos of their children in the 1940s, much less their dogs. So that someone would use a frame on this scene (and also the fact that they had a camera handy when this went down) is noteworthy. And, not only was the picture taken, it was developed.

Someone cared enough about this photo to date it on the back (many of the other photos in the collection are not dated). They also kept it. Maybe it became a family joke. Eventually, the photograph was donated to the museum in 2009 as a part of the much larger Reverend Donald Roe collection (Whipple was Roe’s parishioner and his possessions were left in Roe's care after his death, thus adding another layer of improbability to the survival of this photograph).

It is impressive that this small, silly photograph exists. While it is not typically what most people would deem museum-worthy, I think that it is because it's a great reminder that people in the past were very much like us. And if anything, this photo shows us that poop jokes have always been funny.

by Erin Doane, curator

Someone once asked me what I did as a curator. I gave the short answer that I create exhibits in a history museum. The person looked at me incredulously and said, “I didn’t know people actually did that.” My immediate thought was sarcastic. No, people don’t create exhibits. If you believe in history hard enough, exhibits just appear in museums. My actual reply was that yes, I made exhibits and I really enjoyed doing it.

Just this past Friday, we finished the installation of our newest exhibit Clean, which examines what cleanliness is on physical, social, and spiritual levels and how people work to become clean. I say “we” finished it because this exhibit, like all of them at the museum, was very much a group effort. I head the exhibit team that includes our education coordinator Kelli and archivist Rachel. We work together to create educational, entertaining, interactive exhibits. And I think we do a great job.

Our newest exhibit: Clean

So, how exactly is an exhibit created? The first step is picking a topic. Some exhibits are based on the types of objects that are in the museum’s collection. A couple years ago we did an exhibit on wedding traditions because we have a good collection of wedding-related objects. We also did an exhibit on World War I posters because we have so many wonderful examples in the archives. Other exhibits start with an idea and then we work out what to put on display from there. Clean is a good example of this. We usually have our exhibit topics selected at least a year from the opening date. (We are always looking for suggestions of what people would like to see so if you have an idea, let us know!)

A view of 'Til Death Do Us Part - a previous exhibit on wedding traditions

Once we pick a topic, we start researching and writing. We split up this task among the three of us on the exhibit team. There are usually around 9 to 12 main text panels exploring different aspects of the topic. Each panel has up to 100 words each. After conducting hours of research, it can be a real challenge to boil all that information down to just 100 words but years of experience have made it a fairly painless process. Once we’ve all done our individual research and writing we get together to review and edit the text. This can be a harrowing process at times but better text is always the end result.

Text panel from Parks and Recreation

Once the main text is written a lot of things start happening all at once. We decide on the general style of the exhibit panels and I work on graphic design. Kelli designs and creates hands-on interactives for the exhibit. Rachel selects photographs and archival documents that will go on display while I select three-dimensional objects. I also work on the floor plan – where all the text panels, display cases, and interactives will go in the gallery. My favorite way to do this is with graph paper. I have scale drawings of all the galleries and little cutouts of display cases and other exhibit furniture. Moving things around on paper is a lot easier than moving them around in real life. I sometimes even dabble in Google SketchUp to get a 3-D view of my layout.

The Howell Gallery in SketchUp

Almost two years ago, we go a large scale printer through a grant from the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes. I love that printer! We can now produce our own graphics in-house. We can print up to 48” wide on various types of paper including satin photo paper and self-adhesive polypropylene. This has really streamlined the exhibit process. We no longer have to wait on graphics printed by an outside company and if I notice a typo that somehow slipped through our review I can instantly make a reprint. I have actually become quite adept at adhering large graphics onto foam board for display.


An example of a large (32"x60") text panel printed and mounted in-house

After months and months of planning, it’s finally time to install the exhibit. An installation usually takes one very long week to complete. It’s a tiring process to get everything precisely in place and ready for the public but I love doing it (despite the multiple bruises I get along the way). There is something very rewarding about pulling an idea out of the air and making it into a concrete visual experience. Creating exhibits is by far one of my favorite duties as a curator.

Housework-related artifacts in Clean

If anyone is interested in all the other stuff I do on a day-to-day basis as a curator, check out A Curator’s Day on tumblr.

by Rachel Dworkin, archivist

During our Ghost Walk trivia contest I asked the contestants which war the Hiker Monument in Wisner Park was dedicated to. The answer is the Spanish-American War of 1898, but none of the contestants were able to guess that without first cycling through every American war. Some folks like to claim that the Korean War is America’s forgotten war, but after 10 seasons of MASH, I think we can all agree that the Spanish-American War is the one that no one can actually remember.

Postcard of the Hiker Monument in Wisner Park

So just what was the Spanish-American War and how did it start? The Spanish colony of Cuba had been rebelling against Spain on-and-off since the 1860s. In 1895, the third war for Cuban independence began. America, by and large, supported the rebels. Cuba was a major American trading partner and there was a strong desire among hawks to obtain a Caribbean military base. The Cuba Libre movement, centered around Florida and New York City, helped to provide money and smuggled weapons to the independence movement and while working hard to lobby the cause to the American public. President McKinley was reluctant to get involved militarily and instead tried to force a peaceful solution to the conflict. On November 15, 1897, Spain ratified autonomy decrees for Cuba and Puerto Rico, but it did little to quell unrest.

Elmira Telegram, April 4, 1898

And then came the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898. A series of riots had broken out in the city in early January and the ship had been sent to protect American shipping interests. The ship went down in an explosion which caused the deaths of 266 of the 355 crewmen, the causes of which are still unknown. Newspapers like Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World and William Hearst’s New York Journal claimed the explosion was Spanish plot and helped push the country towards war. When Congress officially declared war on April 25, 1898, “Remember the Maine” was the rallying cry.

Front page of the Elmira Telegram, May 1, 1898

On May 1, 1898, the City of Elmira gave a rounding sendoff to the men of the local 30^thSeparate Company of the New York National Guard as they marched from the Armory to the trains that would take them to Long Island. The streets were packed with well wishers including a delegation and marching band from Corning. The policemen assigned to crowd control were forced to use their billy-clubs to clear the soldiers’ path to the train. The company of 112 men from Elmira and Horseheads were eager to go but they never actually made it to the conflict.

Their first stop was Camp Black, Long Island where they were assigned to the First Battalion and re-designated as Company L. From there they went for training at Camp Alger in Virginia. The sanitary conditions at Camp Alger were so appalling that an epidemic of typhoid fever broke out among the men, killing several. Those not afflicted practiced marching, earning themselves the nickname of “The Hikers.” Meanwhile, the war in Cuba was doing so well the army decided to send the entire First Battalion home on September 12^th. The men of Company L were officially mustered out December 10, 1898.

Company L men at Camp Alger, July 4, 1898

Hostilities in the Spanish-American War were officially halted on August 12, 1898, although the Battle of Manila ended up taking place the following day. After months of negotiations, the Treaty of Paris was signed on December 10, 1898 and ratified by Congress on February 6, 1899. As a result, Cuba became an independent nation and the United States gained the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Thanks to the Camp Alger disaster, they also learned a valuable lesson about sanitation. Following the war, the Army Medical Corps issued new regulations about sanitation standards which greatly reduced the loss of life due to disease in later wars.

Company L on the steps of City Hall, December 10, 1898

By Kelli Huggins, Education Coordinator

While doing research for our new exhibit “Clean,” to my surprise, I became very invested in learning about the history of garbage and sewage disposal in the county (I’ll save sewage for another time). These aren’t my usual types of topics, but these histories are full of drama and conflict, and I was hooked. So even though it might sound boring, stay with me. I’ll try to make you a trash history convert as well.

In the 1800s, there was very little municipal garbage removal, so most people threw their unwanted refuse into the streets. Pigs roamed the streets eating trash and rag pickers and bone collectors gather unwanted scraps from residents. In 1905, Elmira councilmen began to look for a better solution and sought a site to build an $18,000 garbage incinerator. Local protests stopped the city from doing this and the Bennett Incinerating Co., a private company, took on garbage collection. Their services, however, were expensive and limited.

A pig in Elmira, 1860s

A more novel solution was offered up in 1918: a piggery. The Murphy Process Co. of Buffalo proposed a piggery in Elmira to feed trash to pigs, claiming the city could then sell fattened pigs for a profit. Elmira officials signed the contract but quickly gathered more garbage than the pigs could eat. As smelly trash piled up on the Southside by the piggery, people protested and company went bankrupt. The city tried to take over the piggery but it was too expensive. Instead, they began burying garbage on a farm, City Farm, purchased just outside of the city limits.

A 1926 fire at the City Farm dump sent clouds of smelly smoke over city and reignited calls for a garbage incinerator. Residents of 8^thward complained the garbage dump at City Farm depreciated their property values and supported an incinerator. The incinerator was built in 1929 and was estimated to cost the city $150,000. Its two brick-lined furnaces burned trash at a temperature of 1,600-1,900 degrees, processed 10,000 tons of refuse in 1931 at cost of $1.05 per ton, and employed 12 people.

The original garbage incinerator

In November 1968, Elmira terminated operations at its refuse incinerator and an open burning site. The old incinerator layout was not conducive to mechanization and there was too much air pollution with open burns. The city switched to landfills. The 1969 Chemung County Solid Waste Disposal Study estimated that Chemung County residents would discard 175 million pounds of garbage that year alone. They also estimated the following trash production figures:

- Ashland, Baldwin, Catlin, Chemung, Erin, Van Etten, and Veteran- 900 lbs per capita in 1970
-City and Town of Elmira- 1,500 lbs per capita in 1970
- Horseheads- 2,500 lbs (because of industrial waste) per capita in 1970
-Big Flats- 1,200 lbs per capita in 1970
-Projected that County would need 792.3 acres of landfills by 2020

In December 1973, The Chemung County Solid Waste Facility opened to shred and compact refuse to transport to landfill. The landfill was set on 139 acres in Town of Chemung and was given an estimated 20 year lifespan. That changed on January 22, 1979 when an explosion in the shredders extensively damaged the facility. It took three years to get the shredders operating again. In the meantime, the County dumped unshredded trash into the landfill, significantly lessening its lifespan. In August 1981 the shredders at the Waste Facility went back in action and gas detectors were installed to prevent future issues. The county then had to look for space to expand the landfill.

In 1991, Chemung County Solid Waste opened a 22,000 square foot recycling center off Lake Road as a part of a $5.5 million commitment to recycling. 75 tons of 27 types of recyclables could be processed each day. By 1994, Chemung County recycled 29% of its trash, not including bottles (the New York State average was only 16%). It was estimated that by 2001, the recycling efforts had already removed 85,000 tons of materials that would have been put in the landfill.

Garbage is still a hot button issue for people in the county. In 2012, Elmira got garbage trucks that have separate compactors for trash and recyclables on one truck. Recently, Elmira mandated that all trash be put out in only clear bags, causing ire amongst some residents. Still, Chemung County’s long trash history reminds us that there are no easy solutions to trash removal, particularly as we produce more and more each year.

The new garbage trucks

by Erin Doane, curator

During the Second World War, Americans feared the threat of aerial attacks. While it was technically possible for the German or Japanese militaries to launch strategic bombing attacks on major cities on the east and west coasts of the United States it was unlikely to happen. It was even more unlikely that small cities like Elmira would be targeted. That did not make the fear go away, though. It was logical to think that this area could be targeted because of all the factories producing materials for the war effort. Many cities and towns across the country were in the same situation. As a way to ease the minds of its citizens, the U.S. government created the Office of Civilian Defense in May 1941. The Air Raid Warden Service was part of that.

Air raid warden helmets were painted white so that they

could be identified more easily during a blackout.

Civilian Defense broke cities and towns into sectors, each containing the homes of about 500 people. Each sector was controlled by an air raid warden’s post that was staffed by a senior warden and three or more assistant wardens. Each post had to have 3 to 6 wardens. From 4 to 15 posts were grouped under a precinct warden who reported to the chief warden. Air raid wardens were members of the community who volunteered for service. They were trained and issued a handbook that served as a reference manual and explained their duties. It contained information on the chain of command, how to equip the warden’s post, how to write reports, and how to respond to attacks using magnesium bombs and war gases.

Handbook for Air Raid Wardens, 1943

An air raid warden’s primary responsibility was “to see that everything possible is done to protect and safeguard those homes and citizens [in their sector] from the new hazards created by attack from the air or by enemies from within our gates,” according to the handbook. To that end, they were trained in first aid, methods of combating incendiary bombs, and protection against gas. They had to have detailed knowledge of their sector’s streets and buildings as well as of the people who lived there. It was important to know if there were firefighters, police officers, or doctors living in the sector. It was also important to know where the elderly or disabled lived as they would need more help in the case of an emergency.

Air raid warden whistle, 1940s

“The whistle is furnished you to use in drawing attention to your

presence in an emergency, not to sound a general warning. Do not

run about blowing it to supplement the siren warning.”

- 1943 Handbook for Air Raid Wardens

Air Raid Wardens were also responsible for overseeing air raid and blackout drills. Blackouts were ordered only on the authority of the War Department and everyone needed to be ready and know what they had to do when that happened. On January 4, 1942 a county-wide blackout drill was held. The local newspapers advertised the drill in the days leading up to it.

Elmira Star-Gazette, January 3, 1942

Horseheads used its fire siren to announce the blackout while Elmira Heights used its factory whistles. Upon hearing the signal, people were asked to stay where they were. If they were in their cars they were to stop and find shelter in the nearest building. People were also asked to make sure that no light could be seen outside their homes, offices, or factories. Any light that was visible from above was a target for airplanes on a bombing run. Street lights were turned off and all traffic lights, except the one on Lake and Church Streets which had a special shade, were turned off as well. Factories only blinked their outside floodlights to show that they could blackout if necessary. They were ordered by the federal government not to interrupt defense production for the drill. WENY was also ordered to keep its flashing beacon lit on it 425-foot transmitter tower in Southport so that airplanes would not be thrown off course during the drill.

Elmira Star-Gazette, January 3, 1942

I’m sure it comforted people to know that there was a corps of well-trained, local air raid wardens ready and able to respond in case of an actual enemy attack.

by Rachel Dworkin, archivist

Today is the first day of Chanukah. We Jews like to joke that all of our holidays are about survival in the face of religious oppression and food, and Chanukah is no exception. The holiday commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 165 BC following years of religious oppression by Syrian invaders. After the temple was looted and the Jewish religion outlawed, a group of religious insurgents lead by the Maccabee family fought a bloody two-year war to drive the Syrians out. As part of re-consecrating the temple, the Maccabees light the Eternal Light but only had enough holy oil to keep it burning one day. By some miracle it lasted the full eight days until more oil could be made.

Book of Chanukah prayers published by Temple B'Nai Israel, ca. 1990s

Prayer for lighting the candles from Temple B'Nai Israel prayer book

While the traditions associated with the holiday vary based on denomination and nationality, all Jews celebrate by saying certain prayers and lighting and displaying candles in a special holder called a menorah for each night of the 8-night celebration. Some families also exchange gifts. Eating foods fried in oil is also an important aspect. Potato pancakes called latkes are my personal favorite (and specialty) but jelly-filled donuts called sufganiyotare also popular. Hungarian Jews also make fried cheese pancakes and Spanish Jews make sweet fritters. The whole holiday is basically a heart attack waiting to happen.

My menorah. They are supposed to be placed by your front door or a window facing the street to draw attention to the miracle and holiday.

Jews usually play gambling game using a 4-sided top called a dreidel. The dreidel is inscribed with 4 Hebrew letters (Nun, Gimel, Hey & Shin) which form an acronym for the Hebrew phrase Nes Gadol Haya Sham ("A great miracle happened there"). Each player starts with an equal amount of something, usually chocolate coins called gelt, plus a pot in the middle. Each person takes a turn spinning the dreidel. If it lands on a Shin, they add to the pot; on a Hey, they take half the pot; on a Gimel, they take the whole pot; and on a Nun, they get nothing.

Gelt and dreidel. It has landed on a Gimel so I win the pot.

In North America, Chanukah has become a major holiday, mostly to provide Jews with a source of pride at a difficult time. I know as a child I was often bullied by Christian students who would say I wasn’t getting presents because Santa knew I was bad and that my religion was stupid. By honoring the Maccabees fight, we could celebrate the strength of our own faith and rest assured with the knowledge that our food was way better.

Except for the prayer books, all of the images in this post are of items in my own personal collection. Sadly, while the museum has an excellent paper collection associated with Chemung County’s Jewish community, it has no objects. To all my fellow Jews out there, please consider donating some Judaica to the museum this holiday. It would be a mitzvah.

By Kelli Huggins, Education Coordinator

When I was doing research for “Seduction” our most recent installment of our History They Didn’t Teach You in School series, I found the most delightful Elmira Telegram newspaper article from 1888. Now, it is no secret that late 19^thcentury journalism is one of my strange passions; it’s brutal, hilarious, and descriptive in ways that reporting can’t be today. And this piece, entitled “Pointers for the Girls” is about as good as it gets.

1888 was a leap year. As the lore goes, during leap years, women could initiate a courtship or propose marriage to a man, which was the only reprieve from strictly held Victorian beliefs of courtship propriety. Typically, single women could not address men without introduction. And don’t even think about something like riding in a closed carriage with a man who wasn’t a relative!

As the Telegram staff wrote in the article, “For the first time in four years the dear, delightful darlings who have failed to hail the matrimonial chariot are privileged to drive a man into a corner and propose matrimony to him. In this year they are give the heaven-born privilege of the men and can make love to whom they wist, providing however, that man is willing to wist.” Elmira, it was reported, was “prolific in marriageable men” and the article highlighted the “choicest flowers in the matrimonial garden.”

The descriptions are hysterical and are clearly meant to be satirical. For example, alderman Morris Gladke was described as the “handsomest man in Elmira. Got curly hair and a little mustache. No flies on him. Been spoken of as a mayoral candidate. Devoted to his mother and would hate to leave her. Afraid of girls anyway… Been sick lately. Discreet lady nurse might get the inside track.”

Here are some of my other favorites:

David Hill

David Hill (the Governor of New York State): “May be president next year. Has no bad habits. Doesn’t chew tobacco, stay out nights, or go to dog fights. Is bald-headed but real smart, and would be a regular prize. Wife can keep a hired girl, and ride in the street cars. Got some money.”

Levi Little

Levi Little (Chief of Police): “ Good looking and six feet tall. Got a trotting horse and affectionate nature. Would probably accept a satisfactory offer. Isn’t afraid of the cars or good-looking girls… Can’t raise whiskers.”

George Cotton

George Cotton: “The dandy of them all. Dude. Wears tight pants, and is a politician. Thinks of running for mayor. Is a ladies’ man and a great hand for society… Got a good appetite, and likes pie.”

J.S. Root (Dentist): “Handsome young man… Strongest drink is buttermilk…Likes a joke and eats Frankforts.”

Mark Bennett

Mark Bennett (Journalist): “Writes poetry as a pastime. Little bit bald, but has a mustache. Color of seven cent sugar… Been as far away from home as Buffalo.”

by Erin Doane, curator

Today marks the winter solstice: the shortest day and longest night of the year. There will only be about 9 hours of daylight today but from this point on, days will be getting longer. Yay! People may not know that we have a tool right here in Elmira to help us mark this auspicious day. Anyone who has visited the Elmira Savings Bank at 333 E. Water Street, has probably seen the large, triangular metal sculpture in the plaza outside. For a long time, I assumed it was just a big piece of art and gave it no more thought. It actually was created to mark the solstices and equinoxes.

The Sun Triangle

The Sun Triangle, as it is called, was erected in March 1977 by the Arnot Realty Corporation. It was created as part of Elmira’s city beautification program following the 1972 flood that devastated much of downtown. The triangle was designed by scientist and sculptor Dr. Athelstan Spilhaus of Washington, D.C. and built by metal fabricators in Brooklyn, New York. The skin is made of 1/8 inch stainless steel that has been polished to a mirror finish.

View of the Sun Triangle from Water Street

The triangle stands 34 feet tall and its base is bolted to a 16-ton buried concrete block to keep it standing. Our archives has a wonderful little booklet produced by the Elmira Savings Bank that explains the geometry of the triangle: “The two acute angles of the triangle are 23 ½ degrees, the obtuse angle 133 degrees. 23 ½ degrees is the angle by which the axis of the earth is tilted in relation to the plane of its orbit around the sun. A triangle of the same configuration could be used to indicate the sun’s noon positions anywhere on earth. Only the angle of its base to the earth would have to be changed to make it accurate in its given latitude.”

Diagram from the Elmira Savings Bank’s

booklet about the Sun Triangle.

So, how does it work? The top edge of the triangle points to the sun’s noon position at the spring and fall equinoxes, about March 21 and September 22. The bottom edge points to the sun’s lowest noon position, at the winter solstice, about December 21. And the steepest edge points to the sun’s highest noon position, at the summer solstice, about June 21. Conveniently, there’s a plaque on the ground right next to the Sun Triangle explaining all this.

Plaque near the base of the Sun Triangle

This year, the solstice officially falls on December 21 at 11:49pm (EST). Unfortunately, it looks like it may be too cloudy today to actually see the sun at local noon. It might be worth the short walk from the museum to take a look, though. Happy Winter Solstice!

I wonder if we'll see the sun this solstice

The Mystery of The Nine Pointed Star

When Needle, Thread, and Fabric Meet

Stop the Presses! (But Not Really)

Mysterious Happenings at the Museum

Celebrating the Automatic Continuous Clothing Closure (a.k.a. the Zipper)

It's A Gas

The Cereal Beverage and “High-Powered Beer” Scandal

I've Been Everywhere - Parks Edition

Puttin’ on the Ritz

George "Cyclone" Williams: Elmira's Sensational Battler

The Amusing Instructor

Greetings From the War

Serious Thoughts on a Ridiculous Photograph

People Actually Do That?

The Forgotten War

The Fascinating History of Garbage in Chemung County

Air Raids and Blackouts: Civilian Defense During WWII

Light One Candle

Elmira’s Most Eligible Bachelors (1888 Edition)

The Sun Triangle