Guilford, NY History is Everywhere

Bumps Corners and Garage at the lake

These look like Halloween Photos (postcards)
BA Fleming with mask...joke
For Val!!

Pretty Suggestive Postcards?

Today we had visitors from Sidney, NY. They had a wonderful photo album just filled with photos and postcards of Guilford, NY. He allowed us to scan so many wonderful photos from that book and brought some other artifacts relating to schools. I think I mention Tom and I are working on a new book "The Schools of Guilford" which will highlight the one room school houses and then follow into the Central Schools of Guilford and Mt. Upton. We are still seeking information on Ives Settlement, Roots Corners, Trestle and New Virginia Schools. If any one has any information please contact us in the comment section of this blog. So, today I want to share some of the silly postcards and I'll add a few of the reality ones for those blog followers who prefer them. A very Happy Halloween to All. ...If you double click on the photos you can enlarge them.

2006 Flood Photos of the Guilford Hamlets

Make a Smilebox slideshow Many members contributed other photos of the areas in the hamlets of Guilford where they live. Most of the hamlet residents were not able to travel far from their home as many roads were closed. The Old Mill Restaurant shown first suffered a lot of damage. The remaining photos are along Rt. 8 river hamlets. The East Guilford waterfalls and the Rt. 8 bridge washout and the Guilford Town Hall in Guilford Center are also featured. Thanks to all who contibuted.

Guilford Flood of 2006-photo's by Dave Hubbard

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Many of you wondered about the October 6th meeting presentation. Here is most of it in a slide show. It took me all day to figure out how to do it. Thanks to a phone call to San Diego and talking with my professional blogging daughter, Stefany, we got it for all of you to view!! So, take a trip into the past..short past and see how it was in 2006. If you see an open door, that is the Methodist Church and the water is flowing out the door!!

Guilford, NY Web Page

POSTCARDS FROM the TOWN OF GUILFORD

Many are not aware that the Township of Guilford has a web page. If you go to http://www.guilfordny.org/ , you can research the history of the towns hamlets. There may be some changes coming up with town elections and Tom hopes to add a little more history at the same time. I hope he includes our blog address. That would certainly increase our reach and perhaps increase our membership. Hope you enjoy the postcards from Guilford. This is just a small sample of the cards that are out there on the market. Many are like the photo of Mt. Upton showing scenes but, I thought you would enjoy the unusual ones that were scanned.

By the way, we love comments on this page. It's this easy. After each posting there is a small written "comments" Double click here and a page will open up. You can leave your comments in the box provided and read others comments too! If you want, sign your name at the end of your comment. Then click anonymous and click publish. No need to sign up to the google, blogger etc. I'd like to hear what you think of our new way to communicate which is more than our twice a year newsletter..you get it as it happens and photos are in color.

It Only Takes an Article

Heartwarming to know we can make a difference. Sometimes the smallest things can make a total difference in the lives of our residents and past residents. Such is true for a sister of a deceased military man killed when his plane crashed in Korea. Floyd Gunner Nelson was honored as the military person of the day on Memorial Day 2008. His children, spouses and sister were also honored at a reception for all veterans, in wartime and peace time. Floyd was a graduate of Guilford School and is still remembered by many. Here is an excerpt of the speech I made to honor him on Memorial Day.

In 1941, Gunnar Nelson bought a home on Mechanic Street. It was here where Floyd lived when he graduated in 1947 from Guilford High School. Shortly after graduating he became an apprentice draftsman at General Electric in Schenectady, NY. Then in 1948 he enlisted in the United States Navy. In 1950 Floyd received a congressional appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. He graduated in 1954 as Ensign Floyd Gunnard Nelson. This same year he married Patricia Porter from Altoona, Pennsylvania in a full military wedding. After their honeymoon he reported for duty in Pensacola, Florida. Here he began flight training school. Later he was stationed in Texas and then on to San Diego, California. While stationed in Seattle, Washington, August 15, 1955 Floyd became the proud father of a bouncing baby boy, James Gunnard Nelson and on November 25, 1956 Floyd’s precious daughter Susan Patricia was born.

During his service, Floyd experienced deployments to Europe, South America and even had a trip across the United States. There were two deployments to Iwa Kuni Naval Base in Japan. On this final deployment he was due to come home in a few months, but had to complete a final endurance training flight of 14 hours. On April 9th, 1959, the Navy Patrol Squadron 50 with a crew of ten, 3 officers and 7 enlisted men, in a US Naval seaplane piloted by Floyd crashed into the side of Mount Seju on Chejudi Island. The island lay midway between Japan and the Korean Peninsula. Many newspapers reported on the Navy’s seemingly unending search for the crash site.

Finally on April 11th, the site was discovered and arrangements were made for Floyd’s body to return home. It was an agonizing month for his wife, father and sister Millie until Floyd’s body arrived at the Erie Railroad Station in Binghamton from San Francisco on Mother’s Day May 8th. The funeral was held in Guilford with burial in Sunset Hill Cemetery.

Those who remember are still saddened and have not forgotten the farm boy from Guilford, the son of a carpenter, who started out as an enlisted Naval man, and proudly became a Lieutenant. Floyd accomplished all these things by the age of 29. Herein today, lies a village, the village, that was saddened and numbed by the death of this great young man.

I wrote articles for the local newspapers and also placed a piece on "You News" a section of WBNG. Com. As a result, a man contacted the television station to find out a phone number of who posted the article. He was in Nelson's squadron and was going to Korea and planned on placing a memorial on the mountain where Nelson's plane crashed. He wanted to contact the sister of Floyd. You can read Arturo's comments on the comments section of the following page. Just double click on this. http://www.wbng.com/younews/19073029.html. So you never know what can come of an article that produces the best Memorial Day that Guilford has seen in a few years.

GHS Celebrates 10th year Anniversary

Wow, what a great night!! The dinner was great, which always is, at the Old Mill Restaurant. The new/old, I mean returning officers were sworn in by president of the Bainbridge Historical Society (also GHS member) Mary Drachler. They are Scott Parsons president, Wilma Felton-Gray VP, Sharon Donahe secretary and Karen Todd treasurer. Awards were given out to the Grays, and Todds, Carneys, and Alton Doyle for outstanding performance, and a life time membership was presented to out going president Gertie Pierce-Boyd. 67 people attended which includes members and guests.

The evening also consisted of a power point presentation by Tom Gray on the 10 years of the Guilford Historical Society and the accomplishments of the society. It was also announced that we now have a new book published by author/member Helen Donahe. The book "One Room School" was donated to the GHS with the proceeds to go to the school house restoration project. The book is available to members at $8.00 and non-members at $10.00. It's a wonderful little book for a great cause.

Each guest received day books and the officers received yearly planners which were donated by the Mead Corporation of Sidney.

Thanks to everyone that attended and to the committee that planned the evening. A special thank you to Donna Ford, owner and chef of the Old Mill (also a GHS member) and all the staff of the restaurant for making our dinner celebration the best.

GHS Goes Back to School..for a picnic

The Guilford Historical Society members got together for a picnic at the Roots Corners Schoolhouse on the 21st of September. It was a beautiful day for a picnic and the food was fantastic. Ken and Kathy did a great job of arranging the event and I am sure there were some others that helped. Many had not seen the improvements made and were delighted at the progress. We even had fellow members Jim and Linda visiting us all the way from Michigan! They were in the area researching ancestors of the Hutchinson family just in time for meeting with local members. We have a school house fund that if anyone wishes to contribute to can mail to the GHS address of Box 201, Guilford, NY 13785. Of course any hands available in the area are also appreciated. We still would love to hear from those that may have attended the school or have family that attended. The school operated until 1929. Any photos would also be appreciated of the children and teachers which we can scan and return to you. We know there were some Oxford children that went there as well as Guilford children as the school district was on the border of both townships.

It was a great day and many thanks to all for coming and celebrating the return of Root's Corners School.