HISTORIAN’S CORNER

PHELPS HISTORY

ROTARIANS OF THE 1960'S



FROM TALK TO ROTARY
BY FELIX LANDSCHOOT

      Unless you have been around Clifton Springs for a "few" years, you cannot look back (as we "oldsters" do) to the days of 1960 & 61. It was a special time for many of us who had been born here and a growing number of which were returning veterans of WWII, home again and in the midst of raising families.
      Felix, a native born Cliftonian in 1919, gave a wonderful talk to the local Rotary Club about the 1960's, telling of some of the Rotarians who were here at the time and what these business men of the era were doing. (Sorry girls, Rotary didn't have women members until 1989). The village in 1960-61 still had a flourishing business district and most everyone shopped in or around the community. It was a time of fellowship and mutual concern for one another, a time when you knew all the firms, for they were part of your extended family. Slip back with Felix and I for a few moments to see who was around in those days!
     The Clifton Springs Hospital had a full slate of doctors and the majority of them lived WITHIN the community. You not only saw them when you had a medical need, they belonged to local organizations and shopped where you did.
     Among those working at the San then were such people as Dr. William Ahroon, who was head of ear, nose and throat problems; Dr. Barney Watson was hospital administrator; Dr. Glen Copeland was head of the lab; Doctor's Harry Kittle and Stan DuBois looked after our dental needs; Dr. Bob Wood was our resident pediatrician and Dr. Charles Richardson and Dr. Sam Kutz were our local general practitioners. (They even made house calls!) Other names at the hospital were ones like Donald Smith, Ed Gill, Dr. Steve Brouwer, Charles Woodley, and Charlie Corwin.
      Hovey H. Griswold, founder of the Ontario Telephone Co. was being assisted by his son, Malcolm Griswold, in the communications field. Mal had married a girl across the street from where he lived whose name was Margaret Holbrook and they were raising a family which was to carry on the business. At the local lawyers office was Francis LeClair who had taken over the business from F. Allen DeGraw. We had all kinds of auto service provided by such firms as Ray Ford (Ford's Garage) and Ed Walters (Walter's Garage and Ambulance and NYS Thruway service.)
     The plumbers were Ed. Grimes Sr. and O. J. DeVall and they were busy around the clock providing heating, wiring and electrical work; John Fabrizi was owner of the Town Pump, a favorite eating place in nearby Orleans; Merm Knauss kept all the ladies looking fit at his beauty salon; Joe Liss ran his printing press; Dick Devereaux was stationed at the Book Store; Ralph Salisbury kept the hardware humming and Frank DeMarco was the village barber. Ed Morphy ran the local jewelry store. Clifton Springs was often a center for area salesmen among whom was Dick Renshaw, often called "cheesy" Dick, for in his travels around the state as he often stopped in Cuba. NY and brought his many friends blocks of fresh Cuba cheese. Gordon Butler was a distributor for restaurant supplies and George Power was on the road for Prudential Insurance. Jim Piper helped operate J. A. Edwards Insurance office and Darwin Reese was a trucker. Lee Everson and his brothers ran Everson's Dairy and Ellis Weld Sr. & his son, Robert, managed the local furniture store and funeral business.
     Education was in good hands with such men as Jack Loveless, District Superintendent, Howard Smith, School Administrator, Maurice Cummings. Elementary Principal, Howard Smith, Principal and George Doherty, Coach. On the school board were such dedicated men such as Charles Rolland and Mal Griswold.
     In the field of manufacturing, the community was proud of the firm of G. W. Lisk Co. Inc., which had been given new life following WWII by "Drew" Morris, the grandson of the firm's founder, George Washington Lisk. A new field of solenoids was opened up on a local basis and soon sales were reaching across the nation and even abroad. Many new names were part of "G. W." among whom were men like Pete Walborn, Harry Schuhmann and Felix Landschoot. Felix had earlier been employed as plant manager for 25 years at the firm of Commercial Cord, which made telephone cords shipped around the U.S.
      Running our police force was the jovial, Albert "Pappy" Weeks and Everett Rhodes was our area Conservation Officer. "Bud" Sharpe lived in Clifton but worked in nearby Phelps at Silver Floss Kraut Factory. Albert Kamm was the hospital Chaplain and at times did double duty at the Baptist Church, while Burr Harmon worked at the still active N Y Central Railroad Station. "Bud' Meath was our faithful Village Clerk and kept his office through the service of several mayors. Paul Wells was at the IGA Food Store in the Foster Block & John Brown kept the YMCA going giving a boost to the youth of our village. He set an outstanding example of what good citizens could & should be. "Connie"Ninger was bank president and under his leadership the bank continued to grow. We also had the know-how of Milt Tinkham, a New York City Banker who retired here but continued to be active in the community
      These are some of the people that Felix remembered in his talk. If you know of others of this era, I am sure there are many who were equally responsible for the welfare of this special village of Clifton Springs during the 60's. There are numerous stories about the people above, some rather humorous and others, -- WELL, if we told all the secrets of the time -- this article would have had to be entitled, "Believe It Or Not!" These years were special in Clifton Springs and we thank Felix for reaching back to bring some of the Rotary names of "yesterday" to light again. I know that his talk was a real "HIT" with the present day Rotarians who heard it. Felix & I knew most of these people in person and worked with them almost daily. It was a time when you knew everyone else and all somehow, interrelated.
      March 13th, 2005 was a special day for Felix! It was his birthday! I'll let you count the years but his service to and for the village of Clifton Springs has been, like the Rotary Motto, SERVICE ABOVE SELF. Thanks Felix for letting us "peek" back for a few moments to yesterday so we could bring to light again some of the Rotarians who made the history of that era as rich as it was! (Article by Fred Gifford)

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