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Local History 7th

Maps
Historical Markers in the Area
(Numbers on the above website do NOT correspond to our maps below)

Map

map2

Markers within walking distance of school

anchorfarm
Anchor Farm, or Morgan House
anchorfarm2
The anchor (near this marker) was lost in a storm from the schooner, Franklin Pierce in 1840, and retrieved off the town line pier in 1897. Resident Edmund Stevens purchased it and placed it in his yard where it has remained to this day.
anchorfarm3
Anchor Farm, or Morgan House
billysherman1
Billy Sherman, confederate horse
billysherman2
Billy Sherman, confederate horse
billysherman4
Billy Sherman, confederate horse
billysherman3
Billy Sherman, confederate horse
billysherman5
Trivia: What middle school teacher (retired in 2014) is featured in this photo, from the 1973 dedication of the memorial? She is the great, great granddaughter of Private Lorenzo Pratt, who owned Billy Sherman.
fireman3
Iron Fireman
fireman2
Iron Fireman
firemanweb
Iron Fireman
firemanlockport
The "Iron Fireman" in its original location, the old fire hall on Walnut Street in Lockport. The 960 pound statue watched over the horse-drawn fire trucks, as you can see at the bottom of the photo. It was moved to the old Exempts Firehall on Elm Street, also in Lockport, and then to the Volunteer Fire Company in Wilson, where it stands today.
firstschoolhouse1
First Schoolhouse in Wilson
firstschool3
First Schoolhouse in Wilson
firstschool2
First Schoolhouse in Wilson
histsociety3
Hojack Park, at the Historical Society
hojack1
Hojack Park, at the Historical Society
hojack2
Hojack Park, at the Historical Society
taggarts2
Taggart & Stevens General Store, early 1900s Originally located where the Historical Society is now in Wilson, across from the Wilson Depot.
reubenwilsonhouse1
Reuben Wilson's Home
reubenwilsonhouse2
Reuben Wilson's Home
randallschoolhouse2
Randall Rd Schoolhouse, at the Historical Society
randallschoolhouse1
Randall Rd Schoolhouse, at the Historical Society
tabor1
Tabor Bridge
tabor2
Tabor Bridge
tabor3
Tabor Bridge
wilsoncollegiate1
Wilson Collegiate Institute
wilsoncollegiate2
Wilson Collegiate Institute
trail10a
1. Located in front of the Wilson House Restaurant. (Number corresponds to the Village Map, at the top of this webpage.)
trail10b
trail3a
2. Located in front of the First Baptist Church, near the corner of Pettit and Chestnut. (Number corresponds to the Village Map, at the top of this webpage.)
trail3b
trail1a
3. Located near the corner of Pettit and Bay Street. (Number corresponds to the Village Map, at the top of this webpage.)
trail1b
trail2a
4. Located near the corner of Harbor and Pettit, across from Greenwood Cemetery. (Number corresponds to the Village Map, at the top of this webpage.)
trail2b
trail4a
5. Located near the corner of Harbor and Park, across from Brownies. (Number corresponds to the Village Map, at the top of this webpage.)
trail4b
trail5a
6. Located on Park Street, across from Greenwood Veterans' Memorial Park. (Number corresponds to the Village Map, at the top of this webpage.)
trail5b
trail6a
7. Located on Shore Drive, near the entrance to the Tuscarora Yacht Club. (Number corresponds to the Village Map, at the top of this webpage.)
trail6b
trail7a
8. Located on Shore Drive, across from the entrance to Sunset Grill Restaurant. (Number corresponds to the Village Map, at the top of this webpage.)
trail7b
trail8a
9. Located near the corner of Harbor and Ontario, in front of the Wilson Boat House. (Number corresponds to the Village Map, at the top of this webpage.)
trail8b
trail9a
10. Located at the entrance to the Wilson Piers, overlooking Wilson Harbor. (Number corresponds to the Village Map, at the top of this webpage.)
trail9b
WalkingTrail

Additional markers in Wilson

veteranspark
Veterans Park
witcop
Michael Witkop Memorial
greenwood1
Greenwood Cemetery and Veterans Memorial
greenwood2
Greenwood Cemetery and Veterans Memorial
veteransmemorial2
Greenwood Cemetery and Veterans Memorial
veteransmemorial1
Greenwood Cemetery and Veterans Memorial
veteransmemorial3
Greenwood Cemetery and Veterans Memorial
irapettit
Clinton Pettit House
pettit2
Clinton Pettit House
pettitstreet
Ever wonder how Wilson streets were named?
logcabin1
1824 Log Cabin on Chestnut Road
logcabin2
1824 Log Cabin on Chestnut Road
pease1
A Douglas Pease Farm
pease2
A Douglas Pease Farm
portentry1
Port of Entry
portentry2
Port of Entry
portentry3
Port of Entry
randallcemetery1
Randall Road Cemetery
randallcemetery2
Why do you think this road is named Randall Road?
Rex Tugwell Log Cabin, at the Historical Society.
Wilson was just a small part of the Holland Land Purchase which included most of New York State, after 1797. This log cabin was originally built on Clark Island, when Charles Tugwell owned it. Charles's son, Rexford (Rex), was the last governor of Puerto Rico and spent much of his time here in Wilson reading and writing in the cabin. After Floyd "Red" Clark purchased the island in 1961, the cabin was temporarily made into a concession stand operated by his children and later given to the Wilson Historical Society. The successful move of the cabin was quite an undertaking, but it now stands on the historical grounds site by the Wilson railroad tracks. The Tuscarora Yacht Club clubhouse was built in 1979 on the site where the cabin once stood.

Historical Markers in Ransomville, Porter, Newfane and Olcott

antiaircraft1
20 MM Anti-Aircraft Gun
antiaircraft2
20 MM Anti-Aircraft Gun
antiaircraft3
20 MM Anti-Aircraft Gun
antiaircraft4
20 MM Anti-Aircraft Gun
curtisscemetery1
Curtiss Cemetery
curtisscemetery2
Large Stone Centograph in Curtiss Cemetery
curtisscemetery3
Large Stone Centograph in Curtiss Cemetery
curtisscemetery4
Large Stone Centograph in Curtiss Cemetery
curtissave
Ever wonder how Ransomville streets were named?
fowlersawmill1
Fowler Sawmill
fowlersawmill2
Fowler Sawmill
funeralparlor1
Funeral Parlor
funeralparlor2
Funeral Parlor
grainmills1
Grain Mills
grainmills2
Grain Mills
halsteadcemetery2
Fillmore-Halstead Cemetery
halstedcemetery1
Fillmore-Halstead Cemetery
poultryfarm1
Niagara Poultry Farm
poultryfarm2
Niagara Poultry Farm
ransomsons1
W. H. H. Ransom & Sons
ransomsons2
W. H. H. Ransom & Sons
ransomvilleschools2
Ransomville Schools
ransomvilleschool1
Ransomville Schools
swicertsevap1
Swigert Evaporator
swigertsevap2
Swigert Evaporator
travelershome1
Traveler's Home
travelershome2
Traveler's Home
civilwarolcott1
Civil War Monument
civilwarolcott2
Civil War Monument
memorialplaquenewfane2
Memorial Hall Plaque
memorialplaquenewfane
Memorial Hall Plaque
vanhorn1
Van Horn Mansion
vanhorn2
Van Horn Mansion
vanhorn3
Van Horn Mansion

Greenwood Cemetery

headstonedox
headstonejohnson
headstonepease
headstonepettit
headstonepratt
headstonepettit2
headstoneransom
headstonesjohnson
headstonejohnson2
headstonewilson2
headstonewilson4
headstonewilson5
headstonewilson
headstonewilson6
headstonewilson3

Additional photos

Signs2
Signs1
map7
Map of Niagara County, located in Mr. Sippel's room.
postcards2
federmalmillingb
mapa
foote1920gazette
G. H. Foote was a business owner in Ransomville in the early 1900s. Here is an advertisement for him from the Niagara Gazette newspaper from 1920. According to an entry from the American Hay, Flour and Feed Journal in April 1911, G. H. Foote operated a grain storage business in Ransomville. A gas engine in one of his grain elevators exploded that month, gutting the building, estimated at a $20,000 loss.
federalmillinga
Shipping slip, dated June 19, 1909, from the Federal Milling Company in Lockport to G. H. Foote in Ransomville.
sippel2
Sippel
sippel1
acrossfromstella
Located across from Stella Niagara in Youngstown, NY.
Sippel4A
Sippel5A
Sippel6
barker1930
Main street in Barker, NY, circa 1930.
hotelsutherland
Hotel Sutherland in Wilson, NY (located where Matty's Pizzeria now stands).Built in 1895, it was constructed on the original site of the Ontario House, which Luther Wilson built in 1834 on the corner of Lake and Young Streets. The Ontario House burned down in 1894.
harriscottage
The Harris Cottage in Wilson, NY. (No longer exists).
OlcottPier1885
People fishing from the pier in Olcott, circa 1885.
mudballer
Mudballers marker, located between 4539-4545 Lower River Road in Lewiston, NY. These two stone pillars mark where Alexander Millar, the Mudballer's leader, lived. They set up their mudball cannons across and down the gorge from here.
rustictheaterolcottbeach
The Rustic Theater at Olcott Beach, NY, circa early 1900s. Concerts were held here, near what is now Krull Park. The recently built 'Tom Kelly Rustic Theater'(2008) in the Olcott Beach Carousel Park is a replica of the original Rustic Theater.
wilsonhouse1950s
The Wilson House Restaurant & Inn, circa 1950s.
wilsonfirecompany1950s
Wilson Fire Company #1, circa 1950s.
wilsonfieldday
hamblinhatchery
olcottpostcard
jennings
From the Union Sun &Journal, 11/4/2013: The Martin F. Jennings Post 836 of the American Legion will hold its Annual Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at the flagpole in Greenwood Cemetery, Harbor Street, Wilson. The guest speaker will be Iraq War Veteran Chris Krieger, president and CEO of Western New York Heros. This year’s ceremony is dedicated to Michael Witcop, 1st Lt. U.S. Air Force. Witcop was from Wilson and was killed in South Vietnam 45 years ago, on Oct. 25, 1968. They will also honor the legionnaires who passed away this year: Edward Allgeier, Donald Stewart, Larry Peet and Thomas Bateman Jr. Commander Gary Pettit would like to encourage everyone to attend this ceremony to honor all veterans.
wilsonsurvey
A survey map made for Theodore Dwight of a section of land in Wilson, NY by J.P. Haines, Surveyor in 1838. One wonders how much closer Lake Ontario is to 12 Mile Creek on that lower piece of land in the present day?
oldstonechimneyniafalls
Old Stone Chimney in Niagara Falls, NY.
tugwell
Rex Tugwell, a resident of Wilson from 1904-11, was on the cover of Time Magazine in June 1934. He was the last American Governor of Puerto Rico, and also served as a member of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 'Brain Trust'. A blue barn, bearing his name, is located at 425 Lake Street, within walking distance of the school.
NCCC1963
Niagara County Community College opening. From the Union Sun & Journal, 12/31/1963.
NCCC
niagaracounty

Relevant websites

Historic Lewiston Placemats

Holland Land Office Museum (check out the 'Artifact Video Series')

Students repaint markers in Albion
New marker in Albion, October 2020

I Remember Olcott video

WNY Connections to the Titanic (presentation)

Wilson Historical Society, Belva Lockwood Presentation 2018
Wilson Historical Society, War of 1812 Presentation 2023

Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Buffalo

1st NY Volunteer Light Artillery Battery M

Historical Markers in the Area

Cobblestone Houses Tour

Cobblestone Digital Museum of NYS

Wilson on the Lake

Niagara County Historical Society

Cobblestone Houses of WNY

Historic Lewiston (especially the maps/placemats link): 

Places to visit in Niagara & Erie County

Salt Potato Marker (Pomeroy 'Hungry for History' series)

Pomeroy 'Legends and Lore' series

Newspaper Articles

War of 1812

War of 1812, Ft. Niagara

stamp

This small card, created by local artist George Banagis for the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, will be sold in National Parks throughout the country!

(Excerpt from the Buffalo News article on 1/4/14 about the card): 
Set against the backdrop of the War of 1812, Banagis’ work illustrates the local legend of 15-year-old Luther as he rounded up 15 head of cattle and drove them eastward along Lake Ontario to escape the British invasion on the settlement that later became the Village of Wilson. Legend has it that Luther stuffed the cows’ bells with dry leaves to keep them from ringing and alerting the British soldiers as he walked them five miles east to safety.

 

Paper handouts

Project handouts (2020)

Print your own postcards (Not being used in 2020)

Print your own passports, page 1 (Not being used in 2020)
Print your own passports, page 2 (Not being used in 2020)
Print your own passports, page 3 (Not being used in 2020)
Print your own passports, page 4 (Not being used in 2020)